Netflix Doubles Down on Theatrical Release Strategy: ‘Driving Folks to a Theater Is Just Not Our Business’

Naman Ramachandran Yash Raj Films’ Bollywood blockbuster “Pathaan,” headlined by superstar Shah Rukh Khan, is set for a historic theatrical release in Bangladesh, Variety has confirmed. Hindi-language Bollywood films, while very popular in the country, have not been released in Bangladesh since the country’s formation in 1971, in a bid to protect the country’s local film industry. In 2009, the decision was relaxed to allow “Wanted,” starring Salman Khan, to open in the territory. However, the release was met with protests led by a local film industry organization and the film was pulled from the 50 cinemas it was running in after a week. In February this year, a consortium of 19 Bangladesh film associations decided to allow Hindi-language films to release in the country and suggested that 10 films release a year. “Pathaan” then will become the first Hindi-language film to enjoy a wide release in Bangladesh.

Meghan Trainor is setting the record straight on the size of her husband Daryl Sabara’s penis.

The Traitors has been a breakout hit in the unscripted world, with one exec saying that it did for the global formats genre what Top Gun: Maverick did for the summer blockbuster.

McKinley Franklin editor Cinedigm has acquired the North American rights to horror-comedy film “Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls,” which will be released in theaters this fall, Variety has learned exclusively. The film is based on writer, director and star Andrew Bowser’s viral character, Onyx, which has accumulated over 300 million views online with over 1 million followers on TikTok. According to the film’s official plot description, as an “amateur occultist, [Onyx] learns that sometimes when you raise HELL…you get a little burned.” Just when Onyx is about to give up his paranormal pursuits, he receives an invitation to meet with his idol, Bartok the Great, to take part in a ritual to revive an ancient demon. Onyx makes friends with fellow disciples as things take a turn for the worst and they battle to keep their souls. 

In a week when distributors and exhibitors are reconvening for their annual Las Vegas meet-up, CinemaCon, and celebrating the post-pandemic resurge of the box office, the motion picture industry is bracing for a potential WGA strike.

filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday, Netflix’s executive chairman and former co-CEO Reed Hastings raked in approximately $51.1 million in total compensation last year, up from the $40.8 million he received in 2021. Hastings’ package included a $650,000 base salary, approximately $49.4 million in stock options and $1 million in other compensation.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Reed Hastings, who stepped aside as co-CEO of Netflix in January, and co-chief Ted Sarandos both saw double-digit increases in their compensation packages for 2022, with their total pay topping $50 million each. Hastings’ total pay last year was $51.07 million, $49.4 million of which was in stock option awards, up 25% from 2021, the streamer disclosed in its 2023 proxy statement Friday. Sarandos’ pay jumped 31.5% in 2022, to $50.3 million, comprising $20 million base annual salary, $28.5 million in stock options and $1.79 million in other compensation (including $1.43 million in residential security costs). In stepping down as co-CEO, Hastings will take a huge pay cut: For 2023, as executive chairman, he’s eligible to receive a $500,000 base salary plus $2.5 million in stock options, according to a Netflix 8-K filing with the SEC. In the co-CEO role, he stood to make $34.7 million this year, mostly in stock.

Reed Hastings saw his total pay package jump by about $10 million last year to $51 million on a new stock option grant. Co-CEO Ted Sarandos pulled in total compensation of $50.3 million, up from $38.2 million, also on a bigger option grant.

Over the weekend, the “Love Is Blind” reunion made headlines. But though the season 4 conclusion was filled with plenty of drama, it was Netflix’s inability to get the event, which had been advertised as its second live special, to stream on time.

reunion made headlines. But though the season 4 conclusion was filled with plenty of drama, it was Netflix's inability to get the event, which had been advertised as its second live special, to stream on time.After promises that they were waiting to start the special until it could stream, Netflix eventually gave up and recorded the reunion.

EXCLUSIVE: Patriot Pictures and XYZ Films have brought on Wayward Entertainment to release Nick Cassavetes action-thriller God Is A Bullet.

Netflix is owning up to the long delay they had with the Love Is Blind live reunion.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Netflix co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters revealed what exactly went wrong with the live “Love Is Blind” Season 4 reunion special on Sunday — and how they plan to fix the problem with other live broadcasts moving forward. “We’re really sorry to disappoint so many people,” Peters said during a prerecorded Q1 earnings interview Tuesday. “We didn’t meet the standard that we expect ourselves: to serve our members and just be clear from a technical perspective. We’ve got the infrastructure. We had just a bug that we introduced, actually, when we implemented some changes to try to improve live-streaming performance after the last live broadcast, Chris Rock[‘s ‘Selective Outrage’] in March. We just didn’t see this bug in internal testing because it only became apparent once we put multiple systems interacting with each other under the load of millions of people trying to watch ‘Love Is Blind.'”

Netflix CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters celebrated the success of the streamer’s latest hit series “Beef,” but skipped over controversy surrounding cast member David Choe’s involvement.The executives touted the show’s recent critical and fan acclaim during the company’s first quarter earnings interview Tuesday, but didn’t acknowledge the building outrage among viewers that started after a 2014 video of Choe resurfaced on social media where he said he forced himself on a masseuse.“That’s new this quarter and it has kicked off and it’s off to a tremendous start,” Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said of the show.

Just two days after the “Love Is Blind” Season 4 live reunion fiasco, which delayed the livestream for over an hour with many viewers unable to watch the special until the next day, Netflix Co-CEO Greg Peters said the delayed was caused by a “bug.” “From a technical perspective, we’ve got the infrastructure,” Peters said during Tuesday’s earning call. “We had just a bug that we introduced, actually, when we implemented some changes to try and improve live streaming performance after the last live broadcast Chris Rock in March and we just didn’t see this bug in internal testing because it only became apparent once we put sort of multiple systems interacting with each other under the load of millions of people trying to watch ‘Love is Blind.'”While fans of the reality dating series tuned in to the special expecting for the reunion to rehash the season’s drama and give a status update for how each couple’s relationship has evolved since their respective wedding days, viewers were met with a error message on the live stream.Despite the livestreaming troubles, the reunion reached an audience of 6.5 million viewers, Peters said.“We’re really sorry to have disappointed so many people,” Peters continued.

The Love Is Blind reunion didn’t end up being live on April 16 due to “technical difficulties,” but apologetic Netflix brass are very pleased with the viewership the streamer had once the special finally aired.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Netflix said it would stage a “broad rollout” of its paid-sharing plan in the second quarter of 2023, including in the U.S. The streamer announced the news as part of its first quarter 2023 earnings report. As part of Netflix’s crackdown on customers sharing passwords with people outside their household, the company plans to start blocking devices (after a certain period of time) that attempt to access a Netflix account without properly paying. “In Q1, we launched paid sharing in four countries and are pleased with the results,” Netflix said in its Q1 letter to shareholders. “We are planning on a broad rollout, including in the U.S., in Q2.”

Netflix delivered a mixed set of results for the first quarter, edging Wall Street analysts’ estimates for earnings per share but falling short in other key categories.

Netflix plans to phase in “paid sharing” — the company’s preferred term for cracking down on the loaning of login credentials — in the U.S. in the coming weeks.

So, this is why Jackie Bonds didn’t show up for the Love Is Blind reunion?!