Netflix Tries to Outdo Theaters

Will Smith’s next movie, part cop flick, part sci-fi, has all the makings of a Hollywood blockbuster except one. When “Bright“ is released later this year it’ll be playing on Netflix’s streaming service, not thousands of theater screens, according to Bloomberg.

Once an industry outsider, Netflix has emerged as one of the TV industry’s most powerful forces with shows including “House of Cards’’ and “Stranger Things,’’ earning awards and attracting millions of viewers. Though the has released dozens of films in recent years, it hasn’t had the same impact in movies.

Now, the world’s largest paid video service is devoting more attention to motion pictures, looking to shake up that business just as it has TV. “Bright,“ with a $90 million budget, is one of about 30 original films Netflix will release this year, from micro-budget pictures made by independent producers to lavish Hollywood productions. That’s a bigger slate than most major studios.

To succeed, Netflix needs to create pictures that generate the kind of buzz associated with a big-screen hit or an awards contender. That won’t be easy. Major theaters shun Netflix because the company insists that its films be available for streaming from day one. Hollywood studios, while eager to get movies in the home sooner, still vouch for the cinema experience, as do most filmmakers.

For Netflix, which will spend more than $6 billion on TV shows and movies this year, the answer is money, talent and volume, as well as almost 100 million paying subscribers. The company’s future slate includes “War Machine,“ a comedy featuring Brad Pitt and Oscar winner Tilda Swinton that’s due out in May, and a new film from director Martin Scorsese.

Netflix said it hired Scott Stuber, producer of “Ted’’ and “The Break-Up,’’ to shepherd its film ambitions. A former vice chairman of worldwide production at Universal Pictures, will lead the development, production and acquisition of the company’s slate of original movies, and work to persuade filmmakers to shed their attachment to the cineplex.

Netflix introduced audiences to the trailer for “Bright“ in a commercial during last month’s Academy Awards. The same night, Amazon won three Oscars, including two for “Manchester By the Sea,’’ and host Jimmy Kimmel joked about Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, who was in the audience. Unlike Netflix, Amazon gives its movies a conventional run in theaters before they go online.

While Netflix has pursued and won Emmys, the highest award in TV, the Academy Awards are another matter. The company has mounted Oscar campaigns for documentaries without a win, and in 2015 failed to secure a nomination for “Beasts of No Nation.“ Netflix also bought several movies at the Sundance Film Festival in 2016, the same industry event where Amazon acquired “Manchester,’’ yet none earned major nominations.