One of most unique and oldest theaters in the New York has discovered an improbable savior: Netflix. This week, the streaming behemoth declared that it has inked a deal to keep the only remaining single-screen cinema in the city, the Paris Theatre, in operation. The theater had locked this deal earlier in August after displaying a run of Pavarotti.
While Netflix did not reveal the terms of the deal, it did claim that it aims to employ the space for screenings and special events, as well as to display its own films. Netflix has been displaying movies such as The King and The Irishman in theaters so that they can be eligible for the Oscars.
This is not the first foray by Netflix into conventional cinemas. From April this year, the firm has been brainstorming on an agreement in Los Angeles to take over the historic Egyptian Theatre. Netflix has also allegedly mulled over purchasing a small chain such as Landmark Theatres. For the streaming giant, spending in historic, small theaters makes a lot of logic as it makes an effort to shore up connections with grown-up filmmakers. In 2018, Steven Spielberg claimed that the firm’s movies must be considered television rather than movie. One of his major disputes was that films should not be eligible for the Oscars if they run only for a few weeks in cinemas. A theater such as the Paris lets Netflix to both deal with those issues and make goodwill with film buffs.
Speaking of Netflix, the firm is extending its push into podcasting using Because I Watched, its 17th podcast till now. It will share “tales from actual people globally about the methods their favorite movies and TV shows have helped them shape.” First up is a story about how The Crown assisted a duo of sisters who live on opposite ends of the globe reconnect.