Netflix Believes In Movie Theaters Now? Prove It In 2026

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The news of Netflix buying Warner Bros. caused a lot of concern, including for me. Many in the film industry felt discouraged by a streaming service that had previously seen cinemas as rivals now taking over a major movie distributor. This felt particularly disheartening given Warner Bros.’ recent success in theaters. Cinemas have faced numerous challenges since the pandemic began, and this acquisition seemed like a potentially devastating setback.

Netflix is pushing back against the idea that Warner Bros. is leaving movie theaters. While the official statement said WB would continue releasing films theatrically, many doubted this given past comments about their business model. Recently, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos has repeatedly emphasized this point in interviews, including one with the New York Times.

As a huge movie fan, I’m really excited about this upcoming acquisition. It’s going to give us a fantastic way to get films into theaters, and frankly, we’re talking about a business that generates billions! We’re not about to mess with something that successful, so we plan to keep things running pretty much as they do now, with the standard 45-day theatrical release window. And I mean that definitively. We’re committed to theatrical releases, and we’re competitive – we want to be the best. I want our movies to dominate opening weekends and consistently top the box office charts.

That sounds promising, and it’s meant to be. Paramount is now competing with Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery, and addressing concerns about Netflix’s commitment to theatrical releases would strengthen their position. However, words aren’t enough – if Netflix truly wants to show they support movie theaters, they need to demonstrate it with action.

C’mon Netflix, Put Some Movies In Theaters This Year!

DDP via Instar images

It seems Netflix isn’t planning a major shift in how it releases movies – both in theaters and on its streaming service. Warner Bros. will continue to make films for traditional theatrical releases, while Netflix will still focus on premiering content directly on its platform. It’s unclear exactly what will define a ‘Warner Bros. movie’ versus a ‘Netflix movie’ in terms of content, and figuring that out with filmmakers could be complicated. This might be why Netflix isn’t making a big announcement about theatrical releases for its planned 2026 films.

Netflix has made exceptions to its policies in the past, and there’s a strong argument for doing so again now. If Netflix’s CEO truly intends for this deal to mark the company’s entry into movie theaters, why not offer theater owners a preview of what that partnership could look like?

Interestingly, Netflix and AMC Theaters might already have potential movies in mind for future releases. Back in October, Variety reported that, following a period of disagreement, the two companies were discussing expanding on their successful tests with KPop Demon Hunters and the Stranger Things finale in 2026. Two films were mentioned as strong possibilities: Greta Gerwig’s Narnia and David Fincher’s Adventures of Cliff Booth.

One film is set to have a big launch in 1,000 IMAX theaters worldwide around Thanksgiving before streaming on Netflix in late December, and it might even get a wider release beyond those premium screens. The other, a sequel to Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood directed by David Fincher and based on a script by Quentin Tarantino with Brad Pitt starring, is tentatively planned for a Summer 2026 release. Both projects are well-suited for theatrical release, and if they had joined the company after the merger, they would likely have been a better fit for Warner Bros.’ film slate. Releasing them in theaters makes sense and shouldn’t disrupt the current strategy.

So, Zach Cregger – the guy behind Weapons – had a new sci-fi film, The Flood, that almost landed at Netflix. Apparently, disagreements over whether it would get a proper theatrical run put that deal on hold. Now it seems he’s back in good graces with Warner Bros., which probably would have been the next stop anyway. Honestly, given his talent, why not give him a full theatrical release? It feels like a missed opportunity to not let this one play on the big screen first.

Netflix could do a lot better than giving an interview to the Times if they want to demonstrate real change. If they’re truly committed to following through on their promises, they need to start taking action immediately and prove to the industry they mean business.

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2026-01-20 19:13