How Netflix saves movies from box-office disaster

'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny' - Regal Entertainment Group, an American cinema chain, refused to screen "an experiment where you can see the same product on screens varying from three stories tall to 3 inches wide on a smartphone." Other studios followed suit, so it was only screened on Netflix.

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'Barry' - Coming at the tail-end of Barack Obama's presidency, biopic 'Barry' could have been a box-office hit. However, without a famous lead and a known director, it would have been a bit of a gamble.

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'Barry' - Director Vikram Gandhi hasn't produced a feature-length since, so opting for Netflix (teased with a viral Twitter trailer), was probably the right choice.

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'Okja' - Beloved by critics, big-budget 'Okja' may have been a success at the box office. That being said, Western audiences could have been put off by the American-Korean production.

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'Okja' - However, the film made just US$2.1 million at the international box office. Distributing the film through Netflix, it reached a worldwide audience, and 'Okja' even made it to the Cannes Film Festival.

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'Death Note' - 'Death Note' is a thriller based on the manga of the same name. With a budget of US$40 million, the film had big boots to fill at the box office.

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'Death Note' - Without a famous lead, 'Death Note' could have been doomed at the box office. Past manga adaptations like 'Dragonball Evolution' and 'The Last Airbender' have also been panned by critics. Going with Netflix seems like the right idea.

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'22 July' - Paul Greengrass is behind hit films like 'Captain Phillips' and 'The Bourne Ultimatum.' However, '22 July,' a drama about the 2011 Norway attacks, may have been too grim for Western audiences.

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'22 July' - Instead, '22 July' was distributed to Netflix. Its limited release made just US$173,168 at the box office, so streaming was probably the best bet.

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'The Ballad of Buster Scruggs' - The Coen brothers are groundbreaking filmmakers, but the 'The Ballad of Buster Scruggs' may not have done well at the box office.

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'The Ballad of Buster Scruggs' - Instead of their hits like 'Fargo' and 'No Country for Old Men,' 'Buster Scruggs' is a more experimental film, made up of short films that don't necessarily add up to a Hollywood hit.

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'Pee-wee's Big Holiday' - Pee-wee Herman became something of a cult character, after Paul Reubens became embroiled scandal in the '90s.

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'Pee-wee's Big Holiday' - It's likely that this cinematic revamp would have been a gamble at the box office. Instead, Netflix proved to be the perfect home for Pee-wee Herman.

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'13th' - A documentary directed by Ava DuVernay, '13th' tackles some seriously important issues, namely the controversial 13th amendment of the United States constitution.

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'13th' - That being said, its small earnings in the UK ensured that Netflix would be a better platform for the doc. It became a huge success on the platform.

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'Icarus' - This documentary focuses on Russia's reputation of doping athletes for major sporting events, like the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

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'Icarus' -

The film got rave reviews and even won an Oscar, but it's debatable whether the subject matter would have drawn big crowds at the box office.

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How Netflix saves movies from box-office disaster

Netflix is changing the movie industry, a lot faster than expected

24/09/19 | StarsInsider

MOVIES Netlix

Netflix is changing the movie industry, a lot faster than expected. When a second 'Jungle Book' remake was announced (titled 'Mowgli'), many thought it would bomb upon release. 'The Jungle Book' had previously made nearly a billion at the box office, making 'Mowgli' something of a copycat. Luckily, Netflix picked up the production, and the film hit the streaming service. It isn't the only movie that has been saved from potential box office humiliation. In fact, there have been plenty of films that have found a nice home on Netflix, away from cinematic critics and the pressure of turning a huge profit. Check out this new gallery, and find out just how Netflix saves movies from box office disaster.