Could Glass Onion be returning to theaters?
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is currently floating in that awkward in-between place of existence. Its seven-day theatrical run over Thanksgiving weekend is over, and the film won’t hit Netflix until Dec. 23.
Many fans of director Rian Johnson’s first film, Knives Out, came out to the theaters to watch the film, bringing in roughly $15 million in just a week. The short success of the film left many wondering why Netflix didn’t run the film in theaters longer, as it could have made millions more, but Netflix is standing firmly in its belief that streaming comes first.
If you want to read why Netflix isn’t extending Glass Onion’s theatrical run, then check out this article that details Netflix’s strategy and why it makes sense. While Netflix believes that a great reward will be reaped from the film’s short stint in theaters rather than relying on the box office revenue, Johnson and fans are hoping to see the film on the silver screen again.
Is Glass Onion Returning to Theaters?
In an interview with Insider, Johnson revealed that he is trying to bring Glass Onion back into theaters.
“Any theaters we can get into at any point I’m pushing for,” Johnson said. “I want more people to have the opportunity to be able to watch it.”
Although Johnson is pushing for another week in theaters, he understands that it’s an unlikely thing to happen while the film is currently in the wings waiting to debut on the streaming platform. There could be a small chance that the film can secure a theatrical window once the film makes its streaming debut on Netflix.
“Once it’s on the service it will be available to theaters and we’re exploring what form that can take,” Johnson said. “I’ll take as much as I can possibly get. But a lot of that has to do with what the theaters are willing to do, what makes sense.”
Nothing is currently set in stone, but Johnson is working hard to find a way for people to see the film in theaters as they did with Knives Out. Counter to Netflix’s business strategy, Johnson believes that the film’s box office showing is a sign that another theatrical run could make financial sense for all parties.
“We were very interested in how it did,” the director stated. “We wanted it to do incredibly well for a lot of reasons. I guess for me because I really want to show that this can happen and this can be a huge success. And that when it hits the service, people will still turn up and it will be huge on the service. That those two things can complement each other. Because I want more next time. I want more theaters. I want it for longer.”
Johnson’s desire to have the film played in theaters and on streaming services echoes Warner Bros.'s previous CEO David Malpass’s then-infamous decision to release films on HBO Max the same day they were released in theaters.
I was and still am a big fan of day-and-date releases. As streaming becomes bigger and platforms like Netflix make bigger films, a dual method of release will benefit those, including the filmmakers, who want to see new movies in theaters. Although Netflix might not currently be open to this idea of day-and-date releases, other platforms like Amazon Studios and Hulu might be interested in taking the extra million dollars that movie-goers are wanting to spend at their local theaters to watch a great new release.
Would you see Glass Onion if it returns to theaters? Let us know in the comments!
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