Italy is to introduce an obligatory delay between Italian films screening in cinemas and being shown on streaming services like Netflix, in a bid to protect its domestic film industry. The law comes after the thorny issue reared its head at this year's Venice Film Festival, where several films came from US streaming giants Netflix or Amazon, including the festival's Golden Lion winner "Roma". Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron's movie was the first by Netflix to win a major festival prize. Thanks to its festival success, it will start being released in theatres around the world on November 21 and then on Netflix on December 14. In contrast, France's Cannes Film Festival opted only to accept films with a guaranteed cinema release, in a bid to protect theatres. French law says there must be a 36-month interval between when a film is shown in theatres and when it can be shown by a streaming or Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) service. The result is that streaming producers … [Read more...] about Italy’s ‘anti-Netflix’ law to protect film industry
Netflix
Netflix to release 3 films in theaters ahead of online debut
The move for "Roma," "Bird Box" and "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs" is a change from the company's traditional practice of releasing movies in theaters and on Netflix on the same day, the company said on Wednesday. "Roma," a black-and-white, Spanish-language film about a housekeeper in Mexico, will start playing in cinemas in Los Angeles, New York and Mexico on Nov. 21 and later expand to other cities and countries. Directed by Oscar winner Alfonso Cuaron, "Roma" will debut on Netflix and in additional theaters on Dec. 14. At the end of September, Netflix had 137 million subscribers to its movie and TV streaming service. It began stocking its library with original films just three years ago. Netflix had been insisting that any of the movies it sent to theaters be available to its streaming membership on the same day. Most large theater chains remain opposed to Netflix films, and some prominent directors have objected to the idea that their movies would be seen mostly on the small … [Read more...] about Netflix to release 3 films in theaters ahead of online debut
Guillermo del Toro to direct Pinocchio for Netflix
Oscar-winner Guillermo del Toro said he’s wanted to make a movie about Pinocchio "for as long as I can remember". — AFP PhotoViet Nam News LOS ANGELES — Guillermo del Toro’s first movie after winning Oscars for The Color of Water will be a stop-motion animated version of the classic Pinocchio, Netflix said on Monday. "No art form has influenced my life and my work more than animation and no single character in history has had as deep of a personal connection to me as Pinocchio," del Toro said. The feature length film of "my version of this strange puppet-turned-real-boy" will be a musical set in 1930s Italy. "Pinocchio is an innocent soul with an uncaring father who gets lost in a world he cannot comprehend," del Toro said. "He embarks on an extraordinary journey that leaves him with a deep understanding of his father and the real world." Del Toro already has several projects with Netflix, including DreamWorks’ Trollhunters, the first installment of … [Read more...] about Guillermo del Toro to direct Pinocchio for Netflix
Let the Games begin: Netflix releases first Indian series
Netflix's first original Indian series premieres on Friday as the U.S. streaming giant battles with Amazon Prime for a slice of the country's fast growing on-demand video market. "Sacred Games", an adaptation of Vikram Chandra's 2006 novel of the same name, stars Bollywood stalwarts Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Saif Ali Khan and Radhika Apte. Analysts say the gritty underworld thriller sets a new benchmark for Indian-produced internet shows as providers seek to capitalise on the country's burgeoning number of smartphone users. "'Sacred Games' is probably the most high-profile content that has been made. Others have not been on the same scale," Girish Menon, who tracks media and entertainment for KPMG, told AFP. Revenues from India's entertainment streaming industry are expected to be $823 million by 2022, up from $297 million in 2017, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers report released this month. Netflix, which is blocked in China, is investing millions in the world's second-most populous … [Read more...] about Let the Games begin: Netflix releases first Indian series
Netflix series shows ‘necessary’ Philippine drug war: director
The deadly drug war waged by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is to be dramatised in the first Netflix series by award-winning director Brillante Mendoza, who says the internationally-condemned crackdown is "necessary." "Amo," which premieres April 9, is about a high school student who starts selling crystal meth and ends up tangled in a nightmarish world populated by violent kingpins and corrupt officials. It is the latest up-close examination of the dark side of Philippine life from Cannes-honoured Mendoza, who is a Duterte supporter and has filmed two government advertisements promoting the president's anti-drug campaign. "Yes, it (the drug war) is necessary for the Philippines - not only for the Philippines but also other countries afflicted with the drug problem," the 57-year-old Filipino told AFP in a telephone interview. "The reason why I did this is so people can see the other side of the coin," he said - from the point of view of the "victims" as well as the "victimizers." … [Read more...] about Netflix series shows ‘necessary’ Philippine drug war: director