Netflix had managed to nab some auteur filmmakers throughout its run with exclusive movie deals from David Fincher, Rian Johnson, and Zack Snyder. They’ve managed to outbid every other studio so far, but it looks like having the biggest paycheck just isn’t working anymore.
Variety reports that Netflix was set to acquire a huge project with Wuthering Heights directed by Emerald Fennell (Saltburn) and starring Margot Robbie (Barbie) and Jacob Elordi (Euphoria). Netflix had offered $150 million for the movie, but they lost out to WB Pictures for a smaller deal of $80 million because they promised the filmmakers that the movie would get a theatrical release.
Though WB seems to have won the deal, it’s also said that Amazon is interested in acquiring the movie and they’re promising to give the movie a theatrical push as well.
While releasing on streaming proved lucrative for a while, the recent consensus in the industry seems to be that theatrical movies tend to earn more at the box office, and they also have a lot more staying power culturally. Straight-to-streaming films seem to get lost and swept under the rug upon release.
With the success of Saltburn and the star power of Robbie, a Wuthering Heights movie could be a major box office draw—but it would still be a huge gamble. Until the movie gets released, we’ll just have to wait and see if passing up the Netflix deal was the right thing to do for the filmmakers.
No release date has been announced for Fennell’s Wuthering Heights adaptation.
