'I'm Giving You a Hard Number' — Netflix Boss Ted Sarandos Promises to Keep Warner Bros. Movies Exclusively in Theaters for 45 Days

Ted Sarandos, the co-CEO of Netflix, has committed to a 45-day model for theatrical movie releases erstwhile its $82.7 cardinal woody for Warner Bros. goes through.

Earlier this month, Deadline reported that Netflix “have been proponents of a 17-day model which would steamroll the theatrical business.”

However, successful a caller interrogation with The New York Times, Sarandos pushed backmost connected the wide content that Netflix’s woody for Warner Bros. volition spell catastrophe for theaters and moviegoing, insisting Hollywood misunderstands what it’s trying to achieve.

“The wide economics of the theatrical concern were much affirmative than we had seen and we had modeled for ourselves,” Sarandos said of Warner Bros.’s movie arm. “It’s a healthy, profitable concern for them. We weren’t successful that concern not due to the fact that we hated it. We weren’t successful that concern due to the fact that our concern was doing truthful well.

“I recognize that folks are affectional astir it due to the fact that they emotion it and they don’t privation it to spell away. And they deliberation that we’ve been doing things to marque it spell away. We haven’t.”

At this constituent successful the interview, Sarandos committed to the 45-day window.

“When this woody closes, we volition ain a theatrical organisation motor that is phenomenal and produces billions of dollars of theatrical gross that we don’t privation to enactment astatine risk. We volition tally that concern mostly similar it is today, with 45-day windows. I’m giving you a hard number. If we’re going to beryllium successful the theatrical business, and we are, we’re competitory radical — we privation to win. I privation to triumph opening weekend. I privation to triumph container office.”

Netflix’s determination present could person an tremendous interaction connected everything from James Gunn's DC Universe movie, Man of Tomorrow (July 9, 2027), to The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum (December 17, 2027). Then there's Matt Reeves' The Batman: Part 2, which is owed retired October 1, 2027, and Godzilla x Kong: Supernova, owed retired March 26, 2027.

And it’s worthy pointing retired that Sarandos hasn’t committed to a 45-day model forever. Indeed, successful a fiscal telephone discussing the woody past year, Sarandos said Netflix would proceed to merchandise Warner Bros. movies successful theaters for now, though expected theatrical merchandise windows to shorten implicit clip to go "more idiosyncratic friendly."

"We've released astir 30 films into theaters this year, truthful it's not similar we person got this absorption to movies into theaters," Sarandos said astatine the time. "My pushback has been mostly successful the information of the long, exclusive windows that we don't deliberation are that idiosyncratic friendly."

"I wouldn't look astatine this arsenic a alteration successful attack for Netflix movies, oregon for Warner movies for that matter," Sarandos continued. "I deliberation implicit clip the windows volition germinate to beryllium overmuch much user friendly, to beryllium capable to conscionable the assemblage wherever they are, quicker. All those things we'd similar to do. But I'd accidental close present you should number connected everything that is planned arsenic going to the theaters done Warner Bros., volition proceed to spell to the theaters done Warner Bros."

In the New York Times interview, Sarandos was challenged connected his much-quoted dismissal of cinemagoing arsenic an “outmoded idea.” He clarified that helium said going to the theatre was outmoded “for some."

“I mean, similar the municipality that Sinners is expected to beryllium acceptable successful does not person a movie theatre there,” helium said. “For those folks, it’s surely outmoded. You’re not going to get successful the car and spell to the adjacent municipality to spell spot a movie. But my girl lives successful Manhattan. She could locomotion to six multiplexes, and she’s successful the theaters doubly a week. Not outmoded for her astatine all.”

Sarandos besides insisted that the thought of Netflix arsenic contention for going to the theatre is simply a myth, adding that radical volition permission the location to spell to the movies if they’re genuinely excited astir a film.

“When you spell retired to spot a movie successful the theater, if it was a bully movie, erstwhile you travel home, the archetypal happening you privation to bash is ticker different movie,” helium said. “If anything, I deliberation it helps, you know, promote the emotion of films.

“I did not get successful this concern to wounded the theatrical business. I got into this concern to assistance consumers, to assistance movie fans.”

(L-R) Matt Damon, Ted Sarandos, and Ben Affleck astatine Netflix's The Rip New York premiere connected January 13, 2026. Photo by John Nacion/FilmMagic.

The aboriginal of cinemagoing is apical of caput arsenic 2026 kicks off, with Netflix’s Warner Bros. woody waiting successful the wings. Meanwhile, container bureau gross is struggling, with adjacent Marvel movies — antecedently guaranteed hits — having occupation getting fans into theaters. The large question close present is, are we witnessing the opening of the extremity of going to the cinema?

Hollywood fable Leonardo DiCaprio precocious expressed interest astir the aboriginal of cinemagoing, asking whether it would go a niche pursuit. In an interrogation with The Sunday Times, the Titanic, Inception, and The Wolf of Wall Street prima wondered whether “people inactive person the appetite” for theaters, and, if not, whether they mightiness “become silos — similar jazz bars.”

Meanwhile, Avatar manager James Cameron has said Netflix buying Warner Bros. would beryllium a “disaster.”

“Sorry, Ted [Sarandos], but geez,” helium said connected The Town podcast up of the motorboat of Avatar: Fire and Ash. “Sarandos has gone connected the grounds saying theatrical films are dead. ‘Theatrical is dead. Quote, unquote.’” Indeed, Cameron remains unconvinced that Netflix would genuinely perpetrate to immoderate meaningful theatrical organisation if it expanded. “It’s sucker bait," helium said. "‘We’ll enactment the movie retired for a week oregon 10 days. We’ll suffice for Oscar consideration.’ See, I deliberation that’s fundamentally rotten to the core. A movie should beryllium made arsenic a movie for theatrical, and the Academy Awards mean thing to maine if they don’t mean theatrical. I deliberation they’ve been co-opted, and I deliberation it’s horrific.”

That said, Cameron isn't opposed to Netflix playing the crippled if it actually, well, plays the game. “They should beryllium allowed to vie if they enactment the movie retired for a meaningful merchandise successful 2,000 theaters for a month,” Cameron noted.

One study has claimed Netflix is peculiarly keen to get Warner Bros.' immense contented room arsenic the streamer ramps up its imaginable to connection AI-generation tools and contented successful the future.

Photo by Vincent Feuray / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images.

Wesley is Director, News astatine IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].