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 Very few cinemas, however, will be showing the fantasy thriller
starring Will Smith when it debuts on Friday. Netflix will
instead release the movie to the company's 109 million streaming
customers around the world to watch at home.
Although Netflix has released smaller, less expensive original
films this way, "Bright" is more of a gamble. The movie, set in
Los Angeles in a world where orcs, elves and other fantastic
creatures co-exist with humans, cost more than $90 million to
make, and it is the kind of rich, cinematic action movie
traditionally generally considered best on the giant screen.
At the red-carpet premiere for "Bright" in Los Angeles, its star
said he wondered how audiences would react to seeing the film on
televisions or mobile devices.
"There's an emotional overwhelming that happens when you watch
something in a movie theater with 400 people, right?" Smith
said. He noted the film had production values as high as any of
his other big movies, but asked: "Does it penetrate in the same
way?"
Netflix argues that today's internet-ready TVs and surround
sound systems can provide a theater-quality experience at home.
The company encourages filmmakers to consider using video
technology called high dynamic range, which brightens images and
makes details stand out, and the latest sound from Dolby
Laboratories Inc. Both were used in "Bright."
At a new production space and offices in Hollywood, Netflix
employs a color scientist and other technical experts to help
filmmakers incorporate innovations.
The company began promoting "Bright" on the streaming service
back in March, much earlier than usual.
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Utilizing its extensive data about viewer tastes, it began showing
movie trailers at that time to targeted subscribers. The promotions
go only to customers who Netflix considers likely to enjoy the film
based on their viewing history, Chris Jaffe, vice president of user
interface innovation, told reporters earlier this month. The
company's computer algorithm looks at more than 100 factors to
identify those subscribers, he said.
"Bright" will also be released initially in two theaters in the
United States and 10 in Britain. Most major chains have refused to
show Netflix movies because of the company's practice of releasing
films at the same time online and in theaters. Movies from
traditional studios typically run exclusively in cinemas for about
three months.
It will be difficult to gauge if "Bright" is a hit, because Netflix
does not disclose viewership data.
While the filmmakers might have liked a wider run in theaters for
"Bright," they were impressed by Netflix's ability to release the
film simultaneously in homes around the world, producer Bryan
Unkeless said. "Bright" will be subtitled in 26 languages and dubbed
in nine of them.
"The global scope that Netflix offers was a huge plus for us,"
Unkeless said.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Additional reporting by Jane Ross in
Los Angeles; Editing by Sue Horton and Rosalba O'Brien)
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