Horror director Mike Flanagan recently shared a disheartening aspect of his ongoing partnership with Netflix, which revolves around physical media.
Mike Flanagan was once regarded as the reigning champion of Netflix. Following the triumph of his Stephen King adaptations, such as Doctor Sleep and Gerald’s Game, Flanagan established a partnership with the streaming service to produce a series of highly successful horror television shows. The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor, and Midnight Mass all garnered a significant following among subscribers.
Still, in 2023, it was announced that Flanagan would be departing from the streaming giant and transitioning to Amazon Prime Video. Flanagan has since disclosed that his departure was the result of a disagreement with Netflix, who refused to distribute his projects in physical formats such as Blu-ray and DVDs. Unfortunately, Netflix had no intention of releasing any physical copies of his work.
Flanagan shared that during his time at Netflix, he made numerous attempts to convince them to release his work on Blu-ray and DVD. However, despite his efforts, the company consistently refused and showed a strong preference for streaming subscriptions. Flanagan also noted that Netflix seemed to have a negative attitude towards physical media.
He emphasized, “This perspective is highly perilous.”Although companies such as Netflix take pride in their ability to disrupt and bring about significant change in the industry, they may not always distinguish between disruption and destruction. As a result, they could unintentionally cause considerable harm to the fundamental idea of preserving films.
Flanagan’s remarks are highly significant in the ongoing discussion about Netflix and its effects on traditional movie theaters and physical media. The fact that an individual so closely associated with a major streaming platform has chosen to depart is not insignificant, and only reinforces the idea that creators (and their fans) prioritize the preservation of their work.
In response to Flanagan’s statement, one X user expressed their strong desire to own The Fall of The House of Usher and Midnight Mass on Blu-ray, but unfortunately cannot. They emphasized the importance of physical media in situations like this.
Another person commented on how companies like Netflix are missing out on potential revenue by not releasing their content on physical media. They also pointed out that the entertainment industry has always overlooked the value of physical media, even though it has proven to be a successful way to turn unsuccessful theatrical releases into profitable products.
Currently, Flanagan is occupied with working on various projects, such as multiple adaptations of Stephen King’s works. The Life of Chuck and The Dark Tower remake are among his notable projects, and he has also been tapped to bring a fresh perspective to The Exorcist series with an upcoming film.
To discover more, be sure to browse through the top horror films available on Amazon Prime Video and Disney Plus. You can also view our list of the best movies of 2024 released thus far.
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