What does it take to coax Ben Affleck to the deteriorating heart of Hollywood Blvd. at 9 a.m. on a Wednesday to deliver the two-minute elevator pitch for his latest movie to a room full of journalists? Just Netflix, apparently.
The ruling streamer held its 2025 programming preview, Next on Netflix, with an Egyptian Theatre event that could only be described as a living sizzle reel. In addition to Affleck, Tina Fey, John Mulaney, The Duffer Brothers, WWE wrestlers and a pre-taped Guillermo del Toro all showed up alongside chief content officer Bela Bajaria as she ran through a dizzying slate of upcoming series and films.
There were updates about the final seasons of Stranger Things (coming soon!) and Squid Game (coming sooner!) and first looks of both, as well as trailer debuts for Del Toro’s Frankenstein and Affleck crime thriller RIP, between Bajaria’s compelling pitch. Though, at times, the tone of the event seemed almost like a defense of the media giant — something it doesn’t exactly need at the moment. Last week’s announcement that it had hit 300 million paid subscribers worldwide coincided with Netflix stock hitting an all-time high and the news that acquisition Emilia Perez is the most-nominated work at the upcoming Academy Awards, putting a first-ever best picture Oscar close to the streamer’s grasp. But now, more than ever, you’re only as good as your last in this industry. So Bajaria peeled the curtain back to show her formidable pipeline. And that includes prestige TV, whatever it might be.
“One of the biggest myths about Netflix is that we don’t do ‘prestige TV,’ or we don’t do as much of it as we used to,” said Bejaria. “The most annoying thing about this myth, besides the fact that it’s not true, is that nobody knows what ‘prestige TV’ actually is. Is it a critically acclaimed show? Does it win awards? Is it a show audiences love? Is it one that people at your dinner parties in New York and L.A. talk about?”
She went on to cite the critical success of series like Baby Reindeer, The Crown, Beef and Ripley before setting up the next prestige pushes: David Benioff and D.B. Weiss’ Death by Lightning, Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys thriller The Beast in Me and Robert De Niro vehicle Zero Day. Tina Fey was there in person to plug her project with Steve Carrell, a reimagining of Alan Alda’s Four Seasons. “Last year, we had more Emmy and Golden Globe nominations than any other network — and don’t forget about the Oscar noms,” said Bajaria. “This year, we’ve got some beautiful, powerful shows that meet any definition of ‘prestige TV.'”
Bajaria hyped new film boss Dan Lin, whose first commissions will start rolling out later this year. “He’s greenlit and acquired more than 25 films so far,” said Bajaria, who emphasized that Emilia Perez was his first purchase. But the pivotal 2025 releases precede Lin, namely Happy Gilmore 2, the adaptation of hit novel Thursday Murder Club and Wake Up Dead Man, Rian Johnson’s latest Knives Out mystery.
The presentation could have just as easily been for investors or advertisers but it was notably just for press. It filled the vacancy left by the embattled Television Critics Association press tour, albeit on a super-sized level. The event was simulcast in 11 other countries, with live events in those territories to hype their own local projects.
“For the most part, TV and film are fairly local,” added Bajaria. “The French like French shows, Italians like Italian shows and Brazilians like Brazilian shows. Our goal is to make great shows and movies that appeal to local audiences first, and then make it easy for anyone, everywhere to watch them.”
The ubiquity of Netflix was apparent not just in the spiel but in the A-list talent that was trotted out — one of whom used its cultural and commercial dominance for a bit.
“I have to say of all the DVD mail order businesses that pivoted, I think Netflix is in the top one or two — Red Box being a close second,” said Mulaney, who’ll soon launch a talk show on the streamer. “Red Box actually offered me more money to do a show, but I told them to stick it. I’m a Netflix guy. I’m not going to premiere in front of supermarkets no matter how much you offer me.”
Netflix has indeed pivoted. Bajaria also focused on the aggressive push into live programming — see the recent NFL deal and that $5 billion WWE pact — and gaming, while also noting the growing number of “experiences” on deck. A Netflix restaurant opens at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas next month. The first two locations of Netflix House, immersive spaces branded with its most popular series, soon open in Texas and Pennsylvania. (It’s a long, long way to go before anybody is nipping at Disney’s heels, but it’s a start — and experiences are seen as one of the most future-proof sectors in entertainment.)
In the lone nod to the aforementioned TCA, Bajaria wrapped the event by subjecting herself to a brief audience Q&A. She was pressed on the conspicuously quiet marketplace at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and her release strategy for the final season of Stranger Things, but most everything had already been said. So, it ended like most Hollywood events featuring passed mics: with a not-so-subtle plea for work.
Bajaria didn’t take the bait when a self-described content creator asked how to get in business with the streamer, but the answer is obvious. Get in line.
English (US) ·