Netflix to aggressively acquire festival films at Cannes
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- Netflix is on pace to release seven films per month in 2025, including four event films like Greta Gerwig’s upcoming 'Narnia' adaptation.
- Dan Lin, Netflix's film chief, stated the company is actively pursuing acquisitions at major festivals, with Cannes as a key upcoming focus.
- Netflix acquired 'Emilia Pérez' at Cannes and 'Train Dreams' at Sundance, the latter earning an Oscar Best Picture nomination.
- Netflix was less active at Sundance 2025 but secured the documentary short 'The Baddest Speech Writer of All' from Ben Proudfoot and Steph Curry.
- Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s creative chief, emphasized maintaining a balance between original films and Pay-1 licensing deals with studios like Sony and Universal.
- Netflix organizes its film team by genre, with executives dedicated to producing 3–4 films annually in categories like horror, comedy, and drama.
Why it matters: While Netflix is producing more original films, its continued festival acquisitions signal it still relies on external prestige content to compete in awards and cultural conversations. The dual strategy preserves its influence in indie cinema while scaling volume, benefiting filmmakers and studios with Pay-1 deals that fund theatrical releases.
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