Netflix Tries to Outdo Theaters With Films a Studio Can Envy
- $90 million Will Smith movie is one of 30 releases this year
- Streaming company’s lineup is larger than most major studios’
Netflix Bets Big on 'Bright' in Bid to Outdo Theaters
Will Smith’s next movie -- part cop flick, part sci-fi -- has all the makings of a Hollywood blockbuster except one. When “Bright” is released later this year it’ll be playing on Netflix Inc.’s streaming service, not thousands of theater screens.
Once an industry outsider, Netflix has emerged as one of the TV industry’s most powerful forces with shows including “House of Cards’’ and “Stranger Things,’’ earning awards and attracting millions of viewers. Though the Los Gatos, California-based company has released dozens of films in recent years, it hasn’t had the same impact in movies.