Netflix planned to reopen the Bay Theatre in Southern California in October 2021, adding it to a small group of theatrical spaces it used for screenings and events. The Verge reported the plan.
I hadn’t expected Netflix to want physical theaters. The move made more sense as a way to control premieres and give its films a theatrical life than as a meaningful ticket-sales business. A few theaters wouldn’t threaten chains. They could, however, let Netflix decide how its films met audiences and awards voters outside the app.