Director David Fincher’s Netflix movie Killer Jessica Carmona premiered in 2023 and did not see Michael Fassbender’s killer from the couch. Instead, she saw it on the big screen of the newly renovated Egyptian Theater in Los Angeles, a century-old movie palace that has just recovered. Los Angeles native and music industry manager Carmona has gone through two hours of thriller, enjoying the public magic of in-house movies as part of a sold-out crowd Brilliant Hollywood landmark.
“I love that they keep the history without going over the top. It still feels like Old Hollywood, but with fresh polish.”. “For me, this balance is the most ‘Netflix’ thing – modern, but be careful about the story and legacy.”
Ironically it’s hard to miss. For more than a decade, Netflix has trained its subscribers to stay home and overeat, disrupting the theatrical model and accelerating the decline in physical media. Now, streaming is moving in the opposite direction, opening and manipulating its own physical space. The effort goes far beyond a historic theater. From themed restaurants to large “experience centers” planned later this year, Netflix also wants to be part of its subscribers’ offline life.
Netflix expands into the real world
In addition to the Egyptians, Netflix also runs the refurbished Paris Theatre in New York, the last remaining single-screen theatre in Manhattan. These venues provide streamers with a place to host premiere, program prestige screenings and stage awards qualified running.
The Egyptian first opened in 1922 at the peak of the Silent Film Age, and is full of Hollywood history. It won the location where the industry’s first film premiered in the movie: Robinhamstarring Douglas Fairbanks. In New York, the Paris Theatre has been around for more than 70 years before it closed in 2019. Netflix reopened its venues for more than 500 seats in August 2021.
But Netflix’s ambitions go far beyond cinemas. In February, it launched Netflix BitesThis is a well-designed, Netflix-themed restaurant located in MGM Grand in Las Vegas. There, fans can order Bridgeton– Inspire tea or accept Squid Game The food challenge involves a spin wheel that determines the sauce that comes with the chicken. Neon wall sign Say hello to the customer, which reads “Are you still hungry?” (Are you still watching?” prompt on the ribbon), There are tongue items on the menu Stranger stuff Jalapeno and small needle pot pizza and three-layer “regent tea” come with scones, sandwiches and pastries.
To cause early buzz, Netflix flew around influential people like Karissa Dumbacher, whose Karissaeats YouTube channel has 4.3 million users. “This restaurant is so cute, especially if you’re a fan of these shows. I would definitely recommend it as a lovely dinner spot.” But the reaction was mixed: a Facebook critic saw the food as “mediocre, nothing mundane”, while the Reddit commentator said, “The entrance is by far the coolest part. The quality of the striptease is.”
Later this year, Netflix plans to open two 100,000-square-foot “Netflix House” entertainment venues in Dallas and Philadelphia Stranger stuff and piecethemed games and exclusive merchandise. The third Netflix home planned by the Las Vegas Strip in 2027. To click on its DVD, visitors will enter each venue through a huge red envelope.
“It’s fanatical life, you can actually step into a world you’ve been watching and loving for years, whether it’s an epic adventure with the Straw Hawks, stepping into Hawkins, Indiana, Hawkins, Indiana, or grabbing cocktails inspired by the latest obsession,” Netflix CMIAN LEE says. In the statement.
Mirror Disney models
Developments like this have pushed Netflix to the close proximity of Disney scripts, laying intellectual property for experiences, merchandise, and events, bringing fans’ enthusiasm far beyond the screen. Netflix House travel is more than just tickets or food; it’s about communities that can’t be created by algorithms alone.
Still, offline pivots are risky. Operations are expensive and complex. Theater needs to fill the seats at all times, and the experience center must reinvent itself in order for visitors to return. And, unlike streaming, these adventures are linked to geography – the success of Dallas or Las Vegas will not be automatically translated globally.
Obviously, it’s not just brand stunts. Netflix’s real-world experiments reached a time of fierce competition, with the clarity of Wall Street’s next move. These spaces offer new revenue streams and deeper fan engagement – the high-gloss extension of hit IP allows viewers to “real-time” Netflix stories instead of simply watching.
Disney’s comparison is illustrative. While Disney World travel may be an annual event, Netflix hopes its theaters, restaurants and entertainment centers invite repeated visits. If it is shown that Netflix is focusing on the crown of the Magic Kingdom, think about it:
KPOP Demon Hunterthe animated musical with K-pop theme debuted on Netflix in June and has become the second-place original film in the streamers. By comparison, Pixar’s EllioThe theater, which was released in the same month, opened in the country, was the lowest debut in Pixar’s history. KPOP Demon Hunter Oscar Disney is even a contender for the best animation features, not winning the championship in three years. In other words, Netflix is challenging Disney in multiple ways.
Bottom Line: The companies that once taught us to stay home now invite subscribers into a world of one – you might start with an episode Wednesday Finally, with the theme dinner, a piece of merchandise and a large Netflix photo lit up again.
