See a Movie in a Broadway House!
Tuesday, October 8, 2019 at 10:00PM by Nathaniel R
Photograph © Caitlin Huston
This news is a day late (we got distracted by the foreign film long list reveal yesterday) but have you heard where Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman will be playing? With many of the big theater chains unwilling to play Netflix movies (on account of them streaming the same movies a week or three later), Netflix has gotten creative in a potentially awesome way. The Irishman will play at the Belasco Theatre on Broadway for one month, priced at $15 a ticket...
That’s cheaper than most movie theaters these days in NYC and "cheap" is the least likely word you'll ever hear in relation to Broadway theaters so... wow! What's more if you've never been to the Belasco before, you get to to see the interior of one of Broadway’s most gorgeous palaces (I always have to snap pics when I'm there). The Belasco has never shown a movie before.
Though we hate that Netflix has been systemically dismantling the American habit of moviegoing (our favourite passtime) we applaud them for finding a way to make this particular limited theatrical run an event. And we also applaud the Oscars for having the theatrical rule in the first place or you know they'd never do this. I am now officially excited to see The Irishman. That's something that wasn't the case before, even after Jason's beautiful review.
Reader Comments (7)
Our favourite passtime, with people talking, being annoying and smelling bad right next to us.
Yeah, I think this is cool news. I love the price point especially.
Someone needs to "explain like I'm five," but I don't get why Netflix doesn't just buy or build a movie theater in New York and Los Angeles just to comply with the Oscar rules. Haven't they got billions of dollars lying around? Seems like a good deal all around.
Dave-Netflix is kind of moving in that direction. They were in talks to buy the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood so that could be a venue where Netflix films may play. However, it seems like they also have agreements with some chains like Landmark and Alamo Drafthouse and smaller indie theaters already that it's not an issue of Oscar eligibility. It's more the fact that they don't have a prestigious or high profile venue showing their film. "The Irishman" won't be playing the Arclight Hollywood, for example.
If only Netflix could've or would've bought the Paris Theater or the Ziegfeld Theatre, that would've been both endearing/brand-burnishing *and* strategic* as you pointed out.
Do you know if we're able to pre-purchase tickets for the Belasco screening? I can't seem to find info online
Buying a classic but "losing" old movie theater and restoring it to its former glory would seem to win Netflix a lot of points in Hollywood, certainly with "auteurs."