Netflix cutting back on Movie Spending after Ben Affleck film “Triple Frontier” flops

After Ben bombed as Batman they should have know to keep him behind the camera. His days as a movie star are over.

$115 million for that turd ??? Ughh no.

Nobody wants to watch that old fat drunk in anything.

I lost interest in Netflix when they started creating their own content because most of the content they create sucks. I'm actually thinking of dropping Netflix because the choices that they do have available on streaming usually sucks.

I remember when Netflix had the best shows, new and classic, as well as films.

I’ve never even heard of this film...

I adore action/adventure type movies. But this movie was so unwatchable, I turned it off about 1/3 of the way through.

Netflix is going to go all in on teen sex shows, probably much more explicitly.

It should’ve just starred Charlie Hunnam as the lone protagonist, shirtless throughout, and featured numerous sex scenes with the camera plastered to his ass. Those other characters were unnecessary.

I dropped Netflix because it seems like they only have horrible original programming and it’s all geared to people in their 20s.

I am surprised at show biz "suits" who can't spot bloated vehicles. And Ben Affleck physically manifests it. Who are these Helen Keller suits at Netflix?

Stranger Things Season 3 was a nice surprise, and I imagine the Dark Crystal will be their next big series.

Anime is big business for Netflix. I don't trust them on gay content though.

They put more money into their series than films. They will be cheaper with their movies, not shows.

He is why Gigglie failed

Yes, often their series are very good, with You and Dead To Me being prime examples. Also, Homecoming with Julia Roberts was excellent as well. Netflix should stick with shows like that.

R15 the Julia Roberts show was Amazon. But yes, good.

Ben Affleck cannot act.

Repeat and say again.

Ben Affleck cannot act.

In Argo, whenever he appeared on screen, he sucked all the life out of the film. HE CANNOT ACT.

Do the people who make these huge financial decisions even watch the performances of actors they cast? Apparently not.

Great, so now we might not get a second season of The Society because of stupid Ben Affleck.

Agree, RR17. He could get away with being a shit actor when he was skinny and super hot. Now that he's tubby, obese three out of five workdays, has bitchtits seven days a week and is angry and drunk 90% of the time, it just doesn't work.

He is his generation's Steven Segal, Hollywood just hasn't accepted it quite yet.

R15, and "You" was Lifetime!

Wasn't it just this year's Sundance Film Festival when there were reports that Netflix had sent two guys to buy films for "distribution" and they had an unlimited budget? Or are they just cutting down movie spending when it comes to their own productions?

I'm seriously thinking about getting rid of Netflix, it's lost my interest.

I've seriously never heard of this movie.

Not a single mention or review or anything ever crossed my path, and I'm on-line every single day for hours (I work in tech).

Maybe it had something to do with utter lack of promotion?

Or maybe the movie is just bad, who knows... were there ever any reviews?

R23 there was a thread on here for it when it’s trailer was released.

I'm back on Netflix for a month or two trial. I usually cycle though Hulu, Amazon, etc. for a short period, then drop them.

I haven't been on Netflix for a year. For me, as a gay male 40+? There's tons of programming, but very little of interest to me.

I'm catching up with Kimmy Schmidt, Arrested Development, and looking forward to Tales of the City. But that's about it.

I give it a month.

Looks like Disney and a whole bunch of other studios are abandoning Netflix to start their own streaming services. Where does that leave Netflix? No matter how good their original content is, how can they compete with other major studios legacy libraries when they have only been in the game for a relatively short time?

It reminds me of Moviepass, which allowed you to redeem tickets at every theater. Now, the theater chains want to start their own subscription services and cutting out the middleman. How can Netflix compete now when they are more expensive than all the competition. They are also the only ones to charge a premium for 4k content.

I wouldn't be surprised if Netflix goes under in less than 5 years.

R25, check out "Russian Doll", "Big Mouth", "Black Mirror", "I Am Mother", … there's lots to like.

R25 I agree. Netflix is dyke central now. All of their shows have lesbians, but very few have gay men. Not much of interest there for gays.

It was actually pretty well reviewed and is supposed to be quite a decent watch, but I literally cannot force myself to sit down and watch it.

Yet people flock to movies like Independence Day. Which, let’s admit it, was droolingly moronic.

There’s just a certain sexiness a movie needs to be a draw, no matter how good or bad the actual flick is to watch. Because you have to get the fannies in the seats (or on the couch) in the first place.

Interestingly Titanic did NOT have that sexiness. It opened very very slow, because it just sounded dated and dorky. It was word of mouth that made the film a megahit. But that is very, very exceptional.

R28 because, despite the lies pushed on here, many millions don’t want to see gay men, but see no issue or threat by lesbians.

How much profit does Netflix actually make? They spend an INSANE amount of money on content. $115 million for this Ben Affleck flop, $40 million for 2 Chris Rock stand-up specials, $60 million for 3 David Chappelle specials, $100 million for reruns of Friends (for one year!), $100 million for reruns of The Office (for one year!), $300 million to Ryan Murphy to create shows, $200 million for 2 seasons of Sense8. And this is all just represents 1% of their content.

Is this the one where Charlie Hunnam and Garrett Hedlund (of “fuckable dad bod”) appear?

They have the right idea catering to niche audiences. Trying to compete with the average blockbuster seems like a boneheaded move to me. They should just stick to expanding their programming for LGBTQ, black, latino, and teen audiences since that will eventually be their bread and butter. It sucks that the studios are trying to wrangle control once again, since they'll be producing the type of safe content we've been accustomed to for years.

[quote]I wouldn't be surprised if Netflix goes under in less than 5 years.

The stupidity of some posters on here is mind boggling.

R34 Explain yourself. I don't think it's far fetched at all. Disney and Warner Brothers are launching their own streaming services with original and legacy content. If you can't see the writing on the wall, then perhaps you're the one who is stupid.

R34 Netflix was a disrupter just as Moviepass was. They're sinking money into Adam Sandler comedies and other paying off huge stars when people don't care about marquee names anymore. Netflix is continually increasing their membership fees while other streaming services are charging less than $8/month. Being the first big name does not guarantee long term success. Netflix could survive but not with its current business model. But please tell me where I'm wrong.

Netflix already has ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY MILLION SUBSCRIBERS

One Hundred and Fifty Million people will not abandon Netflix for legacy content. Most people are content with having two services of which Netflix is one. It is the Coca Cola of this generation.

We may have already reached the streaming saturation point

R30 You are correct. Which is why I think gay men should cancel their subscriptions and stop giving them our money if they aren't going to have gay male characters. The majority of the stuff the have is shit anyway and it takes an hour just sifting through everything to find something half-way decent.

Prime already kicks their ass when it comes to legacy content. They have tons of classic TV, studio films, and have basically consolidated all the titles on free streaming services that offer mostly low budget horror and DTV fare. It's much bigger than even when Netflix first started getting into streaming.

[quote] One Hundred and Fifty Million people will not abandon Netflix for legacy content.

That may be true of some legacy content, but Disney and Warner Brothers are also going to produce original shows and movies, and they have a lot of money to spend. It's been rumored for years that the major studios will release fewer theatrical films per year, which will then be redirected to beefing up their streaming library. When Netflix loses their marvel titles to Disney, that will be a huge blow.

Moviepass went belly up practically overnight. Who can't say that the same can't happen to Netflix in several years? People may still subscribe to Netflix, just as people will continue to subscribe to HBOGo, but that won't make them a major threat to the studios.

One shit show after another. Netflix spends billions of dollar on shit, a gigantic pile of stinking shit. I really couldn't care less about all these crappy programs they churn out most of the time even if they offered them for me to watch for free and paid my electricity bill every month. Waste of my time, waste of my energy as shit is still shit, even their best shit like Roma was nonetheless dead boring and pretentious. They just need to be much more selective with their choices of programs.

You could try reading a book, r25.

[quote]When Netflix loses their marvel titles to Disney, that will be a huge blow.

ROFL. Anyone who cares about Marvel that much probably has bought the movies on physical media or digital download. Prior to the Netflix deal, Disney was distributing their theatrical releases first run television rights through Starz. Did the Starz network take off because of that deal? Nope. Because no body subscribes to cable networks for first-run theatrical movies like it’s 1995 anymore! They want original content!

I only have Netflix for the British crime dramas.

I don't know that I see Netflix or streaming going anywhere soon. I think in my lifetime I might sooner see the demise of network broadcast TV -- I actually wonder if youngins of a certain age have ever sat down to watch regularly scheduled TV like we all used to?

I hope the days of giving comedians and movie-stars mega million paychecks is over. The amount they pay them is obscene.

r45 I can only speak for my nieces and nephews who are all teenagers, but they very rarely watch a show when it's being broadcast. It's all Ondemand or streaming.

[quote] Netflix CCO Ted Sarandos reportedly held a meeting with other executives last month where it was decided that Netflix Original features will now be green-lit based more on their ability to bring in a sizable viewership, and less so to earn Netflix greater industry credibility.

Oh, that's just great -- so that does mean only superhero movies from now on?

I've noticed more movies or series based on Video games now.

To me Netflix not raising my bill to keep the Disney crap is a selling point.

R48 It was fun while it lasted.

R48 That's the thing though. Netflix won't be able to compete with the major studios. Their specialized content is the only thing that's keeping me, and no doubt others whose tastes like outside the mainstream, interested.

^^lie outside

How can Netflix (or Amazon, or Hulu) say a TV series is their original when it certainly is not? I'm thinking of that Ed Westwick stinker White Gold on Netflix. It was produced by the BBC and aired in the UK first. But there are many series like that.

I've found that many Netflix originals are utter shit.

YOU is a “Netflix Original” but was on Lifetime.

R55, I don't know that they're any worse than shows on cable or network TV though.

What they did to Designated Survivor was criminal.

The first Season, which was on ABC I think, was great tv. The Netflix season is pure shit.

I think R38 is on track. There's just too much to choose from; it's overwhelming. I'm constantly behind in what I want to watch. It would take years of constant viewing just to get through my Amazon watchlist, not even counting what I've put on Netflix and Hulu watch lists.

Besides, sooner or later everything turns up on Amazon. It's not always free (that is, Prime), but it's not like Netflix is free, either, and at least you're paying for a single show you really want to see, not a service with vast content you're not interested in.

R25 here. I spent the evening binge-watching 3 or 4 episodes of the new TALES OF THE CITY.

Oh. My. God. What a disappointment.

There are pleasures to be had: Olympia as Anna, of course, and Laura Linney. Murray Bartlett is a wonderful addition, if technically too young to playing Mouse. And the original Brian and DeeDee, of course. But the new younger characters are pretty uninvolving, the "mysteries" even less so, What is Zosia Mamet even doing here? The charm, the weirdness, the sexiness, and the magic of SF that the books and the first series captured rather well feels long absent.

I don't blame the cast--I think the failure is on the writing, directing, and producing level. It all feels so far off the mark that I don't think I'll bother with the remaining episodes (though a friend tells me the flashback episode is rather good).

So. Very. Disappointed.

[quote]After Ben bombed as Batman they should have know to keep him behind the camera. His days as a movie star are over.

I liked his Batman, a lot. It was one of the few roles he's been truly great at.

Netflix seems to value quantity over quality. Such a waste of billions of dollars.

Netfix has 150 Million subscribers and 52 Million watched the Triple Frontier movie...why is it considered a flop, if 1/3 of your subscribers actually watched the movie? 52 Million sounds like a good number to me.

R63 I’m confused why it’s considered a flop also. But “Bird Box” got like 40 million viewers in its first 3 days. I think that’s why.

I hope we don't start seeing ads in Netflix's future.

R65 The day that happens I'm definitely canceling.

Netflix places different expectations on high budget films like Tripple Frontier. It was expected to hit 60-80 million viewers and bring new viewers into Netflix. It didn't, hence it flopped.

Netflix is getting quite expensive here in Europe. They just raised the monthly fee from 13,99 to 15,99 last month. I'm also thinking about cancelling my subscription, especially if they lose the rights to some older content soon.

Are there any numbers for Hulu or Prime? I still think 150 million for a world wide streaming service is not a lot.

R69 Exactly. They are no longer in any position to be taking such huge risks. It's obviously impacting their bottom line if they keep having to raise their subscription prices. Disney's streaming service will corner the market for kids and family. WB has a huge backlog of content as well.

I wouldn't be surprised to see that figure plummet in the years to come.

[quote]How much profit does Netflix actually make?

In 2018 Netflix brought in a total of $16 billion in annual revenue, up 35% year over year. R

Roughly 139 million users pay between $8 and $16 to Netflix to stream shows, documentaries, and films every single month.

In 2018, the company spent around $12 billion on content, up from $9 billion a year ago. In 2019, the company is targeting a content spend of $15 billion.

While Netflix is profitable, on a cash-flow basis, this content spend actually takes the company negative. In 2018, Netflix had a free cash flow of negative $3 billion. And they plan to burn through an additional $4 billion next year.

Netflix is notorious for its liberal spending on original content. It's been lampooned by SNL and even downright criticized for spending so much on content for its 150 million subscribers. Netflix has historically brushed off a big-budget original film or series that failed to attract an audience as long as it generated significant buzz about the service. It has also green-lit projects that were more likely to attract critical acclaim even if it didn't result in significantly more viewers.

After the latest raise, I think they have finally reached my pain level. It's just too expensive for what they have to offer. All other streaming services are only around $8. How much can they actually grow in the future? I think most people in Africa, Asia or South America can't afford $16/month for a streaming service so they will probably increase the monthly fee even more.

[quote]But “Bird Box” got like 40 million viewers in its first 3 days. I think that’s why.

And Bird Box cost about $20MM, not $110MM.

What made Netflix so great is how it served the interests of so many groups. Stranger Things viewers are not watching The Crown. People who like The Kissing Booth or Adam Sandler movies are not going to watch Roma. Peoples' tastes are very specific. People assume that no one will have a problem paying $16 or more a month for all their content when in reality, they are only interested in a relatively small subsection. Sure, they could spend more on high concept films with stars who command huge salaries, but that'll just put them further in the hole. I thought Netflix has given us some interesting content over the years, but it won't last when studios start getting into the streaming game.

I'm waiting for the second season of Mindhunter and then I may take a break from Netflix. I'm rarely finding anything worthwhile to watch anymore. It may be time to do what I do with the subscription services on Amazon Prime--start and stop and start again.

It's ridiculous for a streaming service to spend that much money in a "blockbuster" movie anyway. With big budget studio movies you have the theatrical release, merchandising, DVD sales (in the past), broadcasting rights, awards etc. Several ways to make money from a good movie or franchise. A Netflix customers already paid their monthly fees and I doubt many people get a new account to watch a single movie. They should focus on good series, not movies.

I love Stranger Things but am interested in mostly sci fi and horror. I couldn't give a crap about their awards bait. Their horror offerings have been sucking lately. Prime and Shudder is where it's at for me right now.

A Shudder subscription is going for dirt cheap and it's quite easy to find a coupon code.

[quote] It may be time to do what I do with the subscription services on Amazon Prime--start and stop and start again.

Prime also has a ton of subscription channels which you can sign on for one month (or even take part in a free trial), which opens even more streaming options.

R79 Yes, that's what I meant. I've lost count of the number of times I've subbed and then unsubbed from their various channels.

R76 Couldn't agree more with this. Make Netflix the streaming service where viewers go for quality series.

R77, did you watch The Haunting of Hill House? I thought it was pretty good except the ending, which was crap.

R81 Yes, thought it was excellent. I've enjoyed most of the tv shows like Stranger Things, Sabrina, and Haunting of Hill House, and Society. Having a hard time getting through The Order despite the eye candy. Think I'll check out Mindhunter and Slasher (not an original but still looks good) next.

Ozark is not horror per se, but I enjoy that one too. Reminds me of Breaking Bad.

Cutting back on movies? Duh! That's why HBO and network television stopped making them years ago. The downfall of Netflix is two years away. They're business model is unsustainable. Not at ~10% ownership content.

HBO should make their film library available on their app. There's some great films in their vault, all of them made for a fraction of the cost of your average blockbuster.

R84 I gave it 5 years in the other netflix thread and was called stupid. I think you may be right that it may be even less than that.

Netflix is garbage. Their aim is to harvest goodwill amongst Gen Z. A fickly group indeed. Once Disney, Comcast, Warner Bros. pull their shit they will be up against a wall.

r85, HBO's film library is available on their app. What are you talking about?

R88 Really...even all the ones from the 80s and 90s? That would be news to me.

If Birdbox didn't do them in, they can survive anything.

Netflix dumped billions of dollars into hundreds of shitty programs, and yet people are still talking about HBO's Big Little Lies, Euphoria and Chernobyl. This cracks me up.

Netflix. if you have a person assigned to watch blogs for trends, tell them this: You have failed. At the beginning some very interesting material, now, not so much. I am retired and spend most of my day doing things, catching up with blogs I like and personal stuff. I look at Netflix, page through and through and nothing. I watched all of Frankie and Grace, and it was amusing, but acting was horrible and it was a nostalgia piece for me. btw Jane and Lily have way way overdone the plastic face thing. I also feel that they parodied gays and elders.

Shows I have liked on Netflix: Grace & Frankie, The OA, Russian Doll, Elite, Sex Education, What/If, Stranger Things, Dead to Me, Santa Clarita Diet, Chef's Table. It's more than anything I watch on network television or cable (cut the cord long ago), and it's taken me months/years to stream these, so I guess I'm satisfied with the service.

Why doesn't Netflix make PORN!

A 2 million dollar porn flick with a script and some humour would get so many viewers. Remember when HBO had scandalous movies like Mandingo?

[quote]HBO should make their film library available on their app. There's some great films in their vault, all of them made for a fraction of the cost of your average blockbuster.

One of the unfortunate side effects of HBO getting more and more successful is that they rarely do any 'small' one-shot films anymore; everything is an epic event with lots of big movie people in it. But back in the day they made so many terrific lower-key movies, sometimes with people you'd heard of and sometimes not. So did Showtime. I miss those.

Robin Williams was quoted as saying, "Ben is the movie star, but Matt is the real actor". I believe Williams was 100% accurate in that assessment, Damon does have the ability to lose himself in a role, especially in Ripley and Behind the Candelabra, while Affleck never really mastered the art of making an audience forget his real life persona, which is why his career has been so problematic.

These HBO comparisons tell you everything you need to know. Netflix still thinks its too big to fail but they will be among the first services people will drop when Disney, Apple, and Comcast present their own streaming services at cheaper prices.

Things change fast in home entertainment. Look how fast Blockbuster went from being everywhere and doing big business to disappearing.

r96, which HBO films do you mean? I am confused by what people are posting about HBO. I thought they did some series like "The Sopranos" and showed movies after they had been released. Which "original movies" have they ever produced?

R100 I'm too young for 80s or 90s movies, but The Normal Heart was a good recent "HBO Original" .

[quote]Which "original movies" have they ever produced?

"The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom," for starters!

R100, are you young, or from outside the US? Because HBO has been making original TV films for decades now.

A list:

Wow, Switch and Don't tell mom the babysitters dead were HBO movies, I had no idea.

Those HBO documentaries were the best, Hookers at the point is a classic.

HBO did some great original movies and documentaries.

Did HBO do the Taxicab Confessions? I remember that being a rather entertaining, if not staged, trainwreck.

R107 yes.

[quote]Those HBO documentaries were the best

Like DL fave There's Something Wrong with Aunt Diane.

R104, those two movies weren't made for HBO the channel - HBO's production company has been involved in financing some theatrical movies as well.

[quote]I'm rarely finding anything worthwhile to watch anymore.

Ditto. I could scroll through everything for an hour and still not find anything interesting. I'll probably cancel before too long.

R111 Isn't that a problem of all streaming services? I usually spend hours before I find something I want to watch. And I always dread the moment I finish the last eposide of a series I really enjoyed. If I just want to relax, broadcast television is often a better option bc you just have to zap and not make an active decision.

I have Netflix, HBO, Hulu and Amazon. The only thing I've seen on Netflix since the beginning of the year is that nature show, Planet Earth 2 and Breaking Bad. Other than that nothing. It's so manic that channel. I put on HBO this year and I've seen Chernobyl, Veep, Barry, GOT, and I'm rewatching The Sopranos. Granted I don't have much time too spare but HBO puts on things that are good. I have sooo much shit going on at work I don't have time to waste.

Poor Affleck.

I’m convinced the only reason this movie failed was because there was literally no nudity. They made a point of casting Hollywood’s hottest 30 and 40 something’s and yet the most naked they ever got was Garrett taking his shirt off.

People don’t want to watch a stupid movie featuring hot guys unless those hot guys take off their pants. The movie would’ve done mediocre if they had gratuitous nudity, but they pussed out. There’s no way that cast would’ve objected to showing an ass or two. The movie sucked because they neglected the biggest lesson you can learn from the film industry: sex sells.

R115 are you dumb? It’s a movie geared toward straight men. Why would there be male nudity?!

R116 Exactly that reason, to make the movie more marketable to audiences other than straight men. Why do you think so many action movies have at the very least lots of shirtless guys, if not a guy baring ass?

Making the film more marketable to non straight men makes straight men not care to watch it. It’s a “bro” flick. Not a chick flick.

Women don’t wanna see these kind of movies and most women don’t sit around thinking about naked men. That’s all gays and we take up very little of the population.

CAN HE CATCH A BREAK? Poor thing.

[quote] I'm too young for 80s or 90s movies

I'm struggling to understand this; did someone hunt down and destroy all extant copies of 80s and 90s movies? If not, then you're not too young for them.