Sony asked Netflix to buy Zachary Levi’s Purple Crayon, but the streamer said no

Netflix refused to buy Sony’s new animated film Harold and the purple crayon as part of a new content strategy. Based on the children’s book of the same name and directed by Carlos Saldanha, the film stars Zachary Levi as the title character, who lives in an animated world where he can create anything just by drawing it. His adventure begins when he enters the real world and discovers that there is a lot he doesn’t know. Before its release Harold and the purple crayon sparked stunned reactions online, particularly because Levi’s character is typically portrayed as a child.

Accordingly Bloombergahead of Sony’s scheduled release of Harold and the purple crayon On August 2, studio executives inquired about Netflix’s interest in acquiring the film for its streaming platform, fearing that it would lag behind the competition Inside Out 2 And Despicable Me 4which both had the same release window. It’s called Sony”I really liked the film,” however. Netflix, which in recent years has been aggressive in acquiring films no longer slated for theatrical release, had no interest in buying Harold and the purple crayon. The streaming service, led by Netflix film boss Dan Lin, has developed a new strategy to restore its reputation as a platform for quality films spend less and redirect its resources towards producing higher quality films.

What this means for Netflix and Harold and the Purple Crayon

Netflix is ​​changing and Harold missed an opportunity

With the new strategy, Netflix hopes to change the public’s reception of direct-to-stream films and their perceived inability to make good films. Due to the changing habits of moviegoers from going to the cinema to watching at home, the studio believes that the future lies in streaming movies. With the new strategy, they hope to achieve the same impact with streamed films as theatrical films. This change means that Levi’s Harold and the purple crayon won’t be the only one Netflix rejects. At the same time, Netflix will shift from sourcing films from other studios to producing stronger original films.

The change directly impacted public access Harold and the purple crayonwhich was released in the cinema and therefore did not reach a wide audience, earning a meager $30.7 million worldwide. Currently, the film is available to stream on Prime Video, Apple TV+, and VUDU, and due to Sony’s existing deal with the streamer, it’s expected to reach Netflix at some point. However, there’s no telling how the film would have performed if it had been streamed directly. It may have found an audience that includes homebound families looking for late summer entertainment.

Our opinion on Netflix’s new strategy

It has both advantages and disadvantages

Netflix’s strategy is to prioritize quality over quantity, which means fewer films will come to the platform and only a select number of projects will see the light of day. The change isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially if it leads to better work. On the other hand, moving the network could also lead to this other platforms reject titles that would have been published if it weren’t for the change in the behavior of the audience.

The quality of a film should not only be measured by its potential for success at the box office, as many factors come into play. While Harold and the purple crayon was a flop at the box office and Netflix’s move would help build a better platform, it could also lead to the purge of many brilliant projects. Since studios and distributors are the gatekeepers of the film industry, cutting back on projects also means that some great projects may never reach viewers, while others won’t be able to reach a wider, more accessible audience.

Source: Bloomberg