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Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos criticized theater owners over the weekend in his keynote address at the ninth annual Film Independent Forum.
Sarandos, speaking Saturday at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles, spent part of his 40-minute speech discussing the industry’s changing business models. He criticized the current theatrical releasing model of “antiquated windows.”
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Movies have become “these cold spectacles that have to be sold around the world in order to recoup these huge marketing and production budgets.”
He also attacked theater owners for obstructing innovation and for their hesitance to allow more movies to bow day-and-date on Netflix’s streaming service.
“Theater owners stifle this kind of innovation at every turn,” he said. “The reason why we may enter this space and try to release some big movies ourselves this way is because I’m concerned that as theater owners try to strangle innovation and distribution, not only are they going to kill theaters, they might kill movies.”
VIDEO: TV Executives Roundtable on Frustrations With Netflix
In his remarks, Sarandos also said Netflix is in talks for a third season of its Emmy-winning drama House of Cards.
Watch his full speech below.
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