title: The Batman (film)

text: For fight scenes, Reeves wanted to depart from the "kinetic, quick-cutting" sequences that previous "Batman" directors like Tim Burton and Nolan had shot. He wanted viewers to "actually see what's happening... in a way that is utterly convincing". The Batmobile chase scene's cinematography was inspired by the car chase scene in "The French Connection". Reeves originally planned to film the scene on a Liverpool freeway, but instead filmed it at the Dunsfold Aerodrome after determining that a race track would allow for more control. Parts were also filmed at the Coryton Refinery. A camera car with a 360 degree "hydra"-like rig attached was used to capture background plate shots. The shot in which the Batmobile jumps through the fire was done practically, though the fireballs were enhanced in post-production. The interior shots of the Penguin's car rolling were achieved with a rotisserie rig on a rotating gimbal attached to the car that Farrell was in. To convey the chase from Batman's perspective, Fraser attached "cameras to cars and motorbikes, even though it was technically really hard to do... We fought against logistics. We fought against time. We fought against everything that told us to not do it that way." Fraser used different camera lenses and covered them in silicone to simulate rain and dirt and immerse the viewer.


title: The Batman (film)

text: Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) provided the StageCraft virtual production technology that Fraser helped develop on the Disney+ "Star Wars" series "The Mandalorian", with a wall of LED panels allowing visual effects backgrounds to be rendered in real-time via Unreal Engine 4. The wall was built around existing practical sets; it was used for scenes involving the abandoned skyscraper where the Bat-Signal is stationed so Reeves and Fraser could film with consistent golden hour lighting, which is difficult when shooting on-location. Using virtual production also meant the lighting impacted on the actors and set in a way that green screen technology could not. Reeves was inspired by the lighting from "In the Mood for Love" (2000). The production team only had a few weeks to shoot the scenes.


title: The Batman (film)

text: Reeves filmed fake scenes with Keoghan portraying Merkel to prevent his actual role from leaking, and during the actual Joker scenes, Reeves kept Keoghan's face out of focus to signify that the Joker was still in his formative stages. The production team briefly discussed removing the subplot in which the Riddler's online followers attempt to assassinate Bella Reál due to its similarities to the 2021 United States Capitol attack, which occurred during the final months of filming, but Reeves decided it was too integral to the story and different enough from the attack.


title: The Batman (film)

text: Production was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, beginning two months after filming started. When the pandemic began, Warner Bros. did not plan to suspend shooting, unlike other major studios. However, it eventually did so on March 14, 2020. Warner Bros. stated that the hiatus would just be for two weeks, but Reeves announced on March 25 that filming had been suspended indefinitely. Production was unlikely to restart until at least mid-May, and in April, Warner Bros. pushed the release date back to October 1, 2021. On April 1, the production's dialect coach, Andrew Jack, died of complications from COVID-19.


title: The Batman (film)

text: Around a quarter of filming was completed before the suspension, and Reeves began looking over that footage to help plan for the rest of filming. Reeves did not rewrite the script, but used the time to explore the film's tone. On May 12, the UK government said high-end film productions could resume shooting as soon as employers put COVID-19 safety measures in place. A month later, "The Batman" was given permission to restart production in July at the earliest. Clark said Jack's death haunted the crew as they prepared to resume production. By September 3, filming had resumed for three days at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden, only to be put on pause again after Pattinson tested positive for COVID-19. The filming crew then entered a two-week quarantine, after which filming was set to resume, while construction on the sets and props at Leavesden Studios continued. Following this, Reeves became concerned that he would be unable to finish the film if he contracted COVID-19, so he wore a mask, scuba goggles, and a head covering on set. Pattinson stated that approximately 90% of the film was shot in the studio.


title: The Batman (film)

text: Filming resumed on September 17, after Pattinson was cleared to return to set. At this point, the film had approximately three more months of filming and was expected to finish by the end of 2020. Filming was limited to England, and crew members were required to live close to the production area and not leave the surrounding community until production ended. Pattinson compared filming during the pandemic to a "military operation. We had earpieces in to have direction a lot of the time to kind of limit the amount of interactions." Some scenes were filmed using a remote control camera, which Pattinson found strange since he could not tell if there were any crew members around. Kravitz added that production became "impersonal" since mask mandates and other precautions meant the crew could not interact much. In early October, the film's release was pushed to March 4, 2022, due to the production delays. Certain Riddler scenes, such as the interrogation scene, were originally intended to be filmed towards the end of production, but were filmed early due to the pandemic.


title: The Batman (film)

text: The Batmobile chase was the first scene that sound editor Will Files worked on, and he used a bottle rocket sound effect as the basis for how the car sounded. Files worked with Douglas Murray and Andy Nelson to complete the sequence. The Batmobile's main engine noise came from a Ford big block engine, while the supercharger sound effect was a reversed World War II Jeep recording.


title: The Batman (film)

text: Warner Bros. held test screenings in late 2021; some early screenings showed a four-hour-long cut. Test audiences were not told they were seeing "The Batman" until entering the theater. The first cut was longer than Reeves intended, and he described it as rough, saying, "I was not all the way through the cut of the movie. There was so much of the movie yet to be touched". Reeves was "terrified" going into the first test screening, but was relieved when test audiences enjoyed the complex narrative. He felt it "kind of validated that this was a direction that an audience would be excited about", and future test screenings were met with improving reception. Reeves "made [his] way, bit by bit through the cut and [made] tiny adjustments to make sure that little things that maybe [were] not clear enough [were] clearer". Later test screenings showed two cuts, with an unknown actor, possibly Keoghan, included in only one. The final screening took place during the week beginning November 29, after which Warner Bros. executives decided which cut they preferred. Reeves kept the penultimate scene—in which the Joker befriends the Riddler in Arkham—because he felt it heightened the stakes of Batman and Catwoman's final conversation while completing the Riddler's story arc, but he cut the "Manhunter"-inspired scene for being unnecessary and disrupting the pacing. The final cut runs at 176 minutes including credits, making "The Batman" the longest "Batman" film and the third-longest superhero film after "Zack Snyder's Justice League" and "" (2019).


title: The Batman (film)

text: In January 2022, "The Batman" received a PG-13 rating from the Motion Picture Association, despite wide speculation and internal discussions at Warner Bros. that its somber tone and violent content would lead to it being the first theatrical "Batman" film with an R-rating. The film was able to receive a PG-13 rating because it does not include excessive profanity or nudity. Rebecca Rubin of "Variety" opined that an R-rating could have hurt the film's box office potential by preventing many young males from seeing it, noting that the two previous R-rated DC films, "Birds of Prey" (2020) and "The Suicide Squad" (2021), both underperformed commercially. Reeves said that he always intended to make "The Batman" PG-13 and that there was not an alternate R-rated cut. He added that a PG-13 rating was one of the only studio mandates he faced.


title: The Batman (film)

text: Dan Lemmon served as the visual effects supervisor, after previously collaborating with Reeves on the "Planet of the Apes" films. Visual effects vendors included Wētā FX, ILM, Scanline VFX, and Crafty Apes, with over 1,500 visual effects shots created on a $20 million budget. According to Lemmon, "ILM led the work on Gotham, and their StageCraft group handled the real-time LED backgrounds during production. Scanline VFX took on most of the third act and the heavy simulation work. Wētā FX did the Batmobile chase and a few other standalone environments. And then Crafty Apes did a substantial amount of our 2D work, with splits, retimes, stabilizations, monitors and other cleanup work".


title: The Batman (film)

text: Chinland designed the Gotham cityscape so it could be created digitally by ILM and displayed in the background of scenes using the StageCraft technology. He used plate shots from London, New York, and Chicago; according to Lemmon, Reeves wanted the cityscapes to capture the "forms, architecture, and the fabric of the city to look like it was really in decay." Chinland originated the idea to place the Bat-Signal on an abandoned building rather than on top of the GCPD building. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a majority of the buildings were created using computer generated imagery (CGI). Lemmon stated that using Unreal Engine to render the LED-walls in real time helped the team plan out the logistics for filming various scenes, such as "how big the sets needed to be, where process screens would go, what the extensions would look like through the camera, where stunt rigging and special effects equipment would go", while also allowing Fraser to adjust the lighting. Portable LED screens showing advertisements were used when filming scenes in Gotham Square to augment the lighting of the jumbotrons in post.


title: The Batman (film)

text: Wētā FX created over 320 VFX shots for the film. They had begun contacting Lemmon and Warner Bros. about working on the film by the middle of 2019. Anders Langlands, the visual effects supervisor for Wētā, had already travelled to the UK by December 2019 to see pre-production work. While they were initially planned to be on set during filming, this did not happen due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Langlands had said that Wētā had worked on the film for over a year and that the team had managed to do "great job in getting everybody set up for that very quickly and it was actually a very, very smooth transition". It was responsible for fleshing out the Batmobile chase; it used CGI to add rain and vehicles and helped form the "beats" of the chase, such as when the Penguin causes a fuel truck explosion. One of Wētā's biggest tasks was replicating Fraser's lighting, which they performed using the Manuka renderer and virtual cinematography. The team also bought glass plates and silicone sealants to replicate Fraser's process of inserting silicone on the lenses. Furthermore, the team, including the compositing staff members Peter Hillman, Ben Morgan, and Beck Veitch, also had upgraded their tools that performed deepfocus effects, which allowed them to emulate the way bokeh and optical vignetting resulted from Fraser's camera lens. The team had difficulty inserting rain in the Batmobile chase due to the physics and oscillation of rain in real life, which they wanted to replicate. They began by creating a rain primitive to adjust the speed and phases of the rain oscillation, while supervisor Christos Parliarnos set the primitive on the Houdini particle system to animate the rain speed. The team also created an adjustable car rig for the camera team to track, which they called the "clown car". The camera team could adjust the headlights and wheels, which allowed the VFX team to have an accurate 3D model for every car being used, thus facilitating inserting additional cars to pre-existing plates. Other CG parts of the scene included the collision of the Batmobile with the Penguin's car and Batman's cape and boots. Wētā also designed the entrance of the Batcave to accommodate shots of Bruce's motorcycle; Reeves could not film the scenes due to the size of the sets. They digitally created the space using models provided by the art department and plate shots; it sought to emulate Fraser's lighting, drew inspiration from the Tribune Tower, and inserted bats. Additionally, Wētā used CG to create the higher balcony and windows for the City Hall set, as the practical set ended at the first balcony. The team experienced difficulty compositing the CGI architecture with the practical due to the distortion and focus falloff caused by the lenses. In fight scenes, the team replaced stunt double Rick English's face with Pattinson's using paintings and facial animations.


title: The Batman (film)

text: Scanline VFX created over 217 VFX shots across 11 sequences. It was responsible for creating the destruction of the water dams, the subsequent tsunami rushing towards Gotham Square Gardens, and Catwoman's burglary. For the burglary, the team used digital doubles for Pattinson and Kravitz and facial replacements for footage filmed with stunt doubles. A CGI arena was created for the Gardens so that cameras could be placed anywhere on set; its exterior was based on scans and plate shots of exterior locations in Chicago and the Madison Square Garden, while the ground level and entrance were based the O2 Arena. The overall arena set was the only one that used blue screens, with principal photography from O2 being used to create the backgrounds. Simulations were used to replicate water, architectural destruction, fire, smoke, and electric arcing for the final act, with Houdini being used for rigid body simulations and Flowline for water simulations. The artists began by creating low-resolution simulations, with footage of tsunamis being used as reference, and progressively animated it faster. They did not have to adjust the lighting too much, and mainly focused on color-correcting the water. Practical explosions were modified with CGI, while other modifications included environmental interactions, such as fire lighting, smoke, and shockwaves generating dust and dirt. Rendering glass during the explosion of the Gotham Square Gardens roof was difficult due to the "pings, reflections, and refractions", while scenes involving arcing electricity from disconnected cables and rafter beams from the interior of Gotham Square Gardens also required "significant art direction". The team also performed set extensions from practical sets and reconstructed it using plate photography for action scenes located in the rafters. They also used Eyeline Studios' volumetric capture tools to replace the stunt doubles' faces. Additional setups were created to match Fraser's process of inserting caulk on the lenses, while crowds were inserted using CGI.


title: The Batman (film)

text: In October 2019, Reeves announced that his frequent collaborator Michael Giacchino would be composing the film's score. Later that month, Giacchino said he had already finished writing the main theme for the film because he was so excited to do so; because this music was written much earlier in the production than is usual for a film, Giacchino and Reeves were able to use it in promotional materials. Giacchino said he felt total freedom to write the music that he wanted for the film, agreeing with Reeves that this was their vision of Batman similar to how different comic book and graphic novel authors and artists over the years had been able to create different takes on the character. Giacchino completed the score in October 2021, and his main theme was released as a single on January 21, 2022. Giacchino's theme for the Riddler was released as a single on February 4, and his Catwoman theme was released as the third and final single on February 17. The full soundtrack album was released on February 25. "Something in the Way" appears twice in the film, and was noted to have a similar baseline to Giacchino's score. He acknowledged this, but said it was a lucky coincidence. "Ave Maria" by Franz Schubert is also featured and was performed by the Tiffin Boys' Choir and Dano.


title: The Batman (film)

text: Reeves released "moody, red-saturated" test footage of Pattinson in his Batman costume on February 13, 2020. The footage included early music written by Giacchino, and generated discussion about the film's approach to Batman. Chris Evangelista of "/Film" thought Pattinson's Batman looked much different from previous film depictions, while Richard Newby of "The Hollywood Reporter" identified the costume's various references to past incarnations. Newby also noted that the bat emblem on the costume's chest resembled a pistol, and wondered if it was the pistol used to kill Batman's parents in his origin story. The footage's use of the color red also led to discussion of how "The Batman" would differ tonally from previous adaptations. On March 4, Reeves released an image of the film's Batmobile. Dino-Ray Ramos of "Deadline Hollywood" opined that it seemed "sexier and more streamlined than Batmobiles from the past", giving off "James Bond-meets-"Fast and Furious" energy" that seemed appropriate for Pattinson's version of the character.


title: The Batman (film)

text: Reeves debuted a teaser trailer during the virtual DC FanDome event on August 22, featuring a remix of the Nirvana song "Something in the Way" (1991) combined with Giacchino's score. The trailer received 34 million views within 24 hours, and according to "CNET" Bonnie Burton and Jennifer Bisset it "set the internet on fire". They noted its somber, grim tone. Katrina Nattress of "Spin" and John Saavedra at "Den of Geek" respectively described its depiction of Gotham City as "dystopic" and "nightmarish". Adam Chitwood of "Collider" praised what he saw as a "genuinely refreshing" approach to depicting the world of Batman, and Saavedra wrote that it made "The Batman" look more like a detective story than a superhero film. Alex Abad-Santos of "Vox" felt the film had more in common with the R-rated Batman spin-off "Joker" (2019) than other contemporary DC films. Abad-Santos also noted that some critics disliked the trailer's dark tone, as previous Batman films were similarly dark and "some aren't in the mood to watch all that darkness over again", but felt "The Batman" could show that "carte-blanche reactionary violence, retribution rewarded with material wealth, and a soulless existence driven by bloody, bone-snapping ambition isn't actually something regular people want to emulate".


title: The Batman (film)

text: Reeves and Pattinson discussed the film at the Warner Bros. CinemaCon panel on August 24, 2021, where a sizzle reel of new footage was shown. Reeves, Pattinson, and Kravitz debuted a second trailer as the finale of DC FanDome on October 16. Daniel Chin at "The Ringer" said the trailer had been a highly anticipated part of the virtual event, and felt it did not disappoint. He and other commentators highlighted the trailer's dark, violent, and brutal approach to the character, which Chin felt was consistent with the teaser trailer. Adam B. Vary of "Variety" specifically compared the tone to Christoper Nolan's "gritty" "Dark Knight" films, believing "The Batman" would be darker and more violent than even those films. Vary, Chin, and "Entertainment Weekly" Chancellor Agard all highlighted the trailer's footage of Farrell and his physical transformation for the role of Penguin. A Japanese trailer released on December 12 quickly led to discussion and speculation that the Joker would appear after fans spotted a figure resembling the character on a newspaper prop in the footage.


title: The Batman (film)

text: Warner Bros. launched a viral marketing campaign in December 2021 with the website "www.rataalada.com" ("Rata alada" is Spanish for "winged rat"). The website allows users to engage in simulated conversations with the Riddler, and solving his riddles unlocks promotional artwork. The final reward for the website was the deleted scene where Batman meets with Keoghan's Joker in Arkham. A third trailer, titled "The Bat and the Cat", was released on December 27 and focuses on the relationship between Batman and Catwoman. "/Film" Jeremy Mathai already felt the film's marketing had been great and was impressed that this was "yet another incredible trailer". Asha Barbaschow and Rob Bricken of "Gizmodo" opined that Pattinson looked like a better Batman than his predecessors, Bale and Affleck. They were intrigued by the trailer's implication that the Riddler would position himself as an "agent of justice" and were excited at the prospect of Reeves altering Batman's origin story. In February 2022, more footage from the film was released as part of a teaser for Warner Bros.' 2022 slate of DC films, which at that time included "Black Adam", "The Flash", and "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom".


title: The Batman (film)

text: WarnerMedia spent over $28 million on television advertisements and licensed a significant amount of merchandise to promote the film; it described the promotion as the largest "Batman" merchandise collection in a decade. Promotion included Hot Wheels toys from Mattel, Lego sets, action figures from McFarlane Toys and Funko, clothing, cosmetics, and Oreo cookies. Warner Bros. partnered with Universal Pictures and the Supercars Championship to adorn a livery inspired by "The Batman" on the Ford Mustang GT Course Car, while Google, independently from Warner Bros., updated Google Search to display a Bat-Signal Easter egg for Batman-related search queries in February 2022. Warner Bros. Consumer Products and DC Comics partnered with Puma to release a collection of products like footwear, accessories, and apparels featuring Batman, the Batmobile, and Bat emblem. DC Comics published "The Batman Box Set", a trade paperback collection featuring a slipcase with art by Jim Lee and the "Year One", "The Long Halloween", and "Ego" comics, in March 2022. Additionally, most of DC's March 2022 Batman-related comics feature variant covers based on the film.


title: The Batman (film)

text: Special screenings were held in Paris on February 21, 2022, and London on February 23, 2022. "The Batman" world premiere was held at Lincoln Center in New York City on March 1, 2022, alongside 350 advance IMAX screenings across the United States, ahead of its wide release by Warner Bros. Pictures on March 4. It was originally set for release on June 25, 2021, before it was pushed back to October 1, 2021, and then to March 2022, both times after Warner Bros. adjusted its release schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic.


title: The Batman (film)

text: "The Batman" was the first superhero film to be released in China since "Wonder Woman 1984" (2020), after multiple Marvel films were denied releases in 2021. Warner Bros. canceled the Russian release in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.


title: The Batman (film)

text: "The Batman" was released for digital download, as well as to stream on HBO Max, on April 18, 2022, a day earlier than announced. It became the first Warner Bros. distributed film in over a year that did not stream on HBO Max simultaneously with its theatrical release. The film's linear television premiere was on HBO on April 23, followed by physical release on Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on May 24.


title: The Batman (film)

text: According to Samba TV, the film was streamed by 720,000 American households during its first day of release on HBO Max. It also had the most successful premiere for any film on HBO Max in Latin America. Samba TV reported that by the end of its first week, the movie had been watched by 4.1 million American households. This was higher than the viewership for nearly all day-and-date films released on HBO Max and the second best for a film on the platform during the first week of release, behind "Mortal Kombat" (2021), which had a viewership of 4.3 million households.


title: The Batman (film)

text: "The Batman" grossed $369.3million in the United States and Canada, and $401.5million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $770.8million. It is the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2022, as well as the highest-grossing serial killer film. The film's IMAX performance helped raise its overall first quarter revenues ($60 million) by 55% and its global box office ($173.2 million) by 57% from the same period in 2021.


title: The Batman (film)

text: In the US and Canada, "The Batman" was projected to gross $115–170 million from 4,417 theaters in its opening weekend, and around $330–475 million for its total domestic box office. Tickets for the advance IMAX screenings sold out within a day of going on sale on February 8, 2022. The film made $57 million on its first day in the US and Canada, which included $17.6 million from Thursday night previews and $4 million from Tuesday and Wednesday advanced screenings. It grossed $134 million in its opening weekend, becoming the second pandemic-era film to gross over $100 million in the US and Canada in its opening weekend, after "" (2021). It also became Warner Bros.' highest-grossing pandemic-era film domestically in just three days. More than 65% of the audience in the opening weekend was male, while more than 60% were in the age range of 18–34 years old. The film grossed $66.5 million in its second weekend, dropping 50% and staying atop the box office. The third weekend saw it gross $36.7 million, a fall of 45%, while also making it the second film in the pandemic era to make more than $300 million in the US and Canada. In the fourth weekend it was displaced to the second spot by "The Lost City", earning $20.5 million for a drop of 44%.


title: The Batman (film)

text: In South Korea, "The Batman" opened to $1.7 million, the biggest opening in the country in 2022. Through March 2, it had earned $5.3 million across eight countries. In France, it earned $2.1 million, the highest opening for 2022. Through March 4, it had made an estimated $54 million in 74 countries outside the US and Canada. In the United Kingdom it opened to $6.4 million, the second-highest opening in the country during the pandemic. It had the second-highest pandemic opening in Spain as well, earning $1.2 million. It grossed around $124.2 million by the end of the week in 74 countries outside the US and Canada, and ranked first in 73 of them during the weekend. It earned $22.3 million globally in IMAX theatres, the second-highest opening weekend for the chain since December 2019. This was also the highest opening for a movie outside the US and Canada in 2022, the highest for Warner in the pandemic era, as well as the third biggest overall during the pandemic. In addition, it had the second-highest opening weekend of the pandemic era in sixteen countries including the UK ($18.1 million), Mexico ($12.1 million), Australia ($9.3 million), Brazil ($8.8 million), France ($8.4 million), Germany ($5.1 million), South Korea ($4.4 million), Italy ($4.1 million), Spain ($3.7 million), and India ($3.4 million). It also earned the biggest opening weekend for Warner Bros. in 62 countries during the pandemic and its biggest-ever opening weekend in seven countries.


title: The Batman (film)

text: The film earned $66.6 million from 76 markets other than the US and Canada in its sophomore weekend for a drop of 42%, including a $3.2 million opening in Japan. The film reached the $500 million-milestone on March 17, becoming the eighth pandemic-era film to do so, while also becoming Warner Bros.' highest-grossing film during the pandemic-era. In its third weekend, it made $49.1 million in countries other than the US and Canada, a drop of 46%. In China, it opened to a $11.8 million weekend according to Artisan Gateway while 30–43% of the theaters were closed, the best opening in the country for an American film in 2022, acquiring the top position at the box office. It grossed $25.3 million during the fourth weekend for a fall of 49%, including $3.1 million in China, where it was displaced by "Moonfall". It crossed the $750 million-milestone on April 17, becoming the fifth pandemic-era film to do so, with the largest running-total countries being the UK ($53.2 million), Mexico ($30.7 million), Australia ($27 million), France ($25.9 million), Brazil ($22.6 million), China ($22.5 million), Germany ($18.9 million), Spain ($11.8 million), Italy ($11.2 million), and Japan ($10 million).


title: The Batman (film)

text: On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, "The Batman" holds an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of . The site's critical consensus reads, "A grim, gritty, and gripping super-noir, "The Batman" ranks among the Dark Knight's bleakest – and most thrillingly ambitious – live-action outings." Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A–" on an A+ to F scale, while those at PostTrak gave it an 87% positive score (with an average 4.5 out of 5 stars), with 71% saying they would definitely recommend it.


title: The Batman (film)

text: "IGN" contributor Alex Stedman gave a 10 out of 10 rating, writing, ""The Batman" is a gripping, gorgeous, and at times genuinely scary psychological crime thriller that gives Bruce Wayne the grounded detective story he deserves." Adam Nayman of "The Ringer" gave the film a mostly positive review, but criticized some aspects of the film, particularly the final act, however, he stated that ""The Batman" is the Batman movie we deserve, though: overwrought and overlong, but also carefully crafted and exhilarating. It’s just good enough to wish it were better—a lavish piece of intellectual property that ultimately prices itself out of providing cheap thrills." Writing for "The National", Jason Mottram called the film "one of the darkest and most compelling comic-book movies of the modern era" while praising the performances, action sequences and story. "Digital Spy" reviewer Ian Sandwell praised the performances and felt that "It's easy to get Batman wrong, but Reeves never even threatens to do so. "The Batman" is an enthralling, chilling and fresh new take on the iconic DC hero that'll leave you desperate for another visit to this impeccably-crafted world." Clarisse Loughrey of "The Independent" gave the film a rating of 4/5 and wrote "Matt Reeves's take on the Caped Crusader may not be a genre-defining miracle, but it delivers a tapered-down, intimate portrait, while Zoe Kravitz's Catwoman brings an almost-extinct sensuality to the role". From "The Hollywood Reporter", David Rooney praised the film for being unique and stated that "this ambitious reboot is grounded in a contemporary reality where institutional and political distrust breeds unhinged vigilantism," but felt that "Reeves’ film hammers home the realization that somewhere along the line, someone — probably Christopher Nolan — decided that Batman movies should no longer be fun." Peter Debruge at "Variety" also praised the film, highlighting the film's grounded and noir take on Batman, and praised the film for "its willingness to dismantle and interrogate the very concept of superheroes." Alex Abad-Santos of "Vox" gave the film a positive review, and wrote the film "realizes the character’s greatness in a classic noir detective story" and that the film "enriches Batman’s legacy, complicating it by trusting its audience to interrogate his heroism and eventually ponder what makes Batman a hero — or if he’s even a hero at all."


title: The Batman (film)

text: Peter Bradshaw of "The Guardian", praised the performances but felt that "Inevitably, night falls on the latest Batman iteration with the cloudy sense that – of course – nothing has really been at stake." Richard Brody at "The New Yorker" gave a more critical review, praising the first two hours of the film and the "intricacy of the movie’s intertwined plots," but ultimately criticized the characters, as he felt that they were "reduced to a handful of traits and a backstory, defined solely by their function in the plot." Ann Hornaday from "The Washington Post" rated the film 1.5 out of 4 stars, criticizing the film for its dark visuals and its lengthy runtime, calling it "yet another lugubrious, laboriously grim slog masquerading as a fun comic book movie." Similarly, A.O. Scott of "The New York Times" also criticized the film for its dark visuals, in addition to saying the film has too much exposition, but praised the performances from the cast and Giacchino's score, and ultimately concluded by stating "I can’t say I had a good time, but I did end up somewhere I didn’t expect to be: looking forward to the next chapter." Mick LaSalle of the "San Francisco Chronicle" also gave a negative review, criticizing the film for its political commentary, drawing comparisons to that of "Joker" (2019), but he also praised some of the performances. Writing for "Sight and Sound", Kim Newman gave an unenthusiastic review, criticizing the film's length, and felt the secondary characters, such as Lt. Gordon, Selina Kyle, Alfred, and Penguin, were underdeveloped and "subordinate to the case", though he praised Pattinson's performance and the detective-oriented Batman.


title: The Batman (film)

text: Class conflict is a central concept featured in "The Batman", with Marco Vito Oddo of "Collider" asserting that the main theme is social inequality. Three of the primary characters—Batman, the Riddler, and Catwoman—are orphans from different economic backgrounds. Whereas Batman grew up in privilege, the Riddler only knew torment, while Catwoman experienced hardship. The Riddler's frustration with his upbringing leads to him lashing out against the wealthy, reflecting that criminality is born from desperation. JM Mutore of "The A.V. Club" and Susana Polo of "Polygon" said the Riddler falls into "the trap of villains who are right", opining that he is correct to expose corruption that has harmed the unfortunate. Chrishaun Baker of "Inverse" added that the film never frames the Riddler's frustration as wrong, though Brandon Zachary of "Comic Book Resources" argued that the Riddler is "inherently wrong" to think that change can be achieved through violence even if his motivations are understandable.


title: The Batman (film)

text: Zachary wrote that Batman, Catwoman, and the Riddler's upbringings give each character a different worldview: Batman's is narrow and binary, the Riddler adopts a "bitter and cruel" method to fight corruption that harms innocents, and Catwoman acknowledges the corrupting power of wealth but only becomes violent when her friends are harmed. The film draws parallels between the three characters, reflecting a popular notion that Batman is similar to his adversaries. Adam Nayman of "The Ringer" felt the film highlighted the themes of duality between Batman and his foes, and opined that Batman and the Riddler feel like "secret siblings" rather than "two different case studies in forlorn orphan psychology". Catwoman and the Riddler make Batman realize that poverty and inequality are the roots of Gotham's troubles, and inspire him to become an agent of hope and use his wealth to prevent social inequality. Baker wrote that the film ends with Batman realizing he "has to fight for the will of the people, amongst the people, against the very same institutions that make hollow promises to protect them".


title: The Batman (film)

text: Baker said that previous "Batman" films tend to reflect right-wing themes, with Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan's adaptations respectively featuring libertarian and "vaguely authoritarian" depictions of Batman. "The Batman" departs by questioning Batman's ethics and focusing on his material wealth. The film highlights that Batman's wealth does not alleviate his suffering and explores the idea that he should be more philanthropic; initially, Batman does not realize he is taking his wealth for granted and could be using it to help Gotham. Mutore felt "The Batman" was more direct in addressing the issue than previous "Batman" films, but "circumvents this argument" by portraying Thomas Wayne's attempt at philanthropy as only leading to corruption, while Baker felt the film directly addresses the issue by having progressive mayoral candidate Bella Réal confront Bruce about his wealth. Conversely, Nayman argued the film does not focus on his class as much as previous films did, as he is depicted as a recluse in the film.


title: The Batman (film)

text: "The Batman" also explores grief, trauma, and the "horror" of living with post-traumatic stress disorder through Batman. Batman's initial antagonism towards Alfred and apathy towards Catwoman's situation stems from the death of his parents and his inability to communicate with people due to his fear of suffering more emotional pain. His obsession with solving the Riddler case is a method of coping with the trauma of losing his parents, while his obsession with being Batman is the result of channeling his rage into what Marcus Shorter of "Bloody Disgusting" called a "dogmatic dedication to his chosen crimefighting craft". The film ends with Batman realizing that he must process his trauma to help improve Gotham.


title: The Batman (film)

text: Batman's relationship with the police differs from previous "Batman" films. Burton's films depict the police as an incompetent force that Batman supersedes and Nolan's depict them bending the law to assist Batman. "The Batman" shows Batman having a hostile relationship with Gotham police, who see him as a criminal. Baker said that "[e]very time Batman interacts with the police, there's a palpable sense of discomfort; to them, Batman represents a level of oversight that they're not used to having to contend with." Baker called this "timely" given the contemporary American sociopolitical context including increased awareness of police brutality.


title: The Batman (film)

text: A prequel novel, "Before the Batman: An Original Movie Novel", was written by David Lewman and released on February 1, 2022. It explores the origins of Batman and the Riddler. In March, Reeves announced "Riddler: Year One", a prequel comic book published bimonthly through DC's adult-oriented Black Label imprint beginning in October 2022. The six-issue limited series is written by Dano and illustrated by Stevan Subic.


title: The Batman (film)

text: "The Batman" is intended to be the first of a new "Batman" film trilogy and establish a Batman-focused shared universe separate from the DCEU. Key cast members had signed on for future films by November 2019. In December 2021, Pattinson said he had ideas for developing Batman's character in further films, while Clark said "The Batman" would lay a foundation for future films to build upon. Pattinson and Reeves expressed interest in introducing Robin and featuring the Court of Owls, Calendar Man, Mr. Freeze, or Hush as villains in a sequel. A sequel was announced at CinemaCon in April 2022, with Pattinson and Reeves set to return. In August 2022, Mattson Tomlin was confirmed to be co-writing the sequel script with Reeves.


title: The Batman (film)

text: In July 2020, HBO Max gave a series commitment to a police procedural television series centered on the Gotham City Police Department (GCPD), with Terence Winter set to write and serve as showrunner. Reeves, Winter, Clark, Daniel Pipski, and Adam Kassan were executive producing the series. In August, Reeves said the series would be a prequel to "The Batman", taking place during the first year of Batman's career and focusing on the corruption in Gotham and the GCPD. He said the series would be told from the perspective of one particular crooked cop, with the story being a "battle for his soul", taking inspiration from "Prince of the City" (1981).


title: The Batman (film)

text: In November 2020, Winter left the project due to creative differences, and Joe Barton was hired to replace him in January 2021. HBO still had creative issues with the project, especially with its protagonist being a corrupt cop, and they encouraged Reeves to focus on existing comics characters instead. In March 2022, Reeves said the series was on an indefinite hold, though he hoped to revisit the premise in the future. Wright revealed there had been discussions about him appearing in the series but he did not entertain the idea before the film's release. "Variety" later reported in October that the show was still in development.


title: The Batman (film)

text: By September 2021, HBO Max was developing a spin-off series focused on the Penguin. Lauren LeFranc was hired as showrunner, with Reeves and Clark serving as executive producers. Farrell signed on to reprise his role and executive produce in December. Reeves compared the series to "The Long Good Friday" (1980) and "Scarface" (1983), charting Penguin's rise to power in Gotham's criminal underworld following the events of the film. The spin-off was the furthest along in development by March 2022, and Reeves said it would come before a sequel to "The Batman". HBO Max ordered "The Penguin" as a limited series that month. In October, Craig Zobel was hired to direct the first two episodes of the series and to serve as an executive producer. The series totals approximately six-to-eight hours of content and is set one week following the events of "The Batman".


title: The Batman (film)

text: When revealing that the GCPD spin-off series was not moving forward in March 2022, Reeves explained that it had led to work on a new idea based on Arkham State Hospital. He said the series would build upon Arkham's introduction in the film and explore the origins of different characters related to it. He envisioned a horror tone, with Arkham being depicted as a haunted house. That October, Antonio Campos was hired as a showrunner for the series, in addition to serving as director and an executive producer.


title: The Batman (film)

text: In October 2022, "The Hollywood Reporter" stated that Matt Reeves was meeting with writers and directors regarding additional films and television series centered around Batman's rogues gallery. Various projects focusing on Scarecrow, Clayface, and Professor Pyg are in early stages of development.


title: Netflix

text: Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a film and television series library through distribution deals as well as its own productions, known as Netflix Originals.


title: Netflix

text: As of September 2022, Netflix had 222 million subscribers worldwide, including 73.3 million in the United States and Canada; 73.0 million in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, 39.6 million in Latin America and 34.8 million in the Asia-Pacific region. It is available worldwide aside from Mainland China, Syria, North Korea, and Russia. Netflix has played a prominent role in independent film distribution, and it is a member of the Motion Picture Association (MPA).


title: Netflix

text: Netflix can be accessed via web browsers or via application software installed on smart TVs, set-top boxes connected to televisions, tablet computers, smartphones, digital media players, Blu-ray players, video game consoles and virtual reality headsets on the list of Netflix-compatible devices. It is available in 4K resolution. In the United States, the company provided Digital Video Disc (DVD) and Blu-ray rentals delivered individually via the United States Postal Service from regional warehouses.


title: Netflix

text: Netflix initially both sold and rented DVDs by mail, but the sales were eliminated within a year to focus on the DVD rental business. In 2007, Netflix introduced streaming media and video on demand. The company expanded to Canada in 2010, followed by Latin America and the Caribbean. Netflix entered the film and television production industry in 2013, debuting its first series "House of Cards". In January 2016, it expanded to an additional 130 countries and then operated in 190 countries.


title: Netflix

text: The company is ranked 115th on the "Fortune 500" and 219th on the Forbes Global 2000. It is the second largest entertainment/media company by market capitalization as of February 2022. In 2021, Netflix was ranked as the eighth-most trusted brand globally by Morning Consult. During the 2010s, Netflix was the top-performing stock in the S&P 500 stock market index, with a total return of 3,693%.


title: Netflix

text: Netflix is headquartered in Los Gatos, California, in Santa Clara County, with the two CEOs, Hastings and Ted Sarandos, split between Los Gatos and Los Angeles, respectively. It also operates international offices in Asia, Europe and Latin America including in Canada, France, Brazil, Netherlands, India, Italy, Japan, Poland, South Korea and the United Kingdom. The company has production hubs in Los Angeles, Albuquerque, London, Madrid, Vancouver and Toronto. Compared to other distributors, Netflix pays more for TV shows up front, but keeps more "upside" (i.e. future revenue opportunities from possible syndication, merchandising, etc.) on big hits.


title: Netflix

text: Netflix was founded by Marc Randolph and Reed Hastings on August 29, 1997 in Scotts Valley, California. Hastings, a computer scientist and mathematician, was a co-founder of Pure Atria, which was acquired by Rational Software Corporation in 1997 for $750 million, then the biggest acquisition in Silicon Valley history. Randolph had worked as a marketing director for Pure Atria after Pure Atria acquired a company where Randolph worked. He was previously a co-founder of MicroWarehouse, a computer mail-order company as well as vice president of marketing for Borland International. Hastings and Randolph came up with the idea for Netflix while carpooling between their homes in Santa Cruz, California and Pure Atria's headquarters in Sunnyvale. Patty McCord, later head of human resources at Netflix, was also in the carpool group. Randolph admired Amazon.com and wanted to find a large category of portable items to sell over the Internet using a similar model. Hastings and Randolph considered and rejected selling and renting VHS tapes as too expensive to stock and too delicate to ship. When they heard about DVDs, first introduced in the United States on March 24, 1997, they tested the concept of selling or renting DVDs by mail by mailing a compact disc to Hastings's house in Santa Cruz. When the disc arrived intact, they decided to enter the $16 billion home-video sales and rental industry. Hastings is often quoted saying that he decided to start Netflix after being fined $40 at a Blockbuster store for being late to return a copy of "Apollo 13", a claim since repudiated by Randolph. Hastings invested $2.5 million into Netflix from the sale of Pure Atria. Netflix.com launched as the first DVD rental and sales website in 1998 with 30 employees and 925 titles available—nearly all DVDs published. Randolph and Hastings met with Jeff Bezos, where Amazon.com offered to acquire Netflix for between $14 and $16 million. Fearing competition from Amazon, Randolph at first thought the offer was fair but Hastings, who owned 70% of the company, turned it down on the plane ride home.


title: Netflix

text: Initially, Netflix offered a per-rental model for each DVD but introduced a monthly subscription concept in September 1999. The per-rental model was dropped by early 2000, allowing the company to focus on the business model of flat-fee unlimited rentals without due dates, late fees, shipping and handling fees, or per-title rental fees. In September 2000, during the dot-com bubble, while Netflix was suffering losses, Hastings and Randolph offered to sell the company to Blockbuster LLC for $50 million. John Antioco, CEO of Blockbuster, thought the offer was a joke and declined, saying "The dot-com hysteria is completely overblown." While Netflix experienced fast growth in early 2001, the continued effects of the dot-com bubble collapse and the September 11 attacks caused the company to hold off plans for its initial public offering (IPO) and to lay off one-third of its 120 employees.


title: Netflix

text: DVD players were a popular gift for holiday sales in late 2001, and demand for DVD subscription services were "growing like crazy", according to chief talent officer Patty McCord. The company went public on May 29, 2002, selling 5.5 million shares of common stock at US$15.00 per share. In 2003, Netflix was issued a patent by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office to cover its subscription rental service and several extensions. Netflix posted its first profit in 2003, earning $6.5 million on revenues of $272 million; by 2004, profit had increased to $49 million on over $500 million in revenues. In 2005, 35,000 different films were available, and Netflix shipped 1 million DVDs out every day.


title: Netflix

text: In 2004, Blockbuster introduced a DVD rental service, which not only allowed users to check out titles through online sites but allowed for them to return them at brick-and-mortar stores. By 2006, Blockbuster's service reached two million users, and while trailing Netflix's subscriber count, was drawing business away from Netflix. Netflix lowered fees in 2007. While it was an urban legend that Netflix ultimately "killed" Blockbuster in the DVD rental market, Blockbuster's debt load and internal disagreements hurt the company.


title: Netflix

text: On April 4, 2006, Netflix filed a patent infringement lawsuit in which it demanded a jury trial in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, alleging that Blockbuster LLC's online DVD rental subscription program violated two patents held by Netflix. The first cause of action alleged Blockbuster's infringement of copying the "dynamic queue" of DVDs available for each customer, Netflix's method of using the ranked preferences in the queue to send DVDs to subscribers, and Netflix's method permitting the queue to be updated and reordered. The second cause of action alleged infringement of the subscription rental service as well as Netflix's methods of communication and delivery. The companies settled their dispute on June 25, 2007; terms were not disclosed.


title: Netflix

text: On October 1, 2006, Netflix announced the Netflix Prize, $1,000,000 to the first developer of a video-recommendation algorithm that could beat its existing algorithm Cinematch, at predicting customer ratings by more than 10%. On September 21, 2009, it awarded the $1,000,000 prize to team "BellKor’s Pragmatic Chaos." Cinematch, launched in 2000, is a recommendation system that recommended movies to its users, many of which they might not ever had heard of before.


title: Netflix

text: Through its division Red Envelope Entertainment, Netflix licensed and distributed independent films such as "Born into Brothels" and "Sherrybaby". In late 2006, Red Envelope Entertainment also expanded into producing original content with filmmakers such as John Waters. Netflix closed Red Envelope Entertainment in 2008.


title: Netflix

text: In January 2007, the company launched a streaming media service, introducing video on demand via the Internet. However, at that time it only had 1,000 films available for streaming, compared to 70,000 available on DVD. The company had for some time considered offering movies online, but it was only in the mid-2000s that data speeds and bandwidth costs had improved sufficiently to allow customers to download movies from the net. The original idea was a "Netflix box" that could download movies overnight, and be ready to watch the next day. By 2005, Netflix had acquired movie rights and designed the box and service. But after witnessing how popular streaming services such as YouTube were despite the lack of high-definition content, the concept of using a hardware device was scrapped and replaced with a streaming concept.


title: Netflix

text: In February 2007, Netflix delivered its billionth DVD, a copy of "Babel" to a customer in Texas. In April 2007, Netflix recruited Anthony Wood, one of the early DVR business pioneers, to build a "Netflix Player" that would allow streaming content to be played directly on a television set rather than a PC or laptop. While the player was initially developed at Netflix, Reed Hastings eventually shut down the project to help encourage other hardware manufacturers to include built-in Netflix support.


title: Netflix

text: In January 2008, all rental-disc subscribers became entitled to unlimited streaming at no additional cost. This change came in a response to the introduction of Hulu and to Apple's new video-rental services. In August 2008, the Netflix database was corrupted and the company was not able to ship DVDs to customers for 3 days, leading the company to move all its data to the Amazon Web Services cloud. In November 2008, Netflix began offering subscribers rentals on Blu-ray and discontinued its sale of used DVDs. In 2009, Netflix streams overtook DVD shipments.


title: Netflix

text: On January 6, 2010, Netflix agreed with Warner Bros. to delay new release rentals 28 days prior to retail, in an attempt to help studios sell physical copies, and similar deals involving Universal Pictures and 20th Century Fox were reached on April 9. In July 2010, Netflix signed a deal to stream movies of Relativity Media. In August 2010, Netflix reached a five-year deal worth nearly $1 billion to stream films from Paramount, Lionsgate and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The deal increased Netflix's annual spending fees, adding roughly $200 million per year. It spent $117 million in the first six months of 2010 on streaming, up from $31 million in 2009. On September 22, 2010, the company first began offering streaming service to the international market, in Canada. In November 2010, Netflix began offering a standalone streaming service separate from DVD rentals.


title: Netflix

text: In 2010, Netflix acquired the rights to "Breaking Bad", produced by Sony Pictures Television, after the show's third season, at a point where original broadcaster AMC had expressed the possibility of cancelling the show. Sony pushed Netflix to release "Breaking Bad" in time for the fourth season, which as a result, greatly expanded the show's audience on AMC due to new viewers binging on the Netflix past episodes, and doubling the viewership by the time of the fifth season. "Breaking Bad" is considered the first such show to have this "Netflix effect."


title: Netflix

text: In January 2011, Netflix introduced a Netflix button for certain remote controls, allowing users to instantly access Netflix on compatible devices. In May 2011, Netflix's streaming business became the largest source of Internet streaming traffic in North America, accounting for 30% of traffic during peak hours. On July 12, 2011, Netflix announced that it would separate its existing subscription plans into two separate plans: one covering the streaming and the other DVD rental services. The cost for streaming would be $7.99 per month, while DVD rental would start at the same price. In September 2011, Netflix announced a content deal with DreamWorks Animation. In September 2011, Netflix expanded to 43 countries in Latin America. On September 18, 2011, Netflix announced its intentions to rebrand and restructure its DVD home media rental service as an independent subsidiary called Qwikster, separating DVD rental and streaming services. On October 10, 2011, Netflix announced that it would retain its DVD service under the name Netflix and that its streaming and DVD-rental plans would remain branded together.


title: Netflix

text: On January 4, 2012, Netflix started its expansion to Europe, launching in the United Kingdom and Ireland. In February 2012, Netflix signed a licensing deal with The Weinstein Company. In March 2012, Netflix acquired the domain name DVD.com. By 2016, Netflix rebranded its DVD-by-mail service under the name "DVD.com, A Netflix Company". In April 2012, Netflix filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to form a political action committee (PAC) called FLIXPAC. Netflix spokesperson Joris Evers tweeted that the intent was to "engage on issues like net neutrality, bandwidth caps, UBB and VPPA". In June 2012, Netflix signed a deal with Open Road Films.


title: Netflix

text: On August 23, 2012, Netflix and The Weinstein Company signed a multi-year output deal for RADiUS-TWC films. In September 2012, Epix signed a five-year streaming deal with Netflix. For the initial two years of this agreement, first-run and back-catalog content from Epix was exclusive to Netflix. Epix films came to Netflix 90 days after premiering on Epix. These included films from Paramount, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Lionsgate.


title: Netflix

text: On October 18, 2012, Netflix launched in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. On December 4, 2012, Netflix and Disney announced an exclusive multi-year agreement for first-run United States subscription television rights to Walt Disney Studios' animated and live-action films, with classics such as "Dumbo", "Alice in Wonderland" and "Pocahontas" available immediately and others available on Netflix beginning in 2016. Direct-to-video releases were made available in 2013. The agreement with Disney ended in 2019 due to the launch of Disney+. Netflix retained the rights to continue streaming the Marvel series that were produced for the service until March 1, 2022, following Disney's reacquisition of the rights to those series.


title: Netflix

text: On January 14, 2013, Netflix signed an agreement with Time Warner's Turner Broadcasting System and Warner Bros. Television to distribute Cartoon Network, Warner Bros. Animation, and Adult Swim content, as well as TNT's "Dallas", beginning in March 2013. The rights to these programs were given to Netflix shortly after deals with Viacom to stream Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. programs expired.


title: Netflix

text: On March 13, 2013, Netflix added a Facebook sharing feature, letting United States subscribers access "Watched by your friends" and "Friends' Favorites" by agreeing. This was not legal until the Video Privacy Protection Act was modified in early 2013.


title: Netflix

text: In February 2013, DreamWorks Animation and Netflix co-produced "Turbo Fast", based on the movie "Turbo", which premiered in July. Netflix has since become a major distributor of animated family and kid shows.


title: Netflix

text: In July 2013, "Orange Is the New Black" debuted on Netflix, which became Netflix's most-watched original series.


title: Netflix

text: On August 1, 2013, Netflix reintroduced the "Profiles" feature that permits accounts to accommodate up to five user profiles.


title: Netflix

text: In November 2013, Netflix and Marvel Television announced a five-season deal to produce live-action Marvel superhero-focused series: Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist and Luke Cage. The deal involves the release of four 13-episode seasons that culminate in a mini-series called "The Defenders". "Daredevil" and "Jessica Jones" premiered in 2015. The "Luke Cage" series premiered on September 30, 2016, followed by "Iron Fist" on March 17, 2017, and "The Defenders" on August 18, 2017. The series, however, were removed from Netflix on March 1, 2022, following Disney's announcement to reacquire the series' rights after Netflix's deal expired.


title: Netflix

text: In February 2014, Netflix discovered that Comcast Cable was slowing its traffic down and agreed to pay Comcast to directly connect to the Comcast network.


title: Netflix

text: On March 7, 2014, new "Star Wars" content was released on Netflix's streaming service: the sixth season of the television series "", as well as all five prior and the .


title: Netflix

text: In April 2014, Netflix signed "Arrested Development" creator Mitchell Hurwitz and his production firm The Hurwitz Company to a multi-year deal to create original projects for the service.


title: Netflix

text: In June 2014, Netflix unveiled a global rebranding: a new logo, which uses a modern typeface with the drop shadowing removed, and a new website UI.


title: Netflix

text: In September 2014, Netflix became available in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and Switzerland.


title: Netflix

text: On September 10, 2014, Netflix participated in Internet Slowdown Day by deliberately slowing down its speed in protest of net neutrality laws.


title: Netflix

text: In October 2014, Netflix announced a four-film deal with Adam Sandler and his Happy Madison Productions.


title: Netflix

text: In April 2015, following the launch of "Daredevil", Netflix director of content operations Tracy Wright announced that Netflix had added support for audio description (a narration track with aural descriptions of key visual elements for the blind or visually impaired), and had begun to work with its partners to add descriptions to its other original series over time. The following year, as part of a settlement with the American Council of the Blind, Netflix agreed to provide descriptions for its original series within 30 days of their premiere, and add screen reader support and the ability to browse content by availability of descriptions.


title: Netflix

text: In March 2015, Netflix expanded to Australia and New Zealand. In September 2015, Netflix launched in Japan, its first country in Asia. In October 2015, Netflix launched in Italy, Portugal, and Spain.


title: Netflix

text: In January 2016, at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show, Netflix announced a major international expansion of its service into 130 additional countries. It then had become available worldwide except China, Syria, North Korea, Kosovo and Crimea.


title: Netflix

text: In May 2016, Netflix created a tool called Fast.com to determine the speed of an Internet connection. It received praise for being "simple" and "easy to use", and does not include online advertising, unlike competitors.


title: Netflix

text: On November 30, 2016, Netflix launched an offline playback feature, allowing users of the Netflix mobile apps on Android or iOS to cache content on their devices in standard or high quality for viewing offline, without an Internet connection.


title: Netflix

text: In 2016, Netflix released an estimated 126 original series or films, more than any other network or cable channel.


title: Netflix

text: In 2016, Netflix announced plans to expand its in-house production division and produced TV series including "The Ranch" and "Chelsea".


title: Netflix

text: In February 2017, Netflix signed a music publishing deal with BMG Rights Management, whereby BMG will oversee rights outside of the United States for music associated with Netflix original content. Netflix continues to handle these tasks in-house in the United States.


title: Netflix

text: On April 25, 2017, Netflix signed a licensing deal with IQiyi, a Chinese video streaming platform owned by Baidu, to allow selected Netflix original content to be distributed in China on the platform.


title: Netflix

text: On August 7, 2017, in the first acquisition of an entire company, Netflix acquired Millarworld, the creator-owned publishing company of comic book writer Mark Millar.


title: Netflix

text: On August 14, 2017, Netflix announced that it had entered into an exclusive development deal with Shonda Rhimes and her production company Shondaland.


title: Netflix

text: In September 2017, Netflix announced it would offer its low-broadband mobile technology to airlines to provide better in-flight Wi-Fi so that passengers can watch movies on Netflix while on planes.


title: Netflix

text: In September 2017, Minister of Heritage Mélanie Joly announced that Netflix had agreed to make a (US$400 million) investment over the next five years in producing content in Canada. The company denied that the deal was intended to result in a tax break. Netflix realized this goal by December 2018.


title: Netflix

text: In October 2017, Netflix iterated a goal of having half of its library consist of original content by 2019, announcing a plan to invest $8 billion on original content in 2018. There will be a particular focus on films and anime through this investment, with a plan to produce 80 original films and 30 anime series.


title: Netflix

text: In October 2017, Netflix introduced the "Skip Intro" feature which allows customers to skip the intros to shows on its platform. They do so through a variety of techniques including manual reviewing, audio tagging, and machine learning.


title: Netflix

text: In November 2017, Netflix signed an exclusive multi-year deal with "Orange Is the New Black" creator Jenji Kohan.


title: Netflix

text: In November 2017, Netflix withdrew from co-hosting the 75th Golden Globe Awards with The Weinstein Company due to the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse cases.


title: Netflix

text: In November 2017, Netflix announced that it would be making its first original Colombian series, to be executive produced by Ciro Guerra. In December 2017, Netflix signed "Stranger Things" director-producer Shawn Levy and his production company 21 Laps Entertainment to what sources say is a four-year deal. In 2017, Netflix invested in distributing exclusive stand-up comedy specials from Dave Chappelle, Louis C.K., Chris Rock, Jim Gaffigan, Bill Burr and Jerry Seinfeld.


title: Netflix

text: In February 2018, Netflix acquired the rights to "The Cloverfield Paradox" from Paramount Pictures for $50 million and launched on its service on February 4, 2018, shortly after airing its first trailer during Super Bowl LII. Analysts believed that Netflix's purchase of the film helped to make the film instantly profitable for Paramount compared to a more traditional theatrical release, while Netflix benefited from the surprise reveal. Other films acquired by Netflix include international distribution for Paramount's "Annihilation" and Universal's "News of the World" and worldwide distribution of Universal's "Extinction", Warner Bros.' "", Paramount's "The Lovebirds" and 20th Century Studios' "The Woman in the Window". In March, the service ordered "Formula 1: Drive to Survive", a racing docuseries following teams in the Formula One world championship.


title: Netflix

text: In March 2018, Sky UK announced an agreement with Netflix to integrate Netflix's subscription VOD offering into its pay-TV service. Customers with its high-end Sky Q set-top box and service will be able to see Netflix titles alongside their regular Sky channels. In October 2022, Netflix revealed that its annual revenue from the UK subscribers in 2021 was £1.4bn.


title: Netflix

text: In April 2018, Netflix pulled out of the Cannes Film Festival, in response to new rules requiring competition films to have been released in French theaters. The Cannes premiere of "Okja" in 2017 was controversial, and led to discussions over the appropriateness of films with simultaneous digital releases being screened at an event showcasing theatrical film; audience members also booed the Netflix production logo at the screening. Netflix's attempts to negotiate to allow a limited release in France were curtailed by organizers, as well as French cultural exception law—where theatrically screened films are legally forbidden from being made available via video-on-demand services until at least 36 months after their release. Besides traditional Hollywood markets as well as from partners like the BBC, Sarandos said the company also looking to expand investments in non-traditional foreign markets due to the growth of viewers outside of North America. At the time, this included programs such as "Dark" from Germany, "Ingobernable" from Mexico and "3%" from Brazil.


title: Netflix

text: On May 22, 2018, former president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama signed a deal to produce docu-series, documentaries and features for Netflix under the Obamas' newly formed production company, Higher Ground Productions.


title: Netflix

text: In June 2018, Netflix announced a partnership with Telltale Games to port its adventure games to the service in a streaming video format, allowing simple controls through a television remote. The first game, "", was released in November 2018. In July 2018, Netflix earned the most Emmy nominations of any network for the first time with 112 nods. On August 27, 2018, the company signed a five-year exclusive overall deal with international best–selling author Harlan Coben. On the same day, the company inked an overall deal with "Gravity Falls" creator Alex Hirsch. In October 2018, Netflix paid under $30 million to acquire Albuquerque Studios (ABQ Studios), a $91 million film and TV production facility with eight sound stages in Albuquerque, New Mexico, for its first U.S. production hub, pledging to spend over $1 billion over the next decade to create one of the largest film studios in North America. In November 2018, Paramount Pictures signed a multi-picture film deal with Netflix, making Paramount the first major film studio to sign a deal with Netflix. A sequel to AwesomenessTV's "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" was released on Netflix under the title "" as part of the agreement. In December 2018, the company announced a partnership with ESPN Films on a television documentary chronicling Michael Jordan and the 1997–98 Chicago Bulls season titled "The Last Dance". It was released internationally on Netflix and became available for streaming in the United States three months after a broadcast airing on ESPN.


title: Netflix

text: In January 2019, "Sex Education" made its debut as a Netflix original series with much critical acclaim. On January 22, 2019, Netflix sought and was approved for membership into the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), as the first streaming service to become a member of the association. In February 2019, "The Haunting" creator Mike Flanagan joined frequent collaborator Trevor Macy as a partner in Intrepid Pictures and the duo signed an exclusive overall deal with Netflix to produce television content. On May 9, 2019, Netflix contracted with Dark Horse Entertainment to make television series and films based on comics from Dark Horse Comics. In July 2019, Netflix announced that it would be opening a hub at Shepperton Studios as part of a deal with Pinewood Group. In early August 2019, Netflix negotiated an exclusive multi-year film and television deal with "Game of Thrones" creators and showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. The first Netflix production created by Benioff and Weiss was planned as an adaptation of Liu Cixin's science fiction novel "The Three-Body Problem", part of the "Remembrance of Earth's Past" trilogy. On September 30, 2019, in addition to renewing "Stranger Things" for a fourth season, Netflix announced signing the series’ creators The Duffer Brothers to a nine-figure deal for additional films and televisions shows over multiple years.


title: Netflix

text: On November 13, 2019, Netflix and Nickelodeon entered into a multi-year agreement to produce several original animated feature films and television series based on Nickelodeon's library of characters. This agreement expanded on their existing relationship, in which new specials based on the past Nickelodeon series "Invader Zim" and "Rocko's Modern Life" ("" and "" respectively) were released by Netflix. Other new projects planned under the team-up include a music project featuring Squidward Tentacles from the animated television series "SpongeBob SquarePants", and films based on "The Loud House" and "Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles". In November 2019, Netflix announced it had signed a long-term lease to save the Paris Theatre, the last single-screen movie theater in Manhattan. The company oversaw several renovations at the theater, including new seats and a concession stand.


title: Netflix

text: In January 2020, Netflix announced a new four-film deal with Adam Sandler worth up to $275 million. On February 25, 2020, Netflix formed partnerships with six Japanese creators to produce an original Japanese anime project. This partnership includes manga creator group CLAMP, mangaka Shin Kibayashi, mangaka Yasuo Ohtagaki, novelist and film director Otsuichi, novelist Tow Ubutaka, and manga creator Mari Yamazaki. On March 4, 2020, ViacomCBS announced that it will be producing two spin-off films based on "SpongeBob SquarePants" for Netflix. On April 7, 2020, Peter Chernin's Chernin Entertainment made a multi-year first-look deal with Netflix to make films. On May 29, 2020, Netflix announced the acquisition of Grauman's Egyptian Theatre from the American Cinematheque to use as a special events venue. In July 2020, Netflix appointed Sarandos as co-CEO. In July 2020, Netflix invested in "Black Mirror" creators Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones’ new production outfit Broke And Bones.


title: Netflix

text: In September 2020, Netflix signed a multi-million dollar deal with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Harry and Meghan agreed to a multi-year deal promising to create TV shows, films, and children's content as part of their commitment to stepping away from the duties of the royal family. In September 2020, Hastings released a book about the Netflix culture titled "No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention", which was co-authored by Erin Meyer. In December 2020, Netflix signed a first-look deal with Millie Bobby Brown to develop and star in several projects including a potential action franchise.


title: Netflix

text: In March 2021, Netflix earned the most Academy Award nominations of any studio, with 36. Netflix won seven Academy Awards, which was the most by any studio. Later that year, Netflix also won more Emmys than any other network or studio with 44 wins, tying the record for most Emmys won in a single year set by CBS in 1974. On April 8, 2021, Sony Pictures Entertainment announced an agreement for Netflix to hold the U.S. pay television window rights to its releases beginning in 2022, replacing Starz and expanding upon an existing agreement with Sony Pictures Animation. The agreement also includes a first-look deal for any future direct-to-streaming films being produced by Sony Pictures, with Netflix required to commit to a minimum number of them. On April 27, 2021, Netflix announced that it was opening its first Canadian headquarters in Toronto. The company also announced that it would open an office in Sweden as well as Rome and Istanbul to increase its original content in those regions.


title: Netflix

text: In early June, Netflix hosted a first-ever week-long virtual event called “Geeked Week,” where it shared exclusive news, new trailers, cast appearances and more about upcoming genre titles like "The Witcher", "The Cuphead Show!", and "The Sandman".


title: Netflix

text: On June 7, 2021, Jennifer Lopez's Nuyorican Productions signed a multi-year first-look deal with Netflix spanning feature films, TV series, and unscripted content, with an emphasis on projects that support diverse female actors, writers, and filmmakers. On June 10, 2021, Netflix announced it was launching an online store for curated products tied to the Netflix brand and shows such as "Stranger Things" and "The Witcher". On June 21, 2021, Steven Spielberg's Amblin Partners signed a deal with Netflix to release multiple new feature films for the streaming service. On June 30, 2021, Powerhouse Animation Studios (the studio behind Netflix's "Castlevania") announced signing a first-look deal with the streamer to produce more animated series.


title: Netflix

text: In July 2021, Netflix hired Mike Verdu, a former executive from Electronic Arts and Facebook, as vice president of game development, along with plans to add video games by 2022. Netflix announced plans to release mobile games which would be included in subscribers' plans to the service. Trial offerings were first launched for Netflix users in Poland in August 2021, offering premium mobile games based on "Stranger Things" including "", for free to subscribers through the Netflix mobile app.


title: Netflix

text: On July 14, 2021, Netflix signed a first-look deal with Joey King, star of "The Kissing Booth" franchise, in which King will produce and develop films for Netflix via her All The King's Horses production company. On July 21, 2021, Zack Snyder, director of Netflix's "Army of the Dead", announced he had signed his production company The Stone Quarry to a first-look deal with; his upcoming projects include a sequel to "Army of the Dead", the sci-fi adventure film "Rebel Moon". In 2019, he agreed to produce an anime-style web series inspired by Norse mythology.


title: Netflix

text: As of August 2021, Netflix Originals made up 40% of Netflix's overall library in the United States. The company announced that "TUDUM: A Netflix Global Fan Event", a three-hour virtual behind the scenes featuring first-look reveals for 100 of the streamer's series, films and specials, would have its inaugural show in late September 2021. According to Netflix, the show garnered 25.7 million views across Netflix’s 29 Netflix YouTube channels, Twitter, Twitch, Facebook, TikTok and Tudum.com.


title: Netflix

text: Also in September, the company announced The Queen’s Ball: A Bridgerton Experience, launching in 2022 in Los Angeles, Chicago, Montreal, and Washington, D.C..


title: Netflix

text: "Squid Game", a South Korean survival drama created and produced by Hwang Dong-hyuk, had been acquired and produced by Netflix in 2019 as part of its expansion of foreign works and was released worldwide in multiple languages on September 17, 2021. The show rapidly became the service's most-watched show within a week of its launch in many markets, including Korea, the U.S. and the United Kingdom. Within its first 28 days on the service, "Squid Game" drew more than 111 million viewers, surpassing "Bridgerton" and becoming Netflix's most-watched show. On September 20, 2021, Netflix signed a long-term lease deal with Aviva Investors to operate and expand the Longcross Studios in Surrey, UK. On September 21, 2021, Netflix announced that it would acquire the Roald Dahl Story Company, which manages the rights to Roald Dahl's stories and characters, for an undisclosed price and would operate it as an independent company.


title: Netflix

text: The company acquired Night School Studio, an independent video game developer, in September 2021. Netflix officially launched mobile games on November 2, 2021, for Android users around the world. Through the app, subscribers had free access to five games, including two previously made "Stranger Things" titles. Netflix stated that they intend to add more games to this service over time. On November 9, the collection launched for iOS. Some games in the collection require an active internet connection to play, while others will be available offline. Netflix Kids' accounts will not have games available.


title: Netflix

text: On October 13, 2021, Netflix announced the launch of the Netflix Book Club, where readers will hear about new books, films, and series adaptations and have exclusive access to each book's adaptation process. Netflix will partner with Starbucks to bring the book club to life via a social series called "But Have You Read the Book?". Uzo Aduba will serve as the inaugural host of the series and announce monthly book selections set to be adapted by the streamer. Aduba will also speak with the cast, creators, and authors about the book adaptation process over a cup of coffee at Starbucks. Through October 2021, Netflix commonly reported viewership for its programming based on the number of viewers or households that watched a show in a given period (such as the first 28 days from its premiere) for at least two minutes. On the announcement of its quarterly earnings in October 2021, the company stated that it would switch its viewership metrics to measuring the number of hours that a show was watched, including rewatches, which the company said was closer to the measurements used in linear broadcast television, and thus "our members and the industry can better measure success in the streaming world." On November 16, 2021, Netflix announced the launch of "Top10 on Netflix.com", a new website with weekly global and country lists of the most popular titles on their service based on their new viewership metrics.


title: Netflix

text: On November 22, 2021, Netflix announced that it would acquire Scanline VFX, the visual effects and animation company behind "Cowboy Bebop" and "Stranger Things". On the same day, Roberto Patino signed a deal with Netflix and established his own production banner, Analog Inc., in partnership with the company. Patino's first project under the deal is a series adaptation of Image Comics' "Nocterra". On December 6, 2021, Netflix and Stage 32 announced that they have teamed up the workshops at the Creating Content for the Global Marketplace program. On December 7, 2021, Netflix partnered with IllumiNative, a woman-led non-profit organization, for the Indigenous Producers Training Program.


title: Netflix

text: On December 9, 2021, Netflix announced the launch of "Tudum," an official companion website that offers news, exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes videos for its original television shows and films. On December 13, 2021, Netflix signed a multi-year overall deal with Kalinda Vazquez. On December 16, 2021, Netflix signed a multi-year creative partnership with Spike Lee and his production company 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks to develop film and television projects. In December 2021, former Netflix engineer Sung Mo Jun was sentenced to 2 years in prison for an insider trading scheme where he leaked subscriber numbers in advance of official releases.


title: Netflix

text: In compliance with the EU Audiovisual Media Services Directive and its implementation in France, Netflix reached commitments with French broadcasting authorities and film guilds, as required by law, to invest a specific amount of its annual revenue into original French films and series. These films must be theatrically released and would not be allowed to be carried on Netflix until 15 months after their release.


title: Netflix

text: In January 2022, Netflix ordered additional sports docuseries from "Drive to Survive" producers Box to Box Films, including a series that would follow PGA Tour golfers, and another that would follow professional tennis players on the ATP and WTA Tour circuits.


title: Netflix

text: The company announced plans to acquire Next Games in March 2022 for as part of Netflix's expansions into gaming. Next Games had developed the mobile title "Stranger Things: Puzzle Tales" as well as two "The Walking Dead" mobile games. Later in the month, Netflix also acquired the Texas-based mobile game developer, Boss Fight Entertainment, for an undisclosed sum.


title: Netflix

text: On March 15, 2022, Netflix announced a partnership with Dr. Seuss Enterprises to produce five new series and specials based on Seuss properties following the success of "Green Eggs and Ham". On March 29, 2022, Netflix announced that it would open an office in Poland to serve as a hub for its original productions across Central and Eastern Europe. On March 30, 2022, Netflix extended its lease agreement with Martini Film Studios, just outside Vancouver, Canada, for another five years. On March 31, 2022, Netflix ordered a docuseries that would follow teams in the 2022 Tour de France, which would also be co-produced by Box to Box Films"."


title: Netflix

text: Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Netflix suspended its operations and future projects in Russia. It also announced that it would not comply with a proposed directive by Roskomnadzor requiring all internet streaming services with more than 100,000 subscribers to integrate the major free-to-air channels (which are primarily state-owned). A month later, ex-Russian subscribers filed a class action lawsuit against Netflix.


title: Netflix

text: At the end of Q1 2022, Netflix announced a decline in subscribers with almost 200,000 fewer viewers than at the end of the previous year. Netflix stated that 100 million households globally were sharing passwords to their account with others, and that Canada and the United States accounted for 30 million of them. Following these announcements, Netflix's stock price fell by 35 percent. By June 2022, Netflix had laid off 450 full-time and contract employees as part of the company's plan to trim costs amid lower than expected subscriber growth. The layoffs represented approximately 2 percent of the workforce and spread across the company globally.


title: Netflix

text: On April 13, 2022, Netflix released the series "Our Great National Parks", which was hosted and narrated by former US President Barack Obama. It also partnered with Group Effort Initiative, a company founded by Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, to provide opportunities behind the camera for those in underrepresented communities. On the same day, Netflix partnered with Lebanon-based Arab Fund For Arts And Culture for supporting the Arab female filmmakers. It will provide a one-time grant of $250,000 to female producers and directors in the Arab world through the company's Fund for Creative Equity. Also on the same day, Netflix announced an "Exploding Kittens" mobile card game tied to a new animated TV series, which will launch in May. Netflix announced that they have formed a creative partnership with J. Miles Dale. The company also formed a partnership with Japan's Studio Colorido, signing a multi-film deal to boost their anime content in Asia. The streaming giant is said to co-produce three feature films with the studio, the first of which will premiere in September 2022.


title: Netflix

text: On April 28, 2022, the company launched its inaugural "Netflix Is a Joke" comedy festival, featuring more than 250 shows over 12 nights at 30-plus locations across Los Angeles, including the first-ever stand-up show at Dodger Stadium.


title: Netflix

text: The first volume of "Stranger Things 4" logged Netflix's biggest premiere weekend ever for an original series with 286.79 million hours viewed. This was preceded by a new "Stranger Things" interactive experience hosted in New York City that was developed by the show's creators. After the release of the second volume of "Stranger Things 4" on July 1, 2022, it became Netflix's second title to receive more than one billion hours viewed.


title: Netflix

text: On July 22, 2022, it was reported that Netflix lost almost a million subscribers, which reduced it's total subscribers down to 220.7 million.


title: Netflix

text: On September 5, 2022, it was reported that Netflix opened its office in Warsaw, Poland, responsible for the service's operations in 28 markets in Central and Eastern Europe.


title: Netflix

text: On October 11, 2022, Netflix signed up to the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board for external measurement of viewership in the UK.


title: Netflix

text: On October 12, 2022, Netflix signed to build a production complex at Fort Monmouth in Eatontown, New Jersey.


title: Netflix

text: At the end of Q3, it was reported that Netflix gained 2.41 million new subscribers, including a gain of 100,000 in North America, totaling 223.1 million subscribers worldwide. This exceeded Netflix’s prediction of a gain of 1 million subscribers for the quarter.


title: Netflix

text: On October 18, 2022, Netflix announced they are exploring a cloud gaming offering as well as opening a new gaming studio in Southern California.


title: Netflix

text: Netflix is available in every country and territory except for China, North Korea, Crimea, Syria and Russia.


title: Netflix

text: In January 2016, Netflix announced it would begin VPN blocking since they can be used to watch videos from a country where they are unavailable. The result of the VPN block is that people can only watch videos available worldwide and other videos are hidden from search results. Variety is present on Netflix. Hebrew and right-to-left interface orientation, which is a common localization strategy in many markets, are what define the Israeli user interface's localization, and in some regions, Netflix offers a more affordable mobile-only subscription.


title: Netflix

text: Globally, Netflix had 223.09 million paying subscribers at the end of Q3 2022. Customers can subscribe to one of three plans; the difference in plans relate to video resolution, the number of simultaneous streams, and the number of devices to which content can be downloaded.


title: Netflix

text: At the end of Q1 2022, Netflix estimated that 100 million households globally were sharing passwords to their account with others. In March 2022, Netflix began to charge a fee for additional users in Chile, Peru, and Costa Rica to attempt to control account sharing. On July 18, 2022, Netflix announced that it would test the account sharing feature in more countries, including Argentina, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. On October 17, Netflix launched Profile Transfer to help end account sharing.


title: Netflix

text: In July 13, 2022, Netflix announced a partnership with Microsoft to launch an advertising-supported subscription plan. On August 17, 2022, it was reported that Netflix's planned advertising tier would not allow subscribers to download content like the existing ad-free platform. On July 20, 2022, it was announced that the advertising-supported tier would be coming to Netflix in 2023 but it would not feature the full library of content. Netflix US launched with 5.1% of the library unavailable including 60 Netflix Originals. In September, Netflix announced that the launch would be moved up to November 1, 2022, but in October, the launch date was changed to November 3, 2022. The ad-supported plan is called "Basic with Ads" and it costs $6.99 per month in the United States. In Canada, the plan was launched two days later, on November 1.


title: Netflix

text: Netflix can be accessed via an internet browser on PCs, while Netflix apps are available on various platforms, including Blu-ray Disc players, tablet computers, mobile phones, smart TVs, digital media players, and video game consoles (including Xbox 360 and newer, and PlayStation 3 and newer).


title: Netflix

text: In addition, a growing number of multichannel television providers, including cable television and IPTV services, have added Netflix apps accessible within their own set-top boxes, sometimes with the ability for its content (along with those of other online video services) to be presented within a unified search interface alongside linear television programming as an "all-in-one" solution.


title: Netflix

text: A "Netflix Original" is content that is produced, co-produced, or distributed by Netflix exclusively on their services. Netflix funds their original shows differently than other TV networks when they sign a project, providing the money upfront and immediately ordering two seasons of most series.


title: Netflix

text: Over the years, Netflix output ballooned to a level unmatched by any television network or streaming service. According to "Variety Insight", Netflix produced a total of 240 new original shows and movies in 2018, then climbed to 371 in 2019, a figure "greater than the number of original series that the entire U.S. TV industry released in 2005." The Netflix budget allocated to production increased annually, reaching $13.6 billion in 2021 and projected to hit $18.9 billion by 2025, a figure that once again overshadowed any of its competitors. As of August 2022, Netflix Originals made up 50% of Netflix's overall library in the United States.


title: Netflix

text: Netflix has exclusive pay TV deals with several studios. The deals give Netflix exclusive streaming rights while adhering to the structures of traditional pay TV terms.


title: Netflix

text: Distributors that have licensed content to Netflix include Warner Bros., Universal Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment and previously The Walt Disney Studios (including 20th Century Fox). Netflix also holds current and back-catalog rights to television programs distributed by Walt Disney Television, DreamWorks Classics, Kino International, Warner Bros. Television and CBS Media Ventures, along with titles from other companies such as Allspark (formerly Hasbro Studios), Saban Brands, and Funimation. Formerly, the streaming service also held rights to select television programs distributed by NBCUniversal Television Distribution, Sony Pictures Television and 20th Century Fox Television.


title: Netflix

text: Netflix negotiated to distribute animated films from Universal that HBO declined to acquire, such as "The Lorax", "ParaNorman", and "Minions".


title: Netflix

text: Netflix holds exclusive streaming rights to the film library of Studio Ghibli (with the exception of "Grave of the Fireflies") worldwide except in the U.S., Canada, China and Japan as part of an agreement signed with Ghibli's international sales holder Wild Bunch in 2020.


title: Netflix

text: In July 2021, Netflix hired Mike Verdu, a former executive from Electronic Arts and Facebook, as vice president of game development, along with plans to add video games by 2022. Netflix announced plans to release mobile games which would be included in subscribers' plans to the service. Trial offerings were first launched for Netflix users in Poland in August 2021, offering premium mobile games based on "Stranger Things" including "", for free to subscribers through the Netflix mobile app.


title: Netflix

text: Netflix officially launched mobile games on November 2, 2021, for Android users around the world. Through the app, subscribers had free access to five games, including two previously made "Stranger Things" titles. Netflix stated that they intend to add more games to this service over time. On November 9, the collection launched for iOS. Verdu said in October 2022 that besides continuing to expand their portfolio of games, they were also interested in cloud gaming options.


title: Netflix

text: To support the games effort, Netflix began acquiring and forming a number of studios. The company acquired Night School Studio, an independent video game developer, in September 2021. They announced plans to acquire Next Games in March 2022 for as part of Netflix's expansions into gaming. Next Games had developed the mobile title "Stranger Things: Puzzle Tales" as well as two "The Walking Dead" mobile games. Later in the month, Netflix also acquired the Texas-based mobile game developer, Boss Fight Entertainment, for an undisclosed sum. Netflix opened a mobile game studio in Helsinki, Finland in September 2022, and a new studio, their fifth total, in southern California in October 2022, alongside the acquisition of Spry Fox in Seattle.


title: Netflix

text: As of October 2022, the service had 35 games available, and Netflix stated they had more than 55 games in development. By August 2022, Netflix's gaming platform was reported to have an average 1.7 million users a day, less than 1% of the streaming service's subscribers at the time.


title: Netflix

text: Netflix settlement freely peers with Internet service providers (ISPs) directly and at common Internet exchange points. In June 2012, a custom content delivery network, Open Connect, was announced. For larger ISPs with over 100,000 subscribers, Netflix offers free "Netflix Open Connect" server appliances that cache their content within the ISPs' data centers or networks to further reduce Internet transit costs. By August 2016, Netflix closed its last physical data center, but continued to develop its Open Connect technology. A 2016 study at the University of London detected 233 individual Open Connect locations on over six continents, with the largest amount of traffic in the USA, followed by Mexico.


title: Netflix

text: As of July 2017, Netflix series and movies accounted for more than a third of all prime-time download Internet traffic in North America.


title: Netflix

text: On October 1, 2008, Netflix offered access to its service via a public application programming interface (API). It allowed access to data for all Netflix titles, and allows users to manage their movie queues. The API was free and allowed commercial use. In June 2012, Netflix began to restrict the availability of its public API. They instead focused on a small number of known partners using private interfaces, since most traffic came from those private interfaces. In June 2014, Netflix announced they would be retiring the public API; it became effective November 14, 2014. They then partnered with the developers of eight services deemed the most valuable, including Instant Watcher, Fanhattan, Yidio and Nextguide.


title: Netflix

text: Netflix grants all employees extremely broad discretion with respect to business decisions, expenses, and vacation—but in return expects consistently high performance, as enforced by what is known as the "keeper test." All supervisors are expected to constantly ask themselves if they would fight to keep an employee. If the answer is no, then it is time to let that employee go. A slide from an internal presentation on Netflix's corporate culture summed up the test as: "Adequate performance gets a generous severance package." Such packages reportedly range from four months' salary in the United States to as much as six months in the Netherlands.


title: Netflix

text: The company offers unlimited vacation time for salaried workers and allows employees to take any amount of their paychecks in stock options.


title: Netflix

text: About the culture that results from applying such a demanding test, Hastings has said that "You gotta earn your job every year at Netflix," and, "There's no question it's a tough place...There's no question it's not for everyone." Hastings has drawn an analogy to athletics: professional athletes lack long-term job security because an injury could end their career in any particular game, but they learn to put aside their fear of that constant risk and focus on working with great colleagues in the current moment.


title: Netflix

text: In March 2021, Netflix announced that it would work to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by the end of 2022, while investing in programs to preserve or restore ecosystems. The company stated that it would cut emissions from its operations and electricity use by 45 percent by 2030. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lack of content production, Netflix had a 14 percent drop in emissions in 2020. In 2021, Netflix bought 1.5 million carbon credits from 17 projects around the world.