Knives Out 3 director Rian Johnson loves theatrical releases for movies, even if Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos finds them outdated.
Sarandos made headlines in April during an appearance at the Time100 Summit, where he argued that theatrical film releases were an outdated concept.
“We’re in a period of transition. Folks grew up thinking, ‘I want to make movies on a gigantic screen and have strangers watch them play in the theater for two months and people cry and sold-out shows.’ … It’s an outdated concept,” Sarandos said at the time.
“If you’re fortunate enough to live in Manhattan, and you can walk to a multiplex and see a movie, that’s fantastic,” Sarandos continued. “Most of the country cannot.”
In an interview with Business Insider, Johnson was asked if he feels the same way as Sarandos.
“Obviously, I don’t,” Johnson said. “Because I love movies. I love going to see movies.”
Johnson said he didn’t have the full context for Sarandos’ comments, but reiterated his appreciation for the theatrical experience.
“I think theatrical is not going anywhere. I think we’ve seen [that] if you put a movie people want to see in the theaters, they are going to show up for it,” Johnson said. “That experience of being in a full house and having that experience is so important. It’s something that I love and I want more of in the world.”
The director said he wants to experience this with his upcoming third film in the Knives Out franchise, Wake Up Dead Man, which arrives on Netflix later in 2025.
“I want this in as many theaters for as long as possible,” Johnson said. “We’re going to push for everything we can get in terms of theatrical, because I want as many people as possible to see it in that form.”
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