Last year, Netflix made a splash a the Oscars with their release Roma. They acknowledged the value of the theatrical experience when announcing that Roma and other Oscar hopefuls would play exclusively in cinemas for two to three weeks before being made available to its subscribers. This year they attempted to expand the length of time The Irishman will be in theaters, however, they will forgo a wide theatrical release for the film in order to make the film available to its subscribers as quickly as possible, a longstanding policy that doesn’t fly with exhibitors.
There had been rampant speculation that Netflix might further soften its stance in regard to honoring theatrical windows, but in the end, it couldn’t reach a compromise with chains including AMC and Cineplex.
The Irishman will open November 1st in select cinemas willing to carry the drama. More than three weeks later, it will debut November 27th on Netflix, much as Alfonso Cuarón’s Oscar-nominated Roma did last year. The film will have its premiere at the New York Film Festival in September.
