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Looks like The Irishman (2019) is one of the most expensive films of Scorsese's career.

Wikipedia quote:

The Irishman ....is scheduled to receive a limited theatrical release on November 1, 2019, followed by digital streaming on November 27, 2019 by Netflix.

Why are they releasing "The Irishman" on Netflix within a month of theatrical release?

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    Normally a Netflix movie won’t have a theatrical release at all. So four weeks is quite long if you compare it to zero. I think they did a small theatrical release for two reasons: 1. To compete in award shows, one of the rules is that the movie has to run in theatres. 2. To attract big name filmmakers like Scorsese.
    – Roy
    Oct 5, 2019 at 6:11
  • Is the OP aware that the film is produced by Netflix, and not a film produced by someone else, in which case it actually would be peculiar if it were streamed on Netflix short after being released in cinemas?
    – DaG
    Jan 19, 2020 at 12:14

1 Answer 1

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Netflix wanted the original "wide release" to be shorter than most movie theater chains wanted and often adhere too and so the original deal fell through with this being the result.

LOS ANGELES — After months of negotiations, Netflix couldn’t clinch the big-screen deal it wanted.

The streaming giant, which has roots in Silicon Valley, has tried to appease its top-shelf directors as it expands further into the movie business. But when it came to a wide theatrical release for “The Irishman,” the $159 million gangster epic from the director Martin Scorsese, Netflix fell short.

Netflix announced its fall releases on Tuesday with “The Irishman” set to debut in select theaters in New York and Los Angeles on Nov. 1 and then opening in theaters in cities across the country and internationally later that month. It will be available on Netflix on Nov. 27, the announcement said.

The main issue is theatrical exclusivity and when the film would be available on Netflix. The major chains wanted “The Irishman” to be seen only in theaters for a longer period than Netflix was willing to accept.

With three and a half weeks of theatrical exclusivity, the rollout of the Scorsese film is similar to the modest theatrical run for “Roma,” Netflix’s 2018 film from the director Alfonso Cuarón, which won three Oscars.

As the final paragraph states however, the New York Time Article points out a comparison with Roma's release, in which it still won three Oscars, meaning one can argue this is still viable for Netflix and Scorsese & Company.

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