In October, Netflix will officially begin its ambitious foray into feature film distribution. On October 16th, the streaming video platform will release Beasts of No Nation, a drama directed by Cary Fukunaga (of True Detective fame) and starring Idris Elba.
Beasts of No Nation, which is based off a book of the same name, will star Elba as an African warlord who takes a young protege under his wing. Netflix’s March 2015 acquisition of the film was met by significant defiance from major American theater chains, three of which announced plans to boycott the film. However, no matter how these chains feel about Netflix’s upcoming expansion into their territory, Beasts of No Nation is expected to be available in theaters at the same time it arrives online.
About two months after Beasts of No Nation’s release, on December 11th, Netflix will follow up with its second film, Ridiculous Six. The Adam Sandler comedy will be the first movie to come out of a four-flick deal between the comedian and the streaming platform. While Sandler’s fans may enjoy Ridiculous Six, it is unlikely to draw critical praise, especially after controversial portions of its script were leaked online.
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Netflix’s first foray into feature film distribution was supposed to be a sequel to 2000 smash hit Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon titled The Green Legend. The Green Legend was initially set for an August 2015 release, but it now appears to have been pushed back to Q1 2016. That quarter will also see the release of Pee-wee’s Big Holiday, Netflix’s planned revival of Paul Reubens’ Pee-wee Herman character.
More exact premiere dates for the latter two films will be available closer to their respective arrivals.
