Barbie & Oppenheimer Would Have Been Just as Successful on Netflix, Ted Sarandos Declares

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos believes that the box office hits Barbie and Oppenheimer would have been just as successful had they debuted on the streaming platform. If there is something to be said about Sarandos, it’s that he has been remarkably consistent about the platform and their desire to make their films specifically for the streaming service rather than for the theatrical experience. It’s a topic that comes under fire, especially as some suspect streaming has been the main culprit that has hindered box office performance, especially in the wake of the pandemic. However, an example of grand box office success came just last summer when Barbie and Oppenheimer scored big with audiences and became the biggest hits of 2023.

Thanks to the “Barbenheimer” craze, both films benefited greatly by becoming a pop-cultural phenomenon, something many believe hasn’t been achieved by many of the films released by Netflix. Despite that assertion, Sarandos believes that if both films were released on the streamer, they would’ve been just as big on the platform as they were during their theatrical runs.

During a talk with the New York Times, Sarandos was discussing content that may or not be right for their platform. When the theatrical releases of both Barbie and Oppenheimer were brought up by the reporter stating, “Are there things that just don’t feel like they’re in your wheelhouse right now?”, Sarandos jumped in by saying both films would’ve been huge hits on Netflix.

“Both of those movies would be great for Netflix. They definitely would have enjoyed just as big an audience on Netflix. And so I don’t think there’s any reason to believe that certain kinds of movies do or don’t work. There’s no reason to believe that the movie itself is better in any size of screen for all people. My son’s an editor. He is 28 years old, and he watched ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ on his phone.”

Netflix Stands Behind Its Release Strategy

Sarandos’ quote might be one to rub film aficionados the wrong way. While the other streamers such as Prime Video and Apple TV+ have released films in theaters while also maintaining their streaming footprint, Netflix has been steadfast in its release strategy and doesn’t seem to want to budge on it. Some people may indeed prefer to watch their films from the comfort of their own home, but it’s also not a blanket statement that should be applied to all moviegoers.

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Then there is the notion of cultural significance. Netflix, much like most of the streaming platforms, plays fast and loose when it comes to releasing the figures for their films. There is a lot of boasting within the first week or two, much like what most recently happened with the recently released Jennifer Lopez sci-fi action film Atlas, which was revealed to be the number one film on Netflix worldwide following its release on Friday, despite poor reviews. What has typically happened with most Netflix offerings, after the first couple of weeks of curiosity, their films don’t seem to be a major part of the conversation in any significant way.

In terms of Barbie and Oppenheimer, both films became an event and a pop-cultural movement that was spearheaded by eager moviegoers online. Both films had crowds going in droves to the movies just to be a part of the “Barbenheimer” movement. The result was Barbie and Oppenheimer grossing $1.44 billion worldwide and $951 million worldwide for their respective studios. Would that kind of stir have been created if they were merely streaming releases? Some might say that is very doubtful.