Netflix is certainly doubling down on its biggest original movie project to-date.
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On Friday, December 22, David Ayer’s Bright will be released on the global streaming service, forgoing any money it would make at the box office. According to a report from Bloomberg, Netflix has already given an order to the film’s sequel, and star Will Smith is signed on to return.
The report states that Bright is Netflix’s attempt to target big studios and movie theater chains, letting them know that streaming is part of the future of film. “To underscore the commitment,” the report continues, “the company has already ordered a sequel with Smith signed on.”
Directed by Suicide Squad-helmer David Ayer, Bright is set in a fantastical version of the future where orcs, fairies and other creatures exist alongside us. Smith plays a human police officer who is paired up with the first orc the department has ever hired, played by Joel Edgerton.
This is certainly a gamble for the streaming service, as there won’t be the kind of monetary returns with this movie that could come if it was released in theaters. By already ordering a second film however, Netflix is letting other studios know that the company is willing to take risks just as big as everyone else.
Netflix original movies aren’t going anywhere any time soon. Get used to it.
