How Box Office Bomb Madame Web's Wild Success On Netflix Could Be A Game Changer For Studios

The landscape for the movie industry has changed in a big way thanks to streaming. That’s not exactly new information. However, what’s interesting is the way that streaming has continued to disrupt the industry as both studios and the platforms navigate this new world and negotiate deals that will be successful for all involved.

Movies used to be simple. They would be released in theaters and would make most of their money, or not, before moving on to other platforms like home video and television. Movies that made money were successful, and those that didn’t weren’t, but now we’re seeing movies that were considered “bombs” finding unlikely success on streaming, and at least one studio is looking for a way to monetize that.

Made Web And Other Box office Bombs Are becoming Streaming Hits

While franchises are king in the modern media landscape, not all franchises are created equal. And few recent franchises have failed quite as spectacularly as Sony’s Spider-Manless Spider-Verse, consisting of movies like Madame Web, Morbius, and Kraven the Hunter. All three films were epic box office bombs, Morbius more than once, but each has found new life on streaming.

Madame Web specifically was the number one movie on Netflix the week it dropped on the platform. It’s not entirely uncommon for movies that fail at the box office to find some life on streaming. It seems clear that an audience that didn’t go see a movie in theaters is willing to check out a movie with their Netflix subscription, regardless of its perceived quality. The problem is that such a plan hits studios in the wallet, and they want their money.

Sony Considering New Method For Selling To Streaming

Traditionally, the amount that a streaming platform like Netflix pays a studio for the rights to stream a movie is based on that movie’s box office success. A blockbuster hit makes more for the studio than a flop. However, the fact that movies like Madame Web are doing well on Netflix has, according to Bloomberg, caused Sony to look into potentially including online success in its next streaming deal.

The idea would seemingly be that the streamer would provide the studio with metrics, including how many people start or finish a given film. And then the streamer would pay the studio based, at least in part, on these numbers. This would allow Sony to make more money on a streaming hit, even if it was a box office bomb.

It’s unclear how receptive Netflix or other streamers would be to this sort of a plan, but if it does take hold, there’s a solid chance other studios could follow suit. This would certainly change the game for studios and streamers, and potentially give “bad” movies a second chance at success.