Netflix’s Barren, Empty April Schedule Is the Future of Entertainment
Posted by Jonathan Klotz | Published
It’s no secret that Netflix is the biggest streaming platform in the world. Over the past 10 years, it has been home to an ever-growing catalog of award-winning series and movies, and in that sense, not much has changed. What avid Netflix watchers have begun to notice has become clear with April’s additions to the platform, which feel much smaller than before.
There are many old blockbusters coming to the stage and original series that will return for another season, but the emphasis is not on all of that: it is on the live events. If you’ve thought that Hollywood makes fewer and fewer shows and movies each year, you’re right, and even though Netflix focuses on boxing, baseball, and reality shows, you know that the world of entertainment has changed.
Netflix Finds Great Movies You’ve Already Seen
There are some great movies coming to Netflix this month, including the first five Mission: Impossible movies, Jumanji: Welcome to the Junglean Oscar-nominated sci-fi film Bugoniaand Denzel Washington’s underrated American Gangster. For shows, the first Stranger Things repentance, Legends from ’85arrives in late April, Cow Season 2 includes a new feud between Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan, and if you like anime, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Steel Ball Run a must watch. The problem is that most of the movies are five years old, or older, and the shows, with the exception of Hawkings Indiana, tend to be Season 2, or later.
You’ve probably seen a lot of movies coming to Netflix. What you don’t see is Charlize Theron’s latest movie, Apexa thriller about people hunting people. It doesn’t sound that exciting, but then again, the log line didn’t happen either The Old Guardand that turned out to be an incredibly fun ride. Don’t worry, though, because Netflix continues to make inroads into live entertainment as it streams like cable every day.
Netflix Becomes Cable
On April 11, Tyson Fury will face Arslanbek Makhmudov in a boxing match, and this may shock you considering the Jake Paul broadcaster’s love of professional boxers. Two other boxing events, Supernova Strikers: Genesischeating boxers and strongmen, and Supernova: Genesisofficial boxing card, playing later in April as well. Lots of boxing on top of the weekly broadcast WWE Rawpodcasts featuring Bill Simmons and Pete Davidson, and now, baseball games.
Netflix is cutting back on original streaming releases and instead spending time and effort on live streaming, whether you want it or not. The future of entertainment goes back to the past of cable television, when live events dominated the ratings. It’s okay if Netflix slows down its releases, not only because the shows will be out this month, including Cow Season 2 and The Burning Man with Wonder Man star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II looks exciting, but there is so much already in place that it will take decades to get through.
Adding to the lack of original streaming, especially sci-fi this month, is that Hollywood has reduced the number of shows and movies getting release dates. On the one hand, it is good, as for some time, it was impossible to continue, but on the other, it means many concepts of the four quadrants and, a little uncontrollable, the creative transition to big, bold ideas. Netflix isn’t going anywhere, but what we watch on the platform is starting to change, and before we know it, the broadcaster will switch to a weekly release model. When that happens, it will be official: cable is back.
