Hollywood International Filmmaker Magazine 2020-Summer

ISSUE 011

SUMMER 2020

HOLLYWOOD INTERNATIONAL F I L M M A K E R

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Legend of Cinema:

JANE FONDA

For Mov i emake r s Wo r ld w ide COVI D - 1 9 I M PAC T

E QUAL ITY IN F IL M

CA S T I N G S H O C K E R S

VAL K IL ME R'S C OME BACK

M CCO N AU G H E Y ' S N E W JO B

MOV IE S ON MOBIL E S

COVER STORY

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目 录 好莱坞国际电影人

CONTENTS

COVER STORY Jane Fonda: What a Life

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[Quarterly Publication] 2020 Summer [Issue 011] Published by: Hollywood International Film Exchange Address: 6565 East Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90040, USA Editor-in-Chief: Sandro Monetti Editors: Jimmy Jiang, Xinggang Wang, Yiming (Eva) Bian Art Editor: Yiming (Eva) Bian Editorial Committee: Kimberley Kates, Jimmy Jiang, Xinggang Wang,

LATEST NEWS HiFex, Capstone Group Film News Big Screen Entertainment Group : Big Winners BAFTA LA Goes Virtual Matthew McConaughey's New Job Val Kilmer's Career Taking Off Again Singing With Spielberg Disney Remaking Hercules

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Sandro Monetti, Yiming (Eva) Bian, Facebook: Hollywood International Express Twitter: @HiFilmExpress Website: Hi-Fex.com

HOLLYWOOD SPOTLIGHT How Coronavirus Has Changed the Movie Business Pandemic Movies Proving Popular What Might Have Been

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TECHNOLOGY & DEVELOPMENT [Contact Info]

Is Quibi the Future of Filmmaking?

New Developments with Drone Cameras

Contact: Serena Hife

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E-mail: Adv.Hifex@gmail.com

SPONSORS -BIG SCREEN ENTERTAINMENT GROUP-BIG SCREEN HOLDINGS-HOLLYWOOD INTERNATIONAL FILM EXCHANGE-

POLICY & REGULATIONS Geena Davis Leads Equality Fight Making Movie Sets Safe

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-HOLLYWOOD INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL-HOLLYWOOD INTERNATIONAL EXPRESS-DIAMOND SOFA-FAIRFAX ENTERTAINMENT-CHINESE CREATIVE CULTURE ORGANIZATION-

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BACK COVER STORY The Rise of Netflix

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COVER STORY

LEGENDS OF CINEMA:

JANE FONDA

I C O N , A C T R E S S A C T I V I S T

A N D

O n e o f t h e s t ro n g e s t , s m a r t e s t a n d o u t s p o k e n l e a d i n g h er ca reer, l ea d i n g to a st ri n g of fu r t h er fi l m rol es a n d t h en l a d i e s o f a l l t i m e , J a n e Fo n d a h a s re d e f i n e d t h e ro l e o f a switch to TV in the next decade with roles in Aaron Sorkin wom en i n c i n ema. d r a m a T h e N e w s ro o m a n d t h e n i n t h e o n g o i n g N e t l f i x c o m e d y G ra c e a n d Fra n k i e , w h i c h re u n i t e d h e r w i t h L i l y Over a n extraordi n ary s i x-deca d e ca re e r, this gif te d a ctress Tom l i n . h a s n o t b e e n a f ra i d to u s e h e r fa m e a s a p l a t fo r m fo r pol i ti ca l , soci al an d femi n i st a ctivism.

Re c e n t l y s h e ’s b e e n c o n d u c t i n g a c a m p a i g n o f c i v i l d i so b e d i e n ce to d e m a n d a c t i o n o n c l i m a te c h a n ge a n d o n N ow 8 2 , s h e’s st i l l a s ve rsa t i l e a n d ta l e n te d a s eve r w h i l e her 82nd bir thday brought 82 fellow protestors along to get remaining an important and influential crusading voice in the a rrested wi t h h er.(see cover ph oto) world.

W h a t a n o r i g i n a l , w h a t a ta l e n t a n d w h a t a fo rce. H a p p i l y, I t w o u l d h a v e b e e n h a rd t o s e e a n y o f t h i s c o m i n g f ro m t h ere’s n o stoppi n g Ja n e Fon d a . h e r b re a k t h ro u g h ro l e a s a sexy s pa ce v i xe n i n t h e 1 9 6 0 ’s s c i - f i ro m p B a r b a re l l a . B u t t h a t d e c a d e a l s o a l l o w e d h e r —Sa n d ro Mon ett i to d e m o n st ra te s h e wa s s o m u c h m o re t h a n a p re tty fa ce t h a n ks to w i n n i n g co m e d i e s l i ke B a re fo o t i n t h e Pa r k a n d to p - notc h dramas s u ch as They Shot Horses D on’t They.

Fo n d a w o n t w o O s c a r s i n t h e 1 97 0 ’s f o r p l a y i n g a n i m p e r i l e d p rost i tu te i n Kl u te a n d a m i l i ta ry w i fe i n C o m i n g H o m e. B u t s h e wo n e n e m i e s t h e n to o fo r ste p p i n g u p h e r a c t i v i s m , e s p e c i a l l y b y p ro t e s t i n g t h e V i e t n a m Wa r a n d b e i n g d u b b e d H a n o i J a n e a f te r p os i n g fo r a p ro test p h o to wi th a Vi etn amese anti -ai rc ra f t gun.

I n t h e 1 9 8 0 ’s s h e wa s re i n v e n te d a s a f i t n e s s q u e e n a n d t h e f a c e o f t h e w o r ko u t c ra ze, s e l l i n g c o u n t l e s s exe rc i s e v i d e o s . O n t h e b i g s c re e n h e r b e s t w o r k c a m e i n f a m i l y d ra m a O n G o l d e n Po n d , a l o n g s i d e h e r l e g e n d a r y a c t o r fa t h e r H e n r y Fo n d a , a n d i n t h e c o m e d y 9 to 5 w i t h D o l l y Par to n a nd Li l y Toml i n .

The 9 0 ’s b egan w i th h er starring a longsid e Robe r t De Niro i n Sta nley & Ir i s b u t th at would be he r la st film for 15 yea rs a s s h e ste p p e d away f ro m H o l l y wo o d to fo c u s o n m a r r i e d l i f e w i t h h e r t h e n h u s b a n d , C N N f o u n d e r Te d Tu r n e r, i n c rea sed acti v i s m an d w r i t ing he r a utobiogra phy.

He r g l o r i o u s retu r n ca m e i n 2 0 0 5 co m e d y Mo n ste r- i n - L aw a l o n gs i d e J e n n i fe r Lo p ez a n d t h a t h i t co m e d y rev i ta l i ze d

COVER STORY

COVER STORY

COVER STORY

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HOLLYWOOD INTERNATIONAL FILM E XCHANGE , CAPSTONE GROUP NEWS RELEASE

C A P S TO N E FILMS UNVEILED AT T H E 2020 SUNDANCE FILM F E S T I VA L A n g e l i n a J o l i e h e a d s t h e c a s t o f n e w C a p s t o n e G ro u p fa nta sy fil m CO ME AWAY. T h e H o l l y w o o d s u p e r s t a r p l a y s t h e m o t h e r o f Pe t e r Pa n a n d A l i ce i n Wo n d e r l a n d i n a t a l e f u l l of s to r y b o o k m a g i c and d ra m a .

T h e f i l m i s d i re c te d b y B re n d a C h a p m a n , w h o p re v i o u s l y m a d e P i xa r h i t B ra v e, a n d a l s o s t a r s D a v i d O y e l o w o a n d Mi c ha el Cai n e.

Mi l a Kuni s p l ays a p l ays a d rug a d d ict who ha s re peate d ly drop p ed o u t of reh ab i n th e d ra ma FOUR GOOD DAYS. G l e n n C l ose co - sta rs a s h e r m ot h e r, t h e a d d i c t ’s l a st b est h o p e to get cl ean an d stay alive.

Ro d r i go Garci a, w h o p rev i ously d ire cte d Gle nn Close in the fi l m A l ber t Nob bs, i s b eh i n d the ca me ra in this story which i s ba sed o n a Was h i n g ton Post a r ticle.

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PING UT

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THE ULTIMATE INSIDER Hollywood International Film Exchange is getting into the book publishing business and, appropriately, launching with a movie related memoir.

Confessions of a Hollywood Insider : My Amusing Encounters with the A-List is the debut release from Hi-Fex. It sees author Sandro Monetti relating funny stories about more than 100 great superstars he has met over the course of his career as a celebrity interviewer.

“People always ask me what their favorite stars are like in real life and now, thanks to publishers Hi-Fex, I get to tell them,” said Sandro.

From Sylvester Stallone to Samuel L Jackson, Margot Robbie to Robert De Niro, all the big names are featured in the memoir soon to be available as both a paperback book and an e-book from the major retailers.

T h e c ove r p i c t u re , by t o p p h o t o g r ap h e r I s a i a h M ay s , s e e s Sandro with one of his favorite stars, Pamela Anderson.

Hi-Fex plans to follow up this initial release with more books that have a similar global appeal.

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BIG SCREEN ENTERTAINMENT GROUP A m o v i e b a c ke d b y B i g S c r e e n w a s t h e b i g w i n n e r a t a prestigious film festival.

Song of Love took Best International Film at the Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema in California.

With entries from over 60 countries, there was strong competition for the historical and heartwarming Chinese drama.

But audiences and judges were united in their love for the film which is based on true stories about how the people of Inner Mongolia pulled together to help children orphaned by the 1959 famine.

Song of Love also took the best cinematography award for the stunning work of its director of photography, Geritu.

Big Screen Entertainment Group is representing and helping to market the film in the United States and internationally.

With the film’s producers at the Grasslands Foundation unable t o t r ave l f ro m I n n e r M o n go l i a d u e t o t h e C ov i d - 1 9 t r ave l restrictions, Big Screen’s Kimberley Kates and Sandro Monetti attended the festival and accepted the trophies on their behalf Big Screen Entertainment Group is a publicly traded company located in Los Angeles, California, which has a dynamic and diverse slate of projects. Kimberley Kates and Sandro Monetti insert the word: (below)

BIG WINNERS

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THE SHOW MUST GO ON While many film organizations shut up shop during the pandemic , B AFTA kept going in the vir tual world and even transferred one its award shows online complete with ‘red carpet’ interviews and acceptance speeches.

Instead of canceling, the creative minds at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts found a way to make the 2020 B AFTA Games Awards go ahead in a different form by connecting presenters, nominees and winners via their home computers.

But that’s not the only way B AFTA kept members engaged, educated and entertained while social distancing rules meant they could not meet up in person.

Screenings went online, Q&As with stars were held on Zoom as were masterclasses and mentoring sessions.

The idea was to retain the community’s sense of togetherness in a time of social distancing and raise spirits at the same time.

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Oscar winning actor Matthew McConaughey has begun a new chapter in his life by leaving Hollywood and becoming a teacher.

He has moved back home to Texas and started teaching a film class at his alma mater, the University of Texas at Austin.

It’s part of a new life plan for the star who recently turned 50 and began thinking of ways he could give back to the community which raised him.

One way is with his Script to Screen course in which students study the making of various films from his career and learn the full process in the making of a movie.

Another is through his Just Keep Livin’ foundation which helps failing students in more than 50 schools get back on track with all manners of assistance programs in exercise, nutrition, accountability, discipline and community service.

McConaughey has by no means given up his acting career but has taken on extra responsibilities in the hope of inspiring the next generation to be on the path to their own big achievements.

Matthew's classes were interrupted by the coronavirus crisis. However he is looking forward to resuming them as soon as possible and maybe doing more teaching as part of his new life plan.

—Sandro Monetti

M E E T A M E R I C A’ S N E W E S T T E A C H E R

L AT E S T N E W S

KILMER’S C OMEBACK Val Kilmer is excited for his film career to be taking off again with the hotly anticipated Top Gun sequel, Maverick.

He returns as hotshot pilot Iceman and is the only member of the original cast other than star Tom Cruise to be back in the high-flying follow up.

It’s a comeback in more ways than one for the 60-yearold actor who paused his screen career during a long battle against throat cancer but is now happily recovered and returning to work.

He also has a new book out, titled I’m Your Huckelberry after a line he said in the movie Tombstone, and in that memoir reflects on the highlights of his film career.

Playing bad boy Iceman in 1986 mega-hit Top Gun was a breakout role for Kilmer that put him on the path to a string of other major roles including Batman, Doc Holliday and Jim Morrison.

Tom Cruise called their reunion in the Top Gun sequel “special” and Val says the pair of them “took up where we left off.”

The film, which had its release pushed back from the summer of 2020 to Christmas due to the coronavirus crisis, sees Cruise’s character working as an instructor to a new class of pilots when Iceman comes back into his life.

Moviemakers are not giving many details about that part of the story but Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski, said, “The rivalry and relationship between Maverick and Iceman is important to the Top Gun franchise and as a fan I would want to see how it’s evolved.”

Top Gun: Maverick is now due to be released on December 23 2020.

—Sandro Monetti

HiFEX Hollywood International Film Exchange 电影投资 版权买卖 国际发行 协助拍摄 电影原创 人才交流

Contact us: office@hollywoodifex.com

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Classic movie Jaws has been made into a stage musical.

Bruce – about the troubled making of the 1975 shark film – will debut in 2021.

The show takes its title from the nickname given to the constantly malfunctioning mechanical shark used in the movie, which director Steven Spielberg named after his lawyer.

Spielberg’s triumph over the troubles to create a smash hit movie forms the basis of the musical’s story.

Bruce launches in New Jersey next year and producers hope to eventually bring the show to Broadway.

—Sandro Monetti

THE MUSICAL!

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A HERCULEAN TASK

Disney is to continue its policy of remaking the studio’s animated films in new live action versions - but the latest one to get the green light represents something of a risk.

Hercules underperformed at the box office when released in 1997 – especially in comparison to its predecessors Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King and Pocahontas.

But the studio hopes things will be better this time round and has mitigated the risk by handing producing duties to the brothers behind mega-hit Avengers: Endame, Anthony and Joe Russo.

Hercules tells the story of the eponymous strongman, who was the son of Zeus in Greek mythology.

The new film is expected to feature much of the music from the original, including Oscar nominated song Go the Distance.

No casting has been announced yet but that hasn’t stopped speculation with the likes of Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pratt, Armie Hammer and Dwayne Johnson all being linked to the title role.

—Sandro Monetti

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H O L LY W O O D S P O T L I G H T

Things Will Never Be The Same No section of the film business has been spared from the pain of the coronavirus crisis and its impact will continue to be felt long beyond 2020.

While it’s impossible to predict in what form the industry will rebuild, the one thing that is for sure is that nothing is ever going to be the same again.

As the economic problems mount and budgets sink, acquisition and investment will be slow to recover and the turmoil is sure to take a terrible toll on countless events, festivals, exhibitors and companies.

The strong usually sur vive any kind of crisis but even the giants of the industr y have been felled by COVID-19. Nearly half of Disney’s balance sheet is made up of its theme parks, cruises and consumer products businesses – income wiped

out by the catastrophe. Theater chain AMC is facing possible bankruptcy.

Bigger films like Fast and Furious 9, Mulan and No Time to Die have had their release dates put back many months but less high profile titles have been repositioned to go straight to streaming video and bypassing theatrical release in that way might well become the new normal in post-virus Hollywood.

A m o re o p t i m i s t i c w ay t o l o o k a t t h i n g s i s t h a t o n c e environments are safe again there will be a big return to movie theaters by a public craving collective experiences once more as people remember just what they have been missing.

Enter taining the audience has always been essentially what filmmaking is about and this enduring, resilient, magnificent industr y will still be there to provide. But in precisely what form remains to be seen. ­— Sandro Monetti

H O L LY W O O D S P O T L I G H T

H O L LY W O O D S P O T L I G H T

WE SHOULD HAVE SEEN IT COMING!

Pandemic movies predicted the current global crisis - although at the time their tales of deserted cities and a fast spreading virus seemed like pure fantasy.

The following ten films have been among the most streamed movies during the COVID-19 outbreak as isolated viewers turn to them to help deal with their anxieties.

All of these movies are being seen through a very different lens now much of their grim storylines have come true.

An Ebola-like virus which stems from monkeys strikes humanity as scientists battle to contain the spread. Meanwhile an Army general wants the disease as a bioweapon.

The deadly virus at the center of this film has a similar impact to COVID-19 and that’s made it a hit all over again.

Gwyneth Paltrow stars.

A mysterious virus empties the United Kingdom and reveals some of the worst aspects of humanity.

H O L LY W O O D S P O T L I G H T

Chris Pine stars as a group of friends look for a place free of plague but run into an infected family.

A young Eddie Redmayne plays a monk in this drama set around the Bubonic plague which killed millions in the 1300s.

Bruce Willis is a time traveler sent back to the 1990s to identify and eradicate the source of a global pandemic in the future.

Brad Pitt battles through an infected landscape to try and find a cure for a pandemic that’s turning people into zombies.

A virus has killed most of the planet and forced survivors into small enclaves where heroes battle an evil conglomerate.

When a deadly pathogen kills billions of humans, the Earth is taken over by apes.

A plague wipes out most of humanity but Will Smith plays a virologist fighting for survival, and a cure, in a deserted New York.

Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow role in Mar vel’s Avengers franchise has cemented her status as one of the biggest star s in Hollywood. But did you know she was not first choice for the par t?

Emily Blunt was originally cast in the par t but had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts.

Scarlett is one of many second-choice selections who have stepped in to iconic roles originally intended for someone else.

Here we present some of the other big movies which may have looked ver y different indeed…

THE TERMINATOR (T-800) Arnold Schwarzenegger only stepped into his signature role after producers changed their mind about first choice O.J. Simpson – ironically because they thought audiences would never believe him as a killer!

GHOST (Sam Wheat) Crocodile Dundee star Paul Hogan was all set for the lead until he picked another afterlife project, the far less successful Almost an Angel, paving the way for Patrick Swayze.

THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (Clarice Starling) Romantic comedy star Meg Ryan was wooed for the role of the FBI agent mixed up with a cannibalistic serial killer but felt the script was too dark and even offensive. Jodie Foster had no such objections and won an Oscar for the part.

THE MATRIX (Neo) Will Smith was wanted for the blockbuster but turned it down in favor of the biggest bomb of his career, Wild Wild West. His loss was a big gain for Keanu Reeves.

BEVERLY HILLS COP (Axel Foley) Sylvester Stallone dropped out of the fast-talking cop role in the action comedy paving the way for Eddie Murphy’s most iconic part.

TOP GUN (Maverick) Tom Cruise is forever associated with the role of the cocky fighter pilot but he only landed it after Matthew Modine passed.

X-MEN (Wolverine) Unknown Hugh Jackman got the career making role as the clawed mutant only when original choice Dougray Scott had to give it up when filming ran over schedule on his previous movie, Mission: Impossible 2.

THE LORD OF THE RINGS (Gandalf) Sean Connery was even offered a share of the profits to play the wise wizard but turned it down and moviemakers turned to fellow Brit Sir Ian McKellen.

HARRY POTTER (Hagrid) Robin Williams was all set to play Hagrid until author JK Rowling insisted on all British cast, enabling Robbie Coltrane to take over the part.

FORREST GUMP (Forrest Gump) John Travolta was offered the part at the same time as Pulp Fiction. He opted for the Quentin Tarantino film and Tom Hanks benefited from the decision, winning an Oscar.

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (Indiana Jones) TV star Tom Selleck was cast as the action man archeologist but contractual obligations to his detective series Magnum P.I. meant he had to drop out and hand Star Wars actor Harrison Ford another hit franchise.

—Sandro Monetti

WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN…

H O L LY W O O D S P O T L I G H T

H O L LY W O O D S P O T L I G H T

TECHNOLOGY & DEVELOPMENT

M OV I E S O N M O B I L E S : IS QUIBI THE FUTURE? Moviemakers have a whole new, and very different, hi-tech outlet for their work in Quibi.

A recently launched streaming platform designed entirely for phones, all films and shows are delivered in chapters of seven to ten minutes.

These chunks of content are called “quick bites,” or Quibi for short.

Launched by Hollywood mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg and tech executive Meg Whitman, the app quickly attracted more than $1 billion from investors.

I t h a s a l s o a t t r a c t e d b i g - n a m e f i l m m a ke r s w i t h S t eve n S p i e l b e r g , R e e s e Witherspoon, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Soderbergh among those signing deals to create content for the platform.

The first bite-sized movies on Quibi include Most Dangerous Game starring Christopher Waltz and Liam Hemsworth and a Queen Latifah film called When The Streetlights Go On. Quibi’s signature and revolutionar y technology is called Turnstyle and allows viewers to switch between por trait and landscape video instantly just by rotating their phone.

Je f f rey K a t z e n b e r g s a i d h e d o e s n o t c o n s i d e r t h e s u b s c r i p t i o n s e r v i c e a competitor to other paid for platforms like Netflix or Disney Plus but more of a rival to free tech platforms like Instagram and You Tube which he claims cannot compete with Quibi’s creativity and star power.

“They don’t know how to do what we do, with all respect,” said Katzenberg.

“We offer something that is meaningfully, measurably, quantifiably, creatively different.”

Will the plan to make Hollywood go tech pay off with big profits. As with all entertainment, the audience will decide.

—Sandro Monetti

TECHNOLOGY & DEVELOPMENT

TECHNOLOGY & DEVELOPMENT

SEND IN THE DRONES New innovations in drone technology are set to push the film industry forward in spectacular ways.

Autonomous aerial drones are a particular example of how certain shots could be captured better than ever before.

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are developing a new software which allows self-flying drones to frame and maintain shots while making all kinds of maneuvers and not to crash into obstacles.

Camera operators and drone pilots would not be needed as the intelligent drones could recognize the best shot size and viewing angle.

While those are still a work in progress, other exciting developments in aerial photography are already on the market.

The newest one is the release of drone goggles which enable users to control drone cameras with head movements. In other words, you just need to tilt your head to change the view of the shot.

Such innovations push back the boundaries of what’s possible in filming and show a thrilling filmmaking future is ready for take-off.

P O L I C Y & R E G U L AT I O N S

CHANGEMAKER Actress Geena Davis is using her fame and brain to increase representation of women on screen.

Tired of there continuing to be three times more male characters than female ones in movies, the Thelma and Louise star is campaigning for times to change.

She even won an honorary Oscar last year for her activism with the Geena Davis Institute on Gender which not only researches gender depictions on screen but also asks creators to consider before they cast and shoot if any characters in the script can be changed from male to female or have any kind of diversity.

Davis speaks around the world about her work on the topic, always stressing the enor mous impact a fictional character can have on changing the world.

She cites the example of Gillian Anderson’s X-Files character Dana Scully who was named as an inspiration by 63 per cent of women working or studying in science and technology.

Geena’s 1992 women in baseball movie A League of Their Own prompted a generation of girls and young women to take up sports. But there have been relatively few female-led sports movies since.

Po l i c y a n d r e g u l a t i o n o n t h e t o p i c w o u l d b e a h e l p bu t a c h a n g e i n perception would aid more than anything.

With that goal, Geena and actress friends like Meg Ryan have been holding public script reads of scenes from all-male films like Reservoir Dogs and City Slickers. The aim is to show that projects can be just as entertaining, exciting and funny with women playing all the parts.

Davis has enjoyed a brilliant career with a string of hits but changing the industry could yet be her biggest achievement of all. ­— Sandro Monetti

P O L I C Y & R E G U L AT I O N S

SAFE SETS New safety policies are being developed so that movies can resume filming while mitigating the risk of coronavirus.

Contagion director Steven Soderbergh has been selected by the Directors Guild of America to lead a task force to establish fresh industry standards and find a way forward.

Among the safeguards being considered are: *Temperature checks before entering a studio lot. *Testing for cast and crew to see if anyone has been infected. *Masks and gloves for crew members. *Cast and crew staying in a hotel during filming and isolating from friends and family. *Makeup artists disposing of brushes once they have used them on a cast member.

P O L I C Y & R E G U L AT I O N S

Many movies have been delayed by the global pandemic – including Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible 7 which had been due to shoot in Italy – and the industry wants to get back to work while keeping employees safe.

A set of social-distances regulations will not only help that goal but also help films get insured at such an uncertain time.

Epidemiologists, insurers, studios, unions and guilds are all being consulted as moviemaking looks to find a way back.

—Sandro Monetti

BACK COVER STORY

RISE OF A STREAMING GIANT: THE STORY OF NETFLIX

BACK COVER STORY

Netflix has risen from humble beginnings to become one of the most dominant and influential forces in the entertainment world.

During lockdown, a surge in viewership saw the streamer's market value surpass that of even fellow showbiz giant Disney.

But how did the company get from there to here? This is the timeline of a remarkable triumph…

BACK COVER STORY

Netflix was founded in 1997 in California by computer scientist and software company chief Reed Hastings and his colleague Marc Randolph, a mail order company founder.

Its initial business was rental by mail of DVDs, the discs having only just been launched earlier that year as a rival to VHS tapes.

Netflix started with 925 films available for rent.

In 2000 the company established a competitive advantage with its new business model of unlimited rentals without due dates for a flat fee.

That same year, Ted Sarandos joined the company and remains Chief Content Officer today overseeing the streamer’s output of shows and films.

W h e n DV D p l aye r s b e c a m e mu c h m o re a f fo rd a b l e i n 2 0 0 2 , b u s i n e s s t o o k o f f . B y 2 0 0 5 , t h e c o m p a ny h a d 3 5 , 0 0 0 f i l m s available and was shipping out 1 million DVDs every day.

By this time, Randolph had retired from the company leaving Hastings in sole charge as chairman and chief executive.

In 2007 the company delivered its one billionth DVD. But it al read y h ad i t s eye on t h e f u t u re an d w as re se a rc h i n g a n d developing new opportunities.

The introduction and rapid expansion of streaming media in 2010 was the game changer which caused Netflix to greatly increase its business internationally.

By 2011 Netflix had 23 million customers in the United States and even more, 26 million, internationally.

Netflix went into content creation for the first time in 2012 by launching its debut series Lilyhammer.

Former Sopranos star Steven Van Zandt played an ex-New York gangster trying to forge a new life in Norway under the witness relocation program. The series ran for three seasons. Van Zandt also has a music career as a member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band and Springsteen made a guest appearance in the last ever episode.

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Netflix started producing and distributing more original shows and the big breakout hit was political drama House of Cards, s t a rr i n g Kev i n S p a c ey, w a s l a u n c h e d i n 2 0 1 3 a n d wo n t h e company’s first Emmy award that year.

T h e s o a r i n g s t re a m e r v a s t ly e x p a n d e d i t s l i b r a r y a n d w a s operating in more than 190 countries by 2016. In that year it released 126 original series and films, more than any other network or cable channel.

In recent years, the company has made a huge splash in the film business – receiving 15 Oscar nominations at the 2019 ceremony, 10 of them for best picture contender Roma.

At the 2020 ceremony, Netflix received 24 Oscar nominations, more than any other company, thanks to contenders like The Irishman, Marriage Story, The Two Popes and Klaus.

For the fiscal year 2019, Netflix repor ted earnings of $1.86 billion with an annual revenue of $20 billion.

By the start of 2020 Netflix offered 3,000 films for streaming on its US ser vice and was launching more than one new TV series each day.

Netflix now uses 15 percent of all internet bandwidth in the world, more than any other application.

It’s a story of growth and domination but the media landscape is changing fast.

Having got to the top, can Netflix stay there?

—Sandro Monetti

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