Paramount exec reveals why Cloverfield Paradox was sold to Netflix

March 27th 2018, 10:23am

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

THE CLOVERFIELD PARADOX provided audiences with one of the strangest movie experiences ever. Everyone got pumped after it’s surprising announcement during the Super Bowl, then getting to watch it a mere few hours later on Netflix, only to be woefully disappointed. What a roller coaster of emotions. Over the last month and a half people have been wondering how the hell this whole thing came about, and now a Paramount exec has revealed the reason why they approached Netflix in the first place.

Paramount Pictures COO Andrew Gumpert was speaking at UCLA Law School’s Entertainment Symposium when he was asked about why they took the movie to Netflix. He said they approached the streaming service after he and others at Paramount, including producer J.J. Abrams, determined the movie lacked a certain “commercial playability.” What that probably translates to is “the movie sucked.”

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The movie was finished, we all reviewed it together with J.J. and his team. We all decided there were things about it that made us have a pause about its commercial playability in the traditional matter.

As reported in the coming days after its release, Paramount sold PARADOX to Netflix for an astounding $50 million, a price tag Netflix was willing to spend as they try to make a name for themselves with their own original films. Gumpert doesn’t feel like they made a bad decision to avoid a theatrical release, saying it provided millions of more people to watch it than had it been in theaters.

There was an ability for us to be fiscally prudent and monetize. For fans of CLOVERFIELD, the fact is many, many more millions of people saw the movie. It’s a positive on every level.

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I couldn’t agree more with Gumpert saying this was the right call. When watching the movie it doesn’t take long for you to realize this would’ve tanked in theaters. Not only does it not have a cast that could sell the movie (Daniel Bruhl, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Chris O'Dowd, etc.), but the actual quality of the movie would’ve driven audiences away in droves, making it a huge loss for Paramount. This way, they break even on the movie, Netflix gets publicity and millions of streams, and no one has to waste $14 on a ticket. Everyone wins.

THE CLOVERFIELD PARADOX is on Netflix now.