30 Jan Inside Netflix’s Big Pitch for 2025 Domination [The Hollywood Reporter]
BY MIKEY O’CONNELL
January 30, 2025 | What does it take to coax Ben Affleck to the deteriorating heart of Hollywood Blvd. at 9 a.m. on a Wednesday to deliver the two-minute elevator pitch for his latest movie to a room full of journalists? Just Netflix, apparently.
The ruling streamer held its 2025 programming preview, Next on Netflix, with an Egyptian Theatre event that could only be described as a living sizzle reel. In addition to Affleck, Tina Fey, John Mulaney, The Duffer Brothers, WWE wrestlers and a pre-taped Guillermo del Toro all showed up alongside chief content officer Bela Bajaria as she ran through a dizzying slate of upcoming series and films.
There were updates about the final seasons of Stranger Things (coming soon!) and Squid Game (coming sooner!) and first looks of both, as well as trailer debuts for Del Toro’s Frankenstein and Affleck crime thriller RIP, between Bajaria’s compelling pitch. Though, at times, the tone of the event seemed almost like a defense of the media giant — something it doesn’t exactly need at the moment. Last week’s announcement that it had hit 300 million paid subscribers worldwide coincided with Netflix stock hitting an all-time high and the news that acquisition Emilia Perez is the most-nominated work at the upcoming Academy Awards, putting a first-ever best picture Oscar close to the streamer’s grasp. But now, more than ever, you’re only as good as your last in this industry. So Bajaria peeled the curtain back to show her formidable pipeline. And that includes prestige TV, whatever it might be.
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