LOS ANGELES, Jan 24: Netflix CEO Reed Hastings and Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos have claimed “Bright” was a success, despite receiving negative reviews.
The David Ayer-directed film, starring Will Smith, Joel Egderton and Noomi Rapace, was panned by the critics upon its premier, but Netflix is not bothered about the reaction and has already greenlit the sequel.
“The consumer response to the film has been great. Every internal measurement says it’s one of our most-watched pieces of original content — meaning TV show or film — that we’ve ever had,” Sarandos said, according to Entertainment Weekly.
“Critics are an important part of the artistic process but they’re pretty disconnected from the commercial prospects of a film. The way we look at it is (that) people are watching this movie and loving it and that is the measure of success. If critics get behind it or don’t, that’s a select group of social media influencers talking to a select audience,” he added.
Hastings concurred with Sarandos, saying critics are disconnected from the masses.
“From an investors standpoint, you want to focus on things like… ‘Jumanji’, the critics are pretty disconnected from the mass appeal, especially remembering international at this point. Most of the reviews you read are in English and usually just the US,” Hastings said.
“Bright” is the story of a human LAPD officer and his Orc companion as they patrol the streets. They battle their prejudices and mistrust to protect a relic, which could destroy the world if it falls into the wrong hands. (PTI)
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