"La Bola Negra," the acclaimed queer drama that captivated the Cannes Film Festival and subsequently garnered a $5 million sale to Netflix, is leading the charge with an unprecedented 46-day theatrical release starting October 16, before its December 2 streaming debut. This extended window is the longest Netflix has ever granted a film, setting a new precedent for the streamer.

This isn't an isolated incident. Industry insiders are taking note of Netflix's ambitious theatrical designs for 2027, which include a nearly 50-day wide release for Greta Gerwig’s "Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew" (including IMAX engagements) and a 47-day wide Christmas run for the animated "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." These plans suggest that Netflix, once a disruptor of traditional Hollywood, is now steadily inching towards a more robust engagement with theatrical exhibition, a tradition spanning over a century. Crucially, Popcorn Wire has learned that Netflix will, for the first time, publicly report box office grosses for a slate of its upcoming releases.

"What does Netflix want to be now?" one high-level executive at a legacy film studio pondered, suggesting that the company's recent attempts to acquire major studios like Warner Bros. Discovery indicate a more expansive vision. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, who once called the theatrical window an "outdated concept," recently told Bloomberg that he could "see us doing things that we haven’t done before" with movie theaters, while still emphasizing the company's streaming-first philosophy. This marks a notable shift from his previous dismissals of robust theatrical runs, even as Nielsen reports show Netflix originals like "The Rip" and "War Machine" dominating streaming viewership.

Cinema owners, who have long pushed back against Netflix's refusal to offer standard exclusivity windows, are likely to welcome this change. The industry standard currently stands at a 45-day theatrical run before moving to other platforms. A veteran film distributor highlighted the potential boost: "The exhibitors would absolutely welcome this. Imagine if Netflix of all places threw its weight behind a real theatrical marketing campaign, and not some awards play."

However, competitors insist that Netflix must play by the established rules, which includes reporting box office grosses – a practice the historically data-averse streamer has avoided, much to the frustration of many in the industry. But according to two company insiders, Netflix will indeed report grosses for six upcoming films: "Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew," "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," "La Bola Negra," David Fincher’s "The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth," "The Mosquito Bowl," and "Ink."

This move comes as the wider industry has debated the best way to create lasting value for film libraries in the age of streaming. While streamers like Netflix, Apple, and Prime Video initially relied on lucrative back-end buyouts for talent, the establishment argued that significant marketing and theatrical "eventization" were crucial. Netflix previously demonstrated a willingness to spend big on marketing, such as the $450 million acquisition of "Knives Out" sequels, but often bypassed cinemas, a decision many observers felt left significant money on the table.

Guiding Netflix's theatrical distribution efforts since 2019 is Spencer Klein, a respected industry veteran from 20th Century Fox, known for handling releases like "Deadpool" and "Planet of the Apes." Klein, who also oversees Netflix's owned theaters and recently guided the company to its first No. 1 box office weekend with "KPop Demon Hunters," will be a key figure to watch as these new theatrical plans unfold.

Despite this apparent pivot, sources within Netflix are reportedly downplaying the broader significance of these theatrical extensions, characterizing them as part of a bespoke process where the film team determines "what’s right" for each individual movie.