Glass Onion director Rian Johnson unhappy with Netflix’s release rollout

The Knives Out sequel is one of Netflix’s biggest ever gambles, but its director has revealed he’s at odds with the streamer over one big decision.

As cinephiles complain about the limited, one-week theatrical release of Netflix film Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, the film’s director has weighed in, saying he would have liked to have seen a bigger cinematic rollout.

The Knives Out sequel spent just one week in a limited number of cinemas before its premiere on the streamer on December 23, Decider reports. And opinions over the move are divided.

While some believe the film deserved a longer run in cinemas, others see the strategy as a win for Netflix, which forked out $US469 million ($A695 million) for the rights to the Rian Johnson-directed sequel.

“I’d love it to be [in theatres] longer,” Johnson said in an interview with The Atlantic.

I’d love it to be in more theatres.

“But also, I appreciate that Netflix has done this, because this was a huge effort on their part, and the theatre chains, to reach across the aisle and make this happen,” he said.

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US filmmaker Rian Johnson with Glass Onion stars Kate Hudson and Janelle Monae at the premiere in Paris. Picture: Stefano Rellandini/AFP

“I’m hoping it does really well so we can demonstrate that they can complement each other.”

The strategy taken by Netflix could be explained by a requirement that films must have a cinematic release to be up for awards consideration. The rule was reinstated by The Academy in 2021 for the Oscars, after the organisation previously eased requirements in 2020 due to the pandemic.

In the past, Netflix has spearheaded limited theatrical releases for The Irishman, The Power Of The Dog, and Bo Burnham’s Inside, all of which went on to be nominated for major awards.

The latter swept the Emmys with three wins, The Power Of The Dog got a win for best director (for Jane Campion) and The Irishman was nominated for 10 Oscars (winning none).

However in the interview, Johnson continued to explain why Glass Onion, starring Daniel Craig, would have benefited from a longer theatrical run.

Bond star Daniel Craig stars in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Picture: Netflix

“It’s not about the size of the picture, or the sound, or the sanctity of the space, or the magic of cinema, or whatever the f**k,” Johnson told The Atlantic.

“It’s about having a crowd of people around you laughing and reacting. Because these movies are engineered for that.”

The first Knives Out movie in 2019, which Johnson wrote and directed (much like Glass Onion) earned $US312.9 million of its $US40 million budget in the box office from a theatrical release by Lionsgate. After its success, Netflix paid $US469 million ($A695 million) for the rights to two stand-alone sequels, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

The outlet stated that the deal’s stipulations included Johnson maintaining creative control, a budget of at least $US40 million ($A59 million) for each movie, and Daniel Craig starring in both movies, presumably reprising his role as Benoit Blanc.

Given the raging success of the first movie, Johnson didn’t have to accept the deal, especially since Lionsgate had already greenlit a sequel; however, the deal allowed him and Craig to reportedly walk away with upwards of $US100 million ($A148 million) each.

This story originally appeared on Decider and was reproduced with permission