Twitter

Netflix and major theater chains have made little progress in their negotiations over Martin Scorsese‘s upcoming mob drama The Irishman. According to a new report from The New York Times‘ Nicole Sperling, Netflix film chief Scott Stuber is currently in talks with AMC and Cineplex about distributing the film ahead of awards season, but negotiations “have been dragging on for months,” as both sides are unable to agree upon the length of The Irishman‘s theatrical run. While the streaming giant would prefer a shorter window, as it did with Roma, the distributors are reportedly insisting that Scorsese’s film “must play in their theaters for close to three months” before it becomes available on streaming.

The New York Times reports that Netflix, AMC, and Cineplex (the theater chains are negotiating separately) have been discussing the fate of The Irishman — a major awards contender — for months. After the success of Roma last year, the streamer hopes that the Robert De Niro-led film will win them their first Best Picture Oscar, and as such, Stuber and chief content officer Ted Sarandos are reportedly “pushing for a robust theatrical release.” Major theater chains are interested in showing the film, but there’s one looming issue: the two sides can’t seem to agree on the meaning of “robust.”

Last year, Netflix appeased distributors by giving Roma an exclusive 21-day theatrical window (it premiered in small, independent theaters on November 21, before hitting Netflix globally on December 14). The Times reports that Netflix is interested in pursuing a similar strategy for The Irishman: according to sources close to the situation, the streaming giant has “so far resisted going much beyond the 21 days.” AMC, which has 11,000 screens worldwide, and Cineplex, Canada’s largest exhibitor with 1,600 screens, aren’t too keen on this idea. “A crucial sticking point has been the major chains’ insistence that the films they book must play in their theaters for close to three months while not being made available for streaming at the same time,” Sperling reports. Unsurprisingly, this “does not sit well” with Stuber and Sarandos.

After months of back-and-forth, talks between Netflix and the theater chains reportedly broke down in July. The companies resumed again two weeks ago, sources told the Times, but the same issues remain. “Talks are underway with Netflix about our showing The Irishman and other Netflix films, but the outcome of those conversations is not yet clear,” AMC chief executive Adam Aron told the paper (Netflix, Cineplex, and Scorsese declined to comment).

Aron went on to say that while he would be “delighted” to show The Irishman and other Netflix films, he’s concerned about the long-term implications of shortening the screening window. “We can only [show Netflix films], however, on terms that respect AMC’s important and close relationships with our longstanding studio partners, including Disney, Warner Brothers, Universal, Sony, Paramount, Lionsgate and so many other filmmakers who are the lifeblood of our substantial business,” he said.

AMC and Cineplex may still be willing to haggle with Netflix, but major theater chains Regal and Cinemark are not. Both companies told the Times that they are not in discussions with Netflix regarding The Irishman, with Regal adding, “If Netflix will decide to respect the industry business model and release the movie with a proper theatrical window, we will be more than happy to discuss the booking of the movie in Regal theaters.”

Scorsese’s The Irishman will make its world premiere at New York Film Festival on September 27, 2019 before hitting select theaters (hopefully!) and Netflix later this fall.