Netflix is lagging behind the production company Diana: A new musical for a Broadway first: it is bringing the musical to subscribers at home before the stage production opens to the public.
The move comes after Broadway was shut down in late March due to the pandemic. It has not been reopened. Although a handful of shows on stage played in previews, Diana could not officially open on Broadway before the shutdown. Instead of waiting to get the show on stage next year (or when Broadway resumes), producers Grove Entertainment, Frank Marshall, and The Araca Group decided to partner with Netflix to get the show out, according to Deadline. The show, which is about the late Princess Diana and the stars Jeanna de Waal in the title role, will be filmed in an empty theater for Netflix. The musical will hit Netflix in early 2021 before opening on Broadway on May 25, 2021.
“We speak for the whole company when we say we can no longer be excited to finally share our show with theater lovers everywhere,” the producers said in a press release. “While there is no substitute for live theater, we are honored to be a part of the quality story that Netflix provides to its subscribers worldwide.”
Theater productions are becoming a major competitive company in the streaming space. Disney made Hamilton a Disney Plus exclusive – a move that saw massive increases in sign-ups for the service, according to data from analyst firm Antenna. Disney CEO Bob Chapek also told employees in a call with all hands that Hamilton The weekend that the film came out, brought a large audience to Disney Plus, and brought in a new bundle of subscribers who might not have signed up otherwise. Now Disney is adaptable too Once on this island for their streaming platform.
Netflix is also no stranger to bringing theatrical productions to its service. The company has brought shows like John Mulaney and Nick Kroll’s Oh, Hello; The Broadway Show by Bruce Springsteen; Mike Birbiglia: The New One; and an adjustment of American Son with the original Broadway cast to the platform. Netflix co-CEOs Reed Hastings and Ted Sarandos told analysts in a recent call that they want Netflix to become a go-to destination for what people want to watch. That now includes premiere on Broadway show.
