Netflix Wants Pam Abdy and Mike De Luca: But the Ex-Warner Bros. Chiefs Want Real Theatrical Windows First

Two weeks ago, Pam Abdy and Mike De Luca got shown the door at Warner Bros. Now they might be Netflix's best shot at fixing its movie problem. There's just one condition.

TheWrap's Sharon Waxman has new details on the Netflix shake-up, and the juiciest part isn't even Bela Bajaria's firing yesterday. Though, for the record, Waxman says Bajaria was completely blindsided. Netflix wasn't planning to tell her Thursday, but the leaks forced its hand. Classy.

Anyway, this is where Abdy and De Luca come in. Plenty of insiders believe film chief Dan Lin is next to be fired, and Puck's Matt Belloni has already reported that Lin is expected to join Bajaria on the sidelines soon. The obvious replacements, per Waxman? Abdy and De Luca. And yes, they're a package deal.

However, here's the catch — and it’s a doozy. Abdy and De Luca aren't taking the job unless there’s a robust theatrical commitment on the part of Netflix. Good for them. According to Waxman, they're telling co-CEO Ted Sarandos that without a commitment to longer theatrical windows, major directors simply won't come work with them at Netflix. They want real theatrical guarantees. A deal is possible, but it would have to come with major concessions since Netflix, and Sarandos in particular, aren’t particularly keen on the theatrical model.

So can Sarandos pivot? Could he guarantee a handful of prestige titles a year with real windows and real marketing? If he wants Abdy and De Luca, he might not have a choice. And if he says no, well, that tells you everything about where Netflix's priorities still lie.

Now, let's be honest here. If anyone deserves the blame for Netflix's stagnant year, it's Sarandos. He's just too high up to ever face the consequences. His stubborn dismissal of theatrical left Netflix scrambling to adapt, with literally billions of dollars left on the table over the last five years.

And the talent noticed. The Duffer Brothers bolted for a big film and TV deal at Paramount. Shawn Levy took his business to Disney's 20th Television. Noah Baumbach signed a first-look deal at Warner Bros. And now David Fincher, the guy who basically launched Netflix originals with "House of Cards," is ending his overall deal too.

Regardless, I hope Netflix meets their demands. For a brief stretch, roughly 2023 to early 2026, Abdy and De Luca's Warner Bros. was the closest thing we've had in decades to the Hollywood of the 1970s, when studios handed real money to real filmmakers and mostly got out of the way. And much like the '70s, the party ended with one gigantic, expensive, career-defining flop that will be held up as their "Heaven's Gate." But, like "Heaven's Gate," it'll eventually be reassessed, maybe even gain cult status. Just my prediction.