Don't Look Up, the latest big movie to be released by Netflix, has narrowly missed out on the top spot of the most watched Netflix films. But the streaming giant won't be too bothered as the film it failed to topple was also released by Netflix... as is every movie in its all-time top 10.
In a week when Netflix saw its share price tank due to slow subscriber growth (currently -34.79% compared to last year) it's more important than ever for Netflix to make sure that its original movies and shows are working for it.
One look at its own stats and this does seem to be the case. It's top 10 most-popular movies - the ones that had the most hours viewed in their first 28 days - are all Netflix Originals, with Red Notice clinging on to the top spot (that movie had the most views in the first 24 hours of any Netflix movie:
1. Red Notice: 364,020,000
2. Don't Look Up: 359,780,000
3. Bird Box: 282,020,000
4. Extraction: 231,340,000
5. The Unforgivable: 214,700,000
6. The Irishman: 214,570,000
7. The Kissing Booth 2: 209,250,000
8. 6 Underground: 205,470,000
9. Spenser Confidential: 197,320,000
10. Enola Holmes: 189,900,000
Even though many of these movies have been critical bombs, they are crowd pleasers and packed with star power.
Red Notice has The Rock, Ryan Reynolds and Gal Gadot starring, while Bird Box and The Unforgivable prove that Sandra Bullock is one of the biggest stars for Netflix right now.
Add to this the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence in Don't Look Up, getting Martin Scorsese and Robert DeNiro to work together once more for The Irishman and it's clear that a lot of money has been spent to entice newbies to the service.
Some of these movie are also now franchises in their own right, with Red Notice, Enola Homes and Extraction all getting sequels in the near future.
Franchises are key for Netflix to bolster its subscriber base - we can see this with it remaking one of its most successful TV shows, Money Heist, to make sure that franchise continues and continues. It buying the rights to various Roald Dahl stories also means that it now has its own 'MCU for children' to tap into.
Currently Disney has myriad, well-loved franchises to tap into - with Star Wars and Marvel making the (mostly) successful transition from the big screen to the small. It's also revealed that it will be relying on this IP than creating new things for the service.
Then there's that other streaming rival Prime Video, it's already tested the fantasy waters with The Wheel Of Time but all eyes (literally) will be on The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power when it starts streaming 2 September.
Looks like the streaming war has only really just begun.
- These are the cancelled Netflix shows that should still be around today.
