Paul Greengrass' '22 July' To Receive One Of The Biggest Global Theatrical Runs In Netflix History

With the incredible slate of films that are hitting Netflix over the next few months, from filmmakers including Paul Greengrass, Alfonso Cuaron, and the Coen Brothers, there have been reports about Netflix loosening up its rules about theatrical distribution, with some films having more than just the bare minimum award-qualifying runs. And according to Variety, the first film of the group to get this sort of deal is Greengrass’ “22 July.”

The report states that not only will the film about Norway’s largest terrorist attack have an exclusive Scandinavian run beginning October 4, but will also have a fairly large theatrical run beginning on October 10. Netflix is planning on running “22 July” in about 100 screens around the world, which would make the theatrical run one of the largest in the streaming company’s history.

In the US, the film is expected to hit over a dozen major markets, including the obvious choices of New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, DC. However, don’t expect the film to hit the big chains like Regal or AMC, as both those companies refuse to carry Netflix films that share the same day-and-date release on the streaming platform. Overseas, the film will play in the UK, as well as dozens of other European screens, including theaters in Germany, Spain, and Italy.

As mentioned, “22 July” is the first film of Netflix’s fall slate to get details about its release. However, Variety says that the Coen Brothers’ “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” David Mackenzie’s “Outlaw King” (which sports a new post-TIFF cut), and Orson Welles’ “The Other Side of the Wind” are all expected to get strong theatrical runs. Tamara Jenkins’ “Private Life” is another film that will hit theaters, playing on 21 screens in Toronto, Los Angeles, New York, and London.

The most interesting Netflix theatrical run of the year could be with “Roma,” from Alfonso Cuaron. After winning the Golden Lion in Venice, and jumping into the awards conversation overnight, the streaming service is said to give “Roma” an exclusive theatrical run, which would be a major step for Netflix in its attempt to lure major filmmakers to the platform. But any decisions on “Roma” will likely wait until closer to its December release date.

All that being said, if you can’t make it to one of the 100+ screens carrying “22 July,” Netflix will release the film worldwide on October 10 to stream.