“Weapons” and “Barbarian” director Zach Cregger appears to no longer be in the running to direct the new sci-fi movie “The Flood” at Netflix.
The Wrap reports that the streaming giant tried to court Cregger to direct the project, but the two sides have now reached an impasse.
The outlet claims Netflix Films chairman Dan Lin visited Cregger on the set of his new “Resident Evil” film and “dangled a theatrical commitment” to try and get him onboard.
However, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos reportedly shot down the idea of any theatrical release and Cregger has no plans to get onboard unless there’s commitment to release the film in cinemas:
So, as one source says, the “real question is whether Netflix backs down or they let Cregger take it out [to a different studio] because Zach remains committed to a theatrical release.”
Recently, Netflix has begun thawing on theatrical releases for its original films, though still is doing them more as either awards qualification or promotional efforts for the streaming launch – such as with Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” which went up on Netflix on Friday.
Cregger’s “Weapons” has been one of the biggest hits of the year, grossing $268 million worldwide on a $38 million budget. He’s working on a spin-off based on Amy Madigan’s Aunt Gladys character, and has the new “Resident Evil” opening in cinemas on September 18th next year.
