Netflix Announces Release Plans for ‘The King,’ ‘Marriage Story’ and ‘The Laundromat’

Netflix has unveiled release plans for its fall films, a slate that includes Steven Soderbergh’s “The Laundromat” with Meryl Streep and Gary Oldman, David Michôd’s “The King” starring Timothée Chalamet and Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story” with Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver.

The 10 movies on deck for 2019 will run in theaters for anywhere between two weeks and a month before being made available to subscribers. It’s unclear how wide of a release these titles will have, given the unresolved tensions between streamers and exhibitors. In the past, major chains like AMC and Regal have dismissed Netflix since the content giant has refused to adhere to the traditional 90-day theatrical window before putting its movies on its own platform. Theater owners fear that a shorter theatrical run means audiences will be less inclined to show up to multiplexes and instead opt to wait for films to appear on home entertainment.

However, Netflix seems more eager to figure out some amalgamation of theatrical runs that can please everyone, from exhibitors and filmmakers to subscribers and Oscar voters. Netflix only released three movies in theaters in 2018 — Alfonso Cuaron’s Oscar winner “Roma,” Sandra Bullock’s “Bird Box” and the Coen Brothers’ “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” — compared to the 10 set for this year. The company also got its release plan in order nearly two months earlier than last year. In line with tradition, Netflix isn’t likely to release box office grosses.

“The Laundromat,” a historical drama about the Panama Papers, will be the first to hit theaters on Sept. 27. The movie will play exclusively on the big screen for roughly 22 days before arriving on Netflix on Oct. 18. “The King,” a period drama centering on King Henry V, secured a similar window with a Nov. 1 Netflix release date, about three weeks after it bows in cinemas on Oct. 11.

High-profile releases like Baumbach’s “Marriage Story,” a his-and-hers look at the art of staying together, will be in multiplexes for a full month starting Nov. 6 before being made available subscribers on Dec. 6. Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman,” a likely awards contender, is also getting a slightly longer window. The crime drama starring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci opens Nov. 1 and will play for three and a half weeks before launching on the streaming service on Nov. 27.

The remaining slate, including the likes of “Dolemite Is My Name,” “Klaus,” “Earthquake Bird” and “The Two Popes,” all have some variation of less than a month of theatrical exclusivity.

Netflix’s announcement comes as streaming services move more aggressively into the moviemaking space, creating high-quality content that hopes to rival anything seen on the big screen. Amazon, which originally made nice with exhibitors in committing to set windows, has been shortening the time between theatrical runs and putting content on Prime Video. With the rise of Disney Plus, HBO Max and NBCUniversal’s still-unnamed platform, the debate over all things theatrical isn’t likely to go away any time soon.

See Netflix’s full release schedule below:

“The Laundromat​”
Sept. 7 (Theatrical), Oct. 18 (Netflix)

“Dolemite Is My Name”
Oct. 4 (Theatrical); Oct. 25 (Netflix)

“The King​
Oct. 11 (Theatrical); Nov. 1 (Netflix)

“The Irishman​”
Nov. 1 (Theatrical); Nov. 27 (Netflix)

“Earthquake Bird”
Nov. 1 (Theatrical); Nov. 15 (Netflix)

“Marriage Story”
Nov. 6 (Theatrical); Dec. 6 (Netflix)

“Klaus​”
Nov. 8 (Theatrical); Nov. 15 (Netflix)

“I Lost My Body”
Nov. 15 (Theatrical); Nov. 29 (Netflix)

“Atlantics”
Nov. 15 (Theatrical); Nov. 29 (Netflix)

“The Two Popes”
Nov. 27 (Theatrical); Dec. 20 (Netflix)

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