Paul Greengrass Explains Why '22 July' Was Released By Netflix: "Young People Sadly Don't Go To See Art House Movies"

Recently, it was announced that Netflix was doing something its never done before — proper theatrical releases for its high-profile films. Before now, if you wanted to see one of their films, it was only on the streaming service, unless you’re lucky enough to catch the ultra-small awards-contention runs. But with films like “22 July,” “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” “Roma,” and others, the streaming giant is giving these major films a proper limited run in theaters before launching them on the streaming service.

And for filmmaker Paul Greengrass, whose “22 July” is one of the lucky films to get a theatrical release, the decision didn’t come from him pressuring Netflix. Instead, Netflix offered him the choice of having a theatrical run and streaming launch.

READ MORE: ’22 July’: A Troubled Paul Greengrass Says “The World Is Unmoored At The Moment”

In a new interview with THR, Greengrass explains how the conversation with Netflix went, saying, “In my case, it was pretty straightforward. I finished the screenplay, and we sort of went out with it on Monday, and I spoke to [Netflix executive] Scott Stuber on a Wednesday. What he basically said was, ‘We’re going to try and create a proper theatrical side to the Netflix offering alongside the streaming side; we think that’s the way the business is going to go.’”

He also discussed why he still was attracted to the streaming side, and it’s for the same reason that filmmakers like Alfonso Cuaron are also choosing Netflix to distribute their films. “From my point of view, this particular film, I wanted it watched by young people. And the challenge that we faced was that young people sadly don’t go to see art house movies. I remember talking to my son, who’s a college-age young man, and he said, ‘Well, if you do it art house, my friends will never see it. If you put it on Netflix, we’ll all see it,’” Greengrass explained.

READ MORE: Alfonso Cuarón Talks ‘Roma’ Release Strategy & Why Netflix Is “Important” For Filmmakers

It appears that Netflix is going to attract a lot more attention from filmmakers who previously snubbed the streaming service thanks to this new release strategy. Of course, 2018 will tell the tale, as we see how Netflix films perform at the box office, and if ultimately, the streaming service becomes a powerful awards contender.

“22 July” is now available in select theaters and globally on Netflix.