Why Steven Soderbergh Sent ‘High Flying Bird’ To Netflix Instead Of Theaters

In a recent interview with IndieWire, Steven Soderbergh, famed director of “Sex, Lies, and Videotape” and “Logan Lucky,” discussed his thinking and the process behind his newest Netflix movie “High Flying Bird.”

Soderbergh’s newest movie was first conceived by André Holland, with whom Soderbergh worked with for a short while on the tv show “The Knick.” “High Flying Bird” delves into the world of basketball and business, how the two interconnect as one agent and one rookie shake the foundation. The film had a premiere at the Slamdance Film Festival in January, before being released on Netflix February 8, 2019. It was a surprise for many that the film didn’t hit the big screen, instead going right to the streaming platform.

READ MORE: ‘High Flying Bird’: Steven Soderbergh Slam Dunks An NBA Drama With Sharp Ideas Of Black Commodification [Slamdance Review]

When asked by IndieWire, Soderbergh replied, “Look, if I can pry any information out of Netflix, I would absolutely assume that there will be more eyeballs on this thing on that platform than ever would have been on it in a theatrical version of release. It would seem impossible that that’s not the case.”

“The other thing is, there are other issues, you know, that sometimes don’t come up as often, but are relevant to me, and I’m assuming relevant to some other people, and that is I don’t have to chase this thing around the world selling it,” the director continued. “I do it once. I do it here. That’s it, and that’s a big relief. That’s not a part of the process that I, like, look forward to, and to have that become efficient, and sort of surgical, is huge for me, you know?”

READ MORE: A Game On Top Of A Game: ‘High Flying Bird’ & The Sports Disruptor Movie [Podcast]

It looks like, as we move forward in this digital age, more and more filmmakers will be following Soderbergh’s line of thinking. “High Flying Bird” is available for streaming on Netflix.