Netflix has announced the first two locations for their new in person venues: King of Prussia, Pennslyvania and Dallas, Texas.
The first thought that most people are going to have when hearing this is that Netflix just invented the movie theater. We already have a place to go to watch movies and the whole point of Netflix is to stream content from the comfort of your living room without having to go out. And, you know, “Netflix and chill”. So, what are they getting at here?
Well, the venues aren’t even designed to be simple in person theaters. Rather, something much more than that. With the goal being to drum up interest in Netflix’ properties.
Variety explains what the Netflix Houses are all about:
“They’re not exactly theme parks, but the new Netflix Houses — to open next year in King of Prussia, Pa., and Dallas — will feature a wide array of shopping outlets, eateries and experiential activities tied to the streamer’s major franchises like ‘Bridgerton,’ ‘Stranger Things’ and ‘Squid Game.’…
Outside each Netflix House, you’ll see sculptures and a mural mash-up of characters from popular Netflix titles, according to the company. As examples of what to expect at the brick-and-mortar complexes, the company says, ‘Imagine waltzing with your partner to an orchestral cover of a Taylor Swift song on a replica of the ‘Bridgerton’ set –– and then walking around the corner to compete in the Glass Bridge challenge from ‘Squid Game.” Visitors can then visit a restaurant ‘with food inspired by Netflix shows from around the world’ and then browse a store with merch such as ‘that Hellfire Club T-shirt you’ve always wanted’ from ‘Stranger Things.'”
So, we’re talking about recreating sets, reenacting moments, purchasing merchandise, and eating food inspired by the content and locations. An immersive Netflix themed experience that doesn’t even seem to involve watching the actual shows. It’s another example of the recent trend emphasizing in person experienes such as AirBnB’s Icons, a trend that people like Sam Altman think is going to explode:
The theory being that as AI becomes more prevalant, it’ll take things away from us, making certain jobs or industries obsolete, but it’ll also lead to new things, new product categories as society shifts and one of those shifts could be towards more human connection, more fantastical, larger than life in person experiences.
Count me in.
Are Netflix Houses the Greatest Idea Ever?
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