Jane Campion Worries Netflix Will Take Fewer Chances on New Filmmakers

Over the pandemic, it felt like no one could be as successful as Netflix. While everyone else was scrambling to find out how to shoot, Netflix was there with weekly content. Their stock skyrocketed, and they enjoyed a few years in the limelight. They even had another Best Picture chase with Jane Campion's The Power of the Dog. 

But then things got a little hairy. They lost some subscribers, the stock dipped, and suddenly Netflix was looking for hits and not finding them. It's been a weird few months for Netflix, but as they plan out how the next few years go, one of their most successful collaborators is worried.

Enter Jane Campion. In a new interview with BBC, she theorized that Netflix might be pickier about their projects, and then elaborated, “Maybe, what’s sad is not taking risks on people without names.”

This is always a big worry for us and our readers. To break into Hollywood, you need to be given a chance. Even if you have an airtight script and great producers, you still need someone to make your first movie. And they have to bet on you. More places used to do that, and now, a lot of those doors are closed thanks to money being lost. 

Campion went on to say, “The film couldn’t have been made without them because we took it to the market and there were several different people interested. But we had budgeted the cost of it and the only people that were willing to go near that was Netflix.”

She finished by emphasizing the importance of relationships, saying, “I don’t think it would be hard for me if I wanted to do something because I’ve established a relationship and they’re incredibly loyal.”

We'll keep an eye on Netflix to see how it recovers. But we also know the lesson here is two-fold.

First, I'll say that when you're working on your first movie idea, get that budget low. Make the risk worth their while and also very low. Aside from that, this is a relationship business. Build them as you go and hold onto them. You never know when you're going to need them.