Recently, we've seen a bit of a disturbing trend when it comes to streamers. They've been funding and buying projects, and then shelving them for tax write-offs. This came to light when Warner Bros. Discovery decided not to move forward with a Batgirl movie. 

Since then, we've seen streamers take shows off the air to avoid paying residuals and eliminate them from existence, thanks to the downfall of physical media. 

Well, now Netflix has joined the fray. 

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix pulled its planned original productions Inheritance, directed by Alejandro Brugués, and House/Wife, directed by Danis Goulet, from its schedule and its slate. But, unlike other places, Netflix is actually not killing the projects. 

Instead, they're letting the filmmakers shop their completed projects around town, so they can find someone else to take them. Their reason for dropping the projects is that they want to maintain the same level of content spending from last year which was approximately $17 billion.

Inheritance is a horror/thriller starring Peyton List and Rachel Nichols about a man who invites his estranged children to his home, as he believes he is about to be murdered. To convince them to help him stay alive, he puts their inheritances on the line. House/Wife, which stars Alice Braga and Kris Holden-Ried, is a sci-fi thriller about a smart home gone wrong. 

While Netflix is trying to sell these titles around town, I think a lot of this speaks to the streaming business. It means these streamers are pinching pennies as they sort out ways to make more money while trying to add subscribers. 

It will be interesting to see where this all leads, but worrisome for filmmakers who produce material, sell it to digital houses, and hope their stuff gets released. The option of erasing your work or taking a write-off is terrifying to a lot of people who put their hearts and soul into this work. 

Let me know what you think in the comments. 

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

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