How Will Smith’s Bright Changed Hollywood And Streaming Forever

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The movie Bright, starring Will Smith, was a turning point for how films are made and distributed, but it’s largely been overlooked. Now, with Netflix potentially buying Warner Bros., a new era for Hollywood is beginning. Netflix has always been clear about its intention to prioritize streaming movies instead of traditional theatrical releases.

Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos has called movie theaters an “old-fashioned” system, sparking debates with directors like Rian Johnson. He says that even if Netflix were to buy Warner Bros., it wouldn’t stop the studio from releasing films in theaters, but the time between a movie’s theatrical release and its availability on Netflix will likely change.

Just ten years ago, few would have predicted Netflix’s rise to dominance and the potential decline of traditional movie theaters. But over the past decade, Netflix has shown it can create huge hits – like Red Notice and Bird Box – specifically for streaming at home. This shift really started gaining momentum around 2017.

Bright Was Netflix’s First Original Blockbuster

Bright is an action-packed fantasy film that feels like a tough, realistic cop movie, but with a fantastical twist – it’s set in a world where orcs, elves, and other magical creatures actually exist. Netflix invested heavily in the movie, landing Will Smith as the star and bringing on director David Ayer (known for The Beekeeper) with a $90 million budget.

Essentially, Netflix created Bright as a big-budget movie meant to be watched at home. While critics weren’t impressed – reactions ranged from lukewarm to very negative – the film was a huge win for the streaming service.

Nielsen estimates, reported by Variety, show that the Will Smith action film drew 11 million viewers in its first three days on Netflix. Many subscribers enjoyed having access to a big-budget movie with just a few clicks, and the film also helped bring in new users to the streaming service.

The streaming release was a success for the film. It also established Netflix as a platform willing to take chances on big, unusual, and costly projects, proving they could find both funding and viewers without relying on traditional movie releases.

Bright Proved Movies Didn’t Need Theatrical Pushes To Become Major Hits

Whether or not Bright was a good movie almost didn’t matter. It likely would have done okay in theaters, particularly with Will Smith starring in it. However, the main goal of releasing it was to show that streaming could be a successful way to launch big-budget films.

Things really shifted in the movie world with the rise of Bright. Before that, we always measured a film’s success by how much money it made in theaters and how many DVDs or Blu-rays it sold. But as people started watching more and more things online, streaming services saw a chance to change how we define success, and it’s been different ever since.

The movie Bright proved that a large-scale, exciting film could be successful without a massive advertising campaign or traditional cinema release. Netflix didn’t even need to share specific viewing figures; simply stating it was one of their most popular films was enough to attract even more viewers.

Bright Signaled Hollywood’s Move Toward Streaming

It didn’t take long for streaming services to focus heavily on creating their own original shows and movies. Netflix was a pioneer, investing heavily in big-budget productions like Red Notice, 6 Underground, and Army of the Dead. The arrival of Disney+ then intensified the competition between streaming platforms.

With movie theaters closed during the COVID pandemic, streaming services became a major focus for the industry, since people were stuck at home and looking for entertainment. Looking back, this quick shift to streaming has significantly changed how people watch movies. Many viewers now prefer to wait and watch new releases on streaming services rather than going to theaters.

Movie theaters saw a significant recovery in 2025, boosted by successful films from Warner Bros., such as Weapons and Sinners. This success made Warner Bros. even more appealing to Netflix. Netflix continues to state that even after acquiring Warner Bros., they plan to keep releasing films in theaters.

Back in the 2010s, Netflix accurately predicted how people were starting to watch movies, and Bright was their first attempt at making a big-budget action film. Now that streaming is so popular, that trend won’t reverse. However, we hope Netflix’s handling of Warner Bros. doesn’t lead to the end of movies being shown in cinemas.

Nobody Talks About Bright Now

It’s often noticed that streaming movies, despite initial hype, are quickly forgotten. Quentin Tarantino told Deadline that many streaming originals simply don’t become part of the cultural conversation, unlike movies people see in theaters, which tend to have a lasting impact.

The movie Bright is a good illustration of this trend – it’s already faded from public memory. Even though it was a significant film with well-known actors and a large production team, it’s rarely mentioned these days.

Despite initial hopes, a follow-up movie never materialized, and efforts to expand the story into a larger franchise ultimately failed, as seen with the largely forgotten anime spin-off, Bright: Samurai Soul. While films like Jaws and the 1989 Batman movie also represented significant shifts in filmmaking, they’ve since become beloved classics – something this film hasn’t achieved.

Despite being a turning point, Bright has largely been forgotten. While the film pioneered a new direction for the company, with both positive and negative results, it’s hard to recall specifics about it after eight years.

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2025-12-14 20:22