Horror director Mike Flanagan has revealed the key reason he departed Netflix after a successful run with hit shows like The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass – the streamer’s refusal to release his work on physical media like Blu-ray and DVD.
“In the years I worked at Netflix, I tried very hard to get them to release my work on Blu-ray & DVD,” Flanagan stated. “They refused at every turn. It became clear very fast that their only priority was subs, and that they were actively hostile to the idea of physical media.”
Flanagan believes this viewpoint risks damaging film preservation efforts. He argues that while Netflix prides itself on disruption, “they sometimes fail to see the difference between disruption and damage” that could “harm the very concept of film preservation.
The horror mastermind, who has now moved to Amazon Prime Video, emphasized the importance many creators and fans place on owning physical copies. Fans bemoaned being unable to purchase Flanagan’s Netflix projects on disc.
As Flanagan develops major new works like Stephen King adaptations, his exit spotlights an ongoing tension around streaming’s impact on physical media’s future in an increasingly digital landscape.
