Why Netflix is Releasing Originals Every Week in 2021

By Paige Greene
Web Content Assistant Manager

Despite a derailing year for both the film and TV industry, Netflix announced at the start of 2021 that it will release an original movie every week. This adds up to a total of 70 new movies Netflix will be providing viewers during 2021.

Since cord-cutting has become a popular option, many companies are launching independent streaming services. This means Netflix suddenly has a lot more competition when shows and movies are consistently being pulled off its service. 

For example, hit show “The Office” was pulled off of Netflix towards the end of 2020. NBCUniversal, the company that owns the rights to the beloved series, took note of the enormous viewership “The Office” brought to Netflix. NBC then launched its own streaming service, Peacock, and used the popular TV show as the main attraction to the service. 

Netflix is increasingly having to compete with new services pulling content off its service, so the company is forced to create more original content. This push has resulted in the 70 new films announced for 2021. 

According to Variety, Netflix Film Chief and Producer Scott Stuber said the company also wanted to provide viewers with a more diverse selection of movies to cater to a wide audience. Some of these titles will feature popular actors and actresses such as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Gal Gadot, and Jennifer Lawrence.

The streaming company will also continue to build on previously established franchises such as “The Kissing Booth” and “To All the Boys I Loved Before,” which will both be receiving a third movie due to their success.

In a previous article I explained why Netflix original movies are mediocre. The announcement of weekly releases only proves that Netflix cares more about quantity over quality, but that does not mean I will miss out on watching these upcoming releases.

Titles to look out for on Netflix, according to Esquire who published a list of the 12 most anticipated movies of 2021, include “Pieces of a Woman,” “Malcolm and Marie” and “Army of the Dead.”

Featured image by Paige Greene via MacBook Air Screenshot