The battle for dominance in the streaming industry is in full swing and Netflix is leading the way. Not only does this become apparent when one follows industry developments, but can also be seen over and over again in very specific cases – such as “The Memorable Case of Mr. Poe”, which has been available to stream on Netflix since January 6, 2023. The crime thriller starring Christian Bale is a good example of how Netflix likes to dig deep into their pockets to outsmart the competition.
Netflix paid a whopping $55 million in March 2021 for the rights to The Memorable Case of Mr. Poe, outperforming several competitors. At the time, that was the highest amount ever paid at the European Film Market (EFM), which was held parallel to the Berlinale film festival.
Meanwhile, Netflix and Mr. Poe, however, outbid again: In February 2022, Studio Sony acquired the rights to A Man Called Otto, starring Tom Hanks, the Hollywood remake of the Oscar-nominated Swedish tragic comedy A Man Called Ove, on the EFM for $60 million.
Has the investment been worth it?
However, it’s much more difficult to judge whether the $55 million for Netflix was worth it than the $60 million for “A Man Named Otto.” The Tom Hanks film hits theaters (February 2, 2023 in Germany) and – driven by solid reviews and strong audience response – is well on its way to becoming quite a success for Sony.
The success of “The Memorable Case of Mr. Poe”, on the other hand, can only be verified on Netflix by its past ratings. And in the period from January 6 to 8, 2023, “The Pale Blue Eye” (as the original title) went global nearly 43 million hours viewed on Netflix.
That’s slightly short of the current leader, “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” in its third week, but comparable to other recent medium-sized Netflix launches, such as “Matilda: The Musical,” “Falling For Christmas,” or “Me .” . Ben. So happy.” “The Memorable Case of Mr. Poe” is therefore not an intoxicating success, but at least a solid hit for the streaming service.
You can find more information about the current Netflix charts in the following articles: