‘The Electric State’ Is Netflix’s Latest Failed Cinematic Universe

The Electric State didn’t hit it big with audiences. Yeah, huge news there, we know. Viewing data is hard to glean, but it would seem the would-be franchise is already over, despite a humongous media push that included two separate podcasts, apps, and robot interviews during press junkets; the most expensive Netflix original to date. This is somewhat predictable for anyone monitoring Netflix’s desire for a big franchise for years, each time falling well short of creating their own MCU, Harry Potter, or Star Wars.

A lot was riding on the Russo Brothers. Netflix lavished money on the former Marvel directors to recreate their magic, and despite all that, Netflix still cannot establish itself as a real Hollywood film studio. Harking back to an interview in 2021, former Netflix Film Chief Scott Stuber admitted they had a problem with inorganic-feeling films that weren’t “relevant” with audiences. Boy, you could say that again. Why is the most successful and “disruptive” media brand in recent memory failing at producing beloved, enduring franchises? It sure isn’t a lack of investment, recognizable faces, or ambition.

What’s the Current State of the Netflix Movie Line-Up?

While The Electric State clearly bombed, the Russo Bros want to make more installments, but do the ones who control the purse-strings want to risk giving them a second chance? We wouldn’t bet on it, especially considering Netflix’s troubles. Zack Snyder’s partnership with Netflix ended on a bitter note, with both Rebel Moon and Army of the Dead franchises dying on the vine.

Bright might have been the best shot of a long-burning film series, but as of 2022, that too appears to have fizzled out, along with Will Smith’s likability and star status, per an Esquire update. A Gray Man follow-up? Well, who knows at this point, based on the Russo Brothers’ vague committal. So, that’s a maybe? Oddly, after a very poorly-received Death Note live-action film years earlier, Netflix announced that it’s reviving the idea, which might indicate their desperation rather than a real dedication to anime, this time with The Duffer Brothers in control. Reportedly, Netflix is still working out two sequels to 2022’s Red Notice, or so the producer insisted to Collider in 2022.

Netflix Isn’t as Out of Touch as They Would Seem

Despite great directors and stars in abundance, the streamer can’t consistently stick the landing. But that’s where it gets interesting. The very disconnect between fans and execs that resulted in the clumsy Death Note adaptation is not lost on those running the film wing of Netflix. In an ominous interview with Variety, Netflix’s guy in charge of films (now at Amazon MGM Studios), Scott Stuber, acknowledged their dodgy venture into original movies while shooting down any hopes of a 6 Underground sequel, saying:

“We have to be more consistent at making these movies more culturally relevant and putting them in the zeitgeist. We know the audience is there for these movies, but I want people to feel that impact in their conversations with friends and colleagues where they’re saying did you hear about this movie ‘Old Guard’? We’ve done it, but we haven’t done it consistently.”

In Netflix’s defense, fostering any kind of prolonged cinematic universe in the 2020s has been a Sisyphean task, with established IP slumping from larger studios losing hundreds of millions. This is simply the worst moment in history to be taking chances in the movie industry. Their big-time prestige picture, The Irishman, never recouped its sizable budget, almost certainly meaning the company will avoid further costly, arty movies.

However, certain critics have notably bemoaned Netflix for their formula of high-budget spy and sci-fi films, singling out Jennifer Lopez’s Atlas as a prime example of a film made to conform to a mold. Netflix can’t win. They only seem to succeed with more modest sequels like Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F and Outlaw King, capitalizing on familiar stories and pre-existing characters/properties rather than tropes or star power.

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Streamers Running Out of Steam As the Culture Changes

Perhaps, and this is purely speculation on our part, could it be that Netflix is doomed to the perception as a mere content supplier, not a “real” studio? It’s worth mulling over. Or, on the other hand, it’s also possible that the very concept of the cinematic universe is already obsolete, and Netflix is late to the party. Argylle shows that spin-offs and prequels are risky, no matter what your pedigree is. And studio execs, actors, and we media writers are probably hopelessly stuck in a world that perished in 2020, taking for granted that blockbusters would rule supreme forever.

Last year, insiders whispered that a massive transformation was taking place. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix’s new man in charge, Dan Lin, was transitioning to smaller, character dramas, “pouring over reams of viewership data: minutes watched, audience habits, likes and dislikes” to better use “hard data to shape the biggest film slate in Hollywood.” What does that mean in practical terms? We don’t know, but expect fewer sprawling sci-fi epics, because the age of forcing franchises is over. Don’t expect to see more $250 million period pieces erasing Robert De Niro’s wrinkles either. We could be returning to the days of the medium-scale, old-school TV movies and miniseries like we saw in the ’80s and ’90s.