Cinema United, Netflix Hold 'Constructive' Talks on Theatrical Collaboration

The meeting signals a potential thaw in the relationship between Netflix and major exhibitors. While no deal is imminent, the dialogue itself—kept on the books even after Netflix dropped its WBD bid—indicates a recognition of mutual interest between the largest SVOD player and the struggling theater industry. This conversation occurs as Cinema United praises Universal's move to a 45-day window and opposes the Paramount/WBD merger, showing a multi-front strategy to influence streaming economics. The signal to watch is whether Netflix experiments with a wider, fully marketed theatrical release for one of its upcoming prestige films.