If you didn’t think Netflix could become any more powerful, get ready to be incredibly wrong. As reported by Deadline, Netflix has just obtained distribution rights to the film War Machine, which will star Brad Pitt and will be written and directed by David Michod (Animal Kingdom and The Rover).
This is pretty big news for the popular streaming site, since this is the first time it’s acquired a film with a huge star such as Pitt. Plus it is the biggest investment Netflix has made to date (around $30 million) and will probably lead the way for them to produce and distribute more films in the future. Netflix has made previous deals to produce and stream four Adam Sandler films and to have the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon sequel be their first feature film. While these deals are substantial, there’s no denying that distributing a Brad Pitt film is a much bigger move for Netflix.
The film itself is loosely based on the book The Operators: The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America’s War in Afghanistan by Michael Hastings. Pitt will play the lead role of a general who is loosely based on General Stanley McChrystal who commanded U.S. and international troops in Afghanistan. Instead of a typical war film, this one is going to be a satirical comedy. Pitt proved his comedic skills in Inglorious Basterds and will surely hone those skills expertly once more for this film. With his friends from his production company Plan B helping to put the film together and now Netflix on board, this could pave the way for more A-listers to go the Netflix route with their projects.
The film’s theatrical release has yet to be announced, but Netflix will stream the film worldwide in late 2016 after its release in theaters.