Bela Bajaria

Source: Courtesy of Netflix

Bela Bajaria

Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria unveiled the upcoming film and TV slate for the year ahead in Los Angeles on February 1.

Bajaria outlined Netflix’s upcoming pipeline with anticipated South Korean series sequel Squid Game 2 on the way this year/ SXSW opening TV show 3 Body Problem based on Liu Cixin’s cult dystopian novel will drop on the platform on March 21.

However the next series of Stranger Things and Wednesday will not stream until  2025.  Production on series five of Stranger Things has just begun in the US after strike delays, and the second season of Wednesday will shoot in April in Ireland.

Film highlights will see Adam Sander in Chernobyl director Johan Renck’s Berlinale Special selection Spaceman debut in limited theatrical release on February 23 prior to arriving on the platform on March 1; and John Ridley’s Civil Rights drama Shirley starring Regina King as the first Black congresswoman Shirley Chisholm is set for the platform on March 22.

Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F will debut on the service on July 3; Thea Sharrock’s Homeless World Cup drama The Beautiful Game starring Bill Nighy debuts on March 29, and Jerry Seinfeld’s feature directorial debut Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story will stream from May 3.

Coming later in 2024 are Cameron Diaz’s film return opposite Jamie Foxx in action comedy Back In Action, and Tyler Perry’s war film Six Triple Eight, about the first and only women’s army unit of colour to be deployed overseas during the Second World War.

Sundance acquisitions It’s What’s Inside, Will & Harper, Ibelin, and Daughters are yet to be dated, as is the documentary Power, which also debuted in Park City last month.

Netflix has an annual content spend of $17bn.

Last week it emerged head of film Scott Stuber will leave the company in March after seven years to set up his own company. Stuber is understood to have advocated internally for fewer, higher quality films at the streamer and Bajaria said she was looking for a replacement who was “excited” about the streamer’s strategy of making lots of different films for the global service.