Noah Baumbach’s next film will not be a Netflix title. The director has signed a first-look producing deal with Warner Bros. and its specialty label Clockwork, leaving a Netflix arrangement that had covered his last four features.
What the new deal includes
The Clockwork agreement starts in 2027. Baumbach will write, direct and produce his next film, with details still under wraps. David Heyman and Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap are attached to produce, and Clockwork will release the picture.
It also returns Baumbach to theatrical releasing. His next film will be his first theatrical release since 2015, after a run of Netflix titles that included Marriage Story, White Noise, The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) and Jay Kelly.
What the move signals
The shift lines up with two changes. Baumbach’s Netflix deal was signed under former film chief Scott Stuber. Under current chief Dan Lin, the streamer has steered toward more populist projects, according to the report. Warner Bros., meanwhile, is building out Clockwork under former Neon executive Christian Parkes, with new films from Park Chan-wook and Sean Baker already in the pipeline.
- Five years: the length of Baumbach’s Netflix relationship.
- Four films: the Netflix features released under that deal.
- 2027: when the Clockwork producing deal begins.
- 2015: the last year Baumbach had a theatrical release.
For entertainment marketers and distribution teams, the move is a reminder that streamer loyalty is not permanent when release strategy and creative goals diverge. A specialty label with theatrical muscle can be the deciding factor.
Warner Bros. ties and the Clockwork bet
Baumbach already has studio history. He co-wrote Barbie with Greta Gerwig and earned an adapted screenplay Oscar nomination for that film, along with earlier script work on Fantastic Mr. Fox and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou with Wes Anderson.
The Clockwork deal gives Warner Bros. a known awards-season name while LuckyChap adds producer heat. It is a bet on auteur filmmaking at a moment when many studios are tightening slates.
Source: IndieWire
