Netflix removed “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” and “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend,” concluding their journey creating interactive films on May 12.
Netflix aims to replace interactive films with mobile- and streaming-based game content, according to Deadline.
In 2018, “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” was released, featuring Fionn Whitehead, Will Poulter, and Craig Parkinson. The story followed Stefan, played by Whitehead, as he developed a video game in 1984.
The release of “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend” followed the ending of the series, starring main cast members Ellie Kemper, Tituss Burgess, Carol Kane, and Jane Krakowski. In this interactive film, Kimmy needs to stop the Reverend from executing his evil plans in order to attend her wedding. The future of the characters is designed to be chosen by the viewer.
Interactive films generally cost more to produce than mobile-compatible games. By ending production of interactive films, Netflix is opting for a cheaper method of providing gaming content to its audience.
Netflix released 24 interactive films, beginning with “Puss in Book: Trapped in an Epic Tale” in 2017.
After May 12, all interactive films will no longer be available on the platform. Interactive films are considered less feasible to continue making compared to games.
Toward the end of 2024, only four interactive films remained on the platform. The cost and profit margins for each interactive film remain unclear, as Netflix has not released this information publicly.
“The technology served its purpose, but is now limited as we focus on technological efforts in other areas,” Chrissy Kelleher said, according to The Verge.
The games Netflix now features on its homepage—such as “Too Hot to Handle 3” and “Oxenfree”—allow users to use their mobile devices as controllers, imitating the style of gaming consoles.
While Netflix is currently experimenting with this style of gaming, it won’t be a surprise to see more gaming content produced this way if it gains popularity.
Netflix is still figuring out where it wants to be in the game industry. According to The Verge, “the company recently shut down its AAA game studio before it released a game.”
Though interactive films are being taken down from the service, it’s not impossible to see gaming content with similar features reappear on Netflix’s homepage in the future.
