Netflix CEO sees no reason why Barbie and Oppenheimer wouldn't have been just as big on Netflix

Ted Sarandos has shared his thoughts on Barbenheimer – and he thinks both films could've been as big on Netflix. 

Barbie grossed over $1 billion at the worldwide box office, while Oppenheimer swept the 2024 Oscars. 

"Both of those movies would be great for Netflix," Sarandos told The New York Times. "They definitely would have enjoyed just as big an audience on Netflix. And so I don't think there's any reason to believe that certain kinds of movies do or don't work. There's no reason to believe that the movie itself is better in any size of screen for all people. My son's an editor. He is 28 years old, and he watched Lawrence of Arabia on his phone."

He added: "But it is just an interesting thing. At every new development of technology, there's wins for the audience."

Barbenheimer became a cultural phenomenon thanks to both movies releasing on the same day, forming a very unlikely double bill. Seeing both films on the same day at the theater became an event – so, it's unlikely the same sort of thing could've happened if both had been streaming movies, even if they had managed to draw in similar numbers of viewers. 

Netflix has quite a busy release slate for the rest of the year, with the likes of Squid Game season 2, the rest of Bridgerton season 3, two out of three parts of Cobra Kai season 6, and more slated to arrive in 2024. 

You can fill out your watchlist with our guide to the best Netflix movies and best Netflix shows to watch now.