Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos visits S. Korea

“We fell in love with Korean cinema years ago,” said Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos, adding that K-movies have reached unparalleled achievement.

In the meantime, South Korean movie director Park Chan-wook said that he is chilled to see the ever-changing film industry while feeling excitement at the same time, hoping that people will not watch movies on mobile only.

On his visit to South Korea, Netflix Co-CEO Sarandos joined Park to meet up with film students on Wednesday. Both having worked at a rental video store and later becoming a cinephile, they shared their philosophy and views of films.

Park commented that the advent of streaming service providers such as Netflix has given film producers a wider range of choices. He has joined to produce and co-write “War and Revolt,” a film that will star Gang Dong-won, Park Jeong-min, and Cha Seung-won, as announced by Netflix on June 7. It is the first time for the director to work with the global streaming giant. “I am enjoying the project in a supportive environment,” Park said.

Co-CEO Sarandos agreed that it is a good experience to watch films on a huge theater screen in the dark with other moviegoers. However, he also emphasized that viewers can have their way diving into movies as more choices are available out there, adding that Netflix seeks to provide such incredible experiences to viewers.

“AI-run algorithms recommended my films on Netflix,” Park said with laughter, describing it as an opportunity to broaden the cinematic horizons of each viewer.


Ji-Sun Choi aurinko@donga.com