IMAX has been Netflix’s only real ally in the theater business. The large-format movie exhibitor has screened several Netflix original films, including Beasts of No Nation, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny at the same time they were released on Netflix. It sounds like those days are done.

Beasts made a paltry $51K in revenue on IMAX screens, and Sword made even less. IMAX seems to have drawn the conclusion from these two films that day-and-date theatrical releases of Netflix movies aren’t worth it. IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond said the following:

“I learned … there isn’t an appetite among exhibition for day-and-date delivery of movies over Netflix with theatrical distribution . . . We probably wouldn’t do that experiment [again], but we would try other experiments. If someone came to us and said, ‘Would you launch a TV series in Imax day-and-date?’ that’s definitely something we would consider.”

Will Netflix be able to find another ally in Hollywood, or was IMAX its last, best hope for an exhibitor partner?

[via Home Media Magazine]