Netflix plans to open shops themed around its movies and TV shows.
Called Netflix House, they will flog Netflix merchandise as well as food, according to Bloomberg.
Things get more interesting with plans for “experiences” based on new Netflix shows at Netflix House locations.
“We’ve seen how much fans love to immerse themselves in the world of our movies and TV shows, and we’ve been thinking a lot about how we take that to the next level,” Netflix vice president of products Josh Simon told Bloomberg.
Netflix is no stranger to immersive experiences. In October 2022, it opened Netflix at the Grove in Los Angeles, temporarily commandeering a 10,000-foot retail space to pack it with stuff from shows like Squid and Stranger Things.
A Stranger Things: The Experience immersive theatre show was held in London’s own Brent Cross in 2022. We reviewed it in August last year.
It earned a three-star write-up. “A cynical cash grab from Netflix, or simply a price worth paying for a unique experience? I suspect that will depend on how much of a fan you are. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Would I pay for it? Probably not,” we said.
Netflix will also open up Squid Game: The Trials, a competitive game, in Los Angles in December. It will comprise a series of challenges, in which you play against other players for points. That part lasts roughly an hour, after which you can stay in a themed area where you can buy food and drinks as long as you like.
The proposed Netflix House locations could be used as more permanent spots for the these two aspects of Netflix — merch and live experiences — to come together.
The bad news is the first of these isn’t expected to open until 2025, and the first will be in the US. However, we expect London won’t be too far down the list considering the streamer’s choice of locations to date.
Later this year, London will also be home to Stranger Things: First Shadow. It’s a theatre production set in 1959, 24 years before the events of Stranger Things’ first series.
The show opens on December 14 at the West End’s Phoenix Theatre, and tickets start at £20. We’ll doubtless review the show early doors, should you not be a big enough fan to buy into it ahead of its opening.
