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With nearly 150 million subscribers around the world, Netflix has a commanding lead in the streaming wars. But it’s also facing heavy competition from deep-pocketed conglomerates like Disney, Apple, and AT&T, and an ongoing wave of narrow, targeted streaming sites like CBS All Access and DC Universe, which can draw on popular existing franchises for original content. As fewer companies are willing to license out their films and shows to other streaming sites, Netflix is pouring billions of dollars annually into its own original content. Follow along with The Verge as we look at Netflix’s new films and shows, its evolving strategies against new entrants in the market, and how it’s leveraging its technological and marketing lead.

The creators of 3 Body Problem want to have ‘a back and forth’ with the book

Though Netflix’s 3 Body Problem is very different from Cixin Liu’s novel, the show’s creators say they wanted the two stories to share the same essential narrative DNA.

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What do the Purah Pad and 3 Body Problem VR headset have in common?

Neither has any of the apps we’re used to.

Andrew Webster’s reviews of the 3 Body headset and the tablet from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom each drive home the necessity of a healthy ecosystem, even for the coolest tech.


The biggest new battle royale is ready for your phone

Plus, in this week’s Installer: a peek at the Humane AI Pin, new Stardew Valley, 3 Body Problem, and much more.

3 Body Problem VR headset review: magical tech in need of more apps

The device is far more advanced than an Apple Vision Pro, but it needs more than one game to justify the purchase (once you can actually purchase one, that is).

Netflix will soon stream The Boy and the Heron outside of the US and Japan.

While we already knew The Boy and the Heron would soon be available on Max in the US, Netflix has secured worldwide streaming rights, and announced its plans to debut the movie in the Asia Pacific (excluding Japan), Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Latin America markets in the comings months.


Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli

Netflix’s 3 Body Problem adaptation channels the book’s spirit but not its brilliance

Though David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, and Alexander Woo’s 3 Body Problem is impressive, it really feels like just an introduction to Cixin Liu’s deeper ideas.

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After Quarterback, comes Reciever.

Netflix’s latest sports docuseries follows the same format as the Peyton Manning-produced Quarterback. The only difference is that it highlights top NFL receivers, including Davante Adams, Justin Jefferson, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, and Amon-Ra St. Brown.

The eight-episode series, Receiver, hits Netflix this summer and comes as part of the streamer’s broader push into sports documentaries and live events.


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Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver’s first trailer is even busier than its title.

If it’s been a while since you thought about Sofia Boutella in Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire as Imperium soldier Kora, there’s a solid chance Rebel Moon — Part Two The Scargiver’s new trailer will leave you more than a bit confused about what’s going on.

The movie hits Netflix on April 19th.


The 2024 Vergecast streaming draft

What are the good streaming services? Why does Alex Cranz think Netflix is going to go away? What is Mubi, anyway? All the big questions on this episode of The Vergecast.

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3 Body Problem’s final trailer is a prelude to war.

The latest (and seemingly final) trailer for Netflix’s upcoming 3 Body Problem adaptation doesn’t quite spell out exactly what kind of mysterious threat plunges humanity as a whole into a panic. But it’s pretty clear that the Earth’s most brilliant minds are gearing up for a war they might not be able to win when 3 Body Problem debuts on March 21st.


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Netflix’s Ripley looks downright stunning.

It was sort of a given that Netflix’s new adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley would make for an intriguing watch, but the series’ latest trailer also leaves little question about how absolutely gorgeous it’s going to be when it hits the streamer on April 4th.


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A new Netflix show looks Cronenberg’s The Fly, but with a chicken nugget.

And, I suppose, without all the body horror.

Chicken Nuggets trailer introduces the story of a woman stepping into a techno-locker that turns her into a crispy ball of breaded chicken, and now her dad and a guy who has a crush on her. It starts streaming on March 15th.


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Netflix says no to more Michelle Yeoh.

The streaming service, answering a question we asked in November, has canceled The Brothers Sun, a dark action comedy starring Michelle Yeoh, Justin Chien, and Sam Song Li.

Deadline, which reported the cancellation yesterday, wrote that it simply underperformed during its first — and now only — season. If you missed the show, enjoy this killer rendition of “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” from the trailer.


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Netflix’s Ultraman: Rising debuts June 14th.

For a while now, we’ve known Netflix’s Ultraman: Rising from directors Shannon Tindle and John Aoshima was slated to debut some time this year for, but the animated film’s finally a proper June 14th release date.


Verizon is bundling Netflix with AMC Plus now, too.

The new bundle comes with Netflix’s ad-free Premium plan and AMC Plus for a price of $25.99 / month (saving you $5.99 if you were to subscribe to both services separately). It’s only available to Verizon customers who combine “select” home internet and select 5G mobile plans now through March 31st.

Verizon started offering a $10 / month Netflix and Max bundle last year, furthering its bet on becoming a streaming middleman.


Image: Verizon
In 2023, everyone was shopping around on streaming services.

That’s according to data analytics firm Antenna, which reported that streaming subs grew year-over-year in 2023 — albeit more slowly than previous years — but cancellations were up by 36.2 million versus 2022, and weren’t far behind the number of new subscribers.

That much churn isn’t surprising, given all the rate hikes and crackdowns on password sharing.


A graph showing streaming service growth over four years, from 2019 to 2023.
Growth, yes, but also churn.
Image: Antenna
AT&T tried to get Game of Thrones to Go 90.

Before 3 Body Problem premieres this spring on Netflix, WSJ Magazine dug into David Benioff and D.B. Weiss to discuss this new book-to-TV adaptation and, of course, their last one too.

They reveal AT&T execs asked if GoT could be shot vertically for phones and discussed making “snackable” mini-episodes (like, quick bites, you might say). They also said an idea to end Thrones with three movies instead of 13 episodes split across two seasons was rejected, apparently with a reminder that HBO doesn’t stand for “Away Box Office.”


Three men seated on a bench, the one in the center is smilin directly at the camera as the other two look elsewhere.
D.B. Weiss (left) and David Benioff (center) with former “True Blood” writer Alexander Woo (right).
Image: Chantal Anderson for WSJ. Magazine

For Netflix’s live-action Avatar to work, Zuko had to find his heart a little faster

Avatar: The Last Airbender actor Dallas Liu opens up about turning to YouTube and co-star Paul Sun-Hyung Lee to figure out who the new Prince Zuko really is.

Avatar: The Last Airbender is everything that’s disappointing about Netflix’s live-action cartoon shows

Netflix’s live-action Avatar has its heart in the right place, but its pacing and uneven performances leave a lot to be desired.

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The final trailer for Netflix’s live-action Avatar is a VFX bonanza.

We’re only a few days out from the premiere of Netflix’s live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender, and the series’ final trailer gives us our best look yet at what sort of VFX-heavy action set pieces the streamer has cooked up for the Gaang.


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Your next Pokémon vacation is on the way.

Netflix has announced that new episodes of Pokémon Concierge are in production. Pokémon Concierge is a too-cute-by-half stop-motion show that lets ‘mons take a well-deserved break from all the brutal prizefighting.

Here’s hoping Mariya Takeuchi returns with another bop for season 2.


Nielsen stats show YouTube and Netflix dominating US TV streaming.

YouTube was the most-watched streaming option over the past 12 months, according to data from Nielsen. In January, YouTube accounted for 8.6 percent of usage in the US, followed by Netflix at 7.9 percent. That’s more than the next eight services combined.

Separately, YouTube says users around the world watched over 1 billion hours of content on the site’s TV app every day, while creators saw a 400 percent increase in watch time on TVs.


Image: Nielsen
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Here’s a full-length Netflix movie on YouTube.

Nimona is one of those films that just makes you grin when its over. It’s got charisma in spades and is an excellent, if long overdue, adaptation of graphic novel with the same name. Nimona comes from ND Stevenson, the cartoonist and creator of the similarly excellent She-Ra and the Princesses of Power.

And now if you’re too lazy to log into your Netflix account, or don’t even have one to begin with, you can watch the whole movie on YouTube!


The Umbrella Academy’s fourth and final season drops on August 8th.

We’re still a few months out from the premiere of The Umbrella Academy ‘s fourth and final season, but we now know that the show’s due back on August 8th thanks to this set of style-focused posters from Netflix.


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How to slay your dragon.

The latest trailer for Netflix’s Damsel has dangerous dragons, elaborate fantasy costumes, and Millie Bobby Brown getting tossed off a bridge. Which is to say: it looks like a blast. And the movie starts streaming pretty soon, hitting Netflix on March 8th.


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Netflix teases us with 48 seconds of F1: Drive to Survive.

Season six of Netflix’s Formula 1 docuseries (that all of the others are trying to copy) arrives on February 23rd, ready to recap last season’s action (and inevitable ending) that set up the offseason madness racing fans are currently dealing with.

We’ll see if it has any hints about Lewis Hamilton’s upcoming Ferrari switch, Guenther Steiner’s exit from Haas, or whatever is being investigated about Christian Horner. In the meantime, has anyone watched the NASCAR attempt, Full Speed?


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Netflix’s next sports docuseries follows the Boston Red Sox.

The streamer is planning to debut a new docuseries in 2025 that features “unprecedented access to Red Sox players, coaches, and executives” during the 2024 season. Later this year, Netflix will also release a documentary about the Red Sox’s 2004 season, which led to the team’s historic World Series win.


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Netflix continues to build out its 2024 lineup.

The streamer has been slowly revealing its slate of streaming TV and films, and now the focus is on Koreaa market where Netflix is investing quite a bit. Among this year’s Korean originals are new seasons of Squid Game, Sweet Home, and Hellbound; the historical drama Uprising, co-written by Oldboy’s Park Chan-wook; and a reality show where influencers compete “to find the one true content creator who generates the biggest buzz — by any means necessary.”