Elizabeth Olsen Draws the Line: No to Streaming-Only Movies
Elizabeth Olsen draws the line at streaming-only releases, embracing the big screen’s communal energy while staying open to films that hit platforms after a theatrical run.
Streaming and theaters have been circling each other like exes who still share a dog, and Elizabeth Olsen has thoughts about who gets custody. Short version: she really wants her movies to touch a big screen before they live on your couch.
Where things stand with streaming vs. theatrical
Studios and streamers have settled into a weird middle ground lately. Netflix will give some of its Originals a tiny theatrical window and then pull them home. Apple and Amazon regularly back filmmakers, put the movies in theaters, and then slide them onto their platforms. But plenty of projects are made for streaming from day one — and even legacy brands aren’t sacred. We’ve seen franchise pillars like Beverly Hills Cop and Happy Gilmore head straight to streaming. Meanwhile, big stars like Mark Wahlberg and Adam Sandler are perfectly happy making platform-exclusive movies as part of their deals.
Olsen wants a real audience, not just an algorithm
Olsen told InStyle (via Deadline) that she’s not against a streamer picking up an indie, but she doesn’t want the streaming endpoint baked in from the start. Her reasoning is pretty simple: people should get to experience movies together, in a room, with actual other humans. She even likened it to the energy of sports fandom — the communal buzz matters.
'If a movie is made independently and only sells to a streamer, then fine. But I don’t want to make something where that’s the end-all. I think it’s important for people to gather as a community, to see other humans, be together in a space. That’s why I like sports. I think it’s really powerful for people to come together for something that they’re excited about.'
MCU status: on a break, not a breakup
Right now she’s stepping away from Marvel to make smaller films — think The Assessment — but she’s not done with Wanda Maximoff. She describes superhero moviemaking as delightfully ridiculous (flying around, pretending to fire energy from your hands), and after a decade with the character, she misses Wanda when she steps away. If Marvel calls, she’d jump back into the Scarlet Witch’s boots.
Next up: an A24 rom-com with an existential wobble
Olsen’s next release is Eternity, an A24 romantic comedy that smuggles in an existential crisis. It’s pitched as a fresher spin on the classic love triangle, with Olsen alongside Miles Teller and Callum Turner. For a company better known for beautiful nightmares, this sounds like a tonal curveball — in a good way.
- Title: Eternity
- Stars: Elizabeth Olsen, Miles Teller, Callum Turner
- Vibe: Rom-com with an existential twist; a different angle on the love triangle
- Director: David Freyne (he made 2020’s Dating Amber)
- Producers: A24 with Star Thrower Entertainment
- Executive producers: Elizabeth Olsen and Miles Teller
Bottom line: in a world where even name-brand franchises go straight to your living room, Olsen is planting a flag for movies that at least get a taste of the big screen — and then, sure, stream away.