Before streaming services came onto the scene, being an action movie fan living outside the United States was a frustrating experience.
The movie would hit theaters in Los Angeles in June, make its way to London in July, and, after many months, would maybe get released in Jakarta or São Paulo. Or not at all. If you were interested in cult action movies from China or Hong Kong or in an Indonesian martial arts film, you either ordered the film on DVD from the US or waited for a midnight airing on a local TV station.
None of that is true anymore, as streaming platforms have redefined the art of distribution and benefited the highly globalized action genre more than any other.
In this article, we explore exactly how that transformation took place – from the collapsing windows to the new international audiences, the changes in production and licensing, and what it means for fans around the world.
The Long Wait Is Over
The history of the film distribution industry was a complex and tedious process. First, the movie would be premiered at the cinema, stay there for months before making its way to DVD stores, then go on to cable networks, and lastly, air on free-to-air TV networks. In practice, each of these stages was handled individually and separately in each country. This meant that people in different nations had completely different experiences with each movie, as it would take months for spoilers to reach them.
Streaming platforms have obliterated such delays. Now, Netflix movies like Extraction or The Old Guard debut simultaneously in over 190 countries. At the exact same second, someone in Bangkok clicks the play button as someone sitting in a different city – Toronto. Even major film studios reduced window periods drastically and started delivering movies online within just a few days of the theatrical release – on platforms such as Max, Disney+, and Peacock.
Action Cinema Without Borders
What is truly remarkable is not the rapidity of release windows but the sheer fact that international movies are available on the platform at all. As mentioned earlier, action cinema is the most globalized genre of them all; yet, before the advent of streaming, only Hollywood productions made their way overseas. But this trend has radically shifted in recent years.
South Korean action thrillers are consistently among the top 10 movies on various streaming platforms, and Indian movies like RRR became huge hits on streamers, introducing the world to Telugu action movies and even earning an Oscar nomination for its music score. Nowadays, you can choose between an Indonesian or a French thriller or a Nigerian action movie alongside a Hollywood blockbuster on the same menu.
A few forces made this possible:
- Subtitles and dubbing on a massive scale. Platforms have invested in the extensive localization of their catalog so that every movie is available in multiple languages, which removes the single biggest obstacle in the way of non-US action movies gaining popularity.
- Equal shelf space. On streaming platforms, Korean and Hollywood movies occupy the same amount of space on the menu, so users’ decisions aren’t influenced only by the size of marketing campaigns and budgets.
- Data-driven confidence. The data shows that Brazilian viewers are obsessed with South Korean action and that German people like Indian blockbusters, prompting streamers to order and produce more of these movies.
Thus, the global action audience is formed, and fans don’t view subtitles and dubbed scenes as a sign that they’ve stumbled upon some cult film; they become a normal part of the menu.
Streaming Money Changed What Gets Made
The effect described above wasn’t just about availability. Not only did the streamers start distributing action films, but they also began to create them as well, and on a massive scale.
Before streamers entered the field, the budgets of action films were rather limited, as it could be recouped by a theater showing only. However, the logic is broken when platforms measure their success by monthly subscribers rather than revenue from box office earnings. Consequently, a movie such as The Gray Man, which Netflix made for a sum of $200 million, appeared in the catalog of the platform almost instantly. The Road House remake and Citadel are some examples produced by Amazon.
Such a strategy opened up previously nonexistent market segments: mid-budget action films, which used to be the favorite of independent film studios but were overlooked by the major ones. Moreover, a stunt performer, a choreographer, and even an action director who had a project to offer to a producer had a much higher chance of succeeding due to the appearance of platforms willing to spend money on a decent movie without having to distribute it in theaters. For fans, this means that a broader range of action movies from a variety of regions and directors became available.
Discovery Replaced the Video Store Clerk
Availability is only the first step in reaching viewers. To engage fans, one needs to ensure that they know about the film and want to watch it – a task which recommendation algorithms helped complete perfectly.
As soon as a viewer watches John Wick and finishes the movie, he is prompted to continue his experience with a few action movies he wouldn’t have discovered otherwise. After enjoying gun fights in Hollywood movies, he might be interested in Korean movies of revenge, or after the survival movie, he might be suggested a Scandinavian disaster film. Thanks to streaming recommendations, the action films from the past decades are rediscovered by young fans. It’s thanks to the algorithm that a movie enters the catalog that viewers might stumble across and enjoy immensely, thus discovering an entire subgenre.
Of course, social media plays an important role here as well. A spectacular action movie trailer is shared on various forums all over the globe and watched instantly instead of waiting for a local theater screening. Hence, the time lag between seeing an announcement and watching the movie has virtually ceased to exist.
Regional Libraries, Licensing, and the Travel Problem
Even though streaming has improved movie accessibility greatly, it doesn’t mean that geographical barriers have disappeared completely. Licensing and agreements divide the globe into territories, and each movie may be unavailable in one of them depending on whether a certain country or broadcaster acquired it. Thus, for example, an action movie released in the US by Netflix can’t be accessed from another region due to copyright issues.
The problem becomes obvious when you travel. Once you subscribe to the service and binge-watch a couple of movies, you travel to another country and discover that these movies are not included in the library of the platform anymore. This is why so many people traveling prefer to install VPN software that allows them to connect via a proxy server located in their homeland. However, it’s recommended to consider the policies of the country you’re visiting and check if using VPNs is legal there.
Nevertheless, the fact remains that when the global premiere is the reality, region locking looks archaic. The pressure of the fans and changes in the market are leading producers to adopt worldwide rights deals for their movies and allow everyone to view them in every territory instantly.
What This Means for the Big Screen
Does streaming mean the end of action movies in theaters? Far from it. On the contrary, the opposite occurred: streamers took care of mid-budget products, and theatrical screenings doubled on big spectacles and action movies featuring breathtaking stunts and special effects. Top Gun: Maverick, the Mission: Impossible franchise, and the latest John Wick film showed us that the fans do go to the theater for action movies.
In such a scenario, the two mediums complement each other. First, the film gains popularity in the theater, then it debuts on the streamer, where the whole world catches it up, re-watches it, and recommends it to friends and family. In turn, the success in streaming can guarantee the sequel of the movie in theaters. So, it is no longer about choosing streaming or going to the cinema. Rather, it is about finding the right way for your movie.
Conclusion: A Better Time to Be an Action Fan
It’s hard to underestimate the power of streaming in the evolution of movie distribution. Not only does it enable immediate viewing, but it also makes the process of discovering new action movies accessible to anyone with the internet. Thus, the center of the action community has shifted from a handful of nations to the entire planet, where a movie in one territory is premiered in all of them.
Take advantage of it! Tonight, select something out of your usual niche on the streaming platform of your choice and enjoy it. Share it on your social media and talk about it on forums. Become a part of the global action community yourself and build it with other fans, one recommendation at a time.