Even as blockbuster franchises like the MCU break new box-office records every year, small-to-mid budget films struggle to attract an audience in theaters. That is why an increasingly larger number of comedies and dramas are going direct-to-streaming. In an interview with the L.A. Times, actor David Spade explained how Netflix offers a better space for his brand of cinema than theater halls.

"You can't compare [Netflix figures] to looking at the box office. That's like, 'Oh, you'll probably get another movie.' No one is aware of this. You don't get the fun of going out to dinner to celebrate. It's like a text that's like, "Congrats, you're No. 1 in the world!" There's no Yankee doodle dandy, running around the city feeling cool. But when you think about it and you go, OK, [Spade's Netflix comedy movie] The Wrong Missy had 59 million views in the first month. So if you say Grown Ups made $160 million and tickets are $16, what is that, 10 million people see it? Netflix movies are seeping in so deep to people in one day, instead of [doing] a movie and a press junket here and then we'd go to Europe and then it goes to HBO and then video. Tommy Boy, Joe Dirt - those movies didn't make that much, and then they seeped in through TBS or HBO."

Spade's reasoning is in line with where industry analysts see the future of streaming headed. Even before 2020's global lockdown drastically curtailed box-office activity, experts were predicting that cinemas would soon cater exclusively to big-budget movies that feature the kind of VFX spectacle that audiences want to see on the big screen, while smaller, more intimate movies can be enjoyed just as much on your laptop screen.

After 2020, streaming has actually overtaken movie theaters as the prime source of new film content for audiences. So unlike previous years when streaming platforms were looked down upon by Hollywood bigwigs, now the biggest studios and stars are eager for a piece of that VOD action. For Spade, who started out as a featured player on SNL, streaming allows for a more relaxed pace of work, although he wishes he could leave behind the reputation of not trying very hard in his roles.

"You're always going to be known for a couple of things. It's funny, because at SNL everyone was trying to find a hook. You're the angry guy, you're deadpan, you're the guy who does crazy characters. Let's say I'm a snarky Hollywood type. The funny thing is, the second you get a hook, you spend the rest of your career trying to get rid of it. But you can't beat it up forever. I just don't want people to think I'm not trying. I still try, whether it seems like it or not. Some people say, "You really walked through that last movie," and I say, "Unfortunately, I didn't. I wish I did." I do have sort of an attitude that looks like I don't try. But I do get nervous."

This news first appeared at The Los Angeles Times.