Netflix may acquire unreleased Disney thriller destined for streaming

Netflix is on the verge of acquiring a new movie from Disney's 20th Century Studios, a report claims, a transaction that would see the thriller debut on Netflix's own platform. Called The Woman in the Window, the movie directed by Joe Wright stars Amy Adams — and it is, sadly, the last book adaptation from the Fox 2000 division Disney shut down after acquiring Fox.

News of the alleged deal comes from Deadline, which reports that Netflix is currently finalizing the agreement that will score it The Woman in the Window from 20th Century Studios. The movie, which is described as a drama and a thriller, revolves around an agoraphobic lead character named Dr. Anna Fox who accidentally sees something she wasn't meant to while spying on the neighbors.

The movie is based on the novel with the same name from author AJ Finn; the screenplay was written by Tracy Letts and the movie includes actors Gary Oldman and Julianne Moore in leading roles. The movie was produced by Fox 2000 Pictures and, according to the new report, it will be released by Netflix rather than in theaters.

It's easy to see why Disney would part ways with the title, assuming the report pans out. The movie industry is in shambles at the moment with repeated delays caused by closures and other pandemic-related issues. When cinemas finally do reopen, a flood of existing and upcoming titles will be competing for prime slots, giving consumers an overabundance of content to watch.

Streaming services are an obvious alternative for a movie that won't get a traditional theatrical release in these odd times, but Disney+ isn't the ideal home for a dramatic thriller made for adults. Netflix, however, already offers a substantial amount of content in the genre and could easily slot the movie in with its existing offerings.

Scoring an unreleased theatrical movie of this caliber would be a big win for Netflix, which, like other streaming services, is seeing massive streaming numbers as many people practice social distancing.