What should we expect from the new Netflix programming? The new contents will be unveiled at the two-day event in Rome.

This year the Netflix executives have chosen Rome as a location for See What’s Next. The annual event in which the new contents of the platform will be presented to the international press will take place in the Capital on April 18 and 19, 2018. It will also be an opportunity for Netflix executives to clarify their position in the audiovisual sector and to explain their quarrel with the Cannes festival. In fact, a rule imposed by the Festival it was stated that the films presented at Cannes could not be streamed in France for the next three years. The battle between Netflix and Cannes perfectly reflects the struggle between traditional media (cinema) and new platforms, which has intensified over the last few years: both the two parties could benefit from collaborating with each other, but none of them is willing to give anything up to do it.

The streaming platform has already reached 125 million subscribers worldwide and plans to increase in particular the production of original works. See What’s Next, therefore, has become a not-to-be-missed appointment for all those working in the sector. During the two-day event in Rome, besides unveiling the new programming, the line of work within the new scenario of new agreements signed by competitors in the last months will surely be discussed. The risk now lies upon the possibility of becoming, from a revolutionary idea in the sector to a traditionalist media: we will need to figure out if the increase in productions will actually benefit the streaming platform.

Meanwhile, some information has already been anticipated about what could be the contents presented during the panels. As for the TV series, there are great expectations for the original Danish series, The Rain, and the Italian Suburra 2 and Baby. As for the feature films, however, surely Netflix will give a big boost to documentaries, but many doubts remain on what will be the titles of the films presented. Are we to expect films that should have been in Cannes? Or new titles signed by important authors like Martin Scorsese? With all these questions to be answered, we can only hope for What’s Next to shed some light on them.