Netflix turned down an offer to buy 2024’s Harold and the Purple Crayon.
Harold and the Purple Crayon was released in United States theaters in August 2024. Based on the 1955 children’s book of the same name by Crockett Johnson, the film, which was distributed by Sony Pictures, was directed by Carlos Saldanha and stars Zachary Levi.
According to Bloomberg, studio executives at Sony Pictures contacted Netflix with an offer to purchase the distribution rights to the movie from them in the months leading up to its release.
“Sony executives liked the film just fine, but they worried it would fail to break through competing against two other blockbuster animated films, Inside Out 2 and Despicable Me 4, according to people familiar with the matter,” the article reads.
Why didn’t Netflix want to purchase Harold and the Purple Crayon?
Netflix, however, reportedly wasn’t interested in purchasing the film due to the company’s recently adopted business strategy.
“Other studios’ leftovers don’t fit into the new strategy being developed by Dan Lin, who took over as Netflix’s film chairman earlier this year,” the article states.
Harold and the Purple Crayon was not a box office smash over the summer, as it made approximately $29.2 million at the global box office off an estimated $40 million budget. It finished sixth at the box office, trailing behind Deadpool & Wolverine, Twisters, Trap, Despicable Me 4, and Inside Out 2, most of which had been playing in United States theaters for weeks prior.
Along with Levi, Harold and the Purple Crayon stars Lil Rel Howery, Zooey Deschanel, Jemaine Clement, Tanya Reynolds, Alfred Molina, and Ravi Patel. The screenplay was written by David Guion and Michael Handelman.
Harold and the Purple Crayon is currently available to rent or purchase on streaming platforms such as Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, and more.
