STREAMING SAVIOR

Star Explains How Netflix Saved His Iconic Show

The 57-year-old revealed the moment he realized Netflix was the future of television.

A skeptical Jason Bateman says it took one major Hollywood name to convince him that Netflix was the future. Speaking at Netflix’s “FYSEE Unplugged: Jason Bateman Retrospective,” the actor, 57, recalled initially dismissing the streaming giant’s interest in reviving Arrested Development after Fox canceled the cult comedy. “Are you talking about the company with the red envelopes and the DVDs?” Bateman remembered asking creator Mitchell Hurwitz. Bateman said his doubts vanished when acclaimed director David Fincher struck a massive deal with the company. “During the time we were thinking about it, that huge announcement that David Fincher just got $100 million in a two-season guarantee for House of Cards was like, ‘F---ing David Fincher is saying yes to Netflix?’” Bateman said, according to Variety. “That was just good enough for me and the rest of the industry. And off we went!” Bateman was reflecting on his career while promoting Netflix’s Black Rabbit, in which he stars opposite Jude Law as estranged brothers drawn back together by a family crisis.