Netflix Beasts of No Nation streaming stats

Beasts of No Nation was Netflix’s first foray into original film distribution. Though its box office numbers were weak, albeit in a very limited release, a peak at its streaming numbers are promising.

Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s head of content acquisition, told Deadline the Idris Elba-starred feature has been streamed more than 3 million times in North America since its Oct. 16 release. “I think [it’s] a bigger audience than any specialty film could ever hope for, in its first two weeks of release, and maybe for its entire run. And we’re just starting,” Sarandos said. “We are just thrilled with the total audience reach of this film, not just in North America, but the world.”

Sarandos did not provide additional statistics — and the notoriously hush Netflix declined to provide more information — but he added Beasts, helmed by Cary Fukunaga, was the No. 1 streamed movie in all of the streaming giant’s territories, including “Japan, Brazil, Mexico, places where these films typically never even open,” he adds.

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Read the rest of Sarandos’ Q&A at Deadline.

Catch an interview with Elba and Fukunaga above.