"You're Not Ready for What's Next." That's the slogan that Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria stood before during the streamer's 75-minute presentation of the 2025 slate of programming at the Egyptian Theater in Los Angeles. The slogan serves not only as PR hype but also as a nod to the platform's ability to introduce unexpected global hits like "Squid Game," "Baby Reindeer," and "The Night Agent."
Bajaria emphasized the company's commitment to original content by referencing a New York Times video essay titled "Is Creativity Dead?" which critiques Hollywood's dependence on sequels, reboots, and spinoffs. "It's easy to try and imitate what's already worked," she noted. "But that's a trap. Audiences don't want the same thing all the time. Neither do creators. So we don't, either."
A compelling "hero video" further reinforced this message, featuring an office worker who, upon opening Netflix, is transported into scenes from the streamer's biggest original hits, including "Stranger Things," "Love Is Blind," "Black Mirror," and "Emily in Paris" - all of which will return in 2025. The presentation also featured Ben Affleck introducing a teaser for "Rip," a gritty crime thriller produced by Artists Equity, his company with Matt Damon.
"We've found some really exciting partners who are really interested in not just what has been but what could be at Netflix," Affleck said.
The Duffer brothers took the stage to preview the final season of "Stranger Things" while teasing two upcoming Netflix projects: "The Boroughs," about seniors battling the supernatural in a retirement community, and "Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen," a horror series set in the week leading up to a wedding.
"If you want to tell original stories like we do, this is really the place to be," Ross Duffer remarked.
Bajaria further emphasized Netflix's expansive definition of originality, saying, "With more than 700 million people watching, we can't just be one thing. We need to be the best version of everything." The extensive 2025 lineup includes over 190 global titles spanning scripted and unscripted content, live events, and games. Tudum, Netflix's fan event, will also return on May 31, streaming live from Los Angeles.
Despite the celebratory nature of the event, Bajaria appeared to address critics who question Netflix's approach. "I know some people say you can't make quality TV or film if you do more than four titles a year," she said. "But we can, and we do - plus a whole lot more." She also dismissed claims that Netflix doesn't invest in prestige TV, stating, "The only thing we do know is that a lot of people who brag about making prestige TV have a very narrow audience. Netflix is different. With an audience as big as ours, we've never tried to be famous for just one thing."
While Netflix has historically distanced itself from traditional industry practices, its growing embrace of established properties - from WWE and "Cobra Kai" to "Happy Gilmore 2" and Guillermo del Toro's "Frankenstein" - indicates a strategy of blending the familiar with the new.
Comedian John Mulaney humorously encapsulated this paradox while announcing his new weekly talk show, "Everybody's Live in L.A." "We will have a host in a suit taking calls from viewers," he joked. "It's Netflix's commitment to embracing the 20th century. There is absolutely nothing new about what I'm doing but, by taking a lot of elements other people have already done and doing them out of order, it feels new and that's what's important."
Tags: netflix, stranger things
