By Laura D.C. Kolnoski
FORT MONMOUTH – Netflix House is an immersive consumer experience from the streaming and entertainment giant.
The public can visit the first two permanent installations next year in vacant mall department stores in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, and the Galleria in Dallas, Texas.
Netflix announced the new attraction June 20 and described it as “an experiential entertainment venue that will bring some of our most beloved titles to life.” Both sites will span more than 100,000 square feet, and the King of Prussia location will include a theater for screenings and live performances. According to a press release, the company chose the locations as they are “two of the most popular shopping centers in America, boasting hundreds of retailers, high foot traffic, and proximity to major cities.”
“We’ve launched more than 50 experiences in 25 cities, and Netflix House represents the next generation of our distinctive offerings,” said Marian Lee, Netflix’s chief marketing officer. “The venues will bring our beloved stories to life in new, ever-changing, and unexpected ways. At Netflix House, you can enjoy regularly updated immersive experiences, indulge in retail therapy, and get a taste of your favorite Netflix series and films through unique food and drink offerings.”
It’s the next step in consumer engagement for Netflix, which has hosted pop-up and temporary events focused on the popular series “Stranger Things,” including a prequel stage play; “The Queen’s Ball: A Bridgerton Experience”; The Perfect Bite, a dinner inspired by “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”; and an “Army of the Dead Ultimate Zombie Battle” in Las Vegas. Other fan participation experiences were based on “Squid Game” and “Money Heist.”
“When you’re a fan of a movie or TV show, you don’t just love it, you want to live it,” said Josh Simon, Netflix vice president of Consumer Products, in a televised interview last week, noting that the company has already purchased movie theaters in Los Angeles and New York.
Might the prototype depicted in the rendering with this article, supplied by Netflix, be part of the company’s planned 12-soundstage production studio complex at Fort Monmouth? A source close to Netflix would neither confirm nor deny a Netflix House is part of those plans last week, but it would be allowed under the pending contract with the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority (FMERA).
Netflix’s redevelopment plan for almost 300 acres of fort property in Eatontown and Oceanport describes “buildings and structures for the sale, display, and/or rentals of goods; studio tours, theatrical performances, public film screenings/theaters, and/or experiences related to motion picture, television, and broadcast studios.” A helipad and hotel are also permitted uses.
Last year, a Netflix spokesperson told The Two River Times, “The immediate plans for consumer experiences at Fort Monmouth include public screenings of Netflix shows and movies,” and that a theme part is not part of the plans.
Netflix has signed a Purchase and Sale and Redevelopment Agreement with FMERA and is currently navigating a 36-month period involving reviews and approvals by local, county and state agencies. Closure on the property isn’t expected until 2027. Estimates are it will take Netflix at least seven years to complete the studio complex. Some operations, however, could commence earlier, FMERA officials have said.
“Netflix’s substantial direct investment will stimulate job creation and spark an entirely new ecosystem of housing, hotels, and ancillary businesses and services, bringing with it countless additional jobs and boosting the regional economy,” Gov. Phil Murphy has said. “As a result of nearly a billion dollars in film production spending, New Jersey will further solidify its status as an emerging national leader in the television and film industries.”
Murphy signed the New Jersey Film and Digital Media Tax Credit program into law in 2018 to encourage film and television studios and productions to choose New Jersey. Several entertainment production studios are already operating throughout the state with others of varying sizes on the way, including Lionsgate in Newark.
Netflix plans to commit $848 million in capital investments to develop the parcel – adjacent to Route 35 and along both sides of Route 537 through the fort – into nearly 500,000 square feet of new development. The remainder of the property is slated for backlots and supporting uses and amenities.
American malls aren’t the only locales on Netflix’s radar. In Malaysia, the company filmed the second season of its series “The Mole” and other productions in an empty mall in Forest City, an unfinished mixed-use complex.
The article originally appeared in the July 11 – July 17, 2024 print edition of The Two River Times.
