You’ve heard of Shark Week. Now get ready for Netflix’s Geeked Week.
Like the streaming giant’s very own Comic-Con (without the comics) or the video game-centric E3 (without the video games), the idea is for Netflix to host its own multi-day event where it can share information about properties that are likely to create buzz among the, well, geekier end of the Netflix-viewing fanbase.
Think Masters of the Universe: Revelation, The Sandman, The Witcher, The Cuphead Show, and The Umbrella Academy.
News, Trailers, Favorite Stars
It will run from June 7-11, and feature “a wide array of exclusive news, new trailers, live art, drop-ins from your favorite stars and much more.”
In a press release, Netflix asks if fans are “ready to get geeked?” It continues:
Over the years, Netflix has been lucky enough to inspire loyal followings for series and films like Stranger Things, Castlevania, The Old Guard and many more.
But these fandoms aren’t just about making GIFs, buying merch or theorizing about the next big twist(s). They’re about sharing excitement and connecting with people from all over the world who hold the same passion for those characters and stories.
Netflix Geeked, Netflix’s home for all things genre entertainment, wants to celebrate these communities and bring them together.
Staging its own event is a smart move when it comes to being able to tell the story Netflix wants to about its upcoming properties. It’s a bit like the way Apple stages its own media events, including its weeklong Worldwide Developers Conference—which, incidentally, takes place the same week. This allows Apple (and, now, Netflix) to disseminate its messages at its own pace, without having to worry about every rival company trying to use the same event to get the word out about its own content.
The First-Ever Geeked Week
Netflix’s first-ever Geeked Week is entirely virtual and completely free. The company has launched a website, GeekedWeek.com, for the event. Currently, that website redirects to Netflix’s news announcement about the week, but presumably will eventually be home to all of the content mentioned above.
Whether there will be some kind of stage presentation remains to be seen. Although there’s been no mention of it, there might even be the possibility that Netflix will make an announcement regarding its rumored expansion into video games. That would certainly fit in terms of the audience.
It will be interesting to see whether, in future, Netflix makes this into a live annual event with an actual audience. Presumably, much will depend on the success of this year’s inaugural Geeked Week.