In what’s becoming a strangely bespoke trend, Netflix licensing Paramount Plus exclusives rooted in the supernatural has happened twice in the space of the last few days, leaving us curious to see if School Spirits will enjoy the same stellar start as Monster High: The Movie.
The similarities don’t even end there, though, with the former being renewed for a second season at its home platform ahead of its migration to Netflix in certain markets, whereas the latter has already spawned a sequel that premiered on Paramount Plus at the beginning of the month.
The working relationship is clearly reaping dividends and rewards, given that FlixPatrol has named Monster High: The Movie as the fifth most-watched feature on the global charts following its debut this past Friday having conquered the Top 10 in 44 countries worldwide.
That makes it the biggest non-original available to subscribers everywhere, with the family-friendly musical fantasy horror comedy only being outpaced by Chris Evans’ and Emily Blunt’s tedious Pain Hustlers, erotic thriller Burning Betrayal, supernatural horror sequel Sister Death, the risible Old Dads, which is undeniably impressive considering its been available to watch elsewhere – and on home video – for well over a year.
When you factor in how the drip-feeding of HBO originals have fared since they too began making their way over to Netflix, too, perhaps playing nice is in the company’s best interests. Of course, in-house productions will always be the priority, but the odd legacy title here and there has worked wonders for viewership and engagement.