Netflix Doubles Down On Interactive Stories With Trivia Show ‘Cat Burglar’
Christian Hetrick is dot.LA's Entertainment Tech Reporter. He was formerly a business reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer and reported on New Jersey politics for the Observer and the Press of Atlantic City.
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Netflix has released a new cartoon that blurs the line between TV and video games—the latest move in its push into gaming and interactive storytelling.
The streaming giant this week unveiled “Cat Burglar,” a Looney Tunes-style cartoon in which viewers must correctly answer trivia questions with the click of a cursor in order to advance the story. The cartoon has an average run time of 15 minutes, but with more than 90 minutes of animation to work with, Netflix hopes viewers will replay the title multiple times to watch unseen sequences.
“Cat Burglar” comes from the creators of Netflix’s biggest interactive film to date, “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch.” That 2018 movie let viewers make decisions for the sci-fi film’s characters, taking them down different plot paths toward various endings. “Cat Burglar” is more game-like— with viewers controlling whether the cat in question survives the scene and advances to the next, much like levels in a video game.
More interactive titles from Netflix are on the way, according to The Verge. Netflix representatives did not respond to requests for comment.
“The idea that you can interact with the content is something that we are exploring across all genres, all types of things,” Andy Weil, Netflix’s vice president of comedy and interactive, told The Verge.
Interactive stories are not the only way that Netflix—which has a huge footprint in Los Angeles—is expanding beyond traditional movies and shows. In November, the company launched video games for mobile devices, including titles that used intellectual property from Netflix originals like “Stranger Things.”
Cat Burglar | Official Trailer | Netflix
Christian Hetrick is dot.LA's Entertainment Tech Reporter. He was formerly a business reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer and reported on New Jersey politics for the Observer and the Press of Atlantic City.
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