'The Harder They Fall' producers say they chose Netflix for their Black western due to 'built-in biases' with theatrical releases

• "The Harder They Fall" starring Idris Elba and Regina King lands on Netflix on October 22.
• The film's producers told Insider that Netflix was the best place for their film because of "built-in" racial biases in the traditional studio system.
• "There are these built-in biases like, 'No one wants to see an all-Black cast,'" James Lassiter told Insider.

The producers of Netflix's new A-list, all-Black Western "The Harder They Fall" have said the streamer was the best studio for their film because of "built-in" racial biases in theatrical releases by traditional studios.

The film's director Jeymes Samuel and producer James Lassiter were asked by Insider why they decided to take their film to the popular streamer at a press conference for the film before its premiere at the London Film Festival Wednesday.

"If we're going to tell a story like this with this cast, the goal is to have as many people around the world have access to it," Lassiter, who produced the film alongside Jay-Z, said.

"And sometimes when you do a theatrical release there are these built-in biases like, 'No one wants to see an all-Black cast.' I know for a fact that's not true but in certain territories around the world they will tell studios 'this movie is not for us.' And they're not really in-tuned with how the young generation feels. So what Netflix allows is around the world, everyone has access to it, and we will have as many people as possible see the movie and that was the goal."

London-born filmmaker Samuel continued to say that he doesn't make movies for "people to watch on their phones, not even their iPads" but Netflix has the power to bring cinema around the world in a way that has never been possible.

"Everyone can experience the same thing at the same time. Netflix blasts it all around the world at once. You can't ask for a better place," he said.

"I don't know whether another studio would have made 'The Harder They Fall' to this level and embraced it. Netflix doubled down and in a pandemic when all films were getting shut down. Netflix doubled down. They went super, super hard."

"The Harder They Fall" boasts an A-list cast, including Idris Elba, Regina King, Jonathan Majors, and LaKeith Stanfield.

The film - which is based on the lives of real-life Black figures from American history - centers on Nat Love (Majors), an African American cowboy and former slave in the period following the American civil war, who seeks revenge against Rufus Buck (Elba) - the man who murdered his parents.

"The Harder They Fall" debuts on Netflix on October 22.