When it comes to the streaming giant Netflix, the list of books turned into movies stretches as far as the eye can see. Among them, while some hit the mark, others miss it entirely. And in this age-old trend in cinema, which has been going strong for over a century, Netflix is rolling out another adaptation. The Ballad of a Small Player, adapted from Lawrence Osborne's acclaimed 2014 novel of the same name, is about to be brought to life. While there was not much information available about the project until now, the Cannes Film Festival swooped in to save the day for eager fans awaiting the OTT project.

Amid the festival, Mike Goodridge narrated the story of how the concept for Netflix's The Ballad Of a Small Player took shape.

In an interview with Deadline, Mike Goodridge opened up about the first project he took on after stepping down as CEO of London's Protagonist Pictures- The Ballad Of a Small Player. He started working on the project because of his time in Macau, which is the story's original backdrop, said the former artistic director of the Macau Film Festival. Apparently, author Lawrence Osborne himself pitched the idea of turning the novel into a cinematic masterpiece to Goodridge.

The film producer was driven by his passion for telling stories that transcend borders and not just those centered on the UK. This led him to team up with filmmaker Edward Berger. "I’m really grateful he stuck by our project," said the former Screen International editor. He further shared that actor Colin Farrell, whom Goodridge thought was “perfect for the material”, came on board well before Netflix took charge of it. While the streaming giant is adapting interesting projects, it is also letting go of some. 

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Netflix recently lost a streaming war over a live-action adaptation, resulting in millions of dollars in losses.

Netflix had been negotiating to produce a live-action film based on He-Man and the Heart of Eternia showdown, Masters of Universe, for quite some time. However, according to Variety, the project has now officially moved to Amazon MGM studios, resulting in a loss of 30 million dollars. This news came right after Netflix announced its decision to take a step back from the heated streaming wars by ceasing the reporting of quarterly subscriber numbers.

As for Masters of Universe, Travis Knight will assume the director's role and Chris Butler will pen the screenplay for the beloved franchise. Todd Black and Robbie Brenner will produce the film together, with Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch rounding out the producing team. While Netflix may have lost this project, it is actively expanding its content offerings with a variety of exciting new shows and beloved cult favorites.

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What do you think about the upcoming Netflix project, The Ballad of a Small Player? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!