Netflix execs love to splash the cash. According to Forbes, the streaming giant’s budget for 2026 is about $20 billion. Additionally, the streamer authorized up to $25 billion in repurchases. Not to forget that the company recently made an unsuccessful $83 billion bid for part of Warner Bros. Discovery. Clearly, money isn’t a problem. Spending it correctly is the challenge. For example, Netflix once spent $11 million an episode on The Get Down, a show that’s still obscure.
Was this a bad investment? Sure! Considering that 2017’s The Get Down wasn’t a hit. However, it’s a brilliant show with a marvelous cast, great story, and a soundtrack that’ll keep replaying in your head. Considering that the series is a musical drama, one might argue that the budget should have been much lower. If it were an historical epic, a fantasy drama, a sci-fi adventure, or a superhero thriller, the spending would have made more sense. So, how did The Get Down cost Netflix so much to make?
Netflix Chose To Support Baz Luhrmann’s Vision
The Get Down is set in the 1970s in the Bronx borough of New York City. It covers the rise of hip-hop and disco music, seen through the eyes of a few teenagers. The show was created by Baz Luhrmann, known for his opulent, artistic style. The word “economical” has always been alien to him, and no one expected him to take a different approach here. The Australian Oscar-winning filmmaker’s body of work includes Moulin Rouge!, The Great Gatsby, and Elvis. Given his resume, even at the time, Netflix chose to fully support his vision for the musical drama series. Consequently, it ended up being one of the most expensive shows ever made.
According to Yahoo Finance, much of the projected budget of $11 million per episode went into visual effects, music rights, and set design. Because the plot centers on the birth of hip hop and disco music, it was important to secure the rights to multiple iconic 1970s songs. Original music by hip hop legends like Grandmaster Flash and Nas was also featured. Add the neatly-choreographed dance numbers for each episode, and you have quite the budget.
The cost per episode ballooned even further to an alleged $16 million per episode because of filming shutdowns, staff turnover, and script rewrites. Because of numerous production pauses, the series earned the nickname “The Shut Down” behind the scenes. In today’s money, that’s roughly $21 million per episode. The cost proved too much for Netflix, and the show was axed after just one season. Besides that, filming on location in New York City is known to be expensive. Even when tax credits are factored in, the cost required to build elaborate sets that recaptured the Bronx feel of the 1970s required a lot of money. Eventually, Netflix realized that, for many reasons, producing the musical drama just wasn’t a tenable endeavor. The streamer thus settled for a single chapter.
‘The Get Down’ Isn’t Flashy for Nothing
Big-budget productions can easily become more about style than remembering to also account for substance. In fact, Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby arguably fell victim to this. Despite great visuals, stunning costume designs, and Leonardo DiCaprio’s great performance, the movie isn’t all that memorable. However, The Get Down wasn’t all flair.
The show’s narration by legendary rapper Nas is the first thing that catches your attention. He reminds us why he is one of the greatest lyricists of all time, demonstrating a strong understanding of hip hop history. Strong performances complement this beautiful narration. Everyone puts in great work, but familiar stars like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Wonder Man) and Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad) shine brighter than the rest.
Once again, Baz Luhrmann reminded us why he is the king of color. Thanks to him, the show feels like a perfect million-dollar painting, with a welcoming look that makes 1970s New York feel like a fun place to play freely. Unlike countless other prestige dramas, there is no gritty, bleak feel to The Get Down​​​​​​. The vivid color palette immerses you in a world that you never feel like leaving. Even better, plenty of historical footage is used, creating an almost documentary-like feel.
Above all, the soundtrack remains the show’s engine. Each episode brilliantly captures the emerging friction between the waning disco days and the birth of underground hip hop, revealing how the era’s culture helped drive things in a different direction. For a music fan, The Get Down is nirvana. But even if you don’t care about hip hop and disco, you’ll love the romance and friendship arcs. You’ll also find yourself learning a lot about Black culture.
- Release Date
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2016 – 2017-00-00
- Network
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Netflix
