Tommy Wiseau says Netflix turned down an offer to add The Disaster Artist. The latter movie is available on Netflix in the U.S. and depicts much of the behind-the-scenes process that led to The Room's creation.
But despite the success of The Disaster Artist and James Franco's memorable performance as Wiseau, The Room exists on its own plane of entertainment. Watching it is an entirely different experience from The Disaster Artist, a real, polished Hollywood production. Netflix accepted Franco's adaptation into its streaming universe, but would not do the same for the disaster that inspired it.
As The Room into a Broadway play, giving fans a chance to experience the story in person.
Though his most famous creation isn't on Netflix, Wiseau himself is - as "Henry" in The Disaster Artist. In order to acquire the rights to depict Wiseau's life on screen, Franco agreed to let Wiseau have a cameo in The Disaster Artist in a post-credits scene. In the cameo, Wiseau shows up with shorter hair and glasses but speaks in his familiar voice at a rooftop party. He approaches Franco, portraying Wiseau, and the two have an appropriately bizarre back-and-forth.
Despite making his presence felt in The Disaster Artist and on Netflix, Wiseau may never produce anything remotely as noteworthy as The Room. It's surprising it's not available on any streaming services, but there are possible logical reasons. The Room's sex scenes, which are essentially softcore porn, could be giving companies pause. Netflix also attracts an audience that's used to high production values and competent filmmaking, so The Room's transcendent awfulness would probably baffle unsuspecting viewers that stumble upon it. Still, that doesn't take away from the movie's status as a cult classic and a tour de force of bad acting, incomprehensible writing, and inept direction. It's going to be hard to beat for the title of "best bad movie ever." Plus, devoted fans of The Room are likely willing to pay for the Blu-ray, anyway.
Source: Tommy Wiseau
