Martin Scorsese's 3-and-a-half hour Netflix film 'The Irishman' is heading to Aussie cinemas, along with 3 other movies from the streaming giant

• Netflix is releasing four of its films in Australian cinemas before they are available for streaming.

• Martin Scorsese's "The Irishman" along with "Marriage Story", "The Two Popes" and "The King" will be released in select Aussie cinemas later this year.

• They follow a string of Netflix films that have had theatrical releases over the years, including the Oscar-nominated "Roma".

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Don't get too comfortable watching Netflix at home.

The streaming giant is set to release four of its films in Australian cinemas this year: "The Irishman", "Marriage Story", "The Two Popes" and "The King".

A Netflix spokesperson told Business Insider Australia in an email that the company released about 30 films theatrically a year for the past few years in the US, most of them were day-and-date releases while some were pre-released in theatres. The spokesperson added that this year, 20 Netflix films – including documentaries – have already had theatrical releases in the US.

Theatrical releases give Netflix films and filmmakers a chance to contend in awards and ceremonies. For example, for a film to be eligible for an Oscar, one of the requirements is that it has to have a theatrical release. Netflix's Roma - which also screened on Australian theatres - went on to win three Oscars including Best Foreign Language Film, Best Directing and Best Cinematography.

Martin Scorsese's gangster film, "The Irishman", stars Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci. It's a tale of orgainsed crime in post-war America through the eyes of a WW2 veteran and hitman Frank Sheeran (De Niro). The film debuted at this year's New York Film Festival and goes for an epic three and a half hours.

Scorsese praised Netflix for agreeing to take up the monumental $US160 million film - which has scored 100% on Rotten Tomatoes - after he had been trying for years to get it made together with De Niro and Pacino, Vox reported.

The Irishman is set to be released in cinemas on November 7 before debuting on Netflix on November 27.

"The Two Popes" - starring Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce - tells of the transition of power between Pope Benedict and Pope Francis. It was directed by Frenando Meirelles, who received an Oscar nomination for "City of God" and will screen in theatres on December 5 before going up on Netflix on December 20.

Netflix's "The King", which stars Robert Pattinson, Timothee Chalamet and Joel Edgerton is set to be released in Aussie cinemas this Friday 11 October and on Netflix on November 1. It tells the story of a wayward prince who is crowned King Henry V when his father dies.

And rounding out the Netflix films heading to the big screen in Australia is "Marriage Story", starring Golden Globe winner Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver, who stars as Kylo Ren in the "Star Wars" franchise. The film, which tells the story of a marriage breaking down, hits cinemas on November 14 before going on Netflix on December 6.

All of the movies will be screened at the Lido, Classic and Cameo cinemas in Melbourne, the Dendy Cooparoo and Dendy Portside in Brisbane, the Dendy in Canberra, the Dendy Opera Quays, Dendy Newtown and The Ritz in Sydney and the Blacklot in Perth.

Netflix is no stranger to screening its films in cinemas. In 2018 it had theatrical releases for "Bird Box", "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs", "Mowgli" and Alfonso Cuaron's "Roma", The Verge reported, with several more planned in 2019.

Netflix isn't the only streaming service to have theatrical releases. Stan has added "The True History of the Kelly Gang", starring Russell Crowe, to its lineup of original films. The film spans the younger years of Ned Kelly's life leading up to his death and will screen in cinemas and on Stan this summer.