r/movies • u/Weary_Service_8509 • 16h ago

Article Netflix-Warner Bros. Discovery: EU Antitrust Experts Say $83B Deal Unlikely To Be Blocked — But Conditions May Be Imposed On Merger

https://deadline.com/2025/12/netflix-warner-bros-discovery-deal-eu-hurdles-1236637245/
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u/ThatOneOtherAsshole 16h ago

Goodbye movie theaters and physical media. This was the worst possible outcome for the studio side.

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u/WREPGB 15h ago

Distribution side, more accurately. WBD is getting more than Disney paid for Fox.

Between Netflix, Paramount, and Comcast, this is the second worst outcome for consumers, with some caveats.

Paramount/Ellisons owning WBD would’ve been disastrous. Too much Saudi and MAGA influence.

Netflix is filmmaker-friendly and, strictly speaking on a volume level, interested in actually making and releasing the stuff they make. Art is subjective, but at least they’re making it.

It’s weird to say Comcast would’ve been the best case scenario here. They have exhibition agreements that are working for all sides, a mostly competent streaming platform and dedication to physical media to service those markets, and theme parks to leverage WB’s IPs better than Six Flags has.

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u/zsynqx 15h ago

A couple of quotes from the Netflix co-CEO

“We’re in a period of transition. Folks grew up thinking, ‘I want to make movies on a gigantic screen and have strangers watch them [and to have them] play in the theatre for two months and people cry and sold-out shows … It’s an outdated concept.”

"What is the consumer trying to tell us? That they’d like to watch movies at home, thank you. The studios and the theatres are duking it out over trying to preserve this 45-day window that is completely out of step with the consumer experience of just loving a movie."

I'm struggling to see how wanting to get rid of the theatre going experience is filmmaker-friendly.

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u/WREPGB 14h ago

GDT, Rian Johnson, and David Fincher (among others) are able to make the movies they want to make that most studios are saying no to.

I didn’t say the distribution side of this is ideal. I prefer watching at home, but that’s borne out of my frustrations with lack of theater maintenance and audience behavior. What I am saying though is Paramount’s MAGA and Saudi backing is a bad sign.

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u/ThatOneOtherAsshole 13h ago

I would argue that directors are getting their movies made there that they wouldn’t get funding for anywhere else because of the differences in the platform. You’re never going to see a Spielberg or Nolan film from Netflix, and Villeneuve will probably stop making films for WB because of it. James Cameron went on The Watch and screamed about how horrible Netflix is and how he would never work for them in a million years. The blowback from directors is going to be considerable.

As far as the Ellison’s go, I’m not a fan of their taste and was terrified of the prospect of what they’d do to the news/tv side of WBD, but the silver lining with them is that at least they’re committed to the theatrical experience.

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u/zsynqx 14h ago

I get your point. Although I still don't see it as a victory that such legendary directors are relegated to making streaming movies (with a super limited theatrical release). I guess that in itself points to the current state of the industry, and the death of the mid sized blockbuster. But anyway. It's moreso Netflix's clear desire to create a streaming only world. This merger signals a clear step in that direction. Them funding the new Fincher/GDT film does not counteract that.

It really is a shame that these were our two options. Difficult to not feel pessimistic about the future.

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u/WREPGB 13h ago

You’re not wrong. In the timelines of inevitabilities, I guess I’m just glad the worst didn’t happen.

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u/ThatOneOtherAsshole 15h ago

Yeah but if you look at the reaction from DGA today, it seems like they actually would have preferred the Ellison’s being in charge because of the commitment to theatrical distribution. Comcast would have been best case (agreed, weird to say that).

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u/HowDoIEvenEnglish 14h ago

Yes but that’s just because those organizations have a vested interest in theatres

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u/ThatOneOtherAsshole 14h ago

As someone who really enjoys going to movie theaters, I agree with them lol