By Tyler Banark

This past Friday, the bombshell news dropped that Netflix is in the running to purchase Warner Bros. Studios. While the average person might look at this and think it’s fascinating news, someone like me might see it as a sign of a broader decline in movies. The moviegoing industry has been stuck in a rut since COVID, and while there has been a slight turnaround in the last three years, things just haven’t been the same. Streaming has become more common and is now the preferred way to watch movies among general audiences. Now that Netflix is in contention to buy Warner Bros., the moviegoing experience could change forever.

Although streaming has been damaging the theatrical experience for nearly a decade, Netflix’s acquisition of Warner Bros. could make matters worse. Although it may not officially happen until the third quarter of 2026, it could mark a drastic change in how we watch movies. If Netflix goes through with the purchase and Warner Bros. joins the streaming giant. Things could look grim. We don’t know what will happen if the acquisition becomes a reality, but here’s what we can assume: the entire Warner Bros. film library and its TV properties (HBO, TBS, TNT, etc.) will be owned by Netflix, and HBO Max will still be active. What we don’t know is how Netflix will handle the rollout of Warner Bros. movies. 

Warner Bros. has been having an all-timer of a year. They had seven consecutive movies open with at least $40 million at the box office, and many of their films have been highly praised. The downside to them is one man: David Zaslav. He’s the man responsible for so many poor decisions over the last few years, from refusing to release Batgirl and Coyote vs. Acme to simultaneously releasing the entire 2021 catalog on HBO Max. Now, possibly selling the studio to Netflix takes the cake. Zaslav and Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos could make the argument for how much better watching movies at home or on your iPad is than the theatrical experience, but it won’t work. In fact, numerous notable groups in Hollywood have come out speaking against this potential buyout, including SAG-AFTRA, the DGA, and the WGA. All of them expressed concern about how this could impact creativity in Hollywood, and essentially, it is about watching movies in the theater rather than at home or on a small device.

Now, as I’m writing this, Paramount has thrown its hat in the ring to buy Warner Bros. If that happens, that could open up a whole other can of worms. My main hope between now and the third quarter of ndext year is that Zaslav does the right thing to preserve Warner Bros. and keep the moviegoing experience alive. No one wants to see such a beautiful thing as the movie theaters go. There’s something unique about going to the cinema; it may not be perfect, but it’s different and better than watching something at home. I pray that the right thing is done and that the future of Warner Bros. (and moviegoing) remains bright and beautiful! 

While the deal hasn’t officially gone down yet, it should be noted that Netflix is acquiring at $82.7 billion, including debt, to make this purchase happen. The only reason it hasn’t been made official on paper yet is that it’ll take 12-18 months for Netflix to take over, if things actually go through. The government is suspicious of this due to antitrust scrutiny, so it won’t be much of a surprise if there’s involvement there. Furthermore, Paramount has tried to block this from happening, which is why it made an offer announced today, but time will tell how responsive moviegoers and the movie theatre industry are to this.