Warner Heir Blasts Netflix Sale, Calls It a 'Low Bar' for Film
A monumental $82.7 billion deal sees a Hollywood giant fall under the control of a streaming titan. But not everyone is celebrating. The heir to one of cinema's most storied legacies is speaking out, raising serious questions about the future of movies and the very experience of going to the theater. What does this mean for Hollywood?
The ink is barely dry on one of Hollywood's biggest deals, but a voice from the past is already sounding the alarm. Gregory Orr, the grandson of legendary Warner Bros. founder Jack Warner, has major reservations about the studio's recent sale to Netflix. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter just before the deal was finalized on Friday, December 5, Orr made his unease clear. "The potential sale of WBD does not sit well with me," he stated. "The industry stands at a crossroads and Netflix does too. It would be buying the deep assets of WB, which includes a successful creative management team and an unmatched theatrical distribution arm."
Last week, the streaming behemoth finalized its acquisition of Warner Bros. for a staggering $82.7 billion. The purchase gives Netflix control over a studio responsible for 2025 blockbusters like Superman, Sinners, and Weapons. This move raises questions, given Netflix's track record of brief, limited theatrical runs for its original films, such as Knives Out 3 (also known as Wake Up Dead Man), which typically play in a handful of theaters for no more than a couple of weeks.
Orr believes the streaming service must now evolve beyond its original model. "Netflix would have to enlarge the idea of itself as not just a streaming pioneer, but a steward of a very worthy and necessary theatrical experience," he explained. He stressed the unique power of the cinema, contrasting it with home viewing. "Watching a screen at home is convenient and pleasurable, but it's not the same as watching a shared screen in a movie theater. And in this world of fewer shared experiences and growing isolation, being with others in a dark theater seems a necessary resource for our mental health."
With the deal, Netflix now holds the keys to iconic properties including HBO, DC Studios, and beloved franchises like Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings. For Orr, this shift represents a potential cheapening of the art form itself. "The idea of only making 'content' is such a low bar for the medium of film and TV," Orr lamented. "It's like saying all paintings need only satisfy the needs of a dental waiting room."