Hollywood Reacts to 'Terrible' Netflix/Warner Bros. Merger

Originally posted on Men's Journal | By Declan Gallagher | Last updated Dec 5, 2025 11:46 AM ET

Hollywood A-listers are up in arms after news broke that Netflix plans to acquire Warner Bros. and HBO Max to the tune of $83 million, setting the stage for what many industry professionals fear will be “the death” of theatrical distribution—or, at least the end of “diverse storytelling” within the industry. News of the deal broke just days after a committee of anonymous A-listers urged congress to kill the merger, condemning the streamer’s impact on the theatrical marketplace.

'Feels Like the Death of Hollywood'

Deadline spoke with several international producers and distributors on condition of anonymity. One “leading U.K. film producer” said that the merger “feels like the death of Hollywood.” “This is terrible,” they continued. “The only shot now is anti-trust.” Another insider, the “head of a leading European film company,” said, “It’s hard not to see this as depressing. Get ready for the Harry Potter – K-Pop Demon Hunters mashup.”

Former WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar posted to X: “If I was tasked with doing so, I could not think of a more effective way to reduce competition in Hollywood than selling WBD to Netflix.” To a post which disagreed with his opinion, Kilar replied: “When I use the phrase competition in Hollywood, I am referring to having a sufficient number of vibrant and robust entities that can and will aggressively compete against each other to produce and distribute films, series, live events and more for decades to come. I am not focused on the legacy of it all.”

If I was tasked with doing so, I could not think of a more effective way to reduce competition in Hollywood than selling WBD to Netflix
— Jason Kilar (@jasonkilar) December 4, 2025

Director's Guild Expressed Concerns

In a statement to Deadline, the Directors Guild of America echoed Kilar’s sentiments, saying the merger “raises significant concerns for the DGA.” “We believe that a vibrant, competitive industry—one that fosters creativity and encourages genuine competition for talent—is essential to safeguarding the careers and creative rights of directors and their teams,” the guild said in its statement. “We will be meeting with Netflix to outline our concerns and better understand their vision for the future of the company. While we undertake this due diligence we will not be commenting further.

But Some Insiders Have Faith in Netflix

But not everyone fears the worst. To Deadline, a “longtime overseas studio head” said, “Netflix must feel that they are in such a strong financial position that it’s too good of a move not to make. If they get WB, they get a dominant global position. It’s a smart move. I think they will be better stewards than Discovery or AT&T. I see them maintaining some kind of theatrical business alongside streaming. I think at this point in their life cycle, they can afford to keep much of it standing alongside. I honestly think this will create less job loss and more opportunity than the other bids.”

Likewise, a separate “international studio boss” agreed it's unlikely that Netflix will take Warner Bros. content directly to streaming. “Personally, I’d have found it more depressing for Universal or Paramount to have taken over Warner Bros, as it would kill another quality distributor,” the studio head said. “Netflix seems to be finally seeing the benefit of theatrical distribution (and even a theatrical window, albeit limited) and I’m excited to see things like the finale of Stranger Things in a cinema. Netflix do shared global events well…I feel they’ve come some way along that journey, and maybe we’ll see an explosion of what we used to call ‘alternative content’ on the big screen. Will it make for better movies? Maybe. Netflix have [sic] a decent track record with quality films.”

This article first appeared on Men's Journal and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: