I touched on this yesterday but in a seemingly classic example of being a little ahead/a little behind the news, today we’ve had the confirmation that Netflix have sealed a $72bn deal to acquire Warner Bros film and streaming businesses. I’m not writing this as a news article or an information piece. This is a blog that’s written purely from the heart.
This is NOT a good thing for anyone, other than the catalogue of actors Netflix keep on retainers and their shareholders. Nobody will convince me otherwise. This is a fiscally motivated decision, as it should be with the numbers involved. It will probably be worth every penny Netflix invest because this unequivocally gives them an even bigger market share of the major studio production world. A 100-year-old American institution has been bought out by a 28 (18 years if you just factor in the streaming side of the business) year old business. It’s a combination of many different factors; changing landscape of cinema, shift in consumer tastes and poor management at Warner Bros.
I don’t need to list out every film, but Warner Bros are synonymous with Harry Potter, DC, Barbie and The Hobbit trilogy. Oscar winners from their stable include Casablanca, Argo, The Departed and Million Dollar Baby. Netflix’s most critically acclaimed films include The Irishman, The Trial of the Chicago Seven and Roma. All great films but in terms of quantity, I feel I could list a hell of a lot more on the Warner Bros side than I can on Netflix. Obviously, they have had over 3 times as long to go at it, but it’s a fair point.
This isn’t necessarily a full dig at Netflix, but you can’t say they do not court controversy. There has been the long-held accusation that Netflix focus on quantity over quality. This writer would absolutely back that statement. A constant stream of mid films dilutes the good content they do put out. Throw in the stories of algorithms and customer data shaping productions and it raises huge question marks over artistic credibility. Couple this with recent comments from co-CEO Ted Sarandos, “We’re in a period of transition…it’s an outdated concept”, in reference to whether Netflix is destroying Hollywood. It all paints a picture of a new kind of institution that replaces the old Hollywood studios with a cold, data-driven outlook on film as an art form.
This brings me back to the point I made in yesterday’s blog. Where does physical media fit into all of this? Netflix has had a sketchy past around which of its original content receives a physical release. An example I’d always refer people to is Disney+’s unceremonious disposal of the Willow TV series. Shunted off the platform without a physical release. Essentially a TV show that has disappeared off the face of the earth because Disney didn’t want to lose anymore money on it. Warner Bros themselves played a similar card with Coyote vs Acme and Batgirl. Big budget films produced and then shelved to save money.
Talking of money, Netflix have all of us as subscribers to thank for being able to acquire Warner Bros. Enough was finally enough for me early this year and I binned off my subscription at a price of £22.00 for the 4K, 4 screens package. 4 screens all within the same house mind… what was I getting for my money? Not much in my opinion. Netflix have been accused of regular price increases with diminishing returns for consumers. Are consumers going to reap the benefits of this merger/takeover? I can’t imagine that Netflix will suddenly drop the prices, if anything they’re going to go up even more. Look at the blatant scalping and withholding of content when it comes to the recent Stranger Things season 5 releases. It’s effectively 8 episodes over a 3-part release window from November 26th to December 31st. There is absolutely no reason to do this other than to make new subscribers tuning in purely for this, pay for 2 months as opposed to 1 month. That’s pretty fucked up to me.
Another huge question mark I have over this takeover is the future of beloved franchises. Purely from a horror franchise perspective, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Gremlins, IT, Final Destination, Friday the 13th and Texas Chainsaw Massacre all now sit in the Netflix horror house alongside such classics as Slenderman, Fear Street and The Babysitter. Again, I’m not trying to provide a balanced argument here, in my opinion I don’t want Netflix anywhere near some of these franchises.
All of this is the antithesis of everything I see film as. Film is an art form. It makes you feel things. It can make you cry, laugh, scream, cheer, piss your pants or completely change your world view. That’s in its purest form. Sometimes, films can be fucking awful. Look at some of your favourite 80s slashers. They can be absolute trash, but they were made by real people. People who cared, were trying to make a break in the industry or grabbing some money to focus on a different project. Streamers don’t cater to this. It’s always a safe option. It’s an option based around shareholder success not artistic statements. ‘Frankenstein’ (2025) aside, when did you last watch a Netflix Original that truly changed your world?
Would ‘House’ (1977) have been designed by an algorithm? Will we see a potential DC universe reboot catering to customer driven feedback? Is this bizarre reboot of Harry Potter going to end up being choose your own adventure?
Cinema needs a bit of a kick up the arse. It needs to adapt to this modern world we live in, but it feels wrong for it to be moving like this. The Netflix takeover of Warner Bros feels wrong. It’s creating a huge monopoly in an industry that needs to have diversity. It’s a clear shift to further normalisation of an anti-art concept.
So again, as I did yesterday, I beg you to invest in physical media. This is why I collect VHS, DVD, Blu-Ray and 4Ks. Netflix can’t delete them. I can’t have this collection bought off me without my consent. It’s mine. When you invest in yours, it’s yours! What it also does, is show that there is the demand out there for these physical releases. Stay vigilant and vote with your wallets. Don’t keep on subscribing to the streamers if you’re not getting the benefit. If Netflix suddenly put the Friday the 13th collection in full on Netflix, you could pay to watch it for a month for about £10-£15. Or you could buy the boxset for £20 second hand, own the special features, have the ability to watch it whenever you want and physical media won’t ever buffer!
