"Same company that spent a decade trying to kill theaters" - Internet reacts to Netflix promising theater releases as part of Warner Bros. bid

There seems to be discussions between Netflix and Warner Bros. about a possible. According to an X post by ‘@DiscussingFilm,’ the former company allegedly told the latter that it would release movies in theaters once the acquisition is complete. Meanwhile, social media users reacted to the news with one X user writing:

“Netflix talking about ‘protecting theaters’ is wild, this is the same company that spent a decade trying to kill theaters, now they wanna play hero because Warner Bros is on clearance?”

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@Oluwaphilemon1

Netflix talking about ‘protecting theaters’ is wild, this is the same company that spent a decade trying to kill theaters, now they wanna play hero because Warner Bros is on clearance?

Another social media user speculated:

“If Netflix acquires the Warner Bros studio, they probably will give the greenlight to Zack Snyder's Justice League 2 and 3 as elseworlds.”

Similarly, another online commentator wrote:

“AND THEYRE GONNA BRING BACK THE SNYDERVERSE.”

One platform user joked about the situation, comparing it to a marital arrangement. They shared:

“Studios trading vows like this is some power marriage the screens wont save anyone when the giants start swallowing each other.”

Other X users seemed hopeful about the agreement. One of them commented:

“This could mark the first time a streaming-first company fully embraces theaters as part of its strategy, not just a promotional tool.”

Invoking similar collaborative promises from the past, one X user mentioned:

“Like how they told directors they’d get a theatrical release and then going back on it. Unless it’s in a written contract that spans forever it ain’t happening sweetheart.”

What did the Netflix co-founder say about theaters in the past?

According to Bloomberg, the promise to do a theatrical release will only be completed if Netflix becomes successful in purchasing the California-based entertainment company. To date, Netflix has refrained from doing theatrical releases. The bids for purchasing Warner are due on November 20. Earlier this year, Netflix co-founder Ted Sarandos reflected on the theater model, saying:

“What is the consumer trying to tell us? That they’d like to watch movies at home, thank you. The studios and the theaters 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.”

He also commented:

“We didn’t save it to save the theater business. We saved it to save the theater experience.”

He explained that things were changing. He said that many people grew up wanting their movies to play in big theaters for months with lots of strangers watching, but he felt that this idea no longer made sense today.

According to NBC News, Paramount Skydance was also interested in purchasing Warner Bros. Before announcing that they were up for sale, WBD had also previously announced that they might just split into two companies. According to entertainment reporter Chloe Melas, this could be a sign of the times, as few people watch television these days. Not only that, but advertising for the channels has also been declining. She said viewers have now turned to streaming.

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Also Read: Warner Bros hits $4 billion worldwide box office mark for the first time since 2019

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