Netflix-Warner Bros Acquisition: Anonymous A-Listers Lobby Against Move, Warn Against Hollywood Meltdown

A coalition of top-tier filmmakers has issued an urgent but anonymously signed open letter to members of the US Congress, warning against Netflix’s bid to acquire Warner Bros. According to them Discovery

could trigger an economic and institutional crisis across Hollywood if the move goes through. Sent on Thursday to lawmakers from both parties, the message - authored by a group calling themselves “concerned feature film producers” – has expressed deep alarm over the potential consequences of the merger. They have stressed that anonymity was necessary to avoid retaliation from Netflix, given its immense influence as a global distributor. Both Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery, however, have declined to comment.As per a report in Variety, the group who have sent the letter include multiple A-list filmmakers who fear that if Netflix gets control over Warner Bros, the theatrical ecosystem could be upended. According to their letter Netflix’s stewardship could “destroy” the traditional film marketplace by drastically shortening, or even eliminating, theatrical windows for Warner Bros. releases.

As per the report, some insiders claimed Netflix’s proposal includes a shocking two-week exclusive theatrical run before titles move to a combined Netflix - HBO Max service - though another source close to the deal contested this, insisting the window would be longer.Also Read: Mortal Kombat Star Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa Dies at 75, Creator Ed Boone Pays TributeBy contrast, rival bidders Comcast and Paramount both maintain established theatrical arms, with Paramount reportedly pledging to preserve Warner Bros. as a standalone studio producing at least 14 theatrical films per year.The letter warns that allowing Netflix to absorb Warner Bros. would give the streamer “a noose around the theatrical marketplace,” potentially shrinking the theatrical footprint for major films and pushing down licensing fees across downstream distribution windows. The producers further point to multiple public comments from Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos downplaying the importance of cinemas, including his 2023 assertion that “driving folks to a theatre is just not our business.”In its final appeal, the group urges Congress to publicly oppose the acquisition and insist that it undergo the “highest level of antitrust scrutiny.” With millions of industry jobs and the future of theatrical filmmaking at stake, the signatories say the proposed merger threatens not just business as usual in Hollywood - but the survival of an art form itself.