""I believe strongly that the proposed sale of Warner Brothers Discovery to Netflix will be disastrous for the theatrical motion picture business that I have dedicated my life's work to," Cameron writes in the letter. "Of course, my films all play in the downstream video markets as well, but my first love is the cinema." Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos has called movie theaters "an outdated concept" and an "outmoded idea.""
"He has also said, at a recent earnings call, "Driving folks to a theater is just not our business." The business model of Netflix is directly at odds with the theatrical production and exhibition business, which employs hundreds of thousands of Americans. It is therefore directly at odds with the business model of the Warner Brothers movie division, one of the few remaining major movie studios."
Opposition to Netflix acquiring Warner Bros. asserts that the deal would devastate the theatrical motion picture industry. Netflix's streaming-focused business model is portrayed as incompatible with theatrical production and exhibition, with executives characterizing theaters as outdated and indicating that driving audiences to cinemas is not their priority. Warner Bros. currently releases about 15 theatrical films per year, and exhibitors rely on that output for revenue and employment. A 45-day theatrical window has been suggested but not contractually guaranteed. Without enforceable theatrical commitments, the acquisition could significantly harm cinemas and thousands of related jobs.
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