Netflix officially buys Warner Bros., leaving Hollywood worried and Christopher Nolan scrambling to be its protector

Netflix has officially bought Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. for a total of $82.7 billion. And almost immediately, the entire filmmaking industry is scrambling. The President of the Directors Guild of America, Christopher Nolan, is already showing concern and finding ways to express them to the Netflix hierarchy.

For most people reading this, it’s just numbers and commotion from your friend who made Leonardo DiCaprio’s latest movie One Battle After Another their latest identity. This sale will change so much about how you watch movies in cinemas and in your home, in ways that are definitely going to alter the very foundation of Hollywood and everything we’ve known about that particular industry.

First things first: if the constant changes at HBO under Warner Bros. ownership were any indicator, that company never actually had long-term plans. It was always going to end up for sale. And recently it was between that and the David Ellison–steered Paramount — and considering all the allegations of bribing Donald Trump to ensure an easy purchase for CBS — it was never going to end well for people invested in the future of cinema.

What this change in ownership means is that Netflix is moving closer and closer to becoming the old-school cable you used to know. In some shape and form, HBO and Netflix will end up being one and the same thing. That means shows like Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, and The Wire, which are some of the greatest shows ever made, will end up included in your Netflix subscription in some way.

But that’s the good part — there will be downsides as well. One thing you need to understand about Netflix is that they’re not in the business of theatrical experiences. They survive and create a lot of value from streaming subscriptions. In the initial press release, they promised that their goal was to maintain the theatrical experience, but it didn’t even take a day before Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos mentioned that fans should expect a shortened theatrical run for Warner Bros.’ biggest movies.

Netflix teases that Warner Bros’ theatrical release windows will evolve to become shorter

“My pushback has been mostly in the fact of the long exclusive windows, which we don’t really think are that consumer friendly,” says Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos pic.twitter.com/FgZE4uaBGR

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) December 5, 2025

So when The Batman 2 finally comes out, you better make your arrangements to get to theaters in the first week. On X, the mood is not positive at all; some people think this is only a good deal for the billionaires trying to buy a new yacht. Film critics are also not happy. Matt Neglia has accused Warner Bros.’ current CEO David Zaslav of essentially killing the company. David Ehrlich compared this sale to noted anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. buying Pfizer.

Bad for everyone except those at the very top cashing in to buy their third yacht. https://t.co/azkLqrIx6T

— Steven DeKnight (@stevendeknight) December 5, 2025

Literally killed an over one hundred year old legacy and all just for a little bit more profit…This is exactly what he was brought in to do, why he was always resented, and it’s effectively further pushed us closer towards the end of theatrical and physical media releases.… https://t.co/1qURtSlmsE

— Matt Neglia (@NextBestPicture) December 5, 2025

it’s like if RFK Jr. bought Pfizer. but no I’m sure everything will work out fine. https://t.co/cvPqpeixzl

— david ehrlich (@davidehrlich) December 5, 2025

Ehrlich has always had a way with words, and his analogy would hold weight if RFK weren’t already the actual final say on health in the entire nation. That’s to say, this is the new reality in every industry — the final say isn’t necessarily held by the person with the best idea, but rather by the person with the most power. With that breath, the biggest director in the world, Christopher Nolan, is already leading the DGA into talks with essentially the biggest name in filmmaking right now, according to Deadline.

According to the publication, the guild released a statement saying, “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. 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.”