Netflix’s co-CEO, Ted Sarandos, doesn’t believe that the streaming giant is a negative force in the film industry. Instead, the soon-to-be owner of Warner Bros. believes Netflix is more of a savior.
Netflix announced its $82 billion bid to gobble up Warner Bros., the legendary film and media company, earlier today. If it clears regulatory hurdles, the deal will position the supreme ruler of streaming services as a God Emperor of a massive TV and film catalog, as well as the properties belonging to Warner Bros. Games, which include the Lego games, as well as DC adaptations like the Arkham series of Batman games, and the Mortal Kombat games.
During an interview with Time magazine editor-in-chief Sam Jacobs earlier this year, Sarandos was asked point-blank: “Have you destroyed Hollywood?”
“No,” Sarandos replied, “we’re saving Hollywood.”
The CEO then casted doubt on the role of movie theaters moving forward. Though the streaming giant will need to premiere some films in theaters to be considered for certain awards, Sarandos doesn’t see the theater experience as something accessible for most folks. He said:
If you’re [fortunate enough to live in] Manhattan, and you can walk to a multiplex and see a movie, that’s fantastic. Most of the country cannot.
It’s a bit of an odd statement considering that cars exist. Still, Sarandos sees the industry’s reliance on theaters as an arbitrary limitation he’s happy to dispense with, much to the displeasure of Hollywood veterans like Avatar creator James Cameron.
The industry remains concerned over the impact Netflix is likely to have should its purchase of Warner Bros. go through. According to A Shot, the Director’s Guild of America, led by director Christopher Nolan, is going to meet with the streaming company to address “major concerns.”
The Directors Guild of America, led by president Christopher Nolan, plans to meet with Netflix to address major concerns regarding the streamer’s acquisition of Warner Bros. pic.twitter.com/EcwdZ0A0Qz
— A Shot (@ashotmagazine) December 5, 2025
Theaters have been in a bit of a bind ever since the global pandemic made it hard to convince people to leave their homes to go see a movie. Should Netflix’s Warner Bros. acquisition go through, it’s all the more likely that even fewer movies may hit the literal big screen.
And with that, let’s reflect on some wise words about experiencing movies from one of the all-time greats.