part of me wants to hope that Apple might keep a physical distribution arm alive since more of their shows and films are being released on disc in conjunction with other studios (and in the case of CODA, completely self-released). but i think it's incredibly unlikely.
I care about physical media, but the most troubling thing about a Netflix purchase for me would be the production end. What would this mean for how many movies are made, and how many for a theatrical release (vs as a calculated screensaver for people doing other things)?
part of me wonders how many filmmakers would be pushed away from working with a Netflix-owned WB if they prioritize theatrical releases when Netflix doesn't. obviously folks like Nolan and Villeneuve were pissed when their films went to HBO Max during COVID, but insisted on theatrical showings for future films (even though Nolan is no longer working with WB). it's all sad to think about, and even though Netflix carves out theatrical exceptions for awards season, it definitely wouldn't be a regular occurrence for WB films the way it currently is.
the physical media part is lame and stinks but it feels like another nail in the coffin for the theatrical experience which is way worse
Yep. WB helped sustain the box office this year. Sure some other studios might take its place, but it would definitely be a blow to seeing original blockbusters in theaters.
Shout still retains physical rights to a fair amount of Warner titles for a bit longer, ironically I just had a call this week about our 2026 Warner slate, BUT something like this certainly would stop any new deals in their tracks
yeah, i think there'd still be a little time for existing deals to finish out, but it wouldn't be good for future releases unless they licensed a select few to other companies (ala Netflix occasionally licensing to Criterion), and even then, that'd probably be on a very limited basis. wonder what would become of SDS, since that's a joint venture between WB and Universal
I can't imagine a world where SDS disappears, they handle too much outside theier own ecosystem, including the entirely of our distribution, and many other companies. We've licensed a few Netflix properties, very few, like... 3 lol. It's possible but not at all common
There has to be someone out there like that. Like, I gotta imagine it was on in a lot of body shops or something.
I feel like a channel airing that much of the same show is just admitting that it’s white noise, or like a fireplace or whatever, not a thing anyone considers appointment viewing. It’s just always there if you “need” it.
That’s pretty much any cable channel at this point, especially if it’s run by Paramount. Comedy Central is basically The Office channel.