The entertainment world is still processing Netflix’s massive $82.7 billion purchase of Warner Bros., a studio with more than a century of theatrical history behind it.
The deal folds giants like HBO, DC Studios, and the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings franchises into Netflix’s ecosystem, and while the industry tries to make sense of what comes next, one voice close to the studio’s origins is pushing back.
Gregory Orr, grandson of Warner Bros. co founder Jack Warner, shared his worries with The Hollywood Reporter just before the sale became official.
“The potential sale of WBD does not sit well with me,” Orr said. He explained that the entire entertainment landscape is shifting and that this deal represents a major turning point.
“The industry stands at a crossroads and Netflix does too. It would be buying the deep assets of WB, which includes a successful creative management team and an unmatched theatrical distribution arm.”
Netflix’s relationship with movie theaters has always been minimal. Even when the streamer backs major films like Knives Out : Wake Up Dead Man, its theatrical runs are tiny and brief. That approach clashes with the legacy of Warner Bros., which has continued releasing major 2025 theatrical hits including Superman, Sinners, and Weapons.
Orr believes that if Netflix wants to honor what it just purchased, something fundamental has to change. “Netflix would have to enlarge the idea of itself as not just a streaming pioneer, but a steward of a very worthy and necessary theatrical experience.”
Orr emphasized that watching something at home is enjoyable, but it can’t replicate the communal energy of a theater. “Watching a screen at home is convenient and pleasurable, but it’s not the same as watching a shared screen in a movie theater.
‘“And in this world of fewer shared experiences and growing isolation, being with others in a dark theater seems a necessary resource for our mental health.”
His biggest concern echoes a growing fear shared by filmmakers and fans alike. If everything becomes simply “content” for a streaming pipeline, then the artistry that built studios like Warner Bros. becomes secondary.
“The idea of only making ‘content’ is such a low bar for the medium of film and TV,” Orr said. “It’s like saying all paintings need only satisfy the needs of a dental waiting room.”
As Netflix takes control of some of Hollywood’s most influential brands, the question now is whether the streamer will rise to the responsibility that comes with them.
For many creators and movie fans, the hope is that the theatrical identity of Warner Bros. survives this new chapter rather than becoming another casualty of the streaming era.
