Following the news that Netflix has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire legacy studio Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), industry creatives raised immediate concerns over the artistic, cultural, and economic implications of the agreement. The major labor organizations, whose members power much of the entertainment industry, have each issued reaction statements to the news.
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) issued a stern warning, saying in a joint statement from the Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) and Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) that “the world’s largest streaming company swallowing one of its biggest competitors is what antitrust laws were designed to prevent.” The WGA went on to say that the outcome would eliminate industry jobs, push down wages, and worsen conditions while raising prices for consumers. The Guild also stressed that the acquisition would reduce the volume and diversity of content. They ended their statement by stressing that “Industry workers, along with the public, are already impacted by only a few powerful companies maintaining tight control over what consumers can watch on television, on streaming, and in theaters. This merger must be blocked.”
In a conversation with The Ankler, WGA West president Elaine Low commented on the larger issue of industry consolidation, expressing that “there is no preferred winner. Our philosophy here, our belief here, is that whoever wins, writers lose. There are problems with both of those acquisitions. This is not buyer-specific; this is us looking at this as a massive antitrust issue, where we believe the government really needs to step in. This potential merger is going to not just hurt all industry workers but [also] consumers, who inevitably end up paying the cost for these mergers.”
The Directors Guild of America (DGA) expressed its own reservations, highlighting the importance of a competitive industry that encourages creativity. “The news that Netflix had secured exclusive rights to negotiate for WBD raises significant concerns for the DGA. 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.” The Guild also announced that it plans to meet with Netflix to discuss the merger, saying, “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.”
While serving as the head of the international jury at the Red Sea Film Festival, director Sean Baker expressed reservation over commenting on the merger in order to see how things play out but stressed, “Filmmakers have to put our foot down.” As reported by Variety, the Oscar winner went on to say that “we should not be reducing theatrical windows; we should be expanding [them].” Baker reiterated that this is how filmmakers want an audience to see their work and shared that he plans to get a one hundred-day theatrical window for his next film. “When you’re going directly to streaming, it diminishes the importance of a film. The theatrical experience elevates the importance. The way you present it to the world is a very important thing,” Baker added.
Prior to the merger announcement, filmmaker James Cameron, whose Avatar: Fire and Ash releases on December 19th, recently appeared on Puck News’ The Town with Matthew Belloni, where Belloni prompted the director to share his thoughts on a Netflix takeover of Warner Bros. Cameron said that Warner Bros. would “just become a streamer.” Adding that losing a theatrical major would have “increased that avalanche, that sort of downhill trend, because the thing is, streaming got its foothold with the artistic base that they did—I’m not just saying Netflix, I’m saying all of them—by throwing crazy money and attracting the A-list talent and then pulling the carpet out from underneath that.”
According to a Variety exclusive, anonymous A-listers lobbied Congress against the Netflix-WBD acquisition, saying the streamer would “hold a noose around the theatrical marketplace.” The anonymous collective chose to identify themselves only as “concerned feature film producers,” with one well-placed source confirming to Variety that the group includes a number of prominent filmmakers.
The Producers Guild of America (PGA) shared concerns via social media, stating that “producers are rightfully concerned about Netflix’s intended acquisition of one of our industry’s most storied and meaningful studios.” The PGA went on to express that “our industry, together with policymakers, must find a way forward that protects producers’ livelihoods and real theatrical distribution, and that fosters creativity, promotes opportunities for workers and artists, empowers consumers with choices, and upholds freedom of speech. This is the test that the Netflix deal must pass. Our legacy studios are more than content libraries—within their vaults are the character and culture of our nation.”
SAG-AFTRA, representing roughly 160,000 performers and media professionals, released a measured statement, noting that the union would evaluate the proposal and reserve further comment until the implications for its members were clear. “The potential Netflix/Warner Bros transaction is a consolidation that may serve the financial interests of shareholders of both companies, but which raises many serious questions about its impact on the future of the entertainment industry, and especially the human creative talent whose livelihoods and careers depend on it,” said SAG-AFTRA.
“This $82B transaction reaffirms the true value of legacy media companies and the long-term economic prosperity they create due in large part to the contribution of the creative talent who are at the core of their success,” SAG-AFTRA continued. The actors union stressed that a deal at this level “must result in more creation and more production, not less. It must do so in an environment of respect for the talent involved.” SAG-AFTRA shared that their position on the transaction will be made with the best interests of its members following a thorough analysis of the details of the deal.
Jane Fonda, who received the SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award at the 2025 Actor Awards (formerly known as the SAG Awards), released an urgent op-ed on The Ankler detailing her thoughts on how the WBD deal puts Hollywood and democracy at risk. “The threat of this merger in any form is an alarming escalation in a consolidation crisis that threatens the entire entertainment industry, the public it serves, and—potentially—the First Amendment itself.”
Hollywood’s labor guilds have made it clear that the future of the industry must account for the workers whose creativity fuels it. The common thread running among all the statements focuses on an industry already rocked by streaming, consolidation, and technological shifts like AI. As the industry faces another major crossroads, this agreement represents not only a financial transaction but also a potential redefinition of Hollywood’s ecosystem, which could alter how stories are developed and who gets the opportunity to create them.
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