Photo-Illustration: Images: Getty Images, Illustration: Vulture
Mark Ruffalo isn’t buying into James Cameron’s plea to Congress to reconsider the Netflix-Warner Bros deal. Cameron wrote a letter to Senator Mike Lee, who’s on the antitrust committee, claiming that if Netflix bought Warner Brothers, it would destroy the film industry. But Ruffalo questions whether Cameron would have a different viewpoint if Paramount were buying WB. “So… the next question to Mr Cameron should be this…’Are you also against the monopolization that a Paramount acquisition would create? Or is it just that of Netflix?’,” Ruffalo shared on Threads, alongside a link to an article about Cameron’s letter. “I think the answer would be very interesting for the film community to hear and one that should be asked immediately. Is Mike Lee against the Paramount sale as well? Is he as concerned about that as he is the Netflix sale?”
Ted Sarandos, the co-CEO of Netflix, also had some words for Cameron as well. “I respect Mr. Cameron enormously and I love his work. But his letter to you knowingly misrepresents ourposition and commitment to the theatrical release of Warner Bros. films,” Sarandos began. He then explains that he met with both Cameron and Lee and reiterated his promise of a 45-day distribution window. He also claimed that if Paramount Skydance bought Warner Bros instead of Netflix, it would cut about $16 billion from the film industry to offset the purchase. Right now, Paramount Skydance is still in its 7-day window of discussion with Warner Bros to try to make another offer, and shareholders still have to vote to approve the deal in March. But right now, it seems like the only ones happy with the current deal are Netflix.
