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Following the news that Netflix is now in the process of buying Warner Bros., The Last of Us creator Neil Druckmann found the funny side of the situation at the 2025 Game Awards, and it sounds like he is just as confused as we are.
After winning the award for best game adaptation for HBO series The Last of Us, Druckmann took to the stage to make his speech. In the clip, now posted on Twitter, the Naughty Dog Studio Head thanked the relevant studios before adding, "Do we need to thank Netflix or Paramount, or whoever our streaming overlord is now?"
Of course, Druckmann is making a little joke about the recent kerfuffle around the selling of Warner Bros. and all it owns. The media conglomerate announced it was up for sale earlier in 2025, with many prospective buyers interested, including Paramount Pictures. However, Netflix then swooped in, and on December 5, the streamer announced it would be acquiring Warner Bros. for $82.7 billion. Paramount then put in a higher bid but was rejected.
So how does that affect Druckmann and The Last of Us? Well, The Last of Us TV series, in which Druckmann acts as screenwriter, director, and executive producer, falls under HBO, which is in turn owned by Warner Bros. So whoever buys Warner Bros will essentially own HBO. Warner Bros.' massive portfolio also includes DC Studios as well as huge franchises such as Harry Potter and Looney Tunes.
Despite Druckmann finding the funny side of the situation, many other film buffs are worried for the future of the industry, especially when it comes to theatrical releases. However, Netflix boss Ted Sarandos said at a recent conference that the streamer "didn’t buy this company to destroy that value," adding that the reason Netflix has not talked about "the theatrical business" in the past is "because we’ve never been in that business. When this deal closes, we are in that business, and we’re going to do it."
That may put to bed the whole theatrical release debate, but the future of networks that fall under Warner Bros, such as HBO and CNN, and the treatment of their respective content, remains to be seen.
Time will tell if Netflix's deal with Warner Bros. does indeed go through. In the meantime, you can fill out your watchlist with our guide to the upcoming movies left of 2025 and beyond.
