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Christopher Nolan has spoken out about Netflix's purchase of Warner Bros. – and the director is "very, very" concerned about what what the sale could mean for the movie industry.
"We have very, very significant concerns about how this is all going to happen," Nolan said, speaking as newly appointed president of the Directors Guild of America (via Variety). "I think it’s a very worrying time for the industry. The loss of a major studio is a huge blow."
In December 2025, Netflix announced that it was buying Warner Bros. and HBO for $82.7 billion (with Paramount also launching a cash bid of $100 billion), which will give the streamer control of DC Studios, the Lord of the Rings franchise, and more.
The theatrical window for new movies was a big concern when the bid was first announced (Netflix movies currently only stay in theaters for around a week before they start streaming), and Nolan even broke his relationship with Warner Bros. for 2023's Oppenheimer because of its theatrical strategy with day and date HBO Max releases during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos has since pledged for all future Warner Bros. titles to stay in theaters for 45 days.
"There are encouraging noises, but that’s not the same as commitments,” Nolan continued. "The theatrical window becomes a sort of easily graspable symbol of whether Warner Bros. will be run as a theatrical distributor or whether it be folded in as a streamer. But the reality is, the issues on the television side and the streaming side are far more important to our membership."
After his last feature Oppenheimer took the box office by storm and took home a slew of Oscars and other awards, Nolan returns to the big screen this summer with The Odyssey. An adaptation of the epic Ancient Greek poem, Matt Damon stars as the legendary king Odysseus as he battles the gods to make his way home after the 10-year Trojan War. The cast also includes Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, and Jon Bernthal.
The Odyssey arrives in theaters on July 17. In the meantime, check out our guide to the rest of this year's biggest upcoming movies.
