The head of Netflix films says that they will not work with directors who want to release films in theaters

When Netflix announced that it intended to buy Warner Bros. Pictures, there was widespread concern that the streaming service giant would permanently change the popular studio.

While many Netflix executives, including CEO Ted Sarandos, have said they will not make such changes, it seems clear that their interest in Warner Bros. Instead of building a theater model, basically developing and producing movies with the intention of showing them in theaters, Netflix wanted Warner Bros.' an impressive slate of intellectual property.

Actually, the logic behind the purchase would be that to see the next release of DC Studios, like a Batman movie, for example, the audience will need to subscribe to Netflix.

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Sarandos has in the past talked about the theater model being “outdated,” that audiences are happier watching it on the couch than in the theater. Then, after the purchase agreement is announced, Deadline reported that Sarandos and Netflix favored a 17-day release window. Effectively, the Netflix-Warner Bros movie would only spend 17 days in theaters before hitting streaming services.

That's much lower than the traditional 90-day window, and much lower than the modern 45-day threshold. However, Netflix has maintained that its purchase of Warner Bros. will not completely eliminate the theater model. Except that it just admitted that it doesn't want to work with film producers who are adamant about movies being released in theaters.

In a new interview no The New York Times, Dan Lin, chairman of Netflix's film division, explained their thinking.

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“There is a group of filmmakers who are still looking for theater productions. Those are the filmmakers we just accepted and we will not work with them,” said Lin.

A drone captures the Warner Bros. studio location. in Burbank, California, on Dec. 8, 2025. (Mike Blake/Reuters)

That's not particularly encouraging for the future of the movie business. Netflix still allows certain movies to receive a limited theatrical release, but with the money and power it has in the entertainment industry, it will also include options for filmmakers and creative talent. And it underscores why Paramount and David Ellison swooped in to buy Warner Bros.

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Paramount will likely use Warner Bros. as it always does, it kept the theater model. And that's important not just because movie theaters are public spaces where audiences are, at least ostensibly, forced to put down their phones and other distractions. But also because, as the years of Netflix have shown, the quality of the theatrical release is almost always higher than the streaming options. The Netflix model has been more, not better. For those who love movies, it has been a clear erosion over time.

CEO David Ellison said Thursday that CNN's editorial independence will be preserved after he takes control of the network. (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)

Ellison and Paramount faced heavy criticism from the political left because, unlike most of Hollywood, Ellison insisted on making entertainment designed to appeal to mass audiences. “Top Gun: Maverick” and the “Mission: Impossible” franchise are prime examples—films that prioritize storytelling and spectacle over politics or ideology. But a possible Ellison-led acquisition of Warner Bros. won't benefit moviegoers who want to be entertained. It can benefit anyone who enjoys going to the movies. And that's a good thing.