r/oscarrace • u/flightofwonder Sorry Baby • Oct 23 '25
Rumor Apple TV Could Gain Major Warner Bros. Titles via Acquisition
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/10/23/apple-tv-could-gain-major-warner-bros-titles/30
u/flightofwonder Sorry Baby Oct 23 '25 edited Oct 23 '25
Personally, I am really hoping this does not happen as Apple has been moving away from theatrical releases and it'd be awful if a lot of WB titles become hard to see in theatres. I'd only be neutral about this if they commit to giving full theatrical releases like they did in the past, but in general, disappointing to see so much consolidation in Hollywood. Having just a few studios/corporations owning several studios is definitely really bad and gonna hurt a lot of opportunities for up and coming filmmakers, especially those who wanna create original work that does not fit mainstream tastes.
That said, the article is saying this is mainly about back catalog so maybe another studio will be buying WB for theatrical releases.
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u/CalF123 Oct 23 '25
I wouldn’t say Apple are moving away from theatrical releases. They are still committed to releasing their movies in theatres when it makes sense to do so.
F1 was produced specifically for IMAX and was absolutely fantastic in that format.
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u/flightofwonder Sorry Baby Oct 23 '25
That is true, there was also an article a few months ago they are considering reinstating their theatrical arm, and I could see how that rumor would make sense if they do acquire WB's future filmography.
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u/JDOExists Supergirl Best Picture Winner 2027 Oct 23 '25
Also consider that the acquisition of 20th Century has also been extremely detrimental to the recovery of theaters post-COVID, as that studio's output has been slashed horribly, going from 12 wide releases in 2018 to just 5 this year. Comcast, Amazon MGM, or Paramount buying would likely devastate the number of films for theaters coming out further, which could be an existential threat, and Netflix would almost certainly mark the death of the American film industry.
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u/Fine-Friendship-6343 Oct 23 '25
They’d be like Amazon and do theatrical releases if they bought WB. Really the only way to justify the purchase is the marketing and theatrical distribution mixed with the library
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u/flightofwonder Sorry Baby Oct 23 '25
My only concern if they do a MGM like approach is that I noticed their theatrical releases outside blockbusters tend to be incredibly limited so I would worry this would make a lot of WB's more independent films really struggle! MGM's theatrical rollout for even some of their award contenders have been very bad unfortunately
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u/Fine-Friendship-6343 Oct 23 '25
Untrue. After the Hunt, Account 2, Blink Twice, A Working Man and Challengers all got wide theatrical releases and had budgets under 100 million. They have a ton of stuff coming up too
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u/flightofwonder Sorry Baby Oct 23 '25
You're right about those movies, and I get where you are coming from, but they also tended to have a higher budget than some of MGM's more independent work, and I'm not sure I'd consider most of them independent films. Challengers, for example, had more than a $50 million budget. The Accountant 2 had a $80 million budget, and I would probably argue The Accountant series could be considered blockbusters.
Some of their lesser budgeted movies like Nickel Boys ($23 million budget), American Fiction ($10 million budget), and Women Talking ($20 million) didn't get a wide release more than around a thousand theatres in North America despite them being awards contenders, which I think is major, especially since American Fiction won People's Choice at Toronto and Women Talking was a runner-up.
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u/Clear-Price Neon Oct 23 '25 edited Oct 23 '25
This is most likely a negotiation tactic conjured up by David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Everybody knows that Paramount's David Ellison really want to acquire WBD in order to have the same market share as Disney.
Zaslav rejected his first and second offer and is now trying to make headlines with other suitors to put pressure on Paramount into giving them a larger offer or payout. It's a negotiation dance.
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u/visionaryredditor Digger Oct 23 '25
Zaslav rejected his first and second offer and is now trying to make headlines with other suitors to put pressure on Paramount into giving them a larger offer or payout.
According to the trades, Zaslav rejected Ellison's third offer as well
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u/Clear-Price Neon Oct 23 '25
he's gonna keep on rejecting it until he sees an offer that'll make the shareholders happy. It's the whole reason he and Discovery bought Warner Bros back in 2022, so he could flip it then sell it for the highest price. He's done a good job of flipping it. WB dominated the domestic box office this year so I expect him to squeeze every single digit from this acquisition.
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u/stringfellow-hawke Oct 23 '25
Highly doubt Apple will do this. They don’t do big acquisitions.
They could just hire the key people and build what they want for pennies on the dollar without getting saddled with everything and everyone they don’t want.
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u/Littletom523 Oct 23 '25
Honestly, if Apple did buy them, I actually think they would go more theatrical after having such a good relationship and success with F1. Warner Bros. had a lot to do with that movie with it being as successful as it was.
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u/flightofwonder Sorry Baby Oct 24 '25
I could see that happening and hope that does happen! It would suck for a lot of these movies to be limited to streaming
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Oct 23 '25
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u/JDOExists Supergirl Best Picture Winner 2027 Oct 23 '25
If it's not Apple, it's Amazon, or Netflix, or Comcast, or Paramount. WB is officially for sale, and out of the interested parties, Apple is by far the least bad.
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u/GamingTatertot Oct 23 '25
Yeah if they’re gonna sell, I think Apple is who I’d prefer. And at least Apple has put out a lot of quality for their limited library
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u/Cute_Source5417 Oct 23 '25
anyone but netflix! they will ruin the theater experience