Netflix plans a theatrical window of just 17 days for Warner Bros. films.

Bad news for the world of cinema and all exhibition chains. What was seen coming, now seems to be close to being a reality.

After it was announced on December 5 that Netflix is ​​the official winner of the bid for Warner Bros. Discoveryacquiring Warner Bros., HBO y HBO Maxin a deal with a total enterprise value of $82.7 billion, beating out bidders such as Paramount Skydance and Comcast, one very important detail remained to be known:

What kind of exhibition window would Netflix give Warner Bros. film projects?

In an extensive press release published on December 5, Ted Sarandosco-CEO of Netflix, said he “hopes to maintain WB's current operations, taking advantage of its strengths, including movie releases in theaters.”

With this, Sarandos Apparently Honoring WB's Theatrical Distribution Dealswithout providing details such as what type of release they will be granted; Will it be an industry standard display window or a reduced and limited display window like the one that Netflix usually grants to a few of its projects as part of the requirement to obtain Oscar nominations? How long will there be a wait between the movie premiere and the arrival on the platform?, among others.

Having the context, we move forward to the news that brings us here today.

In a Deadline report on the end of Stranger Things –which the platform brought to movie theaters in the United States on December 31 and January 1–, It is revealed that Netflix plans to give a screening window of just 17 days to WB films after purchasing the studiothis being a decision that if it becomes a reality, would crush the movie theater business. Strings like AMC They believe that the exhibition window should remain around 45 days.

It should be noted that this is not an official confirmation from Netflix.

Putting ourselves in optimistic mode, both WB and Netflix could end up negotiating a longer term than 17 days, which is the time preferred by the streaming platform. Netflix's priority, as expected, is to promote streaming.

If Netflix ultimately imposes a 17-day deadline, could affect WB's entire movie release schedule: from James Gunn's film for DC Universe, Man of Tomorrow (July 9, 2027), until The Lord of the Ring: The Hunt for Gollum (December 17, 2027). In the midst of these launches there are also other high-profile ones such as The Batman: Part 2 by Matt Reeves (October 1, 2027), and Godzilla x Kong: Supernova (March 26, 2027).

¿How directors like James Gunn, Andy Serkis, Matt Reeves would react and others from Warner Bros. upon seeing that His work will be in theaters for just two weeks and two days before arriving on Netflix?

The $82.7 billion deal between Netflix and Warner Bros. has generated a harsh response and concerns from film industry insiders, actors, and directors, who know the importance of the traditional big-screen release, and the impact that the lack of it would have on the exhibition business. Not to mention what it would mean to monopolize the business, and reduce competition in the video-on-demand subscription market.

HBO Max and Netflix will continue to operate separately until the transaction closes. This is expected to happen once Discovery Global –the global networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery that will not be acquired by Netflix–, complete its division of the company and go public separately, in a operation planned to occur during the third quarter of 2026that is to say, at least December of this year, although it could be as late as summer 2027according to the streamer's own calculations.

As stated from the beginning, the streamer was not interested in acquiring Discovery Global, which includes TNT, TBS, CNN, HGTV, and Food Network.

In a recent call with investors, Sarandos said Netflix would continue to “release Warner Bros. movies in theaters for now,” though he expected theatrical release windows to shorten over time to become “more user-friendly.” Sarandos went on to say: “My resistance is mainly due to the long, dedicated windows which we find to be not very user friendly. I believe that over time windows will evolve to be much more accessible to the consumer, to be able to reach the public wherever they are, faster. All of those things we would like to do,” warned the CEO.

Is it safe or a stretch to say that this decision by Netflix would be the final blow to the movie business as we know it? Time will tell, and the audience will have the last word.