James Cameron does not like Netflix. Cameron believes that movies belong in movie theaters — even when they’re three hours or longer without intermissions, bladders be damned — and he’s especially vexed by Netflix movies being eligible for Academy Awards after qualifying with very limited theatrical releases. Netflix is trying to get their acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery across the finish line, but it’s not a done deal (yet) and Paramount-Skydance is increasingly desperate to oust Netflix and buy WBD for themselves. So Cameron — who’s Canadian by birth and now a New Zealand citizen, but notably not a citizen of the US — wrote a letter objecting to Netflix buying WBD and sent it to Republican Utah Senator Mike Lee, the chair of the antitrust subcommittee. The Titanic director waxed poetic about the devastation a Netflix-WBD merger would cause movie theaters, movie makers, and movie watchers. He was also unable to stop himself from making a sinking ship metaphor.

“I believe strongly that the proposed sale of Warner Brothers Discovery to Netflix will be disastrous for the theatrical motion picture business that I have dedicated my life’s work to,” Cameron wrote to Lee. “Of course, my films all play in the downstream video markets as well, but my first love is the cinema.”

…He also highlighted previous comments by Sarandos calling movie theaters “an outdated concept” and an “outmoded idea,” in addition to comments telling investors that “driving folks to a theater is just not our business.”

“The business model of Netflix is directly at odds with the theatrical film production and exhibition business, which employs hundreds of thousands of Americans,” Cameron wrote. “It is therefore directly at odds with the business model of the Warner Brothers movie division, one of the few remaining major movie studios.”

Cameron noted that WBD releases around 15 theatrical films a year, volume that movie theater operators rely on at a time when production has shrunk and consumer habits have shifted.

He also suggested that the merger would “remove consumer choice by reducing the number of feature motion pictures that are made” as well as “restrict the choices of film-makers looking for studios to invest in their projects, which will in turn reduce jobs.”

Cameron touched on recent trade policy shifts by the Trump administration that have sought to protect U.S. exports. President Donald Trump has more than once floated the idea of tariffs to protect Hollywood.

“The US may no longer lead in auto or steel manufacturing, but it is still the world leader in movies,” Cameron said. Under a Netflix-WBD merger, “That will change for the worse.”

Cameron has questioned whether Netflix would honor verbal commitments its executives have made around future theatrical releases, including how long they would play in theaters and how many theaters they would play in. … “Their pledge to support theatrical releases (a business fundamentally at odds with their core business model) is likely to evaporate in a few years,” he said.

“Once they own a major studio, that is irrevocable,” he added. “That ship has sailed (as I like to say, mindful that I directed ‘Titanic.’ I am very familiar not only with ships that sail, but also those that sink. And the theatrical experience of movies could become a sinking ship.)”

[From CNBC]

James Cameron has a real knack for making salient points in the most insufferable way possible. Because most of the issues he raises are legitimate concerns. It’s proven that the result of these mega media mergers are fewer films being made and lots of layoffs. And though Netflix head Ted Sarandos claims that he personally discussed with Cameron their 45-day theatrical release model for Warner Bros. films, I’m inclined to be as wary as Cameron about trusting a verbal promise. Movie theater owners are definitely worried about Netflix slashing their business even further. So all that is valid, but there’s an appropriate follow up question for Cameron, which Mark Ruffalo asked over the weekend: won’t all this still be true if Paramount-Skydance buys WBD instead? The problem is a merger itself is bad for the industry, regardless of which companies are involved.

Still, there’s also no denying that this bad merger would be made even worse if Paramount-Skydance ends up acquiring WBD. For one thing, I think it’s a huge red flag the way Paramount-Skydance head David Ellison is getting more and more unhinged in his hostile takeover bids. Dude, WBD is just not that into you! More seriously, Paramount-Skydance is the parent company of CBS, and we’ve all seen them destroy 60 Minutes and, more recently, censor Stephen Colbert. If they buy WBD, that includes HBO Max, which includes Last Week Tonight. John Oliver and his team must be protected AT ALL COSTS.

James Cameron is shown at the Costume Designers Guild Awards earlier this month with costume designer Deborah Lynn Scott credit: Sadou Faye/Avalon. He’s also shown at the European Avatar: Fire and Ash premiere. Credit: Thomas Floyd/Avalon