With nearly 150 million subscribers around the world, Netflix has a commanding lead in the streaming wars. But it’s also facing heavy competition from deep-pocketed conglomerates like Disney, Apple, and AT&T, and an ongoing wave of narrow, targeted streaming sites like CBS All Access and DC Universe, which can draw on popular existing franchises for original content. As fewer companies are willing to license out their films and shows to other streaming sites, Netflix is pouring billions of dollars annually into its own original content. Follow along with The Verge as we look at Netflix’s new films and shows, its evolving strategies against new entrants in the market, and how it’s leveraging its technological and marketing lead.
As reported by Bloomberg, the revised deal would replace Netflix’s existing agreement to acquire WBD’s studio and streaming business in a cash and stock transaction. The rumored change comes as Paramount continues to press WBD to accept its “superior” $108 billion all-cash deal for the entire company.
The new teaser trailer for the second season of Netflix’s live-action One Piece adaptation introduces the show’s take on Baroque Works, the superpowered crime syndicate fixated on toppling the Arabasta Kingdom and taking out anyone who gets in their way. The new season drops on March 10th.
The team formerly at Boss Fight Entertainment, which worked on Netflix’s Squid Game mobile game before being shut down last year, has formed a new studio called Sunwise Games. The studio is working on a new, original game.
“I created Sunwise because it’s the change I want to see in the games industry: clear scope, ethical monetization, and teams built to deliver reliably over time,” founder Irin Berry says in a statement.
If you believe internet rumors claiming the Stranger Things finale had “two hours” cut from its two-hour runtime, and have ignored actors and others saying that the claim is fake, the show’s creators have responded.
Asked about it by Variety, Matt Duffer said, “Obviously, that’s not a real thing,” while Ross Duffer added, “I don’t think there’s a single cut scene in the entire season.”
The main Stranger Things series is coming to an end when the final episode is released tomorrow, on New Year’s Eve at 8PM ET.
Netflix released this new trailer for the finale, which is also going to be shown in theaters, where people can watch together regardless of their familiarity with “shipping” and/or fandom designation.
In an Elite Daily interview ahead of this week’s penultimate release, series star Gaten Matarazzo referenced the “Stonathan” pairing and said he liked the idea behind “Steddie” fanfics.
But saying the “Byler” shipping between Will and Mike, was “very funny. I see them as just very good friends,” seemingly went too far for some, with social media posts targeting the interviewer, and some even claiming it was a fake quote.
Junichi Okada talks about the new Netflix series and how his role as action planner touches nearly every part of it.
Last week, we talked about how Warner Bros. — quite reasonably! — had some agita about David Ellison’s bid for the company. Well, what do you know, David’s daddy is going to personally guarantee the offer. Also, since the last time we talked, Jared Kushner backed out of the nepo baby bid.
Netflix’s co-CEOs, in a letter to WBD stockholders:
There’s been a lot of talk about theatrical distribution, so we want to set the record straight: we are 100% committed to releasing Warner Bros. films in theaters with industry-standard windows. While this hasn’t been part of our business model until now, we are looking forward to bringing this expertise from Warner Bros. to Netflix.
WBD is urging shareholders to reject Paramount’s latest offer.
As hokey as the first few episodes of Stranger Things’ final season felt, the new trailer for the next batch dropping on December 25th makes it seem like the series is stepping its game up as it races towards the finish line.
The third movie in the whodunit series is now streaming on Netflix. You can also check out my review of Wake Up Dead Man (it’s good!) and an interview with director Rian Johnson about why he doesn’t plan in advance and why the movies are always rooted in the present.
Netflix may be the frontrunner now, but the war for Warner Bros. could end in a number of different ways.
The new teaser for season 2 of Netflix’s live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender series is full of iffy-looking action, but it gives us a very promising look at Miya Cech’s take on Toph.
Rian Johnson’s latest mystery trades crowd-pleasing spectacle for something that pushes the series in a new direction.
Since Netflix announced that it was the frontrunner to buy Warner Bros., David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance has been getting more hostile in its bids to own the legacy studio. But Semafor reports that Paramount’s tactics have raised eyes in Washington, where some think Ellison is banking on favoritism from Trump’s Justice Department.
After launching a hostile bid for the entertainment giant, Paramount’s Ellison told CNBC that Netflix’s deal to buy part of WBD would create a company with “unprecedented market power:”
When you combine the number one streamer with the number three streamer, that creates a company that has unprecedented market power, north of 400 million subscribers. The next largest competitor is Disney, with just under 200 million. That’s bad for Hollywood, that’s bad for the creative community, that’s bad for consumers.
Warner Bros. has a long history of bad buyouts and mergers, but maybe Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos has been watching a little too much Arrested Development on his own platform.
Bebopper:
Arrested Development but it might work for us .gif
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Despite Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos’ efforts to woo the president last month, Trump said on Sunday that plans to combine the streamer with Warner Bros. “could be a problem.” Trump said that Netflix already has a “very big market share,” which will “go up by a lot” if the $83 billion buyout goes ahead.
WB has a checkered history of acquisitions, but joining forces with Netflix would elevate it to a new level of prominence.
Warner Bros. mergers have a not-so-great history, but with this deal, co-CEO Greg Peters said on an analyst call that, as transcribed by Deadline:
We understand these assets that we’re buying, the things that are critical in Warner Bros. are key businesses that we operate in, and we understand. A lot of times, the acquiring company, it was a legacy non-growth business that was looking for sort of a lifeline. That doesn’t apply to us.
Co-CEO Ted Sarandos, from an investor call:
This deal is pro consumer, pro innovation, pro worker, it’s pro creator, it’s pro growth. And our plans here are to work really closely with all the appropriate governments and regulators, but really confident that we’re going to get all the necessary approvals that we need.
From its website:
The world’s largest streaming company swallowing one of its biggest competitors is what antitrust laws were designed to prevent. The outcome would eliminate jobs, push down wages, worsen conditions for all entertainment workers, raise prices for consumers, and reduce the volume and diversity of content for all viewers. Industry workers along with the public are already impacted by only a few powerful companies maintaining tight control over what consumers can watch on television, on streaming, and in theaters. This merger must be blocked.
From its press release:
Netflix expects to maintain Warner Bros.’ current operations and build on its strengths, including theatrical releases for films.
“Expects” is doing a lot of work there. But responding to an investor question about theatrical plans, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said:
I wouldn’t look at this as a change in approach for Netflix movies or for Warner movies for that matter.
WBD’s board of directors determined that “this structure – Warner Bros. joining Netflix, and Discovery Global becoming a focused standalone company – provides the strongest long-term foundation for both sets of businesses,” Zaslav says.
The company is selling Spry Fox, a studio it acquired in 2022 that’s known for cozy games like Cozy Grove and is developing an MMO, back to its original owners, Game File reports. It’s the latest shift in Netflix’s evolving gaming strategy.
Rian Johnson might not be open to a Knives Out feature starring The Muppets, but he seems to have given his blessing to Netflix’s new Sesame Street short about detective Beignet Blanc investigating the disappearance of Cookie Monster’s triple berry pie.
