Hollywood power struggle erupts over Netflix's billion dollar studio move

Mark Ruffalo has spoken out after director James Cameron criticised Netflix over its planned deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery.

Cameron raised the issue in a letter sent to US Senator Mike Lee, warning that the deal could seriously hurt movie theaters.

In the letter, he said the move would be “disastrous for the theatrical motion picture business” and added, “Theaters will close. Fewer films will be made. The job losses will spiral.”

Ruffalo responded online, questioning if Cameron’s concerns were being applied fairly.

Writing on Instagram Threads, the actor asked if Cameron was also against other major studio takeovers.

“So… the next question to Mr Cameron should be this,” Ruffalo wrote.

“Are you also against the monopolization that a Paramount acquisition would create? Or is it just that of Netflix?”

He, however, added that the film industry deserves clear answers, saying that he was speaking for “hundreds of thousands of film makers world wide.”

Netflix, moreover, is set to acquire Warner Bros. studios and HBO Max in a deal valued at eighty three billion dollars.

Shareholders are expected to vote on the deal on March 20.

Cameron argued that Netflix’s subscription based model does not work with traditional cinema.

Netflix executive Ted Sarandos later said that theatrical releases would largely remain the same.