The Directors Guild of America, which is led by acclaimed director Christopher Nolan, is planning an urgent meeting with Netflix.
The announcement comes on the heels of Netflix announcing its historic merger with Warner Bros., which has caused concern among rival companies, some fans, and artists .”The news that Netflix had secured exclusive rights to negotiate for WBD raises significant concerns for the DGA,” the Directors Guild of America wrote in a December 5 news release.The Dark Knight director Nolan is the president.
The Directors Wrote That They Want a ‘Vibrant, Competitive Industry’
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The directors raised concern about how a lack of competition could affect the movie industry.
“We believe that a vibrant, competitive industry — one that fosters creativity and encourages genuine competition for talent —is essential to safeguarding the careers and creative rights of Directors and their teams,” the group wrote.
“We will be meeting with Netflix to outline our concerns and better understand their vision for the future of the company. While we undertake this due diligence we will not be commenting further.”
The Writers Guild of America also weighed in. “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,” that Guild wrote in its own release.
“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,” it added. The Writer’s Guild is “a labor union representing writers of motion pictures, television, radio, and internet programming, including news and documentaries,” according to its website.
According to Variety, the Writers Guild has opposed “media consolidation” moves before.
Netflix Defended Its Deal in a Press release
Netflix has defended its deal in a press release.
“This acquisition brings together two pioneering entertainment businesses, combining Netflix’s innovation, global reach and best-in-class streaming service with Warner Bros.’ century-long legacy of world-class storytelling. Beloved franchises, shows and movies such as The Big Bang Theory, The Sopranos, Game of Thrones,The Wizard of Oz and the DC Universe will join Netflix’s extensive portfolio including Wednesday, Money Heist, Bridgerton, Adolescence and Extraction, creating an extraordinary entertainment offering for audiences worldwide,” the company wrote on December 5.
“Our mission has always been to entertain the world,” said Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix. “By combining Warner Bros.’ incredible library of shows and movies—from timeless classics like Casablanca and Citizen Kane to modern favorites like Harry Potter and Friends—with our culture-defining titles like Stranger Things, KPop Demon Hunters and Squid Game, we’ll be able to do that even better. Together, we can give audiences more of what they love and help define the next century of storytelling.”
