The famous American actress Jane Fonda believes that the acquisition of the Warner Bros film and television studios by Netflix is a “catastrophic business”which threatens the entire entertainment industry.
In a statement published on the evening of Friday, December 5, on Instagram, together with the Committee for the First Amendment, a group of artists and prominent personalities from the cultural field that defends freedom of expression, the actress, awarded with two Oscars, openly criticized this agreement, announced the same day, reports the EFE agency, quoted by Agerpres.
The actress accuses a “demonstrated contempt of the administration for the law”
According to the star, it is a “an alarming escalation” which creates a conglomerate “which threatens the entire entertainment industry, the democratic public it serves, and the First Amendment”the statement says.
“This isn’t just a catastrophic deal that could destroy our creative industry. It’s a constitutional crisis exacerbated by the administration’s demonstrated disregard for the law.”the signatories declared.
“You have a responsibility to defend our rights, not to sell them to fill your pockets”
Jane Fonda also criticized Netflix and other companies that could be involved in this agreement, which she described as “destructive”.
“As stewards of an industry built on free speech, you have a responsibility to defend our rights, not sell them to line your pockets,” added the actress.
On Friday, Netflix announced that it will acquire Warner Bros. Discovery ( WBD ), including its film and television studios, as well as HBO and HBO Max, for $82.7 billion.
The transaction is to be completed after Warner Bros Discovery will separate its Discovery Global division, focused on television, which will include CNN, TNT Sports, Discovery+ and free channels in Europe, notes EFE.
The deal is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2026.
The acquisition of WBD by Netflix represents the merger of two of the most important audiovisual entertainment companies.
The catalog will include HBO productions such as “The Big Bang Theory”“The Sopranos” and “Game of thrones”, as well as movies like “The Wizard of Oz” and DC Universe titles, joining Netflix series such as “Wednesday” “Money Heist”, “Bridgerton” and “Adolescence”.
