In this episode of INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, we step outside our usual filmmaker deep dives to examine a seismic moment in Hollywood—one that could reshape the film industry from top to bottom.

Warner Bros., one of the oldest and most influential studios in cinema history, is officially up for sale. After weighing multiple offers, the company initially moved toward a deal with Netflix, a move that would fold more than a century of studio legacy into one of the world’s most powerful streaming platforms. But the story didn’t end there. Within days, Paramount, backed by tech titan Larry Ellison, launched a surprise counteroffer—turning the situation into a full-scale bidding war.

None of these deals are finalized, and each faces significant regulatory hurdles. Still, the fact that Warner Bros. is even on the table speaks volumes about where the media landscape is headed. While arthouse cinema occupies a smaller corner of that ecosystem, the ripple effects of consolidation will shape what films get made, how they’re distributed, and whether audiences get to experience them on the big screen at all.

To unpack what’s at stake, we’re joined by two experts: Ross Melnick, professor of Film and Media Studies at UC Santa Barbara and a leading voice on the history of exhibition, and Chris Yogerst, author of The Warner Brothers, one of the definitive histories of the studio now at the center of this fight.

This conversation was recorded on December 10. Given how quickly events are moving, some details may shift—but our goal is to provide the context and historical insight needed to understand the forces at play and the possible futures ahead.

So let’s get into it: how consolidation shapes the movies you love, the theaters that show them, and the cultural imagination they help build.

That conversation on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, starting now.

👉 Watch our full filmmaker conversations on the main INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE channel:

youtube.com/@InsidetheArthouse

@laemmle @OfficialRaphaelSbarge @cyogerst UC Santa Barbara Film & Media Studies and Carsey-Wolf Center

#WarnerBros #WarnerBrothers #HollywoodBusiness #MediaConsolidation #StudioSystem #EntertainmentIndustry #StreamingWars #FilmDistribution #TheatricalExhibition #FilmIndustry #MergersAndAcquisitions #Antitrust #mediaregulation

#ArthouseCinema #IndependentFilm #CinemaCulture #MovieTheaters #FilmHistory #Cinephile #FilmPodcast #insidethearthouse

Warner Bros sale, Warner Brothers sale, Hollywood consolidation, studio acquisition, media mergers and acquisitions, streaming wars, Netflix studio deal, Paramount counteroffer, Larry Ellison media, antitrust and media regulation, film distribution economics, theatrical exhibition, future of movie theaters, legacy studios vs tech companies, Warner Bros history, studio system, film industry analysis, entertainment industry trends, Inside the Arthouse podcast

#arthouse #arthouseFilm @laemmle #BehindTheScenes #FilmDiscussion #MovieReview #NewReleases #NewFilmReleases #FilmLovers #Cinema #MoviePodcast #GregLaemmle #RaphaelSbarge #LaemmleTheatres #FilmDistribution #MovieIndustry #FilmBusiness Video Podcast Independent Film / Indie Film Arthouse Film / Arthouse Movie Film Lovers / Cinema New Movie Releases / New Film Releases Repertory Cinema / Classic Films / Classic Movies Filmmaker Interviews / Filmmakers (Directors, Writers, Producers) Film Distributors / Film Distribution Movie Industry / Film Business / Movie Business Behind-the-Scenes Insights Film Discussion / Movie Reviews / Film Analysis Greg Laemmle / Raphael Sbarge Laemmle Theatres

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices