Hollywood is being reborn! Dakota Johnson’s wild take on Netflix–Warner deal breaks the internet!
Jeddah/IBNS: Global actress Dakota Johnson has weighed in on the massive Netflix–Warner Bros. merger, saying the entertainment industry is undergoing “another version of a rebirth” despite widespread concerns raised by Hollywood unions.
Speaking to Deadline at the Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah, Johnson said she does not fear the “demise” of Hollywood, asserting that creativity and storytelling will endure despite changes in how the industry operates.
“I don't fear the demise of the entertainment business or the film industry. People will always fight to be creative and to tell stories,” Johnson said. “The way in which that operates will shift and change throughout time as it always has.”
Calling Hollywood’s latest turmoil part of a cyclical pattern, the Materialists actress added, “Hollywood has been in dire situations since it started, so right now it's just another version of a rebirth. And I see that especially being here at this incredible festival.”
The actress’s comments come days after Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) announced one of the largest entertainment mergers in history. Under the agreement, Netflix will acquire Warner Bros., including its film and television operations, HBO, and HBO Max.
The cash-and-stock deal values WBD at $27.75 per share, representing an enterprise value of roughly $82.7 billion and an equity value of $72 billion. The merger is expected to close after WBD’s Global Networks division is spun off into a separate publicly traded company, Discovery Global, in the third quarter of 2026.
The combined entity would unite Netflix’s global streaming presence with Warner Bros.' century-long legacy, merging iconic franchises such as The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, the DC Universe, and The Wizard of Oz with Netflix hits including Wednesday, Squid Game, Bridgerton, Money Heist, and Extraction.
Intensifying Hollywood Opposition
The mega-deal has triggered strong pushback from writers, directors, producers, theatre owners, and unions.
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) warned that the merger could eliminate jobs, reduce wages, worsen working conditions, raise consumer prices, and limit the diversity of content available on screens.
“The world’s largest streaming company swallowing one of its biggest competitors is what antitrust laws were designed to prevent,” the WGA said in a statement.
Industry observers argue that such consolidation risks concentrating too much power in the hands of a few companies, potentially shaping what audiences can watch across streaming platforms, television, and theaters for years to come.
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