Iâm honestly surprised no one here is really talking about the (almost certain) Netflix buyout of HBO, and everything this could mean for film and television, regardless of whatever deal Netflix manages to negotiate.
This isnât just about the inevitable price hikes, which will push cinema even further away from being accessible to everyone. Something that used to feel like it belonged to the public hasnât been that way in quite a long time. And, of course, the overall quality of what ends up on screen will almost certainly drop. A lot of HBO staff will leave, and with them go fresh ideas and the creative backbone of film and TV.
Netflix, as always, will stick to the âsafe and cheapâ route. Lower budgets, lower risks, lower ambition. Their entire approach couldnât be more different from what HBO has stood for. They donât go for the daring, the strange, the innovative. They mass-produce series with barely any quality control, and only commit to a show if it proves profitable in the long run. If something doesnât land immediately, itâs cancelled. Simple as that.
HBO, on the other hand, has always been known for its very particular way of making cinema and television: intention, craft, creative voices, attention to detail. You could always trust that there was a certain standard behind anything they released. Whatâs happening now is, quite honestly, dreadful for the industry.
Warner funded projects no one else wouldâve dared to touch, and many of those films thrived under their banner. You can bet that under Netflix, that simply wonât happen⌠not even close. And if there is ever a halfway decent film coming out of this, Iâd wager Netflix will dump it straight onto streaming rather than give it a proper theatrical release.
Today, cinema and television took a massive hit. The industry has been dealt a really heavy blow. I canât see anything remotely positive coming out of this... just further losses for the democratization of film, of culture, and yet another step towards an even bigger monopoly.
