Mark Ruffalo has shared his thoughts on James Cameron‘s letter in opposition to Netflix buying Warner Bros. Discovery, with the filmmaker instead sharing support for Paramount to acquire the company.
“So… the next question to Mr Cameron should be this… ‘Are you also against the monopolization that a Paramount acquisition would create? Or is it just that of Netflix?’” the four-time Oscar-nominated actor wrote on Threads Saturday. “I think the answer would be very interesting for the film community to hear and one that should be asked immediately. Is Mike Lee against the Paramount sale as well? Is he as concerned about that as he is the Netflix sale?”
Ruffalo concluded, “We all want to know .…Speaking on behalf of hundreds of thousands of film makers world wide.”
In Cameron’s letter, which is dated Feb. 10 but began making headlines on Thursday and was sent to to Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), the Avatar director voiced concerns about the future of films being released in theaters if Netflix acquires Warner Bros.
“The business model of Netflix is directly at odds with the theatrical film production and exhibition business, which employs hundreds of thousands of Americans,” Cameron wrote “It is therefore directly at odds with the business model of the Warner Brothers movie division, one of the few remaining major movie studios.”
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos swiftly fired back against Cameron’s claims on Friday. “I’m particularly surprised and disappointed that James chose to be part of the Paramount disinformation campaign that’s been going on for months about this deal,” he said in an interview on Fox Business Network’s The Claman Countdown.
Sarandos also responded to Cameron’s claims that he plans to shift films to having a 17-day theatrical window. “I have never even uttered the words 17-day window. So I don’t know where it came from or why he would be part of that machine,” he added.
“Movies go into the theaters for 45 days, a healthy, robust slate of films every year, that is going to continue,” Sarandos said. “This deal is contingent on that for us to — for it to work.”
The Netflix co-CEO additionally sent Lee a letter in response to Cameron’s, where he wrote that the Titanic director “knowingly misrepresents our position and commitment to the theatrical release of Warner Bros. films.”
