According to recent news, if the WB acquisition goes through, Netflix will keep a 45-day window for Warner Brothers titles’ theatrical runs.

Variety announced that Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix, would keep the banner that allowed Warner Brothers to gain significant earnings in multiplexes for a short period.

Sarandos stated, “When this deal closes, we will own a theatrical distribution engine that is phenomenal and produces billions of dollars of theatrical revenue that we don’t want to put at risk. We will run that business largely like it is today, with 45-day windows…I’m giving you a hard number. If we’re going to be in the theatrical business, and we are, we’re competitive people — we want to win. I want to win opening weekend. I want to win box office.”

Sarandos went on to point out the criticism regarding the $83 billion purchase, claiming that emotions were running high, with “folks questioned, rightfully so, our intent with theatrical because we hadn’t said anything about it.”

It seems to continue the thread we discussed recently: folks perturbed by the acquisition will remain so, and rightfully so, especially since Sarandos has gone on record claiming most moviegoing is “outmoded.” Netflix’s apathy towards this recent home run stretch by WB seems harsher than ever, and folks are speculating whether the other titans will be able to keep up in the world post-COVID for a good time at the movies.

Do folks want to go to the movie? Yes, especially if it is something they want to see (i.e., an original, new-concept, IP-driven fanfare, old-school memories, etc.).

But capping their possibility isn’t the solution to a byzantine equation. The simpler, the better. The more convoluted, well, you know the rest.