British actor Hugh Grant has voiced a blunt dislike for the streaming period after Netflix’s blockbuster acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. Talking on the Hindustan Instances Management Summit 2025 in Delhi on Saturday, the 65‑12 months‑outdated star advised actor Rahul Khanna that the $82.7 billion deal – which values Warner Bros. Discovery at roughly $72 billion in fairness – indicators a troubling shift from the ‘communal’ magic of the cinema to the solitary glow of a smartphone.
“After I awoke and skim within the Hindustan Instances right this moment about Netflix buying Warner Bros., I believe it was dangerous information. I completely hate streaming,” Hugh stated, with a wry smile.
He additionally added that the very notion of “dreaming” in a theatre had develop into alien to him. “Movies proven to an viewers are communal. I discover it exhausting to fall in love with a movie on a smartphone. A variety of provides for streaming depart me feeling drained, I can’t get excited,” he stated.
The deal, introduced on Friday, sees Netflix shopping for Warner Bros., together with its movie and tv studios, HBO Max and HBO, in a money‑and‑inventory transaction valued at $27.75 per Warner Bros. Discovery share. The enterprise worth of the merger is about $82.7 billion, with an fairness element of $72 billion.
Hugh, who turned 65 this 12 months, linked his frustration to age and nostalgia. “My fear is for many who love the theatrical expertise – that’s a chunk of dangerous information,” he stated. “I hope we become bored with the digital on-line expertise and return to the outdated theatrical expertise quickly. I used to be talking to Shabana (Azmi, actor)… come offline, return to paper. Individuals will purchase it – the identical with books and films, as an alternative of sitting tragically at house on their own,” he addede.