Is Universal Going to Buy Warner Bros.?

Recent reports assert that Universal/Comcast is going to buy Warner Bros. in the next two years; here’s everything we know so far.

While the Walt Disney Company, its theme parks (both the Walt Disney World Resort and the Disneyland Resort), and its movies are certainly our primary focus here at Disney Fanatic, occasionally, we find interesting news about Disney’s competitors to share with interested fans.

In the past, we’ve shared news about the Barbie movie, Universal attraction closures, and more. Today, we have some interesting news of a possible sale to Universal.

Related: Universal’s Thriving Franchise Strategy Shines as Disney Stays Stuck in the Past

Warner Bros. Employees Believe a Sale to Universal to Come in the Near Future

Recent reports explain that Warner Bros. employees believe the long-time famous Hollywood bigshot will be sold to a rival studio, and many believe the studio in question is Universal. This would be a huge shift as Warner Bros. is known to be one of the Big 5 in Hollywood, along with Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Walt Disney Studios, and Sony Pictures.

The studio has been responsible for some of the biggest hits of the last few decades, including some of the most famous franchises: think Harry Potter—including the Fantastic Beasts series—or any DC film.

According to Variety, some on the lot believe that Universal will very likely buy Warner Bros. within the next 2 years. pic.twitter.com/hAjdrrZFCq

— The Hollywood Handle (@HollywoodHandle) October 10, 2023

“The bottom line is they need to get DC to work whether [Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav] owns it, whether [Comcast CEO Brian Roberts] owns it, whether somebody else owns it,” says LightShed’s Rich Greenfield, a Wall Street analyst and venture capitalist.

This said, the situation is reminiscent of the time the Walt Disney Company bought Marvel Studios; similar to that event, many fans are worried about the future of the DC film franchise if creative control is transferred to Comcast instead of retained by Warner Bros. At present, James Gunn is the head of DC Studios.

The news was first reported by Variety in an article that largely addressed concerns from actress Amber Heard about her costar, Jason Momoa, and his alleged intoxication on set. Heard also accused Momoa of dressing up like Johnny Depp to torment her.

Related: ‘The Lord of the Rings’ Films Are Next Victims of Disney’s Streaming Purge

Of course, if this sale goes through, it could mean a notable disruption in the Hollywood landscape with the setup of some of the biggest and longest-standing studios now functioning under companies that are slowly becoming monopolies.

This said, it’s important to remember that this rumor is still just that—a rumor. It has not yet been confirmed by anyone either on Universal’s end or on Warner Bros.’s part.

We at Disney Fanatic will update you on any developments to this story.