It has been one of the most groundbreaking weeks in Hollywood history as Netflix has officially announced it has acquired Warner Bros. The deal includes both film and television studios, and HBO Max, and HBO. Warner is home to some of the biggest fictional franchises in history, and we’re here to dicuss the five biggest franchises Netflix will pick up from the Warner deal.
With over 300 million paid members worldwide, Netflix is already the largest streaming service in the world. Netflix come a long way since House of Cards first launced in 2013, and in those 12 years we’ve seen the rise of brand new fictional franchises such as Stranger Things, Squid Game, and KPOP Demon Hunters.
Netflix’s acquistion of Warner Bros. will change the landscape of Hollywood, and entertainment forever. Thanks to this deal, Netflix will now possess the rights to some of the world’s biggest fictional franchises. From wizarding worlds, to medieval fantasy, to heroic figures that go back to the golden age of comics, and some of the most beloved cartoon characters in history here are the five biggest franchises Netflix will be picking up from its acquistion of Warner Bros:
Harry Potter
One of the most recognisable brands on the planet, there aren’t many people today who haven’t at least heard of Harry Potter. Not only can the franchise boast having one of the best-selling book series in publishing history, but the film adaptations were also a ginormous box-office and commercial success.
Even well over a decade later, the films remain popular enough for Netflix to continue licensing them periodically, which always creates buzz among the fanbase. However, thanks to the Warner deal, this would mean Netflix will never have to worry about licensing the films again, and all seven Harry Potter films and all three Fantastic Beasts spin-off films will become permanent fixtures in the Netflix library.
However, the largest elephant in the room is the upcoming television adaptation of Harry Potter. Even before its release, the television adaptation has been the subject of much criticism since it was first announced. Much of the criticism has been surrounding whether or not the series should be happening in the first place, with many of the opinions that the TV adaptation is coming too soon after the film franchise. Regardless, it’s happening, and it’s scheduled for release in 2027. With Millennials, Gen Z and Gen Alpha growing up watching Harry Potter, the series has the opportunity to create a new generation of Harry Potter fans.
But what does that mean for Netflix? First, the television adaptation could immediately cement its place as Netflix’s next flagship series for years to come after Stranger Things. Second, Netflix would have the chance to produce more spin-off films and shows, such as a show centred on the Marauders, which fans have been desperate to see for years.
Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones reshaped television in a way similar to how The Lord of the Rings transformed films. Both forever altered the landscape of their respective fields. Never before had audiences taken to a fantasy drama series in such numbers, and HBO’s adaptation of George R R Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire dominated television in the 2010s. For years, networks have attempted to create their own “Game of Thrones“, and Netflix once had the opportunity to do that with The Witcher adaptation; however, all the potential The Witcher once had has ultimately been wasted. So it’s incredibly ironic that after years of trying to develop its own Game of Thrones, Netflix would then own the rights to the franchise. If you can’t beat them, buy them.
So what would this mean for the Netflix library? At the very least, all eight seasons of Game of Thrones would be available to Netflix subscribers for the first time, and that would also include prequel/spin-off shows House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Both of the aforementioned shows are still ongoing: House of the Dragon, set to release its third season in 2026 and renewed for a fourth, and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, set to debut in January 2026 and also renewed for a second season.
There’s a rich history inside the world of A Song of Ice and Fire that Netflix could draw from for years to come. Numerous spin-offs could be made, with stories set in Essos such as The Doom of Valyria. Still, fans are mostly desperate to see adaptations of Aegon’s Conquest, Robert’s Rebellion, Nymeria’s conquest of Dorne, and tales from the Age of Heroes.
DC
Detective Comics is one of the most influential franchises in history. Founded in 1937, the comic-book publisher is home to some of the most popular superheroes in literature, including Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and The Flash. Across the 88-year history, DC has published thousands of comic books, and dozens upon dozens of film and television adaptations of their beloved characters have been produced.
While Netflix already has competition in the “streaming wars” with Disney, Paramount and Comcast, it would ultimately single out Disney, where Marvel Comics, the other great American comic book publisher, calls home. Backed up by the box office numbers, Marvel has been more successful than DC thanks to its overwhelmingly popular Marvel Cinematic Universe. In response to Marvel’s success, Warner and DC established their own cinematic universe, known as the DCEU (Detective Comics Expanded Universe).
However, their first attempt failed to match the success of Marvel, and as a result, they decided to take a bold new direction by enlisting Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn to helm the new DCU (Detective Comics Universe). It’s still too early to call the DCU a success, as the first film, Superman, was released only in July 2025.
So what does it mean for the Netflix library? At the very least, there is a rich history of television shows and films that could be added to the library immediately, providing subscribers with hundreds of hours of content from projects such as:
- The Arrowverse
- DC Animated Universe
- DC Expanded Universe
- Christopher Nolan’s Batman Trilogy
- Christopher Reeve’s run as Superman
- Tim Burton’s Batman.
The acquisition of Warner, and thus DC, would also signal a bold new direction for Netflix’s approach to cinematic releases. But that’s a discussion for another time.
Looney Tunes
When you picture the iconic logo of Warner Bros, it’s always accompanied by the image of the legendary Bugs Bunny. The wise-cracking, carrot-munching rabbit is the mascot of Warner and the iconic Looney Tunes franchise. Entertaining audiences for generations, the colourful cast of characters includes Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig, the Road Runner, Speedy Gonzalez, Taz the Tasmanian Devil, Marvin Martian, Tweety & Sylvester, and dozens more.
Beyond the original Looney Tunes cartoon shorts, there are dozens of television shows and films that could be added to Netflix’s library, providing subscribers with countless hours of entertainment. Not to mention, this could give Netflix the chance to offer the entire franchise a “soft reboot” and produce brand-new shows and movies based on the beloved characters.
The Lord of the Rings
Netflix now has a chokehold on fantasy franchises with the acquisition of Warner. Not only does Netflix now own Game of Thrones, but it also means the streaming service will own the film rights to The Lord of the Rings.
Peter Jackson’s adaptation of The Lord of the Rings is one of the greatest film trilogies ever made. A box-office success and winner of over a dozen Academy Awards, The Lord of the Rings trilogy inspired a new generation of fantasy lovers and filmmakers. It was groundbreaking in its use of MOCAP technology. Not to mention the Hobbit trilogy and the animated film War of the Rohirrim.
Fans are also looking forward to a brand new film, The Hunt for Gollum, which will see Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis reprise their iconic roles. Scheduled to be released in theatres in December 2027, once its run in theatres comes to an end, Netflix subscribers will have access to it from the library.
It must be noted that Netflix will own only the film rights to The Lord of the Rings, while Amazon currently owns the television rights, which it purchased for $250 million in November 2017. Given that Netflix owns the rights to Game of Thrones, it’s clear Netflix won’t be lacking in the fantasy television department. At the very least, Netflix will be able to produce more Lord of the Rings content, hopefully exploring different eras across its vast history.
On one last note, hopefully this means Netflix will add the extended editions of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.
What Warner Bros IP would you be excited to see most on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!
