WBD Grabs 'Wuthering Heights' as 'Woman of the Hour' Becomes Latest Casualty in Netflix's War on Theaters

If A-list talent like Margot Robbie take less money to ensure a theatrical release amid lower streaming viewership for buzzy acquisitions, Netflix may find its bargaining power limited.

Netflix’s loss is Warner Bros. Discovery’s gain, as WBD nabbed a buzzy adaptation of Emily Bronte’s classic romantic melodrama Wuthering Heights. Puck and others had reported that the streaming giant was offering $150 million for the MRC film, which will be written and directed by Promising Young Woman helmer Emerald Fennell and star Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi. However, Robbie, producing the movie via LuckyChap, wanted a conventional theatrical commitment and was willing to take less money to get it. In this case, a reported $70 million less, as WBD offered up $80 million alongside promises of a conventional theatrical release and the promotional expense/effort that goes along with that. The news came after word – via Netflix’s ratings – that Anna Kendrick’s Woman of the Hour debuted last weekend with just 9.9 million views in its first three days.