Warner Bros. Bids Threaten Movie Theater Industry, EU Warned (1)

Movie theaters warned European Union merger watchdogs that a takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. by either Netflix Inc. or Paramount Skydance Corp. threatens to harm their industry.

A group representing some of the biggest theaters including Odeon’s parent AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc., Kinepolis Group NV, and Cineworld Group Plc told EU officials in a closed-door-meeting in Brussels that the takeover bids could stymie the release of blockbuster movies.

Movie theaters are “opposed to any deal that would lead to a loss of a significant proportion of future titles,” Laura Houlgatte, UNIC’s chief executive officer, said in a ...