LOS ANGELES >> In October, when Warner Bros. Discovery hung a “For Sale” sign on itself, Hollywood was sad. Megaproducer Larry Gordon likened the feeling to a death in the family. In group WhatsApp chats, screenwriters used words like “heartbreaking” and “tragic.”

The Warner Bros. deal has the town on edge.

Celebrities, workers and industry groups have raged against the streaming giant’s bold takeover of one of the world’s best-known movie studios.

Much of the entertainment capital fears that Netflix’s deal will lead to more job losses and theater closings and fewer boundary-pushing movies.