As Apple, Disney and HBO enter the streaming world, how will movies be affected?

As mighty players including Apple and Disney prepare to go up against the likes of Netflix and Amazon, industry observers are busy speculating about which corporate behemoth will come out on top in the coming streaming wars. But cinephiles, filmmakers and the traditional gatekeepers of the movie business have their own concern: namely, will the art form they love benefit from this clash of the titans, or will it end up suffering collateral damage?

That the film business has already been profoundly reshaped by streaming will come as news to no one. In less than a decade, Netflix and Amazon