The Warner Bros. film management structure. Discovery is forming, say sources familiar with the matter the hollywood reporterThe executive team of Michael de Luca and Pamela Abdi have reached an agreement to launch Warner and New Line once Amazon releases them from their MGM contracts next month.
Toby Emerick, who has run Warner and New Line since 2017, is stepping down, but Warner Bros. has given him a production deal. With Discovery. “I have no doubt that he will deliver even more exciting news with his new title, and I look forward to continuing our working relationship for many years to come,” wrote Warner Bros. David Zaslav, director of Discovery. Note to staff on Wednesday.
After De Luca and Abdi leave MGM, his direct reports will be sent to Julie Rapaport, reporting to Jen Salke, temporarily until Mike Hopkins names a replacement and announces a new structure. This structure is expected to include expanded film efforts for MGM, including wider theatrical releases, and for Amazon.
Zaslav’s strategy in forming the company is to create three verticals, each under its own leadership: Warner Bros.-New Line (under Luca and Abd), DC and Animation. DC Films president Walter Hamada de Luca and Abdi will report until new leadership is revealed, while the head of the animated vertical is still unknown.
Zaslav’s intention is to model Warner after a system introduced by former Disney CEO Bob Iger at the studio, with verticals reporting directly to him. Zaslav spoke to Alan Horn, former president of Disney Studios, about working as a consultant. (Zaslav consulted not only with Horn but also with Iger in developing a top-down approach to overseeing the executive structure of the Warner Bros. film Discovery.)
Fixing DC remains a big challenge for Zaslav. Sources say he asked Todd Phillips, the multi-talented man who created 2019’s obscure $1 billion revenue. jester, Do more in the DC world, potentially in an advisory role, although he is not in an executive position. An informed source says Phillips and Zaslav have discovered a relationship, though Phillips is not an expert on the wider world of DC. While Disney-owned Marvel’s creative director Kevin Page oversees film, television animation and publishing, there wasn’t a single voice in charge at DC. (Hamda’s supervisor, Hamada, oversees the film company’s characters, including the HBO Max spin-offs.) DC’s qualities are only loosely related and sometimes occur in completely separate worlds, like the Oscar winner. jester and Matt Reeves bat ManReleased in March.
As a Disney and Warner veteran, Horn refrained from reaching a formal agreement until Zaslav formed his own executive team. Horn didn’t want to get involved earlier because of his relationship with different players or potential players. His return to Warner is a full-cycle moment as he left Warner in 2011 amid corporate turmoil. He then successfully went to Disney. Likewise, de Luca was removed as president of production at New Line in 2001 after several mishaps, including the Adam Sandler bombing. little nickIt was only after more than 20 years that he returned to direct the film studio.
Warner declined to comment, as did De Luca, Abdi and Emerich.
Zaslav’s full note to the team on Wednesday is as follows:
All,
This morning, Toby Emerick informed his team of his decision to leave Warner Bros. as president of the Pictures Group and create his own production company. I have known Toby for years, he is a great leader and friend to me and many, I am so happy for him and even more excited that he has decided to stay with Warner Bros. Discovery is part of the family in that way. New producer. We are also grateful to him for agreeing to stay with Warner Bros. at the helm of the Pictures Group this summer in transition.
For the past few months, Toby and I have been talking about Warner Bros. About the Pictures Group’s best structure and the idea of ​​creating three different segments of Warner Bros. Pictures/New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Feature Animation and Film Production based on DC. I greatly appreciate your insight and collaboration in this process and I am confident that this is the right strategy for our company going forward.
It was during these conversations that Toby first shared his desire to start his own manufacturing company. I told him he had my full support. He is an incredible talent with a well-deserved reputation across the industry as a bold and creative vision. When he ran New Line Cinema and then all of Warner Bros. for Picture Group, he was the driving force behind the various successful film and series collections, including The Notebook, Elf, Crazy Rich Asians, A Star Is Born and. Bat Man. I have no doubt that you will bring us even more remarkable and exciting news about your new position and I look forward to continuing our working relationship for many years to come.
We have a deep history of world-class production here at Warner Bros. At Discovery, our goal is to bring you more information about the best stories and share them with an even wider audience around the world. Toby and his team will play an important and appreciated role in this effort, we are delighted that they are joining us and can’t wait for what they will create in the months and years to come.
David
Aaron Couch contributed to this report.
June 1st, 1:20pm PST Updated memo from David Zaslav to employees.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
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