The tensions behind the scenes at Warner Bros. The discovery went well after the decision of the head of the conglomerate to shelve the “Batgirl” film, with far greater repercussions than the discontent of the protagonist and the directors.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, DC Films president Walter Hamada threatened to resign for being “run over” and even consulted his lawyers on how to proceed.
Citing a “source aware of the situation,” the publication claims that, after meeting with conglomerate executives, Hamada ended up agreeing to remain in the position until October 21, the release date of the film “Black Adam,” starring Dwayne Johnson. . But he has already declared his resignation and, after that date, he no longer plans to continue with the company.
In addition to the “Batgirl” fiasco and statements by WBD CEO David Zaslav that they oppose DC Films’ streaming plans, Hamada would be displeased with public speculation in the press about finding another name to head up DC’s media division. That is, for your work.
Zaslav has already made clear his desire to restructure DC films. During the market unveiling of WBD’s quarterly performance on Thursday (4/8), he justified the cancellation of “Batgirl” as a way to value DC superheroes – including Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman – as centerpieces to the broader. company content strategy. “These are famous brands all over the world,” he said.
The CEO was emphatic in praising the upcoming superhero releases, saying that “Black Adam”, “Shazam! Rage of the Gods” and even “The Flash” “are awesome” and that WBD can “do even better” in the future. . But not in streaming. The emphasis of his management will be on theatrical releases.
The implication of this is that “Batgirl” wasn’t strong enough to be released in theaters, but too expensive to have a simple streaming release. Therefore, the company chose to cancel the project, as a way to reduce its costs, which would still be high by adding advertising and dissemination. And he didn’t consult Hamada about it!
Sources in the Hollywood Reporter say Hamada only learned of the decision during a test screening of “Black Adam”. He would have been very uncomfortable not to have been consulted and worried about the impact of the decision on those involved in the making of the film, which could have repercussions on other projects of the studio.
The decision on “Batgirl” would also extend to other DC streaming projects, imploded films that fans have been waiting for. Furthermore, no one knows how far the cuts have gone from the series. Zaslav has already complained about the productivity of JJ Abrams, with whom the former WarnerMedia closed a million-dollar contract, and who is faced with DC productions that seem parked in eternal development.
It is worth mentioning that Hamada took over as president of DC in 2018, shortly after the failure of “Justice League” (2017), with the aim of restoring credibility to the brand. Under his leadership, DC has continued to produce films that have been hugely successful, surprising the market in the case of “Joker” (2019), and with no ties to a larger universe, such as “Batman” (2022), at the the same time that followed the productions derived from the superhero group’s films, such as “Aquaman” and “Wonder Woman 1984”.
He is also the one who brought in James Gunn to direct “The Suicide Squad” (2021) and create the hit series “Peacemaker” – and before that, he was executive vice president of production at New Line, where he also oversaw the hit franchise, like the horrors “The Conjuring” and “It – The Thing”.
But Hamada has also been embroiled in controversy, accused of trying to silence Ray Fisher (Cyborg) allegations about the toxic environment behind the scenes of “Justice League” remakes and trying to clean up Amber Heard of “Aquaman. 2”.
His contract was valid until 2023 and everything indicated that it would not be renewed.
Source: Terra
Emily Jhon is a product and service reviewer at Gossipify, known for her honest evaluations and thorough analysis. With a background in marketing and consumer research, she offers valuable insights to readers. She has been writing for Gossipify for several years and has a degree in Marketing and Consumer Research from the University of Oxford.
