The Warner Bros. Thread | Will NOT merge with Paramount...capitalism is still terrible

[abracadabra1998]

34 minutes ago, SpiderByte said:

Damn if only there were a family friendly property with a movie filmed with over the top slapstick that kids could enjoy. Something really... wily.

I think this is a dumb strategy. (HBO) Max always felt like the “adult” streamer: the one with the most hits aimed at adults. Why not try to distinguish yourself even further in this field and instead try to become another (surely less successful) Disney+/Netflix? I get that kids watch a LOT of content, but I feel like with the way streamers are going it’s not a bad thing to try to find your niche. They’re just further diminishing the brand

[El Squibbonator]

Because Zaslav doesn't like streaming, period. You don't even have to take my word for it. He spells it out right here.

[PlatnumRoyce]

7 minutes ago, abracadabra1998 said:

I think this is a dumb strategy. (HBO) Max always felt like the “adult” streamer: the one with the most hits aimed at adults. Why not try to distinguish yourself even further in this field and instead try to become another (surely less successful) Disney+/Netflix? I get that kids watch a LOT of content, but I feel like with the way streamers are going it’s not a bad thing to try to find your niche. They’re just further diminishing the brand

Am I crazy or did HBOMax literally make that sort of announcement a year or so ago?

[abracadabra1998]

2 minutes ago, PlatnumRoyce said:

Am I crazy or did HBOMax literally make that sort of announcement a year or so ago?

 

Not sure, but I feel my joker moment closer and closer with each Discovery content I see on it 

[Reddroast]

https://www.slashfilm.com/1443370/animaniacs-emerge-from-warner-bros-water-tower-to-battle-david-zaslav/

[Cappoedameron]

You'd think after that ABYSMAL quarterly meaning with the shareholders they would have voted him out, I'm shocked he's still there, every day he tarnishes the WB even more.

[Jonwo]

5 hours ago, Cappoedameron said:

You'd think after that ABYSMAL quarterly meaning with the shareholders they would have voted him out, I'm shocked he's still there, every day he tarnishes the WB even more.

I imagine it's not going to happen anytime soon. The softening of the ad market is not a reason to vote someone out.

 

 

[Warmaster506]

Strong chance Zaslav will ruin Gunns DCU.

[KC7]

I was skeptical of the trades during the strike, but I enjoyed the unexpected snarkiness at the end of Variety's article.

 

https://variety.com/2023/film/news/warner-bros-shelves-coyote-vs-acme-movie-john-cena-1235786409/

 

"New management at Warner Bros. Pictures Animation has focused on developing movies for the big screen and, starting in 2026, intends to release two animated films in theaters a year. The company is currently working on feature-length animated films based on Dr. Seuss classics “Cat in the Hat” and “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” Unless, of course, Warners. needs another last-minute tax write-off. "

[WorkingonaName]

5 minutes ago, KC7 said:

Dr. Seuss classics “Cat in the Hat” 

Cant remake perfection. 

[JWR]

43 minutes ago, Warmaster506 said:

Strong chance Zaslav will ruin Gunns DCU.

 

Honestly, this doesn't seem too far off now.

 

 

[Scubasteve716]

Don’t get this one at all. You could spend next to nothing on marketing it say 20 mil - do most of the marketing on your own platforms to recoup some of that cost indirectly - not seeing a world where this doesn’t get to $150 (Tom and Jerry did 130 with day and date) you’d easily get the $50 mil back (20 to market 30 for the tax credit). And that doesn’t include physical, digital, streaming, put it on Cartoon Network, everything else. 

[Napoleon]

1 hour ago, Warmaster506 said:

Strong chance Zaslav will ruin Gunns DCU.

James Gunn being blindsided over Coyote vs ACME is concerning

 

[Scubasteve716]

28 minutes ago, Napoleon said:

James Gunn being blindsided over Coyote vs ACME is concerning

 

This is 15 months ago? 

[John Marston]

Cannot blame Zaslav for Batgirling more projects.   It is a fact that movies like Shazam 2 and The Flash would have lost less money had they not been given theatrical releases 

[El Squibbonator]

What do you mean, can't blame him? The fact is, what he's doing makes no sense from a financial perspective. It's been established for a long time now that Zaslav wants to make Warner Bros' movies exclusive to theaters, and seems to be trying to de-emphasize HBO Max whenever possible.

 

Would it have made more sense to move forward with things like Batgirl and Coyote V Acme? Absolutely. But because they weren't intended for theaters (although Coyote V Acme was suggested to go to theaters at one point) they were seen as lesser than theatrical films, and therefore "disposable". Now, I'll retract my earlier statement because I don't think I can say for certain if Zaslav actually does hate HBO Max. But the effect is still the same. 

Edited November 10, 2023 by El Squibbonator

[JWR]

 

[Scubasteve716]

30 minutes ago, JWR said:

 

I think cancelling Acme was stupid but tweets like this are also stupid. Previous regime movie. It’s also super weird people act like Zaslav makes every decision in the company like no one else works there. This could have been a Damashcke decision or DeLuca/Abdy decision who knows. It was probably proposed by the CFO or execs under the CFO and the creative exec Damshcke - probably in this case?- along with other execs agreed and so it happened. If Gunn or Safran were the exec and don’t agree then it doesn’t happen. And it likely will never even be proposed since it’s not a previous regime move it’s within their own vision.

[JWR]

Even so, this sets a horrible precedent. If they can scrap a project written by the man who is in a key creative position at Warner Bros, what reason does any filmmaker have to trust this regime or work with them?

[WittyUsername]

57 minutes ago, Scubasteve716 said:

I think cancelling Acme was stupid but tweets like this are also stupid. Previous regime movie. It’s also super weird people act like Zaslav makes every decision in the company like no one else works there. This could have been a Damashcke decision or DeLuca/Abdy decision who knows. It was probably proposed by the CFO or execs under the CFO and the creative exec Damshcke - probably in this case?- along with other execs agreed and so it happened. If Gunn or Safran were the exec and don’t agree then it doesn’t happen. And it likely will never even be proposed since it’s not a previous regime move it’s within their own vision.

I’m fairly certain that the final decision ultimately came down to Zaslav.