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

[BruiseCruise]

Just now, WittyUsername said:

The idea of it being pumped out at the expense of actual worthwhile content is where the main problem lies. 

Who determines "worthwhile"? Why does some online nerds affinity for comic book show 102 hold any more weight than some housewives love for some show about socialites especially when one is objectively more successful than another?

[WittyUsername]

2 minutes ago, BruiseCruise said:

Who determines "worthwhile"? Why does some online nerds affinity for comic book show 102 hold any more weight than some housewives love for some show about socialites especially when one is objectively more successful than another?

If you’re talking about me, I didn’t say anything about comic book shows. I don’t care for those. I just fail to see why the average person subscribed to HBO Max would care about that stuff. It doesn’t help that emphasizing reality shows comes off as a massive middle finger to anyone who actually cares about the creative side of film and television.

 

Also, is reality television even relevant anymore?

[Jonwo]

1 minute ago, CoolioD1 said:

i am sort of baffled that zaslav was baffled about cry macho getting greenlit. the mule was a hit and it's the same basic formula it was just bad timing on the release.

The Mule was a much better movie though and it tripled its budget, Cry Macho only made $16.5m WW that's a stinging failure even for Eastwood. 

[Jonwo]

Just now, WittyUsername said:

If you’re talking about me, I didn’t say anything about comic book shows. I don’t care for those. I just fail to see why the average person subscribed to HBO Max would care about that stuff. It doesn’t help that emphasizing reality shows comes off as a massive middle finger to anyone who actually cares about the creative side of film and television.

 

Also, is reality television even relevant anymore?

You're just being a snob. Netflix has the likes of Selling Sunset alongside Stranger Things yet no one bats an eyelid. Just because it's not scripted doesn't make it terrible.

[WittyUsername]

Just now, Jonwo said:

The Mule was a much better movie though and it tripled its budget, Cry Macho only made $16.5m WW that's a stinging failure even for Eastwood. 

Well, it’s not like it was released during a bad time in the pandemic or anything…

[Cap]

My friend issues D+ almost exclusively because when her grandfather with dementia comes over, the nature docs and animal shows are like the only thing he watches that keeps him calm. 
 

My grandmother only watches hallmark movies and she 93 and can’t really do anything anymore but Watch TV and go for car rides.

 

My dad still watching survivor after all of these years.

 

I love watching Law & order reruns cause I can put them on in the background, and I can just listen to them without having to watch anything while I’m doing other stuff.

 

There are tons of different reasons why people watch different forms of entertainment.

 

Again, to sound like a broken record, this is why you need diversity in your programming. And this is why what discovery is doing is whack. Because they had it. They had everything they needed to take the ball and run past everyone! But instead they are just angering everyone. 
 

And I think the big difference between what’s happening now, and say all of the other scandals that have happened over the past several years with creatives versus executives is Zaslav is Truly fucking with peoples livelihoods. Canceling developmental deals, canceling shows where the crew are not going to find replacement jobs anytime soon. The effects of what he’s doing are going to be felt throughout the entire industry. So I suspect people are gonna think twice about wanting to work with WBD if this is the direction they’re going with.

[Jonwo]

Just now, WittyUsername said:

Well, it’s not like it was released during a bad time in the pandemic or anything…

Richard Jewell was released before the pandemic and didn't do well either. 

[Joyous Legion]

Are we really about to use the pandemic to try to coverup macho’s complete lack of audience appeal? Zaslav was right on the mark with that one.

[Ronin46]

3 minutes ago, Jonwo said:

The Mule was a much better movie though and it tripled its budget, Cry Macho only made $16.5m WW that's a stinging failure even for Eastwood. 

 

HBO Max release and pandemic....Jesus Christ

[Jonwo]

Just now, Cap said:

My friend issues D+ almost exclusively because when her grandfather with dementia comes over, the nature docs and animal shows are like the only thing he watches that keeps him calm. 
 

My grandmother only watches hallmark movies and she 93 and can’t really do anything anymore but Watch TV and go for car rides.

 

Again, Does sound like a broken record, this is why you need diversity in your programming. And this is why what discovery is doing is whack. Because they had it. They had everything they needed to take the ball in one past everyone! But instead they are just angering everyone. 
 

And I think the big difference between what’s happening now, and say all of the other scandals that have happened over the past several years with creatives versus executives is Zaslav is Truly fucking with peoples livelihoods. Canceling developmental deals, canceling shows where the crew are not going to find replacement jobs anytime soon. The effects of what he’s doing are going to be felt throughout the entire industry. So I suspect people are gonna think twice about wanting to work with WBD if this is the direction they’re going with.

I think that's a bit Chicken Little to suggest that WBD is being anti creative. Just because they're not like Netflix and just throwing money at creatives doesn't mean they are alienating people to not work with them. 

[CoolioD1]

Just now, Jonwo said:

Richard Jewell was released before the pandemic and didn't do well either. 

that's a totally different thing. i wouldn't compare 15:17 to paris or jersey boys to the mule. but cry macho is the same formula might as well be a sequel.

[BruiseCruise]

1 minute ago, Cap said:

My friend issues D+ almost exclusively because when her grandfather with dementia comes over, the nature docs and animal shows are like the only thing he watches that keeps him calm. 
 

My grandmother only watches hallmark movies and she 93 and can’t really do anything anymore but Watch TV and go for car rides.

 

Again, Does sound like a broken record, this is why you need diversity in your programming. And this is why what discovery is doing is whack. Because they had it. They had everything they needed to take the ball in one past everyone! But instead they are just angering everyone. 
 

And I think the big difference between what’s happening now, and say all of the other scandals that have happened over the past several years with creatives versus executives is Zaslav is Truly fucking with peoples livelihoods. Canceling developmental deals, canceling shows where the crew are not going to find replacement jobs anytime soon. The effects of what he’s doing are going to be felt throughout the entire industry. So I suspect people are gonna think twice about wanting to work with WBD if this is the direction they’re going with.

How is Zaslav firing people because he needs to cut losses due to their massive debt any different than Netflix firing hundreds and cancelling shows/movies in the works cause their stock prices tanked? 

I'm not gonna defend him completely getting rid of Batgirl, that is a bad look and will hurt their chances with other top talent but if all he ends up doing is cutting underperforming shows and movies that were greenlit before he came on then i don't think its an issue

[WittyUsername]

4 minutes ago, Jonwo said:

You're just being a snob. Netflix has the likes of Selling Sunset alongside Stranger Things yet no one bats an eyelid. Just because it's not scripted doesn't make it terrible.

Netflix has a ton of original content. Again, the main problem here is the idea that reality television is being emphasized over scripted content. By the way, I don’t think it’s snobbish to say that shows like Here Comes Honey Boo Boo and 19 Kids and Counting are trash. 

[Jonwo]

2 minutes ago, Legion By Night said:

Are we really about to use the pandemic to try to coverup macho’s complete lack of audience appeal? Zaslav was right on the mark with that one.

I agree, Cry Macho was released theatrically OS so we can't use the HBO Max excuse for that. 

[Jonwo]

4 minutes ago, WittyUsername said:

Netflix has a ton of original content. Again, the main problem here is the idea that reality television is being emphasized over scripted content. By the way, I don’t think it’s snobbish to say that shows like Here Comes Honey Boo Boo and 19 Kids and Counting are trash. 

You're making it sound like HBO is to become like TLC which is hyperbole at best and downright insanity at worse. 

[WittyUsername]

By the way, in regards to Clint Eastwood, as I mentioned earlier, the big problem in that case is that WB executives gave an explanation for why they greenlit the movie, and Zaslav’s response was to use a quote from Jerry Maguire to say that maintaining good working relations with your talent isn’t important. Anyone who has ever worked in the industry will tell you that it’s always good to maintain connections in a “I scratch your back, you scratch mine” kind of way. The fact that Zaslav apparently isn’t aware of this is asinine. 

Edited August 4, 2022 by WittyUsername

[Eric is Quiet]

2 minutes ago, Legion By Night said:

Are we really about to use the pandemic to try to coverup macho’s complete lack of audience appeal? Zaslav was right on the mark with that one.

Well...yeah. Almost every single film that was skewing to an older audience or was an awards hopeful last year tanked because of a virus that was volatile towards seniors and old folk. Even NTTD arguably underperformed here in the States because of this. And just this year, even if you want to argue these movies could have made more, Lost City, Elvis, Crawdads, and Mrs. Harris are all doing relatively strong numbers. That doesn't seem like a coincidence to me. Plus there's the whole HBO Max issue which hurt every single movie that year.

 

And even then, you're acting like this has zero audience appeal. I didn't care for the movie myself, but it's not this esoteric or avant-garde piece, but just a neo-Western character drama with hangout elements mixed with solid stakes. Like why would you not greenlight something like this, especially since its 33M budget isn't that massive and Eastwood has delivered successful films many times in the past. I'm not saying it would make more than Sully or anything and I doubt it would have been that big a hit, but I sincerely doubt it would only do 16M in totally normal times.

[Jonwo]

6 minutes ago, BruiseCruise said:

How is Zaslav firing people because he needs to cut losses due to their massive debt any different than Netflix firing hundreds and cancelling shows/movies in the works cause their stock prices tanked? 

Netflix also closed their animation division as well. 

 

WBD has also become a player for sports rights, they have the Olympics in most territories and also recently entered a joint venture with BT Sport in the UK. To me, they see the future of live programming for HBO Max/Discovery+ drawing eyeballs which stand out from other streamers. The box office nerds may not like it but that's where you can gain subscribers in a new way, not scripted content.

[BruiseCruise]

https://twitter.com/AndyBehbakht/status/1555263429484711937?s=20&t=gOd8in70HbJx256Tj9je5w

[Rebeccas]

5 minutes ago, WittyUsername said:

By the way, in regards to Clint Eastwood, as I mentioned earlier, the big problem in that case is that WB executives gave an explanation for why they greenlit the movie, and Zaslav’s response was to use a quote from Jerry Maguire to say that maintaining good working relations with your talent isn’t important. Anyone who has ever worked in the industry will tell you that it’s always good to maintain connections in a “I scratch your back, you scratch mine” kind of way. The fact that Zaslav apparently isn’t aware of this is asinine. 

Also some filmmakers have earned the right to make a flop sometimes but still continue making films. I mean, Scorsese has tons of artistically valuable box office flops but then you get a Wolf of Wall Street once in a while too.