EXCLUSIVE: Following months of going through dozens of audition tapes, Warner Bros and DC Films look to be getting closer to finding the stars of their Superman: Legacy movie as a second round of testing looks to be imminent.
22.05.2023 - 10:25 / deadline.com
EXCLUSIVE: Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) is reviewing its TV commissioning and editorial strategy in the UK due to the tricky economic headwinds, Deadline understands.
The tough economic marketplace is causing all commercial UK networks to rethink and WBD is not immune, with a pause and reflect period incoming as the David Zaslav-helmed U.S. conglomerate grapples with the global recession, streaming strife and the writers strike.
UK TV commissioning and editorial strategy is under review, Deadline understands, and there could be changes to premiere dates and operational shifts in the coming weeks as WBD examines its UK pipeline in depth. Commissioning execs are understood to have been informing producers about the review over the past few days.
We understand several new WBD commissions for 2023 and 2024 will be unveiled in the coming weeks but these were greenlit prior to the review.
In the UK, WBD commissioning for both linear channels and Discovery+ is overseen by Clare Laycock, Senior Vice President of Content, Networks and Streaming, along with a small team. Recent greenlights include paranormal investigate shows Spooked Ireland and the Yorkshire Exorcist, along with a new format, The Great Antiques Challenge. Discovery+, meanwhile, hosts multiple U.S. series in the UK alongside UK versions of shows such as 90 Day Fiancé UK.
WBD declined to comment on the review. It comes with commissioning slowing down across UK broadcasting due to the economic strife combined with a predicted 10% to 20% drop in the ad market over the coming months.
The content bosses of Channel 4 and Paramount-owned Channel 5 addressed the slowdown last week, acknowledging they will have to be careful with budgets but falling short of saying
EXCLUSIVE: Following months of going through dozens of audition tapes, Warner Bros and DC Films look to be getting closer to finding the stars of their Superman: Legacy movie as a second round of testing looks to be imminent.
Warner Bros. Discovery’s (WBD) Jamie Cooke is supercharging “original documentaries that push the boundaries” from his Central & Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Turkey region by greenlighting around 10 docs per year.
Given the anxious vibes in the entertainment business of late, the NBA and NHL playoffs have been a welcome throwback to happier times.
All3Media, the British super-producer behind hits including The Traitors and 1917, is up for sale.
EXCLUSIVE: Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) and Britain’s Got Talent maker Fremantle have weighed in on the debate about the controversial creation of Channel 4 in-house.
experienced minor technical glitches in its first day of rollout, a WBD spokesperson confirmed to TheWrap that they were quickly remedied. “You must always anticipate issues on a tech rollout of this scale,” the spokesperson added.Weidenfels noted that the most evident improvements consumers will see are faster downloads and better technical stability and content discovery.
WBD CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels sees advertising on HBO content as a major untapped revenue stream as the compay relaunched its HBO Max streaming service yesterday as Max.
So many stars stepped out to celebrate Warner Bros. Studios’ 100th Anniversary during the 2023 Cannes Film Festival!
three pricing options to consumers: a $9.99 per month Max Ad Lite tier, a $15.99 per month Max Ad Free tier and a $19.99 Ultimate Ad Free tier, while continuing to offer a standalone version of the lower-cost Discovery+.Ahead of the launch, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said during the company’s May earning call that the company expects its streaming business in the U.S.
EXCLUSIVE: Warner Bros. Discovery is set to undergo another round of layoffs in its television business.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav was met with heavy jeering while delivering a commencement speech at Boston University amidst the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike in Hollywood.During the graduation ceremony at Boston University – where he received his law degree in 1985 – Zaslav was invited back to receive an honorary degree, as well as to deliver a commencement speech to the graduation cohort.Per reports from The Hollywood Reporter, the jeering began even before Zaslav’s speech, when he was being introduced. Throughout his 20-minute speech, Zaslav was met with loud, angry boos and chants including “pay your writers”, “we don’t want you here” and “shut up, Zaslav” in support of the ongoing strike.Footage of the boos and “pay your writers” chants were captured and shared on Twitter by striking Late Night with Seth Meyers writer Mike Scollins.
Amidst the rising tensions of the current Hollywood writer’s strike, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav faced a storm of boos and angry chants as he took the stage to accept his honorary degree at the University of Boston’s commencement ceremony.
William Earl Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav felt the effect of the WGA strike while delivering a commencement speech at Boston University, getting jeered and facing chants of “pay your writers” while he was trying to speak. “Late Night with Seth Meyers” writer Mike Scollins posted a video of one moment during the address in which the chant was loud enough to make Zaslav pause in the middle of his speech. Scollins captioned the video “Zaslav getting hit with a Pay Your Writers chant in Boston. This is so good.”Zaslav getting hit with a Pay Your Writers chant in Boston. This is so good. pic.twitter.com/00pL4ahAqZ In a statement after the speech, Zaslav expressed gratitude to the university where he earned his law degree in 1985. He didn’t reference the Writers Guild of America strike at the commencement, but he did afterward.
Jeers and chants of “pay your writers” from picketers and a number of audience members greeted Warner Bros Discovery chief David Zaslav on Sunday as he delivered Boston University’s commencement address.
McKinley Franklin editor Max has revealed the rollout plans for its four original documentary specials narrated by Morgan Freeman in honor of Warner Bros.’ 100th anniversary. The first two specials will make their debut at Cannes on May 24 as 2023 Official Cannes Classics Selections, followed by a May 25 debut on Max. The remaining two specials will be available to stream on Max on June 1. The “100 Years of Warner Bros.” docuseries pays homage to the output of Warner Bros. over the past century. Featuring interviews with directors, actors, executives, journalists and historians, the specials highlight everything from the studios’ early beginnings to its presence in the modern day.
“Republicans are back on the air. Republicans weren’t on the air,” on CNN, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav told a media conference Thursday as he said the storied brand is moving to become less of an “advocacy network” under new leadership.
Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Warner Bros. Discovery kicked off its 2023 upfront presentation in a no-frills way, with an overall brand sizzle and ad chief Jon Steinlauf giving a few remarks on stage at the Theater at Madison Square Garden Wednesday. While the presentation covering HBO, Max, CNN, Food Network, HGTV, Discovery and more Warner Bros. Discovery brands was shorter than last year’s show (which was the company’s first since the merger that created it last April) the tight 90-minute presentation still covered each of its key divisions. Albeit, with much less sizzle, with no stars in attendance amid the writers strike. “Let me just start by saying I am hopeful that a fair resolution is found soon with the writers,” HBO and Max chief Casey Bloys said, adding that he hopes for a return of talent to the stage, “making this a far more entertaining show” compared to “me and my clips.”
Warner Bros. Discovery announced at its upfront presentation Wednesday the launch of WBD Stream, a new digital video offering bringing together all properties in its portfolio for advertisers.
Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor A lot of TV companies are judged by how quickly they can introduce new shows. Warner Bros. Discovery thinks it may find some gains by developing new ways to introduce audiences to series and content that already exists The strategy has been playing out in open view on some of the company’s biggest cable networks. Audiences watching NBA basketball games have been pushed to sample series such as Food Network’s “Tournament of Champions,” HGTV’s “Rock The Block” and Discovery Channel’s “Deadliest Catch.” And some portion decided to follow the programs back to their original homes for more. According to company research, 12% of TNT sports viewers who sampled “Tournament” went on to watch it on Food Network. Likewise, 10% of basketball fans that tried “Rock The Block” followed it to HGTV while 7% of viewers who tested “Deadliest Catch” watched more of it on Discovery.
John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Buenos Aires-based Meikincine has swooped on international sales rights to “The Extortion,” the biggest Argentine box office hit to date of 2023, in a deal with Warner Bros. Discovery Latin America. “The Extortion” is backed by a pedigreed combo of Particular Crowd, part of Warner Bros. Discovery Latin America, Oscar winner Juan José Campanella’s 100 Bars, “Argentina, 1985” producer Infinity Hill and producer-service company Cimarrón Cine. Headlined by Guillermo Francella, memorable in Campanella’s Academy Award winning “The Secret in Their Eyes” and star of Pablo Trapero’s “The Clan,” “The Extortion” turns on Alejandro, a pilot with a secret. Blackmailed by sinister intelligence service agents, he is plunged into a world of intrigue and corruption from which he will battle to escape alive.