Warner Bros. Discovery Unveils New International Leadership Following Exodus of Executives

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Annecy Animation Film Festival, which hosted the world premiered of Disney’s “Once Upon a Studio” and welcomed more than 16,000 people during its latest edition, is expanding its scope with a sprawling €26 million ($27.5 million) international institute dedicated to the world of animation. Called the Cité Internationale du Cinema d’Animation, the venue is expected to launch during the second half of 2025 and will boast a 330-seat screening room, an artists’ residency, special areas for training courses and cultural action, a space for temporary exhibitions, a permanent exhibition to showcase the animation film collections from Annecy’s Musée-Château, a bookstore and a gift shop.

‘Barbenheimer‘ was completely unexpected, but the studio behind Barbie gladly leaned in, said Dana Nussbaum, EVP of worldwide marketing for Warner Bros. Pictures, calling the unusual double-feature frenzy one of a few unforseen and welcome twists while rolling out the Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster.

The Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Max streamer will launch in 22 European countries in spring 2024 and France and Belgium later next year, the media outfit revealed today.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Warner Bros. Discovery will be launching its streaming service Max in France, one of its top European markets, next summer, Variety has learned. The launch in France will follow a rollout in Northern and Eastern Europe, which is expected to be unveiled by Gerhard Zeiler, president of international at Warner Bros.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Cineflix Rights has closed multiple international deals across its slate, including returning seasons of “Last King of The Cross” and “Reginald the Vampire,” as well as the movie “Sugar.” “Last King of The Cross” charts the rise of John Ibrahim from poverty-stricken immigrant to the most infamous nightclub mogul in Sydney’s Kings Cross. Season 2 of the show, which has been acquired by Sky (U.K.), Warner Bros.

Ed Meza @edmezavar Federation Kids & Family is unveiling a new animated series at MipJunior as part of a strong lineup of toon series and live-action series. “The New Adventures of the Triplets,” by Nicole Lambert, is an animated show aimed at 3-to-6-year-old kids that chronicles the comic escapades of three loveable children — each of whom has his or her own way of looking at the world.

Sky Studios Italia has unveiled a restructure and new leadership team on the final day of the MIA Market in Rome.

In the past few minutes, Warner Bros Discovery has set out plans for its new look international sales team following Robert Blair‘s exit.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor As Major League Baseball‘s post-season continues, Warner Bros. Discovery wants to talk baseball or beisbol.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Ryadh-based media conglomerate SRMG has partnered with Warner Bros. Discovery to launch Asharq Discovery, a free-to-view pan-Arabic-language platform with a lineup that includes shows that have never been seen for free in Arabic before. These include international dating reality TV series “90 Day Fiancé” (pictured), reality shows “Gold Rush” and “Wheeler Dealers” and the Morgan Freeman-hosted science docs program “Through the Wormhole.” Warner Bros.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender.

This Amber Heard situation got uglier than anyone realized! And Elon Musk was in her corner the whole time escalating things!

CNN‘s new chairman and CEO Mark Thompson officially started in his job leading the network on Monday, telling staffers in an internal video message that the news organization needed to make advancements in digital and that conventional TV “can no longer define us.”

Welcome to your Friday rundown, Insiders. Max Goldbart here to take you through the top international film and TV stories filling your inbox over the past seven days. And don’t forget to sign up to the newsletter here.

Warner Bros. Discovery international boss Gerhard Zeiler has set a new leadership structure for his team following a spate of exits in the past few weeks.

Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max ranked highest in total customer satisfaction among U.S. subscription-streaming services, according to Whip Media’s 2023 Streaming Satisfaction Report.

In another latest salvo amid tensions between video providers and programmers, DirecTV sent a letter to Warner Bros. Discovery warning that offering CNN as part of its streaming package risks violating the contract between the two companies.

Warner Bros. Discovery France boss Pierre Branco has become the latest international exec to depart.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Pierre Branco, general manager for Warner Bros. Discovery in France, Benelux and Africa, is stepping down from his position, Variety has learned.

Batgirl is continuing to be a pain for Warner Bros.