Warner Bros Holding ‘Batgirl’ Screenings For Cast And Crew On Lot This Week

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Warner Bros. Discovery enacted 100 layoffs Tuesday as part of a planned downsizing of the company’s ad sales departments that had been in the works since Discovery closed its merger with WarnerMedia in April, Variety has confirmed. These cuts are part of a previously reported and expected 30% reduction overall across the ad sales division, a sector of the merged company with many redundancies, in the coming weeks. However, not all of the exits will be layoffs, according to an individual with knowledge of the situation. An undisclosed number of those departures will be negotiated deals, while others will be retirements. The layoffs set in motion Tuesday are the latest in a string of moves made by Warner Bros. Discovery in an attempt to fulfill the promise made by CEO David Zaslav and his exec team to find $3 billion in cost-saving synergies in the first two years after the merger. The most high profile so far, aside from other layoffs within Warner Bros. Discovery, was the decision that “Batgirl,” the $90 million Warner Bros./DC movie starring Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl, would not be released theatrically, on HBO Max, or anywhere else. 

Axios.Up to 30% of the combined sales teams of the merged company are expected to be cut. The move comes as Warner Bros. Discovery cleaned up Monday night at the Emmys and bested all other companies with the most Emmy wins.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor The blowback Warner Bros. Discovery received over its cancellation of “Batgirl” was “blown out of proportion,” according to CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels. Last month came word that “Batgirl,” the $90 million Warner Bros./DC movie starring Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl, would not be released theatrically, on HBO Max, or anywhere else. WBD, formed formed earlier this year by Discovery’s acquisition of WarnerMedia, determined that taking a tax write-off for “Batgirl” made more financial sense than releasing it commercially. “To me, you know, it’s blown out of proportion a little bit, in terms of the attention externally,” said Wiedenfels, speaking Thursday at the Bank of America Securities Media, Communications & Entertainment Conference, regarding the “Batgirl” decision. “The focus is, on a go-forward basis here, we’re spending more than ever in the history of the two legacy companies on content. We’re continuing to make significant investments — [but] we’ll make them differently.”

Warner Bros. Discovery‘s surprising decision to shelve “Batgirl” early last month sparked controversy around the industry.

The surprising decision last month to shelve completed DC movie Batgirl was “blown out of proportion” by the press, according to Warner Bros Discovery CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels.

Warner Bros., I feel extraordinary pride in what my colleagues and I have contributed to the studio andto the big screen. And tremendous gratitude for the time spent with them and some of the most dynamic and creative icons of cinema.

Ethan Shanfeld Courtenay Valenti, president of production and development for Warner Bros. Pictures, will depart from the studio after 33 years. Valenti will carry out her role until the end of October. “We’ve known Courtenay and been admirers of her work for many years,” said Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, co-chairs and CEOs of Warner Bros. Pictures Group, in a joint statement provided to Variety. “She’s been an integral part of Warner Bros. Pictures’ success for over three decades and has had a hand in guiding some of the studio’s most popular and successful films. She’s well-respected across the creative community, she’s beloved here on the lot, and she will be greatly missed. We know that she’ll be hugely successful in her next endeavor and join all of her colleagues in wishing her the very best.”  

The transaction for Warner Bros Discovery and BT Sport’s joint UK and Ireland sports venture has closed successfully.

With all the drama surrounding Warner Bros. Discovery in recent months, particularly after CEO David Zaslav took over the company after its recent merger, it’s easy to forget that it wasn’t that long ago WarnerMedia (without Discovery) was battling plenty of controversy all on its own.

shelved a slew of animated projects amid steep cost-cutting at the company. Media giants like Netflix, Apple and Hulu are looking to scoop up the Bruce Timm and JJ Abrams-directed flick, which draws inspiration from DC Comic’s Batman franchise, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Entertainment site the Direct floated Disney as a possible bidder, too.

actress Ivory Aquino isn't giving up on the DC Comics hero. Following a  article that revealed Warner Bros.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter “Batgirl” actor Ivory Aquino is speaking out about Warner Bros.’ decision to indefinitely shelve the DC film. In an emotional letter addressed to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslov, Aquino — who played the best friend of Barbara Gordon (a.k.a. Batgirl) — pleaded for the studio executive to rethink the alleged plan to permanently destroy the movie’s footage. “As one of many who poured our hearts into the making of this movie, I ask that this measure be reconsidered,” Aquino wrote Wednesday night on Twitter. “As much as I’ve tried my best to be strong these past few weeks, I’d find myself crying, for lack of a better term, from grief, and tonight was one of those nights.”

someone got to see “Batgirl.”A select group of folks — mostly people who worked on the show, both cast and crew, as well as representatives and executives — reportedly have been invited to private screenings of the “shelved” film on the Warner Bros. Studio lot this week, multiple sources told The Hollywood Reporter.One insider even described the viewings as “funeral screenings” before the footage is locked away in a vault — but it’s unknown if that vault is physical or digital.On Tuesday, the filmmakers behind the movie, Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, said they were not even able to access any footage from the film once Warner Brothers declared it dead.

Warner Bros. also announced that “House Party” and “Evil Dead Rise,” initially greenlit as HBO Max releases, will now be theatrical releases that hits the big screen in December 9, 2022 and April 21, 2023 respectively.

EXCLUSIVE: Deadline has learned that Warner Bros. is making a slew of release date changes next year. First of all, James Wan’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom needs more time in post, so it’s moving from March 17, 2023 to Dec. 25, 2023.

EXCLUSIVE: Warner Bros is going all in on The Batman director Matt Reeves and his 6th & Idaho production company. He has become the first filmmaker given an overall first look film deal since Warner Bros Pictures Group Co-Chairs/CEOs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy were hired by Warner Bros. Discovery chief David Zaslav to steer the film division. In addition, Reeves has re-upped with the Warner Bros. Television Group and Chairman Channing Dungey, where he is also working on The Batman spinoff series The Penguin with Colin Farrell.

Selome Hailu Warner Bros. Discovery has laid off Nicole Nichols, Karen Grant-Selma, Jennifer Giddens and MaryBeth Cunin from their executive positions at the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), Variety has learned exclusively.Nichols is OWN’s executive vice president of communications.

David Zaslav, president and chief executive officer of the newly-merged Warner Bros. Discovery, has high hopes for “House of the Dragon,” and touted the series in an email to staffers Friday.In his message to the team, obtained by TheWrap, Zaslav praised HBO boss Casey Bloys, and the premium cable network’s team that are behind “HOTD,” which premieres this Sunday night on HBO.“[They] have shepherded what looks to be the next big cultural moment,” Zaslav wrote.

Warner Bros. Discovery has exited its £60M ($72M) shareholding in fledgling UK news channel GB News, having been bought out by existing backers Legatum Ventures Limited and Sir Paul Marshall.