Only days after completing a nearly complete task, “Batgirl”Warner Bros., film Discovery CEO David Zaslav discussed his overall plan for DC films going forward on Thursday’s earnings call.
“You look at Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, these are brands that are known everywhere in the world,” Zaslav said. “And the ability to drive those all over the world with great story is a big opportunity for us. We have done a reset. We’ve restructured the business. We’re going to focus where there will be a team with a 10-year plan focusing just on DC.”
The CEO said that his plan for running DC in the future is based on how former Disney CEO Bob Iger & former Disney chief Creative Officer Alan Horn helped Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige create the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“It’s very similar to the structure that Alan Horn and Bob Iger put together very effectively with Kevin Feige at Disney. We think that we could build a long-term, much stronger, sustainable growth business out of DC and as part of that, we’re gonna focus on quality.”
Zaslav continued by addressing the axing “Batgirl”You can say: “We’re not going to release any film before it’s ready. We’re not going to release a film to make a quarter… the focus is gonna be how do we make each of these films, in general, as good as possible. But DC is something that we think we could make better and we’re focused on it now.”
The CEO called out Dwayne Johnson’s upcoming “Black Adam” as a DC film he’s excited about, with the “Shazam!”And “Aquaman”Sequels are also in the works. But Warner Bros. has struggled from the jump to keep up with Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe, soft-launching with 2013’s Superman reboot “Man of Steel”Before Zack Snyder, he managed an interconnected DC Cinematic Universe which struggled to unite critics and audiences.
The existing DCEU reached a nadir with 2017’s “Justice League,”This was heavily reshot, and widely panned both by critics as well as audiences. There have been bright spots to be sure — 2017 also delivered the critically acclaimed “Wonder Woman,”Jason Momoa fronted “Aquaman”2018 saw a record breaking $1 billion.
Zaslav has taken a closer look at Warner Bros. Pictures portfolio. Course-correcting DC is a priority. Part of that plan includes Planning for the next 10 years in DC film.
The CEO’s comments came on the heels of the news that Lady Gaga will be starring alongside Joaquin Phoenix in a sequel to 2019’s Oscar-winning “Joker”(which is not part of DCEU continuity) and several months after Warner Bros. gave greenlight to a sequel. “The Batman”Robert Pattinson is back (again, outside DCEU continuity).
The DC’s next movie is scheduled for release “Black Adam,”This film opens in theaters exclusively on October 21. Followed by “Shazam! Fury of the Gods”Dec. 21 “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom”on March 17, 2023 “The Flash”23 June 2023
