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.
Actress Ivory Aquino To WBD CEO David Zaslav: “Consider Releasing ‘Batgirl'”; However, That’s Unlikely
25.08.2022 - 21:05 / deadline.com
In the course of 12 tweets, Batgirl actress Ivory Aquino, who plays Alysia Yeoh, Barbara Gordon’s roommate and the first major trans character in the axed HBO Max DC film, expressed her grief to Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav over the studio’s cancelation of the film, and pleased with him to “Consider releasing Batgirl“.
However, despite news of rumored screenings on the Warner lot, which some close to the film are baffled by, we hear that a reverse decision to revive Batgirl is unlikely. Warner Bros Discovery has already written the ~$80M production off its books and for the studio to turnaround and sink more millions into it, is highly unlikely from all business maneuvers. In speaking to those close to the film about the on-the-lot screenings, some were jarred: They didn’t get an invite, not to mention the film has no VFX, no music track. “What is there to watch?!” exclaimed one source.
In speaking truth to power, Aqunio tells Zas, “Tonight I finally got to talk with a dear friend here about these intense feelings who shared with me an anecdote which helped provide inspiration for this letter to you. They said the head of a company is like one large cog atop increasingly smaller cogs underneath. One seemingly small movement by this large cog may seem relatively tiny, but for those little cogs at the bottom, they can be spinning ten-fold and the effects can be seismic. I can only endeavor to understand how one feels when tasked with tending to the bottom line like you have. I can’t even begin to imagine what one in your position goes through having such great responsibility to attend to. I do know and ask, with something like Batgirl that’s a product of our hearts and souls, that the little cogs not simply be seen
Warner Bros. Discovery Begins to Lay Off Hundreds of Workers (Report)
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.
‘Batgirl’: Warner Bros. Discovery CFO Says Movie’s Shelving Was “Blown Out Of Proportion”
Warner Bros. Discovery‘s surprising decision to shelve “Batgirl” early last month sparked controversy around the industry.
‘Batgirl’ Shelving Was “Blown Out Of Proportion” By Press, Warner Bros Discovery CFO Says: “Media Likes To Talk About Media”
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.
‘Full Frontal With Samantha Bee’ Team Hoping Late-Night Show Can Find A New Home After Emmy Short-Form Win
It was a “bittersweet” night for the team behind Full Frontal With Samantha Bee.
Legendary Reportedly Looking To Leave Warner Bros. Discovery For A New Studio Home
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.
Legendary Entertainment Eyeing Rival Studio Options With Warner Deal Over
Legendary Entertainment is said to be eyeing a move from its on-again, off-again home at Warner Bros. as its deal with that studio expired recently, Deadline has confirmed.
From ‘Batgirl’ Fallout to Rebooting ‘Superman’: All the Landmines Facing the Next DC Chief
Of course, WBD CEO David Zaslav wants to emulate that success. But Feige charted a singular path to becoming the most successful creative executive in Hollywood that afforded him the time, patience and great good fortune to build the MCU more or less from the ground up and on his terms.
Warner Bros. Discovery shops ‘Batman: Caped Crusader’ to rivals: report
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.
'Batgirl's Ivory Aquino Implores Warner Bros. Discovery CEO to 'Consider Releasing' DC Film
actress Ivory Aquino isn't giving up on the DC Comics hero. Following a article that revealed Warner Bros.
‘Batgirl’ star filled with ‘grief,’ pleads for studio to release scrapped film
“Batgirl” star Ivory Aquino will not allow for the scrapped film’s wings to be clipped. Aquino posted a lengthy letter on Twitter on Thursday, pleading with the Warner Bros.
‘Batgirl’ Co-Star Ivory Aquino Posts Emotional Plea to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav to Save Film
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.”
‘Batgirl’ Actress Ivory Aquino Begs David Zaslav to Reconsider Releasing the Film: ‘She’s Always Been the Underdog’
“Batgirl” actress Ivory Aquino is hoping Warner Bros. Discovery head David Zaslav might reconsider his decision to scrap the superhero film, considering the outpouring of support for the movie since its demise this month.
Warner Bros Holding ‘Batgirl’ Screenings For Cast And Crew On Lot This Week
While a majority of people will never get a chance to see the movie Warner Bros shelved earlier this month, multiple sources confirmed to Deadline that screenings are being held on the Warners lot this week for a select few. It is believed that cast and crew who worked on the film along with reps and studio execs were given invites to the screenings that began Wednesday and will go throughout the week.
‘Shazam,’ ‘Aquaman’ Sequels Pushed Back by Warner Bros.
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.
‘Aquaman 2’ Heads To Christmas 2023, ‘Shazam: Fury Of The Gods’ Goes To March, HBO Max Pics ‘House Party’ & ‘Evil Dead Rise’ Going Theatrical – Warner Bros. Release Date Changes
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.
‘Batgirl’ Filmmakers On Fallout From WBD Axing DC Pic: Studio Promptly Took All Their Footage
Weeks after the HBO Max DC movie Batgirl was canceled by the David Zaslav run Warner Bros. Discovery, the pic’s directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah said in an interview with French outlet Skript that the studio promptly prevented them from accessing the pic’s footage after unplugging the movie during post.
‘Batgirl’ directors reveal they have no footage of film, still hope for release
SKRIPT YouTube channel in an interview that they don’t have any footage from “Batgirl,” claiming the studio blocked their access to the production servers after it was shelved.“We have nothing! Adil called me and said, ‘Go ahead shoot some things on your cellphone.’ I went on the server and everything was blocked,” Fallah, 36, said. “We were like, ‘F—king s—t!’,” said El Arbi, 34. “’All the scenes with Batman in them! S—t!’”The Post has reached out to Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Discovery Chief David Zaslav Touts ‘House of the Dragon’ on Eve of Release in Email to Staffers
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.