With James Gunn Hire, David Zaslav Promises to ‘Preserve and Expand’ DC Universe

The era of James Gunn and Peter Safran and the new DC Studios umbrella has officially begun. And in a town hall meeting today at Warner Bros.

EXCLUSIVE: Deadline hears that a global zoom meeting was held for Warner Discovery employees this morning, on which CEO David Zaslav introduced the new DC Studios Co-Chairmen and CEOs, James Gunn and Peter Safran. This was their first appearance together before the company since being named to their posts on Oct. 25.

Gina Birch of The Raincoats has announced that she will release her debut solo album, ‘I Play My Bass Loud’, through Jack White’s Third Man Records early next year.“The album distills my years of musical, political and artistic life with these genre-breaking songs”, says Birch. “It’s a personal diary using sounds and lyrics, full of fun, rage and storytelling”.On the album’s title, she says: “There’s the whole thing about women playing their music and wanting to be heard, wanting acknowledgment or the space to do it.

Ryan Reynolds confirmed that Taylor Swift was not going to be part of Deadpool 3 but he was game for making it happen.

John Malone, billionaire Liberty Media chairman and architect of the Warner Bros Discovery merger, believes WBD’s mix of ad-free and ad-supported streaming under CEO David Zaslav will succeed “if he makes good stuff.”

It’s been just over a week since Peter Safran and James Gunn took over as co-CEOs of the newly-branded DC Studios. No, there hasn’t been a tidal wave of shocking, fan-pleasing announcements.

While folks are still arguing online if Warner Bros. Discovery and the newly formed DC Studios (led by James Gunn and Peter Safran) will bring back Zack Snyder’s vision for the DC Comics Cinematic Universe or David Ayer’s original cut of “Suicide Squad,” there seems to be a clear message that they are working towards a new DCU.

New DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran feel your fanboy/fangirl pain, and aren’t dismissing any possibilities.

What does Warner Bros. Discovery head David Zaslav have in mind for his studio’s near future? Deadline reports that on a Q3 earnings call yesterday afternoon, Zaslav detailed exactly what he envisions, and it’s all about big tentpole franchises.

In the near future, it’s pretty simple what the new Warner Bros Discovery will zero in on: “We’re going to have a real focus on franchises,” President and CEO David Zaslav said on this afternoon’s Q3 earnings call.

“The grand experiment of creating something at any cost is over,” warned David Zaslav.

With director James Gunn becoming co-chairman and CEO of DC Studios, a heated rivalry is emerging with his former collaborator, Marvel Studios president/CCO Kevin Feige, right? Wrong.

Earlier this week, Warner Bros. Discovery made waves by making James Gunn and producer Peter Safran the heads of DC Studios.

Kevin Feige on James Gunn joining DC: “I’ll be first in line to see anything he does” pic.twitter.com/spptngC2jF

EXCLUSIVE: We hear that the Nobody director Ilya Naishuller is set to direct Idris Elba and John Cena in the Peter Safran-produced movie Heads of State at Amazon.

Ever since Discovery bought and disrupted everything at Warner Bros earlier this year, one of their biggest mandates among many others—that included saving money and scrapping films like “Batgirl” and “The Wonder Twins”—was finding someone to be their equivalent of Marvel’s Kevin Feige; a creative exec who knows how to lead DC Films to similar success. And after a search that took them months and had many names in the mix, including producer Dan Lin, who came close to taking the job, the company has now found someone to lead DC.

Industry veterans James Gunn and Peter Safran have been appointed to the new roles of Co-Chairmen and Chief Executive Officers of DC Studios, overseeing the overall creative direction of the DC Universe across film, TV, and animation under a single banner, the studio announced on Tuesday.Gunn and Safran will report to David Zaslav, Chief Executive Officer, Warner Bros. Discovery, and will work closely with Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, Co-Chairpersons and CEOs of Warner Bros.

Industry veterans James Gunn and Peter Safran have been appointed to the new roles of Co-Chairmen and Chief Executive Officers of DC Studios, overseeing the overall creative direction of the DC Universe across film, TV, and animation under a single banner. Gunn and Safran will report to David Zaslav, President and Chief Executive Officer, Warner Bros. Discovery, and will work closely with Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, Co-Chairpersons and CEOs of Warner Bros. Film Group. The appointments will be effective on November 1.