Warner Bros. Discovery has created a new division, DC Studios, which will have two heads: director James Gunn and producer Peter Safran, who will be Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs of the new studio, the company announced. DC Studios will have feature films, television, and animation under a single umbrella, a structure that emulates Marvel’s and that they hope will invigorate the development of DC-based entertainment under a long-term strategic vision.
The move follows the departure of the head of the DC theatrical division, DC Films, last week (see “Hamada Out at DC Films“), and a highly visible search for a head for the new studio (see “Lin Won’t Be DC Head“).
Both of the new Co-CEOs have extensive experience with DC properties. Safran has produced a number of successful DC films for Warner Bros., including Suicide Squad, Aquaman, and Shazam!. Gunn directed Suicide Squad and a number of episodes of HBO Max series Peacemaker, and for Marvel, both Guardians of the Galaxy films.
“Their decades of experience in filmmaking, close ties to the creative community, and proven track record thrilling superhero fans around the globe make them uniquely qualified to develop a long-term strategy across film, TV, and animation, and take this iconic franchise to the next level of creative storytelling,” Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said of the new appointments. The pair will report to Zaslav and work closely with Warner Bros. Film Group Co-Chairpersons and Co-CEOs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy.
For those wondering how the new structure will affect DC publishing, the pair will “work collaboratively with… Pam Lifford, President, Warner Bros. Discovery Consumer Products,” who has DC in her portfolio, according to the announcement.
Gunn and Safran “will develop, direct, and produce projects,” in addition to their executive responsibilities. Both have activities outside of DC; Safran, for example, has a long-term production deal with Warner Bros. Discovery that includes The Nun 2, planned for release next year.
Source: ICv2
