Warner Bros. Reportedly “Can’t Afford” to Release More Than 2 Movies This Year https://insidethemagic.net/2022/08/warner-bros-cant-afford-to-release-more-than-2-movies-kb1/
If they're in that bad a state, they've got to be only one more box office megabomb away from going under. Last time a studio was in straits that dire was MGM in 2011 (Zookeeper and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo being their only movies that year). Even 20th Century Fox, the year before the Disney buyout, was putting out a hell of a lot more than that.
I'm sure that butchering WB's animated division, which was one of WB's highlights, and doubling down on reality crap is going to get them out of this hole
That word does not mean what you think it means. Sigh. Interesting. Regarding the so-named "Batgirl funeral screening": From this site, host Chris Wong plays an interview with one Umberto Gonzales, who claimed he spoke to contacts who were at the Batgirl screening... Chris Wong "...well, Umberto Gonzales had contacts that actually went to the funeral screenings of Batgirl, and well, this is what he said--" Gonzales: "...but uh, the consensus that I've been getting is that uh--yeah, a source of mine said 'I saw Batgirl--certainly not the worst superhero movie I've seen, but ultimately, I understand why they took the write down', and I'm like oh, and I asked this individual to elaborate a little further and uh, was told it is a...its basically, essentially an expensive CW pilot which is what I heard it was, but I have to agree so--and i've heard that before too that it plays like a very expensive CW pilot. Um, it's not really a strong film. Uh, the tone is just very CW--lacking any depth, lighter and more comic-book like, which is odd because Michael Keaton's in it, so its finally lighter than his Tim Burton films, and its about...currently its about an hour and 40 plus minutes...like its an hour...basically, its an hour and 40 minute CW pilot, uh, with a pretty good action set piece at the end, from what I'm told, and again, not the worst superhero film I've ever seen." If even 10% of this exchange is true, it explains why there were less than positive comments made about the film, as reported from other sources. Of course, for any big budget theatrical film to be compared to a CW pilot is about the worst thing imaginable for any superhero production. Some will try to write off the alleged Gonzales statement, others will take it with a grain of salt, still, others may believe every word of it, but this adds a very large wrinkle in the Batgirl matter. That, and there's more Cavill rumors in the linked video.
WB has released more than one DC movie in the last ten years that was way worse than a CW pilot. (And I am not in any way a fan of the CW verse.)
https://www.joblo.com/aquaman-and-the-lost-kingdom-jason-momoa-teases-even-more-batmans/ Interesting comment from Momoa
Oh, I can cite a few bad/unsatisfying DC movies of the past decade, but the majority of the DC/CW's pilots (and the series they spawned) have never been known for being high caliber productions, making even the worst DCEU film seem solid by comparison. Still, the Gonzales interview sparks curiosity, enough to wonder if any of his alleged sources will ever come forward to confirm his recollections. The article says he (Momoa) may have been joking, but more "Batmen"--if true--could simply mean the Keaton footage retained, very likely for some continuity concern with his appearance in the Flash film.
https://deadline.com/2022/08/legendary-entertainment-warner-bros-dune-sony-1235102578/ Legendary is negotiating with both Sony and Paramount now that their current deal with WB is over. Considering everything that happens with the theatrical/digital simultaneous release and now the WBD merger this is not a surprise
Will WB even make it through this stretch? Are they 1 big box office bomb away from just completely running out of cash? In other words, everything rests on Black Adam? That's like putting all your eggs into one basket, and its a rather unreliable basket.
https://au.variety.com/2022/film/ne...rman-next-dc-head-warner-bros-discovery-5383/ This is the first time I've seen this language in regards to Batgirl - What might be meant by "not good enough shape"? And then there is this nugget: I was a huge supporter of getting Snyder Cut made, though it was mostly to satisfy my own curiosity. Now I kind of see that it backfired since the Snyder cult is bombarding the studio on social media more than ever, and in the context of a shared universe, this kind of fork is more confusing for the general audience than something like... Blade Runner Final Cut.
Why not? Historically, a change in management during a time of financial woes, creative realignment and/or transition did not always mean the end of a studio (20th Century Fox was in that position--arguably worse with the big budget bombs they'd suffered in the 1960s), and WB as a studio is not solely dependent on the film division, so while media instantly recycles their focus on "shake-ups" and cancelled projects (as if said cancelled projects were set to be hits), the studio has a wealth of properties to use in their rather deep catalog.
I mean, Shazam was well received (I know BA is a different kind of film, but they're related), and The Rock is a very bankable star. Assuming they can't release Aquaman 2 before The Flash, Black Adam is probably a solid choice for release.
Shazam was well received but didn't make much money. They'll be hoping for a lot more from Adam, and I am not sure they'll get it. 50/50 maybe?
Damn, I knew WB wasn't in great shape since Discovery was able to buy them, but I had no idea it was that bad. Yes some laws are based on things that people consider immoral, but it's not always as cut and dried as something like murder, and when it comes down to things like recent Roe v Wade situation, it came down to what one group of powerful wanted and not a broader consensus. From what I've seen when they've done polls, the vast majority of people wanted it to stay in place, but certain members of the Supreme Court came in with an agenda, and ignored what the majority of people wanted. This happened a few weeks ago in New York, when a carriage named Ryder horse collapsed. https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1122987954920857 https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=369685965344151 It took the cops over and hour to get him back on his feet, and because of the laws about this kind of thing, the first thing that happened after he got checked out by a vet, was that got sent right back to the people who did this too him. And as far as I know there have been absolutely nothing done to the guy, or the company he works for. All because of the way the laws are written about this kind of thing. Are you seriously going to try to tell me that this is OK and moral, just because the law lets it happen? Exactly, laws are all about what the people making the laws want, or don't like, and sometimes that lines up with the majority's morals, but not always. The thing to keep in mind with Batgirl, is that it was always intended to be a cheaper, smaller scale streaming release, not a big expensive theatrical blockbuster. So yeah, a CW pilot is probably not that far off from the kind of thing they were going for with this.