Studio confirms plans for three Harry Potter-themed films from J.K. Rowling’s ‘Fantastic Beasts,’ 10 DC Entertainment super hero features -- including ‘Wonder Woman’ -- and three new ‘LEGO’ features.
Burbank, CA -- Today at a Time Warner investors meeting, Warner Bros. Chairman and CEO Kevin Tsujihara outlined an aggressive content strategy for the Studio aimed at increasing profits while “doubling down on outstanding content, working with the best talent and maintaining the culture that makes Warner Bros. so great.”
As part of his presentation, Tsujihara announced a bold expansion of the industry’s broadest theatrical slate, built around the largest, most important global franchises. Warner Bros. Pictures will release three LEGO-branded films over the next four years, building upon the enormous success of this year’s The LEGO Movie ($468 million worldwide box office), starting with Ninjago in 2016, directed by Charlie Bean and produced by Dan Lin, Roy Lee, Phil Lord and Chris Miller. Batman will take a star turn in The LEGO Batman Movie in 2017, directed by Chris McKay, and the sequel, The LEGO Movie 2, will debut in 2018.
The Studio will release three pictures, in 2016, 2018 and 2020, based on best-selling author J.K. Rowling’s original story and screenwriting debut, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.” Set in an extension of her familiar wizarding world, featuring magical creatures and characters inspired by Harry Potter’s Hogwarts textbook and its fictitious author, Newt Scamander, Fantastic Beasts will be directed by David Yates, who directed the last four Harry Potter movies, and reunite the filmmaking team of David Heyman, J.K. Rowling, Steve Kloves and Lionel Wigram.
And, in a massive expansion of the Studio’s DC Entertainment-branded content, Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema will release a slate of at least 10 movies -- as well as stand-alone Batman and Superman films -- from 2016 through 2020 that expands this prized universe of characters:
- Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, directed by Zack Snyder (2016)
- Suicide Squad, directed by David Ayer (2016)
- Wonder Woman, starring Gal Gadot (2017)
- Justice League Part One, directed by Zack Snyder, with Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill and Amy Adams reprising their roles (2017)
- The Flash, starring Ezra Miller (2018)
- Aquaman, starring Jason Momoa (2018)
- Shazam (2019)
- Justice League Part Two, directed by Zack Snyder (2019)
- Cyborg, starring Ray Fisher (2020)
- Green Lantern (2020)
On the television front, Warner Bros. Television Group has a number of projects in the works.
For Turner, future projects include a pilot production order for an untitled drama set in the unpredictable world of the Florida cocaine trade in the 1970s, from Jerry Bruckheimer, Michael Bay and Michelle Ashford. The studio is also in development on Titans, from Academy Award-winner Akiva Goldsman and Marc Haimes, based upon the DC Comics characters.
At HBO, WBTV’s first series for the premium television company, the critically acclaimed The Leftovers, debuted this summer and has already been picked up for a second season. WBTV has also produced the pilot Westworld, from executive producers J.J. Abrams, Jonathan Nolan, Jerry Weintraub and Lisa Joy, and starring Sir Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris and Evan Rachel Wood, and has a number of other projects in development at the company.
Warner Bros. Animation is producing new series based on the studio’s iconic brands, such as the upcoming Be Cool Scooby-Doo! and The Tom and Jerry Show. WBA’s “Teen Titans Go!” ranks as the #1 show in its timeslot against all kids’ networks.
The company also announced deals with Netflix for SVOD rights to WBTV’s Friends in the U.S. and Canada and Person of Interest in the U.S.
“At Warner Bros., we are united to not only continue to create the world’s greatest entertainment content, but to over-deliver on our financial targets,” said Tsujihara. “I’ve been with the company for over 20 years and I can’t remember a time when I’ve felt more confident about our future. We’re committed to maintaining and enhancing the great legacy of Warner Bros., the world’s most iconic and profitable studio.”
Source: Warner Bros.