Throughout a keynote session at C21Media’s annual Content material London occasion this week, Warner Bros. Tv Studios chairwoman Channing Dungey opened up about a few of the new strikes the corporate plans to make as a part of Zaslav’s imaginative and prescient for its future. In accordance with Selection, Dungey expressed pleasure for her division specifically, and pointed to Zaslav’s openness to collaborating with outdoors manufacturing outfits as one of many main the explanation why. Not like the previous guard who felt like “all the pieces has to remain in-house; we don’t need something to go outdoors,” Dungey stated that Zaslav’s been way more eager on the thought of working with others, and getting the studio’s content material onto platforms it doesn’t personal outright.
“David Zaslav has been way more open to exploring all of our animated IP and having the ability to do it on completely different platforms,” Dungey stated. “Actually, HBO Max goes to be our first cease, however we’re already within the means of closing a giant take care of Amazon that’s going to characteristic a few of our DC-branded content material in animation.”
Whereas Dungey didn’t go into element about what all the large Amazon deal entails — like whether or not these new tasks will dwell on each Amazon Prime and no matter HBO Max is fated to grow to be — earlier this month, Zaslav made very clear his want to double down on present IP like Superman. Zaslav’s additionally said that he’s focused on returning to the world of Harry Potter to money in on the franchise’s still-extant recognition, a sentiment Dungey echoed and stated that the studio is at the moment having “quite a lot of completely different conversations about.”
“I want I may let you know that one thing was imminent on the horizon however there’s a number of curiosity and a number of ardour for it, so completely,” Dungey stated in response to a query about whether or not a scripted Harry Potter is perhaps within the works. “Our unscripted group did a implausible Return to Hogwarts particular for HBO final yr that resonated so tremendously, then we did a quiz present, The Event of Homes, that Helen Mirren was the host for. The viewers is prepared, they need to go, so we’re simply to determine what the appropriate subsequent step is.”
In mild of the current spherical of layoffs and restructuring at Warner Bros. Tv, it makes a specific amount of sense that the studio’s shifting to outsource a few of that work to 3rd events. However the optics of Warner Bros. Discovery tapping Amazon to churn out DC superhero-themed content material whereas it’s additionally making an attempt to determine maintain Harry Potter related is considerably miserable, and makes it seem to be Zaslav’s intent on sticking to his weapons by going again to the properly of massive title IP.
