Peter Safran | |
---|---|
Born | |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1997–present |
Employer | Warner Bros. Discovery |
Title | Co-chairman and co-CEO of DC Studios |
Spouse | Natalia Safran |
Children | 1 |
Peter Safran (born 22 November 1965) is a British and American film producer, studio executive, and talent manager. [1] He currently serves as the co-chairperson and co-CEO of DC Studios alongside James Gunn.
Peter Safran is the son of Ordell and Henry Safran, of Ashkenazi Jewish descent. [2] After growing up in the UK, Safran graduated from Princeton University. He earned his J.D. degree at the New York University School of Law. [3] He worked as a corporate attorney in New York City, before becoming an assistant at United Talent Agency. [4]
He became a talent manager at Gold-Miller Co and stayed there until 1998. [1] He then was a manager at Brillstein-Grey for five years, before he was named president of Brillstein-Grey Management in 2003. As president, he was made responsible for day-to-day activities of the department, which had over 200 clients, including Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston, Adam Sandler, Nicolas Cage, and Courteney Cox. [5] He left Brillstein-Grey in 2006, to launch The Safran Company, and took his entire client list with him. [4] As manager, he represented Sean Combs, Adam Shankman, David Hyde Pierce, Jennifer Lopez, and Brooke Shields. [1]
During the last few years, Safran has been able to build upon The Conjuring Universe, [6] and produce films such as Aquaman , Shazam! , The Suicide Squad , and Shazam! Fury of the Gods , as well as the television series Peacemaker , and others under his banner through his first-look deal with Warner Bros. [7] [8]
In October 2022, Safran and James Gunn were named co-chairs and co-CEOs of DC Studios, overseeing film, television and animation projects. While Gunn will handle the creative aspects, Safran will handle the business side of the division. The two assumed their positions on 1 November 2022. Safran and Gunn are involved in casting characters for the wider DC Universe (DCU) franchise, and Safran produces all films in the franchise. [9] [10] [11] [12]
Year | Title | Director |
---|---|---|
2008 | The Miracle of Phil | Andrew Douglas |
Doggie Heaven | James Wan | |
Blue Like You | Lucky McKee | |
Meat Dog: What's fer Dinner | David Slade | |
Fairy Tale Police | Adam Green | |
Sparky & Mikaela | James Gunn | |
Humanzee! | ||
2009 | Post Apocalyptic Pizza | Peter Cornwell |
Year | Title | Director |
---|---|---|
2010 | Buried | Rodrigo Cortés |
2013 | The Conjuring | James Wan |
2014 | Annabelle | John R. Leonetti |
2016 | The Conjuring 2 | James Wan |
Wolves at the Door | John R. Leonetti | |
2017 | Annabelle: Creation | David F. Sandberg |
2018 | The Nun | Corin Hardy |
Aquaman | James Wan | |
2019 | Shazam! | David F. Sandberg |
Annabelle Comes Home | Gary Dauberman | |
2021 | The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It | Michael Chaves |
The Suicide Squad | James Gunn | |
2023 | Shazam! Fury of the Gods | David F. Sandberg |
The Nun II | Michael Chaves | |
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom | James Wan | |
2025 | Superman † | James Gunn |
The Conjuring: Last Rites † | Michael Chaves |
† | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
Year | Title | Director | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1998 | Senseless | Penelope Spheeris | Co-executive producer |
2000 | Scary Movie | Keenen Ivory Wayans | |
The Specials | Craig Mazin | Co-executive producer | |
2004 | My Baby's Daddy | Cheryl Dunye | |
Connie and Carla | Michael Lembeck | ||
2005 | The Long Weekend | Pat Holden | |
2009 | My Life in Ruins | Donald Petrie | |
2015 | Dark Places | Gilles Paquet-Brenner | |
2019 | Valley of the Gods | Lech Majewski | |
Year | Title | Notes |
---|---|---|
2003 | Are You Comfortable? | TV movie |
2006 | Heist | 4 episodes |
2008–09 | James Gunn's PG Porn | |
2022–present | Peacemaker | |
2024 | Beast Boy: Lone Wolf | Shorts series |
2024–present | Creature Commandos |
† | Denotes series that have not yet been released |
James Francis Gunn Jr. is an American screenwriter, director, and producer. He began his career as a screenwriter in the mid-1990s, starting at Troma Entertainment with Tromeo and Juliet (1996). He then began working as a director, starting with the horror-comedy film Slither (2006), and moving to the superhero genre with Super (2010), Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), The Suicide Squad (2021), and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023).
Matt Reeves is an American filmmaker who first gained recognition for the WB drama series Felicity (1998–2002), which he co-created with J. J. Abrams. Reeves came to widespread attention for directing the hit monster-film Cloverfield (2008). He also directed the vampire drama Let Me In (2010), and the critically acclaimed science-fiction sequels Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) and War for the Planet of the Apes (2017). He directed the superhero film The Batman (2022), which stars Robert Pattinson as the title character.
The Flash is a 2023 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Barry Allen / Flash. Directed by Andy Muschietti from a screenplay by Christina Hodson and a story by Joby Harold and the writing team of John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, it is the 13th film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Ezra Miller stars as Barry, who travels back in time to prevent his mother's death and becomes stranded in an alternate past. Sasha Calle also stars in her film debut, alongside Michael Shannon, Ron Livingston, Maribel Verdú, Kiersey Clemons, Antje Traue, and Michael Keaton.
Shazam! is a 2019 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name. Produced by New Line Cinema, DC Films, the Safran Company, and Seven Bucks Productions, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is the seventh installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). It was directed by David F. Sandberg from a screenplay by Henry Gayden who co-wrote the story with Darren Lemke, and stars Zachary Levi, Mark Strong, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, and Djimon Hounsou. The film follows teenager Billy Batson (Angel) as he is chosen by the ancient wizard Shazam (Hounsou) to be his new champion by saying the name "Shazam", allowing him to transform into an adult superhero (Levi) with various superpowers. Billy and his foster brother Freddy Freeman (Grazer) must discover Billy's new powers in order to stop the evil Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Strong) and the Seven Deadly Sins.
DC Studios is an American film and television production company that is a division of Warner Bros. Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). It is responsible for the production of live-action and animated films and television series, as well as some video games, based on characters from the American comic book publisher DC Comics, primarily as part of its flagship media franchise and shared universe, the DC Universe (DCU). The studio has been led by filmmaker James Gunn and producer Peter Safran as its co-chairmen and co-CEOs since it was formed in November 2022.
The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on characters that appear in American comic books published by DC Comics. The DCEU also includes comic books, short films, novels, and video games. Like the original DC Universe in comic books, the DCEU is established by crossing over common plot elements, settings, cast, and characters.
The Suicide Squad is a 2021 American superhero film based on the DC Comics team Suicide Squad. Produced by DC Films, Atlas Entertainment, and the Safran Company, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is a standalone sequel to Suicide Squad (2016) and the 10th film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The film was written and directed by James Gunn and stars Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman, Sylvester Stallone, Viola Davis, David Dastmalchian, Daniela Melchior, Michael Rooker, Jai Courtney, Peter Capaldi, Alice Braga, and Pete Davidson. In the film, several convicts join a task force known as the "Suicide Squad" in exchange for lighter sentences. They are sent to the South American island nation of Corto Maltese to destroy all traces of the giant alien starfish Starro the Conqueror before it falls into the local government's control.
The Conjuring Universe is an American horror franchise and shared universe centered on a series of supernatural horror films. The franchise is produced by New Line Cinema, Atomic Monster, and the Safran Company, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The films present a dramatization of the supposed real-life adventures of Ed and Lorraine Warren, paranormal investigators and authors associated with prominent yet controversial cases of haunting. The main series follows their attempts to assist people who find themselves harassed by spirits, while the spin-off films focus on the origins of some of the entities the Warrens have encountered.
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Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is a 2023 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Aquaman. Directed by James Wan from a screenplay by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, it is the sequel to Aquaman (2018) and the 15th and final film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Jason Momoa stars as Arthur Curry / Aquaman, who must work with his half-brother Orm to prevent Black Manta from killing his family and using the cursed Black Trident to overheat the world while searching for the lost seventh kingdom of the seas. Amber Heard, Randall Park, Dolph Lundgren, Temuera Morrison, Martin Short, and Nicole Kidman also star in supporting roles.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods is a 2023 American superhero film based on the DC character Shazam. Produced by New Line Cinema, DC Films, and the Safran Company, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is the sequel to Shazam! (2019) and the 12th installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Directed by David F. Sandberg and written by Henry Gayden and Chris Morgan, it stars Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Rachel Zegler, Adam Brody, Ross Butler, D. J. Cotrona, Grace Caroline Currey, Meagan Good, Lucy Liu, Djimon Hounsou, and Helen Mirren. In the film, Billy Batson / Shazam and his foster siblings fight the Daughters of Atlas.
Blue Beetle is a 2023 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Jaime Reyes / Blue Beetle. Directed by Ángel Manuel Soto and written by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, it is the 14th film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Xolo Maridueña stars as Reyes, a recent college graduate who is bestowed with an armor that grants him superpowers after being accidentally chosen by an ancient alien relic known as the Scarab. Adriana Barraza, Damián Alcázar, Raoul Max Trujillo, Susan Sarandon, and George Lopez also star in the film.
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The DC Universe (DCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe based on characters from DC Comics publications. It was created by James Gunn and Peter Safran, co-chairmen and co-CEOs of DC Studios. The DCU is a soft reboot of a previous franchise, the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), retaining select cast members and narrative elements but disregarding others. In contrast with the previous state of DC Comics adaptations, the DCU features a united continuity and story across live-action films and television, animation, and video games. Concurrent DC adaptations that do not fit this continuity are labeled "DC Elseworlds".
The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) media franchise has experienced a turbulent history since its inception in 2013, characterized by highly publicized clashes between studio executives and talent, constantly changing approaches to worldbuilding, and repeated changes in management. Warner Bros. Pictures originally announced plans for a shared universe of live-action films based on the DC Comics, starting with the release of Man of Steel (2013), with director Zack Snyder set to spearhead the franchise. Following the negative reception to Snyder's follow-up film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Warner Bros. created DC Films, a new division led by Geoff Johns and Jon Berg tasked with overseeing development of the DCEU. DC Films attempted to correct the course of the franchise, culminating in the troubled production and disastrous release of the crossover film Justice League (2017), which significantly deviated from Snyder's original vision.