![]() Logo used since 2019 | |
Formerly | Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc. (1923–1967) Warner Bros.-Seven Arts, Inc. (1967–1969) Warner Bros. Inc. (1969–1993) |
---|---|
Type | Subsidiary |
Industry | Film production |
Predecessor | Warner Features Company |
Founded | April 4, 1923 |
Founders | |
Headquarters | , U.S. |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people |
|
Products | Motion pictures |
Services | |
Owner | Warner Bros. Discovery |
Parent | Warner Bros. Pictures Group (Warner Bros.) |
Website | warnerbros.com |
Footnotes /references [1] |
Warner Bros. Pictures [2] is an American film production and distribution company of the Warner Bros. Pictures Group division of Warner Bros. Entertainment (both ultimately owned by Warner Bros. Discovery). The studio is the flagship producer of live-action feature films within the Warner Bros. Pictures Group unit, and is based at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California. Animated films produced the Warner Animation Group are also released under the studio banner.
Warner Bros. Pictures is currently one of five live-action film studios within the Warner Bros. Pictures Group, the others being New Line Cinema, DC Studios, Castle Rock Entertainment, and Spyglass Media Group. The final installment of the Harry Potter film series is the studio's highest-grossing film worldwide with $1.3 billion. [3]
Founded in 1923 by brothers Harry Warner, Albert Warner, Sam Warner, and Jack L. Warner, in addition to producing its own films, it handles filmmaking operations, theatrical distribution, marketing and promotion for films produced and released by other Warner Bros. labels, including Warner Animation Group, New Line Cinema, DC Studios, and Castle Rock Entertainment. as well as various third-party producers.
The studio's predecessor (and the modern-day Warner Bros Entertainment as a whole) was founded as the Warner Features Company in New Castle, Pennsylvania, by filmmaker Sam Warner and his business partners and brothers, Harry, Albert, and Jack, in 1911. [4] They produced their first film, the Peril of the Plains [5] in 1912, which Sam directed for the St. Louis Motion Picture Company. In 1915, Sam and Jack moved to California to establish their production studio, [6] while Albert and Harry on July 8, 1915, set up the New York-based Warner Brothers Distributing Corporation to release the films. [7] [8] [9] In 1918, the four Warner Brothers produced their first full-scale picture: My Four Years in Germany . The war film was a box office hit and helped the brothers establish themselves as a prestige studio. [10]
On April 4, 1923, Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc. was officially established as their main focus was entirely on the motion picture industry. [11] In 1927, Warner Bros. Pictures revolutionized the film industry when the American-Jewish Warner brothers released their first pictures "talkie" The Jazz Singer starring Al Jolson. However, founding member Sam Warner died prior to the premiere of the film. [12] When the company diversified over the years, it was eventually rebranded to its current umbrella name, but Warner Bros. Pictures continued to be used as the name of the film production arm of the company.
In November 1966, Jack gave in to advancing age and changing times, selling 32% of control of the studio and music business to Seven Arts Productions, run by Canadian investors Elliot and Kenneth Hyman, for $32 million. [13] Eventually, the company, including the studio, was renamed Warner Bros.-Seven Arts on July 14, 1967. [14]
The division was incorporated as Warner Bros. Pictures on March 3, 2003, to diversify film subjects and expand audiences for their film releases. [2] The company became part of the Warner Bros. Pictures Group, which was established in 2008, and Jeff Robinov was appointed the first president of the company. [15] In 2017, longtime New Line executive Toby Emmerich joined as president. [16] In January 2018, he was elevated to chairman. [17] [18] On October 23, 2018, it was announced Lynne Frank, President of Warner Bros. Pictures Group, would be leaving the company to pursue new opportunities. [19] In June 2019, Warner Bros. Pictures signed an agreement with SF Studios to have their films distributed in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland. [20]
As with most other film distributors, Warner Bros. Pictures struggled with releasing films during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic due to restrictions on theater openings. After pushing several films planned for 2020 into 2021, WB announced in December 2020 that they would take the unusual approach of having their entire slate of 2021 films planned for both theatrical release as well as having a simultaneous one-month period of availability on the HBO Max streaming service, in a similar manner for how they were releasing Wonder Woman 1984 that month. After one month, such films would still be available in theaters and would then later be available via home media under typical release schedules. [21] The move to include streaming, dubbed "Project Popcorn", was criticized by production companies, directors, and actors as Warner Bros. Pictures had not informed anyone about the plan ahead of the announcement, as well of concerns of lower payouts due to the streaming options, [22] leading Warner Bros. Pictures to alter its compensation rates for the affected films by January 2021 to provide larger payouts to casts and crews of these films. [23]
In March 2021 Warner Bros. announced that for 2022 they will discontinue their same-day HBO Max and theatrical release model in favor of a 45-day theatrical exclusivity window. [24] This is part of an agreement the studio reached with Cineworld (who operates Regal Cinemas). [25]
On June 1, 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery, the company formed out of the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery, Inc., announced that Emmerich will step down as head of the Warner Bros. Pictures Group after a transition period, and that it would be divided into three separate units; Warner Bros. Pictures/New Line Cinema, DC Films, and Warner Animation Group. Former MGM executives Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy would serve as the co-chairs of Warner Bros. Pictures (and temporarily oversee the other two divisions until new executives are hired for them), while Emmerich would start his own production company and enter into a five-year distribution and funding agreement with Warner Bros. Pictures. [26] [27] On June 8, COO Carolyn Blackwood announced that she was stepping down as well. [28]
Steve Spira returned as president of business affairs for Warner Bros. in June 2022, while De Luca and Abdy took over from Emmerich in July 2022. Former president Alan Horn was appointed as a consultant for Warner Bros. Discovery President David Zaslav, working with De Luca and Abdy. [29]
In August 2022, Warner Bros. Pictures entered into a multi-year deal for distributing MGM films outside the United States, including on home entertainment. The contract included joint participation of both companies for marketing, advertising, publicity, film distribution, and relationship with exhibitors for future MGM titles. [30]
Walter Hamada, the president of DC Films, stepped down on October 19, 2022. [31] President of Production & Development Courtenay Valenti exited on October 28 and was replaced by Jesse Ehrman. [32] [33]
![]() | This section may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may interest only a particular audience.(October 2017) |
Mergers and acquisitions have helped Warner Bros. accumulate a diverse collection of films, cartoons and television programs. As of 2022, Warner Bros. owned more than 145,000 hours of programming, including 12,500 feature films and 2,400 television programs comprising more than tens of thousands of individual episodes. [34]
In the aftermath of the 1948 antitrust suit, uncertain times led Warner Bros. in 1956 to sell most of its pre-1950 [35] [36] [37] films and cartoons to Associated Artists Productions (a.a.p.). In addition, a.a.p. also obtained the Fleischer Studios and Famous Studios Popeye cartoons, originally from Paramount Pictures. Two years later, a.a.p. was sold to United Artists, which owned the company until 1981, when Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquired United Artists. [38] [39]
In 1982, during their independent years, Turner Broadcasting System acquired Brut Productions, the film production arm of France-based then-struggling personal-care company Faberge Inc. [40]
In 1986, Turner Broadcasting System acquired Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Finding itself in debt, Turner kept the pre-May 1986 MGM film and television libraries and a small portion of the United Artists library (including the a.a.p. library and North American rights to the RKO Radio Pictures library) while spinning off the rest of MGM. [41]
In 1989, Warner Communications acquired Lorimar-Telepictures Corporation. [42] [43] Lorimar's catalogue included the post-1974 library of Rankin/Bass Productions, and the post-1947 library of Monogram Pictures/Allied Artists Pictures Corporation.
In 1991, Turner Broadcasting System acquired animation studio Hanna-Barbera and the Ruby-Spears library from Great American Broadcasting, and years later, Turner Broadcasting System acquired Castle Rock Entertainment on December 22, 1993 [44] [45] and New Line Cinema on January 28, 1994. [46] [47] On October 10, 1996, Time Warner acquired Turner Broadcasting System, thus bringing Warner Bros.' pre-1950 library back home. In addition, Warner Bros. only owns Castle Rock Entertainment's post-1994 library.
In 2008, Time Warner integrated New Line to Warner Bros.
In June 2016, it created the Harry Potter Global Franchise Development Team to oversee its ownership of the Harry Potter franchise worldwide (including the Wizarding World trademark). [48]
The studio's first live-action film was My Four Years in Germany (1918), their first animated film was Gay Purr-ee (1962). Animated films produced by Warner Bros. Animation, and the Warner Animation Group are also released by Warner Bros. Pictures. The studio has released twenty-five films that have received an Academy Award for Best Picture nomination: Disraeli (1929), I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932), 42nd Street (1933), Here Comes the Navy (1934), A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935), Anthony Adverse (1936), The Life of Emile Zola (1937), The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), Four Daughters (1938), Jezebel (1938), Dark Victory (1939), to name a few.
Title | Release date | No. Films | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Gold Diggers | 1923–51 | 7 | |
Looney Tunes | 1930–present | 8 | In addition 1041 theatrical shorts have been produced. |
Penrod and Sam | 1931–38 | 2 | |
Philo Vance | 1934–40 | 5 | |
Perry Mason | 1934–37 | 6 | |
Torchy Blane | 1937–39 | 9 | |
Four Daughters | 1938–41 | 4 | |
Nancy Drew | 1938–2019 | 6 | |
Secret Service | 1939–40 | 4 | |
Hanna-Barbera | 1964–present | 12 | Owned by WB since 1996 |
Dirty Harry | 1971–88 | 5 | |
The Exorcist | 1973–2005 | 4 | |
Oh, God! | 1977–84 | 3 | |
Superman | 1978–2006 | 6 | |
Mad Max | 1979–present | 4 | |
Poseidon | 1979–2006 | 2 | |
Friday the 13th | 1980–2009 | co-production with Paramount Pictures and New Line Cinema | |
The Shining | 1980–2019 | ||
Arthur | 1981–2011 | 3 | |
Blade Runner | 1982–2017 | 2 | |
National Lampoon's Vacation | 1983–2015 | 5 | |
Police Academy | 1984–94 | 7 | |
Sesame Street | 1985–present | 2 | |
Lethal Weapon | 1987–98 | 4 | |
The Lost Boys | 1987–2010 | 3 | |
Batman | 1989–97 | 4 | |
Under Siege | 1992–95 | 2 | |
Grumpy Old Men | 1993–95 | ||
The Fugitive | 1993–98 | ||
Free Willy | 1993–2010 | 4 | |
Ace Ventura | 1994–present | 2 | distribution only; co-production with Morgan Creek |
Major League | 1994–98 | ||
Eraser | 1996–2022 | ||
Twister | 1996–present | 1 | co-production with Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment |
The Matrix | 1999–present | 4 | |
Deep Blue Sea | 1999–2020 | 3 | |
Pokémon | 1999–2019 | 4 | US distribution only. Co-production with The Pokémon Company |
Miss Congeniality | 2000–05 | 2 | |
Ocean's | 2001–present | 4 | |
Tom and Jerry | 16 | ||
Wizarding World | 11 | ||
Cats & Dogs | 2001–20 | 3 | |
Scooby-Doo | 2002–present | 6 | |
Terminator | 2003–09 | 2 | co-production with Columbia Pictures |
A Cinderella Story | 2004–present | 6 | |
Laura's Star | 2004–11 | 5 | |
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants | 2005–08 | 2 | |
The Dark Knight trilogy | 2005–12 | 3 | |
Happy Feet | 2006–11 | 2 | |
The Hangover | 2009–13 | 3 | |
Final Destination | 2009–present | 2 | |
Sherlock Holmes | |||
Dolphin Tale | 2011–14 | ||
Magic Mike | 2012–present | ||
The Hobbit | 2012–14 | 3 | co-production with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, New Line Cinema and WingNut Films |
The Conjuring Universe | 2013–present | 7 | |
DC Extended Universe | 11 | co-production with DC Studios | |
The Lego Movie | 2014–19 | 4 | co-production with Warner Animation Group and The Lego Group |
MonsterVerse | 2014–present | co-production with Legendary Pictures | |
Creed | 2015–present | 2 | co-production with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
It | 2017–19 | ||
The Meg | 2018–present | 1 | |
Joker | 2019–present | co-production with DC Studios | |
Dune | 2021–present | co-production with Legendary Pictures | |
The Batman | 2022–present | co-production with DC Studios |
‡ - include theatrical reissues
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. Founded in 1923 by four brothers, Harry, Albert, Sam, and Jack Warner, the company established itself as a leader in the American film industry before diversifying into animation, television, and video games, and is one of the "Big Five" major American film studios, as well as a member of the Motion Picture Association (MPA).
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 and based in Beverly Hills, California.
United Artists Corporation (UA), doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, was an American production and distribution company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the studio was premised on allowing actors to control their own interests, rather than being dependent upon commercial studios. UA was repeatedly bought, sold, and restructured over the ensuing century. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquired the studio in 1981 for a reported $350 million.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. was an American television and media conglomerate. Founded by Ted Turner and based in Atlanta, Georgia, it merged with Time Warner on October 10, 1996. As of April 2022, its assets are now owned by Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). The headquarters of Turner's properties are largely located at the CNN Center in Downtown Atlanta, and the Turner Broadcasting campus off Techwood Drive in Midtown Atlanta, which also houses Turner Studios. Some of their operations are housed within WBD's corporate and global headquarters inside 30 Hudson Yards in Manhattan's West Side district, and at 230 Park Avenue South in Midtown Manhattan, both in New York City, respectively.
Major film studios are production and distribution companies that release a substantial number of films annually and consistently command a significant share of box office revenue in a given market. In the American and international markets, the major film studios, often known simply as the majors or the Big Five studios, are commonly regarded as the five diversified media conglomerates whose various film production and distribution subsidiaries collectively command approximately 80 to 85% of U.S. box office revenue. The term may also be applied more specifically to the primary motion picture business subsidiary of each respective conglomerate.
New Line Cinema is an American film production studio owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and is a film label of Warner Bros. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye as an independent film distribution company; later becoming a film studio after acquired by Turner Broadcasting System in 1994; Turner later merged with Time Warner in 1996, and New Line was merged with Warner Bros. Pictures in 2008. The studio has been nicknamed, "The House that Freddy Built" due to the success of the Nightmare on Elm Street film series.
Turner Entertainment Company is an American multimedia company founded by Ted Turner in 1986. Purchased by Time Warner in 1996 as part of its acquisition of Turner Broadcasting System (TBS), the company was largely responsible for overseeing the TBS library for worldwide distribution. In recent years, this role has largely been limited to being the copyright holder, as it has become an in-name-only subsidiary of Warner Bros., which currently administers their library.
Castle Rock Entertainment is an American film and television production company founded in 1987 by Martin Shafer, director Rob Reiner, Andrew Scheinman, Glenn Padnick and Alan Horn. It is a label of Warner Bros. Entertainment, itself a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Warner Bros. Television Studios is an American television production and distribution studio of the Warner Bros. Television Group division of Warner Bros.. Alongside Paramount Global's television arm CBS Studios, it serves as a television production arm of The CW, DC Comics and distribution arm of HBO, Cartoon Network and Adult Swim, it also has produced shows for other networks, such as Blindspot and Person of Interest and East New York on CBS, Abbott Elementary on ABC, as well as produced shows for other streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video such as The Sandman, Lucifer, and The Peripheral.
Michael De Luca is an American film studio executive, film producer and screenwriter. The former president of production at both New Line Cinema and DreamWorks, De Luca has been nominated for three Academy Awards for Best Picture. De Luca formerly served as the chairman of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Motion Picture Group and currently serves as a co-chairperson and CEO of Warner Bros. Pictures Group.
Robert Kenneth Shaye is an American businessman, film producer, actor, director, and writer. He is the founder of New Line Cinema, a film production studio that distributed films such as A Nightmare on Elm Street, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and The Lord of the Rings. In 2008, he left New Line after it merged with Warner Bros. Pictures.
MGM Holdings, Inc. is an American holding company incorporated in Delaware and headquartered in Beverly Hills, California, launched on February 11, 2005 by a creditor-oriented consortium as the parent company of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It has been owned by Amazon since March 17, 2022.
Toby Emmerich, is an American producer, film executive, and screenwriter. He has been with Warner Bros. for much of his career, and formerly served as the chairman of the Warner Bros. Pictures Group.
Bron Studios is a Canadian motion picture company based in British Columbia owned by Bron Media Corporation. Bron's notable productions include Joker, Bombshell, Queen & Slim, Greyhound, Judas and the Black Messiah,The Mule, Henchmen, Roman J. Israel, Esq.,Rudderless, Welcome to Me, The Addams Family,TheWilloughbys, and Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
DC Studios is an American film and television studio that is a division of Warner Bros., which is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. It is dedicated to the production of films, series, and animations based on characters from DC Comics, among them is their flagship franchise, the DC Extended Universe. James Gunn and Peter Safran assumed control of the company, on November 1, 2022. Previously, Walter Hamada was the president of DC Films from 2018 until his departure in October 2022, working under and reporting directly to the co-CEOs of Warner Bros. Pictures Group, Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy.
Walter Hamada is an American film executive and producer. He joined New Line Cinema in 2007, where he served as an executive producer on horror films such as The Conjuring (2013), Annabelle (2014), The Conjuring 2 (2016), Lights Out (2016), and It (2017). In January 2018, he was appointed the President at Warner Bros. Pictures for DC-based film production before departing from the company in October 2022. He was hired by Paramount Pictures to oversee their horror film franchises beginning in 2023.
Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (WBD) is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It was formed after the spin-off of WarnerMedia by AT&T, and its merger with Discovery, Inc. on April 8, 2022.