Warner Bros justifiably is happy with its 30 Oscar nominations. David Zaslav, its CEO, has been quick to jump in. Warner Bros Discovery boss David Zaslav is about to become even richer. It’s looking ever more likely that the storied old studio is going to become part of the Netflix empire, in a deal worth ... David Zaslav champions Warner Bros Oscar nominations
Warner Bros justifiably is happy with its 30 Oscar nominations. David Zaslav, its CEO, has been quick to jump in.
Warner Bros Discovery boss David Zaslav is about to become even richer. It’s looking ever more likely that the storied old studio is going to become part of the Netflix empire, in a deal worth tens of billions of dollars. The same deal rewards Zaslav for his effective dismantling of an enormous name in entertainment, to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. Well done, David. Deleting films, laying off staff, stripping the company down… that’s work well done, and you thoroughly deserve a lot of extra money, while people around you fear for their living.
Still, David’s in a happy mood. The irony isn’t lost of many that Warner Bros’ sale to a streamer comes after one of its most striking years of film releases in modern history. Movies such as Sinners, One Battle After Another, Weapons and F1 (the latter funded by Apple, but distributed by Warner) have earned the studio 30 Oscar nominations, and Zaslav is very pleased.
“This is a truly golden moment for our company and also a powerful validation of our strategy: to believe in movies, to believe in original storytelling, and to believe in the theatrical experience,” said the man who believes in movies so much that he deleted two of them for a tax break. Michael Kurinsky, the director of one of those films, talks about that below.
“This is a special moment for our company, for our filmmaking partners, and for audiences everywhere who love great storytelling. We should all take great pride and keep raising the bar.”
Which, of course, is why he’s chosen to sell the company, lining his own pockets as he does so.
It’s hard not to feel cynical towards Zaslav’s words, and he may actually be a lovely man who’s misunderstood by the world. But from the outside looking in, he’s a man looking to have his cake, eat it, and then take it away from everyone else.
Warner Bros did indeed release some outstanding films last year, and gave them the theatrical room to find an audience too. Let’s hope we can say the same in a decade.
