Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav Wants A “Real Focus On Franchises” Like ‘Harry Potter,’ ‘Superman’ & ‘LOTR’ Moving Forward

What does Warner Bros. Discovery head David Zaslav have in mind for his studio’s near future? Deadline reports that on a Q3 earnings call yesterday afternoon, Zaslav detailed exactly what he envisions, and it’s all about big tentpole franchises. “We’re going to have a real focus on franchises,” said the President and CEO. “We haven’t had a “Superman” movie in 13 years. We haven’t had a “Harry Potter” movie in 15 years.”

READ MORE: ‘Batgirl’: Brendan Fraser Says Film’s “Tragic” Cancellation “Doesn’t Engender Trust” With Filmmakers

Why are franchises Zaslav’s primary focus for the future of Warner Bros.? Money, of course. “The DC movies and the “Harry Potter” movies provided a lot of the profits of Warner Bros. Motion Pictures over the last 25 years,” Zaslav continued. “So, a focus on the franchise — one of the big advantages that we have, “House of the Dragon” is an example of that, “Game of Thrones,” taking advantage of “Sex and the City,” “Lord of the Rings,” we still have the right to do “Lord of the Rings” movies. What are the movies that have brands that are understood and loved everywhere in the world?” Zaslav also reemphasized his interest in new “Harry Potter” projects, saying he’d like to see “if we can do something with J.K. [Rowling] on ‘Harry Potter’ going forward.”

So, lots to unpack in Zaslav’s comments from yesterday. First, what exactly does Zaslav mean by new “Harry Potter” movies? In case he forgot, there’s the “Fantastic Beasts” franchise that acts as a prequel series to Rowling’s original books. Granted, those movies aren’t the revenue motherlodes the “Harry Potter” films are, but they are commercially successful, albeit less so with each installment (same goes with their critical reception). What Zaslav’s comments likely mean, though, is that he wants WBD to sync up with Rowling for a film adaptation of the 2016 play “Harry Potter And The Cursed Child.” Or, additionally, new original content in the “Harry Potter” universe. But considering the controversy surrounding Rowling over her statements about gender identity in recent years, the author may not be as bankable as Zaslav thinks.

Next up: the last standalone “Superman” movie wasn’t 13 years ago, Mr. Zaslav. “Man Of Steel” hit theaters in 2013, almost ten years ago. And if Zaslav means “Superman Returns,” that film’s theatrical release was in 2006, so, 16 years ago. It’s common knowledge since Zaslav took over Warner Bros. that he’s high on Superman as a character and a tentpole franchise, but it’s disconcerting that he has his dates messed up here. Still, now that Henry Cavill is no longer attached to “The Witcher,” a new standalone film with him as Clark Kent soon feels like a possibility. With his recent cameo as Superman in “Black Adam,” it’s clear Zaslav wants a new “Superman” movie with Cavill as soon as possible, maybe as early as 2025. So, stay tuned on that.

As for future “Lord Of The Rings” movies, Prime Video corners the Middle-earth market with “The Rings Of Power.” Is there an appetite for even more “Lord Of The Rings” content with that mega-budget production heading into its second season? Also, Zaslav forgot to mention the upcoming animated film “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,” which hits theaters on April 12, 2024. That’s still a little over a year away, but it’s the first “Lord Of The Rings” movie in theaters since “The Hobbit” trilogy wrapped in 2014. So, it’s not as if the “Lord Of The Rings” property is in disuse. Does Zaslav think fans want more than what’s already coming?

It’s clear what Zaslav thinks about direct-to-streaming movies and shows, though; he thinks they’re a waste. “We learned what doesn’t work,” Zaslav said about the former WarnerMedia‘s plans to emphasize original content on HBO Max. “And this is what doesn’t work for us based on everything that we’ve seen: direct-to-streaming movies. So, spending a billion dollars or collapsing a motion picture window into a streaming service. The movies that we launch in theaters do significantly better, and launching a 2-hour, 40-minute movie direct to streaming has done nothing for HBO Max in terms of viewership, retention or love of the service.” That line of thinking is why Zaslav canceled “Batgirl” and several DCEU projects meant as HBO Max exclusives early in his regime.  

Zaslav doesn’t like HBO Max’s model at all. “The entire library shouldn’t be on HBO Max and paid for by HBO Max,” Zaslav continued. “We have an extraordinary library: “Friends“, “Big Bang Theory“, “Two and a Half Men“ — there’s 15 or 20 series that are loved and nourishing the audience on a regular basis. But then there’s a huge number of series and movies that aren’t being used at all.” On top of that, Zaslav sees no issue in removing shows without notice from the streaming service. In his words, they “didn’t take one show off a platform that would help us in any way,” just another way for him to say they aren’t making him money. As for what will replace that vanished content? Zaslav wants to “replace those shows with content that has a chance to be more successful with a larger audience.”

So, to review: David Zaslav wants Warner Bros. Discovery to shift gears to bankable and familiar film franchises like “Harry Potter” and “Superman” in the near future. Money is the main reason, and Zaslav thinks that HBO Max and its original programming have zero chance of success with a general audience. So, expect less original content and more franchise movies that guarantee revenue from WBD in the coming years. It’s a sad forecast but not surprising given Zaslav’s modus operandi.