WB creates DC Entertainment

[Raph's Girl]

http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0909/09/index.htm

Warner Bros. Entertainment has created DC Entertainment, a new company founded to fully realize the power and value of the DC Comics brand and characters across all media and platforms, to be run by Diane Nelson, it was announced on Wednesday by Barry Meyer, Chairman & CEO, and Alan Horn, President & COO, Warner Bros.

DC Entertainment, a separate division of WBEI, will be charged with strategically integrating the DC Comics business, brand and characters deeply into Warner Bros. Entertainment and all its content and distribution businesses. DC Entertainment, which will work with each of the Warner Bros. divisions, will also tap into the expertise the studio has in building and sustaining franchises and prioritize DC properties as key titles and growth drivers across all of the Studio, including feature films, television, interactive entertainment, direct-to-consumer platforms and consumer products.

The DC Comics publishing business will remain the cornerstone of DC Entertainment, releasing approximately 90 comic books through its various imprints and 30 graphic novels a month and continuing to build on its creative leadership in the comic book industry.

In her new role, Nelson will report to Jeff Robinov, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Group.

Nelson will bring more than 20 years of experience in creative brand management, strategic marketing and content development and production to ensuring DC Entertainment's dual mission of marshalling Warner Bros.' resources to maximize the potential of the DC brand while remaining respectful of and collaborative with creators, talent, fans and source material. Additionally, Nelson will continue to oversee the franchise management of the Harry Potter property, which she has done since 2000, and also continue to represent the Studio's interests with the author of the Harry Potter books, J.K. Rowling. Nelson will segue from her post as President, Warner Premiere but maintain oversight responsibilities of that division.

Paul Levitz, who has served as president and publisher of DC Comics since 2002, will become a contributing editor and overall consultant to DCE. This transition will take place as expeditiously as possible without disrupting DC's business operations.

Besides serving as a writer on a number of DC Comics titles -- including return to the Legion of Super-Heroes in Adventure Comics -- Levitz will be a contributing editor and consultant to DC Entertainment on projects in various media. Additionally, he will consult as needed on the transition and integration of the DC Comics organization into DC Entertainment and will utilize his unique experience, knowledge and relationships with the comics industry's creative community to help achieve DC Entertainment's goal of maximizing the value of DC properties. Levitz will advise DC Entertainment on creative and rights-holder relationships, in particular regarding the legacy relationships that have been a part of DC Comics for decades.

"DC Comics and its super hero characters are truly touchstones of popular culture, and the formation of DC Entertainment is a major step in our company's efforts to realize the full potential of this incredible wellspring of creative properties," said Meyer. "Diane knows our studio as a creative executive, a marketer and a senior manager, and this varied background will help her effectively and creatively integrate the DC brand and properties across all our businesses. We're also thrilled that Paul will remain involved with DC and we'll be able to tap his expertise to help us reach our goals for this new business."

"It's no secret that DC has myriad rich and untapped possibilities from its deep library of iconic and lesser-known characters," said Horn. "While we've had great success in films and television, the formation of DC Entertainment will help us to bring more DC properties across additional platforms to fans around the world, while maintaining brand integrity and authenticity. Diane is a terrific choice to lead DC Entertainment, and with Paul in his new role as a valued consultant and contributing editor, both our company and comic fans win."

"Based on the great success we've had working with DC Comics to create some of the most popular and successful super hero films of all time, I've long believed that there was much more we could do across all of Warner Bros.' businesses with this great body of characters and stories," said Robinov. "The prioritization of DC and the creation of DC Entertainment is a great opportunity that reaches far beyond the film group. There are endless creative possibilities to build upon the many significant successes already achieved by my colleagues Kevin Tsujihara and the Home Entertainment Group in the videogame, home video and direct-to-platform arenas and Bruce Rosenblum and the Television Group in live-action, animated and digital series. Collectively, we have the ability to grow a body of properties highlighting the iconic characters and the diversity of the creative output of DC Comics."

"The founding of DC Entertainment fully recognizes our desire to provide both the DC properties and fans the type of content that is only possible through a concerted cross-company, multi-platform effort," said Nelson. "DC Entertainment will help us to formally take the great working relationships between DC Comics and various Warner Bros. businesses to the next level in order to maximize every opportunity to bring DC's unrivalled collection of titles and characters to life."

"After so many roles at DC, it's exciting to look forward to focusing on my writing and being able to remain a part of the company I love as it grows into its next stage," said Levitz. "It's a new golden age for comics and DC's great characters, and I hope my new position will allow me to contribute to that magic time."

[Magneto]

If this results in getting more films based on DC character's, then it's all good.

We'll see how this plays out.

[GK Punk]

Will I finally get a new Supergirl movie?

/thread

[Lordmylar06]

DC was already WB's side project anyway. I remember a few years back when I heard rumors of WB making a bid on Marvel. Kind of ironic this was announced right after the Marvel sale to Disney.

[The Stryker]

Just from the name change I like it.

All this time people have been calling it Detective Comics Comics.

[Cure]

Just from the name change I like it.

All this time people have been calling it Detective Comics Comics.

Ugh, like when people say ATM machine or PIN number. It bothers me so muchhhhhh.

[Spitfire]

Not sure I care at this point. I can't recall any of the DC movies from Superman Doomsday on that I can sit through after one viewing. The Green Lantern movie was so bad I stopped half way through and finished another day.

I never saw what others did in Smallville so other series like that don't interest me either. Unless they did one about The Question. The Question is awesome.

[Anarky]

Just be thankful that you're probably the only one with any taste in movies and TV-shows. DC would have folded if we were all that much of a connaisseur.

DC Comics, DCE, doesn't really matter to me. What would matter would be the content of the message, which is just empty business phrases and will probably end up meaning "Everything stays the way it is." What they basically wrote is "We're scared sh*tless of Disney / Marvel because that will be f*cking huge, so we're doing everything we can to get a bit of spotlight in order to appear as if we have something worthwhile and relevant to do!"

[Magneto]

Not sure I care at this point. I can't recall any of the DC movies from Superman Doomsday on that I can sit through after one viewing. The Green Lantern movie was so bad I stopped half way through and finished another day.

I think the DTV Wonder Woman movie that was put out earlier this year, is one of the better DC animated movies that WB has put out in recent years. Unfortunately, it's also one of the lowest selling. :ohwell:

I never saw what others did in Smallville so other series like that don't interest me either. Unless they did one about The Question. The Question is awesome.

I've never been big on Smallville either, despite being a fan of Superman. Though here lately, from what I gather on various forums, it doesnt look like I'm missing much. :oops:

The Question would be an interesting movie. Certainly would have more mainstream appeal than a similar, but far more extreme Steve Ditko creation that came later, Mr. A.

[Spitfire]

I think the DTV Wonder Woman movie that was put out earlier this year, is one of the better DC animated movies that WB has put out in recent years. Unfortunately, it's also one of the lowest selling. :ohwell:

Wonder Woman was okay. I own all of them. Like a sucker I keep on buying them because in concept they all interest me. My problem with Wonder Woman is the voice acting mainly. Except the obvious few everyone else is horrid. There's also the story is just there to bridge together fights she has, which is fine. I also didn't like the style of the movie. I especially disliked her face. They did a better job on Justice League.

I'm giving the Batman Superman movie a chance. It has the voice actors I know and love already and characters I already like in it. If I don't like this one I probably won't bother with another one again.

[Magneto]

Wonder Woman was okay. I own all of them. Like a sucker I keep on buying them because in concept they all interest me. My problem with Wonder Woman is the voice acting mainly. Except the obvious few everyone else is horrid. There's also the story is just there to bridge together fights she has, which is fine. I also didn't like the style of the movie. I especially disliked her face. They did a better job on Justice League.

Voice acting can be very hit-and-miss when it comes to these types of films. As I remember reading the same thing being said about the voice acting in Superman/Doomsday. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. As far as the story goes, I didn't really mind it at all really. If anything, it shows that a live action WW can be achieved without having to be exceptionally thorough with the origin and such. Everything else is pretty vanilla.

[Leo656]

What exactly did so many here not like about Green Lantern, just out of curiosity? I thought it was one of the better ones they've done. Granted, they did make some questionable changes, but nothing's ever gona be 100% comic-accurate. Other than that I thought it was fine.

[Anarky]

It was pretty good, I must say. What I didn't like, well, this first one is more what just rubs me the wrong way somewhat: The Green Lantern Sailor Moon Sequence. That was just hilariously awful but I can look past that.

No, what bothers me is that they apparently didn't know who they were making this movie for. There were many elements that were exclusively for the die-hard fans of the DCU and then there were at least just as many moments where they made a movie for people who had never heard of the story. That created a really awkward movie.

What I also didn't think was the smartest idea ever is that they went with the "Sinestro betrays us"-story, since you just know that it will repeat itself in the live-action movie.

But other than that, being a GL-fan, this was a fun film and I liked it.

[Spitfire]

What exactly did so many here not like about Green Lantern, just out of curiosity? I thought it was one of the better ones they've done. Granted, they did make some questionable changes, but nothing's ever gona be 100% comic-accurate. Other than that I thought it was fine.

My issue with the film was the narrative. It was way too jumpy and there was zero impact on the audience when something happened. There was no build up to anything they just rapid fired stuff at you.

An example would be the beginning. Hal gets the ring in the first 5 minutes and before you know it he's in space already. Without any training what so ever he knows how to use it. Granted later he steps into the big lantern and gets all that knowledge but that was later. There is zero character development, except Sinestro. However Sinestro is pointless to develop because he's evil and his only driving force is he's power hungry. Who is Hal? What's Hal's personalty? He basically just stood around and did something when he had to and he barely spoke.

The animation was awesome and the voice acting tolerable but everything else fell flat for me.

[Leo656]

Guess I can see that, not about to entirely disagree. Just didn't bug me as much, I guess. Plus I read something about it months before it came out where the people making it said they were jumping right from Hal getting the ring into the action stuff, so I guess maybe that's why it wasn't a shock to me.

What really, really bugged me was no Guy Gardner cameo. They had like every friggin' other GL in it. And we ALL know Guy was the one who was REALLY s'posed to get the ring; Hal was just closer to Abin Sur geographically. So him being left out bugged me.

Otherwise I dug it, even though I partly do agree with what people didn't dig. Hopefully Superman/Batman will rock.

[ZariusTwo]

D.C overall are superior to Marvel creativly. Marvel's claim to fame has been gambling, branding their products and not giving a s*it if they come out good, bad, or ugly, and since it's recognisible, they make money...but creativly, their comics and movies are largely **** these days...unless you look with a thorough microscope. All thier best titles get cancelled.