Warner Bros. Pictures may be getting a new parent company.
A new rumor circulating online claims that Warner Bros. Pictures could be sold to a new owner. This speculation comes from a new Variety report about the behind-the-scenes drama at Warner Bros. Discovery, which is the current parent company of Warner Bros. Pictures.
Why is Warner Bros. Pictures being sold?
According to the Variety article, there are those on the Warner Bros. Pictures lot who believe the studio will be sold within the next two years, most likely to Universal Pictures. While the report didn’t specify the reason for the potential sale, it’s no secret that Warner Bros. has been struggling financially in recent years. The studio has had a number of box office bombs in recent years, including 2020’s The Witches and 2021’s In the Heights.
Meanwhile, Universal Pictures, which is owned by Comcast, has been on the roll since the past few years, producing hit after hit on the big screen, including the 2022 box-office movies Jurassic World: Dominion, Minions: The Rise of Gru, and The Lost City.
“The bottom line is they need to get DC to work whether [David] Zaslav owns it, whether Brian Roberts owns it, whether somebody else owns it,” said LightShed’s Rich Greenfield, a Wall Street analyst and venture capitalist, in the Variety article. For the uninitiated, Zaslav is the president of Warner Bros. Discovery, while Roberts is the CEO of Comcast Corporation.
In addition to Warner Bros.’ financial struggle, there’s also a slight issue within Warner Bros. Discovery that might have affected the entertainment giant’s rumored decision to put the studio on sale.
The Variety article notes that there is some sort of confusion regarding who is really calling the shots for DC Studios, which is part of Warner Bros. Pictures. At Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige is the mastermind, whether that’s a feature film in theaters or a series on Disney+. But at DC Studios, even though James Gunn and Peter Safran serve as co-CEOs, Max executives also has a hand in creative as well.
What would happen if Warner Bros. Pictures was sold to Universal Pictures?
If Warner Bros. Pictures were to be sold to Universal, it would be a major shakeup in the Hollywood landscape. Warner Bros. Pictures is one of the oldest and most prestigious studios in Hollywood, and it owns some of the most popular film franchises in the world, including DC Comics, Looney Tunes, and Harry Potter. Universal Pictures is also a major player in Hollywood, and it owns some of the most popular film franchises in the world, including Jurassic Park, Fast & Furious, and Despicable Me.
The sale of Warner Bros. Pictures to Universal would create a combined studio that would be the most powerful in Hollywood. It would have a library of films that includes some of the most popular and successful franchises in the world. It would also have a lot of financial resources to invest in new films and television shows.
However, it is important to note that this is just a rumor at this point. Neither Warner Bros. Discovery nor Universal Pictures has commented on the rumor. It is also possible that Warner Bros. Pictures will not be sold at all.
What does the future hold for Warner Bros. Pictures?
If the rumor is true, it will be interesting to see how it affects the future of Warner Bros. Pictures. It is possible that Universal Pictures would make some major changes to the studio, such as canceling some films and television shows and developing new ones. It is also possible that Universal Pictures would leave Warner Bros. Pictures largely the same.
Only time will tell what the future holds for Warner Bros. Pictures. However, the rumor that it could be sold to Universal is a sign that the studio is facing some challenges. It is also a sign that the Hollywood landscape is changing rapidly.