20-06-2022, 09:52 PM
And the first effects of the merger are now targeting programming: WBD has axed many original shows of the former WarnerMedia networks, some of which were in production and/or ready to get the airwaves. The cancellations are in line with WBD's policy of decreasing costs and focus on profitable intellectual property. Here's what it stands so far:
More to come...
- TBS' original comedy Kill The Orange-Faced Bear, a personal Brett Weitz project he made with Romanski and Damon Wayans Jr. (who also stars), has been canceled just one week before it would begin shooting for the rest of the season, the pilot is being shopped to other outlets.
- Another TBS show, The Big D, a dating show from the producers of MTV's Are You the One?, and hosted by former Bachelorette contestants JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rogers, has been canned from the schedule just weeks from its July 7 debut.
- TNT's most popular drama series, Snowpiercer (based on Bo Joong-ho's movie), has also been canceled, but WBD will let the show end with its soon-to-be-launched fourth season.
- The cutbacks have also affected HBO and HBO Max: their ambitious sci-fi drama project with J.J. Abrams, Demimonde, has been thrown away over budget disagreements; additionally, Warner Bros. is trying to renegotiate their multi-million dollar deal with Abrams' production company, Bad Robot, as part of these budget concerns.
- Warner Bros. is also dealing with a big problem over the escalating reports of disturbing incidents regarding Ezra Miller, who will star on the first DC Universe movie of the WBD era, The Flash. Zaslav is trying to build the DC Universe and grow in scale to fit a mass-market blockbuster audience, in the style of the MCU, and The Flash, with star cameos from Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck, a high budget and Andy Muschietti as director, was supposed to be the lynchpin for it (it has been delayed six times due to the pandemic and seven directorial changes). Deadline is reporting Warner Bros. staff have reached Miller for assistance, but the even increasing revelations are troubling, that Warner Bros. is studying to pull back publicity, replacing Miller's role, or simply relegating the film to a direct-to-streaming release on HBO Max, according to insiders.
More to come...