Warner Bros: Last News

EXCLUSIVE: A key Arrowverse villain is heading to Central City. Richard Harmon (The 100) has been been tapped to recur as Owen Mercer (aka Captain Boomerang) in the upcoming ninth season of CW’s The Flash.

EXCLUSIVE: With Matt Shakman boarding as director, Marvel Studios has now find its writers to deliver the new Fantastic Four pic. Sources tell Deadline that Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer are on board to write the script for the film.

, because one of this month's most talked-about films is finally here. Following a tumultuous world premiere at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on September 5, makes its theatrical debut on Friday, September 23. Olivia Wilde's sophomore feature directorial has been largely overshadowed in recent weeks by off-screen allegations and rumors, but the behind-the-scenes drama has only made the film that much more intriguing. The IMAX fan experience at 100 locations on Monday sold out within 24 hours after going on sale.

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle Editor Welcome to this week’s “Just for Variety.” Somewhere over the rainbow, indeed! Kenya Barris tells me that LGBTQ representation will be featured in his “Wizard of Oz” remake. “The original was an allegory and a reflection of the way the world was at the time with things like the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl,” says Barris, who will write and direct the reimagining for Warner Bros. “Now we’re going to turn a mirror on where we’re at right now and take disparate characters from the LGBTQ community, from different cultural communities and socioeconomic communities, and tell a story that reflects the world. I think this is the best time to do that.”

Angelique Jackson Actor, producer and Emmy-winning writer Lena Waithe’s Hillman Grad Productions has a new series in the works for HBO Max. The half-hour, single-camera comedy, titled “Rollin,’” is in development under the multi-platform entertainment company’s overall deal with Warner Bros. Television Group. According to the official logline, the series centers on “an easily corruptible newbie skater and her ragtag rink crew who find drive and deliverance on the hardwood at an ATL skating rink known for its good music, food, vibes and stellar stunts. They soon discover that walking away from your past is easier said than done — but as all skaters learn, when you fall down, you must get back up.”

The Bodyguard is coming back to the big screen to celebrate its 30th anniversary since its release. On Sunday, Nov. 6 and Wednesday, Nov. 9, Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner will return to movie theaters in the romantic film. The companion album to 1992’s The Bodyguard is the best-selling soundtrack of all time and tied for the 13th-biggest-selling disc in U.S. history with 18 million-plus units, per the RIAA.

Margot Robbie has revealed she was “mortified” to see set photos of her upcoming Barbie film leak on the internet.During a recent appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, the actress jokingly described the leak as “the most humiliating moment” of her life, given that she and co-star Ryan Gosling had no control over the spread of the images, in which they’re pictured wearing highly vibrant costumes.“I can’t tell you how mortified we were, by the way,” she said. “We look like we’re like laughing and having fun, but dying on the inside. Dying.

K.J. Yossman U.K. talent agency YMU has announced it is expanding into gaming and sports marketing with the integration of Digital Sports Mgmt (DSM) into its sports division. YMU has acquired a majority stake in DSM, which was launched in 2016 by Rob Wadsworth and Tom Henderson. DSM has worked with clients including EA Sports, Sorare, Avery Dennison and Warner Bros, as well as representing gaming talent such as Danny Aarons, ShaunaGames, and AJ3. As part of the merger, YMU’s services will expand to include esports consultancy, sports marketing, sponsorship brokerage, licensing, and live production.“YMU and Digital Sport Mgmt’s partnership strengthens our position at the crossroads where sport, gaming, technology, and entertainment meet and interact,” Henderson and Wadsworth said in a statement. “Our collective expertise will enrich the services we provide our talent and brand clients and will allow us both to scale into new markets. YMU is the perfect partner to expedite our business plan globally and in turn extend the YMU Group’s premium services into the future.”

Zach Shallcross came up empty-handed during this season’s edition of The Bachelorette, but he’s about to get another chance at finding his love connection: the 26-year-old tech exec from from Anaheim, CA. will headline 27th season of The Bachelor.

Marc Graboff is leaving Warner Bros. Discovery after almost eight years at the company and its predecessor, Discovery. Inc.  Graboff, a respected veteran television business executive, just notified the company staff of his decision. A key member of the senior executive team of David Zaslav, CEO of Discovery — and now WBD —  Graboff made the transition to the combined company following the merger of Discovery and WarnerMedia. Most recently reporting to Kathleen Finch, Chairman and Chief Content Officer, US Networks Group, Graboff will leave in December after assisting with the transition.

After a near month of mudslinging behind the scenes drama for Don’t Worry Darling which hovered around its Venice Film Festival world premiere, the sophomore feature directorial from Olivia Wilde finally opens in 4,000 theaters.

Doctor Sleep‘s poor box office figures have ultimately ended Mike Flanagan’s hopes of releasing a second film based on The Shining, according to the director.Reports of a follow-up movie were reported back in November 2019, barely a week after the release of Doctor Sleep.The film was set to focus on the character of Dick Hallorann, played by Scatman Crothers in Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 Stephen King adaptation of The Shining, and Carl Lumbly in Doctor Sleep.“We were so close,” Flanagan tweeted. “I’ll always regret this didn’t happen.”In the comments section, Flanagan added that the film was cancelled because of Doctor Sleep’s box office performance.

Naman Ramachandran Disney’s “See How They Run” occupied the top spot for the second weekend in a row at the U.K. and Ireland box office, with £984,779 ($1.1 million), per numbers released by Comscore. The film now has a total of £2.8 million. In its seventh weekend, Sony’s “Bullet Train,” starring Brad Pitt, collected £325,252 in second place for a total of £10.3 million. In third position with £321,746 was Universal’s “Minions: The Rise Of Gru,” which now has a total of £45.1 million after 12 weekends. Paramount’s Tom Cruise vehicle “Top Gun: Maverick” stormed back into the top five with £320,963 in fourth place. With a total of £82.6 million after 17 weekends, the film is the top grossing film of 2022 in the territory and eighth on the all time chart behind “Avengers: Endgame” (£88.7 million).

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Marc Graboff has decided to exit as president of global business and legal affairs and content supply chain at the legacy Discovery side of Warner Bros. Discovery, Variety has learned exclusively. The NBCUniversal alum will step down from his position at the end of the year. “Marc approached every challenging business negotiation with affability, professionalism and attention to detail, and his expertise will be sorely missed,” Kathleen Finch, chairman and chief content officer of the US Networks Group at Warner Bros Discovery, said Tuesday. “We are grateful for his invaluable support and the terrific partnership he’s brought throughout his years of service.” 

EXCLUSIVE: Major movie theater circuit Cinemark has reached a deal with CJ 4DPlex to outfit select auditoriums with the ScreenX premium exhibition format.

Zack Sharf For a stretch of time over the summer, you couldn’t log on to social media without seeing photos of Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in neon spandex costumes on the set of Greta Gerwig’s upcoming “Barbie” movie. The leaked set photos, captured by dozens of paparazzi in Los Angeles, broke the internet for weeks. Robbie called the photo leaks “mortifying” during a recent interview with Jimmy Fallon on “The Tonight Show.” “I can’t tell you how mortified we were, by the way,” Robbie said when Fallon showed a “Barbie” set photo to viewers (via IndieWire). “We look like we’re like laughing and having fun, but we’re dying on the inside. Dying. I was like, this is the most humiliating moment of my life.”

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor CNN’s new chief hopes primetime anchor Don Lemon can help the network gain ground in some of TV news’ toughest terrain. Chris Licht, who has vowed to tone down some of the more aggressive commentary at the network since taking its reins earlier this year, has enjoyed an eyebrow-raising streak in morning news. He launched the durable MSNBC franchise “Morning Joe” in 2007 and then helped CBS gain new momentum in the a.m. in 2012 by starting “CBS This Morning.” Neither program was the most-watched of its brethren, but Licht gained new viewership for the networks that backed him by providing more substantial conversation among anchors and ignoring some of the frillier elements of the time period, like cooking demonstrations or street interviews with passersby.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Ryan Spicer, after more than 14 years with WarnerMedia and Turner Broadcasting, is joining Atmosphere, which operates a national out-of-home streaming news and entertainment network, to lead ad sales in the role of chief revenue officer. Most recently, Spicer served as VP of sales and partnerships for WarnerMedia Digital, which is now part of Warner Bros. Discovery, covering the CNN Digital portfolio as well as the HBO Max with ads streaming platform. Prior to joining Turner Digital in 2008, he worked as a sales exec at MTV Networks. At Atmosphere, Spicer reports to chief operating officer Blake Sabatinelli. Spicer officially started in the role on Sept. 6.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Courtney Coupe, most recently SVP of content strategy and operations for CNN Digital, is joining LinkedIn as the company’s first head of original programming. In the new role, Coupe reports to LinkedIn editor in chief Dan Roth. She will oversee the strategy, development and production of all original video and audio content at the business-oriented social media platform. LinkedIn has been investing in original content for a decade and is now bringing those efforts together under a newly formed original programming team, led by Coupe. “Courtney has spent her career creating high-quality, economy and career-focused audio and video content for some of the top brands in media,” Roth said in announcing her hire. “We’re excited that she’s bringing her talent for developing groundbreaking content to LinkedIn and helping us deliver insights that drive conversation.”

EXCLUSIVE: Eugene Cordero is being upped to series regular for Season 2 of the Disney+ series Loki.

Zack Sharf “Doctor Sleep” director Mike Flanagan confirmed on Twitter that a planned sequel to his 2019 “The Shining” prequel is officially dead. The filmmaker cited the dismal box office performance of “Doctor Sleep” as the main reason why Warner Bros. isn’t moving forward with a second “The Shining” prequel film, this one focused on the character of Dick Hallorann (played in Stanley Kubrick’s film by Scatman Crothers and in “Doctor Sleep” by Carl Lumbly.” “We were so close,” Flanagan wrote on Twitter about getting the Dick Hallorann movie made. “I’ll always regret this didn’t happen.” Flanagan also shared a fan-made poster for his scrapped second “The Shining” prequel. When asked by one user why his “Doctor Sleep” follow-up wasn’t going to be made, Flanagan responded, “Because of ‘Doctor Sleep’s’ box office performance, Warner Bros. opted not to proceed with it. They control the rights, so that was that.”