Dan Lin, a film producer who had been in negotiations to lead Warner Bros. Discovery’s DC Comics film and television division, has decided against taking the position after all, as per individuals with knowledge of the situation.
Without agreeing to anything, the two parties ended their talks.
For the recently established Warner Bros. Discovery, the news comes at a difficult moment. Following the acquisition of Discovery in April, CEO David Zaslav has been trying to transform WarnerMedia, which has resulted in job cuts and the removal of content from HBO Max. Since the deal was finalized, shares have decreased by roughly 50%.
Lin has made the decision to remain at Rideback, the film and television business he established and currently manages, after contemplating a prospective offer from Warner Bros., according to the people, who declined to be identified because the negotiations were confidential. He was the producer of “The Lego Movie” and the two-part adaptation of “It” for the big screen.
A Warner Bros. Discovery spokeswoman declined to comment. Lin couldn’t be reached right away for comment.
The division chiefs at HBO and HBO Max, Warner Bros. TV, and Warner Bros. Pictures were expected to be bypassed as Lin, a 49-year-old film producer, would answer directly to Zaslav. The ownership of Rideback by Lin and the terms of how Warner Bros. Discovery would pay Lin for that ownership complicated contract negotiations, according to two of the people.
According to one of the persons, Lin planned to keep Rideback running with an equity stake controlled by WBD after the two sides exchanged term agreements. One of the persons added that once talks stalled, both parties made the decision to part ways.
In an effort to match Disney’s Marvel Studios’ level of constant success, Zaslav has been searching for an individual to keep the ship afloat at the DC film studio, home to superheroes like Wonder Woman and Superman.
Warner Bros. has changed the release date of the “Aquaman” sequel from March 2023 to December 2023. The movie “The Flash,” which is also scheduled for release in 2019, is dogged by controversy since Ezra Miller, who plays the lead character, is accused of being involved in child grooming. Zaslav removed “Batgirl,” which was almost finished, from the HBO Max release schedule, enabling the business to deduct the cost from its taxes.
It was reported in April that Emma Watts, a former senior film executive at 20th Century Studios and Paramount, had been asked by Zaslav to assume the role but had declined. According to one of the persons, Warner Bros. Discovery is in contact with a number of other potential employees. Another source claimed that Zaslav personally met with Lin in an effort to persuade him to accept the position.
Recently, Zaslav expressed his ambition to create a quality-driven company with “long-term, much stronger, sustainable growth out of DC.” The executive is considering a reboot of the DC filmography, which would establish a 10-year strategy for the franchise.
In July, Zaslav hired Hollywood producer Alan Horn to serve as a consultant and guide the CEO through the movie industry. Horn, a reputable executive, and longtime Disney employee, was working for the Walt Disney Company when it started developing the Marvel Cinematic Universe and resuming production on the Star Wars movie series.
Additionally, he contributed to the success of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, the eight-film Harry Potter series, and the “Hobbit” movies.
