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Tag: Warner Bros Pictures

  • Warner Bros. signs five-film desi deal to remake its classics for Indian cinema screens

    Warner Bros. signs five-film desi deal to remake its classics for Indian cinema screens

    MUMBAI: Hollywood’s muscle just got a Mumbai makeover. In a landmark alliance that promises paisa vasool and popcorn, Warner Bros. Pictures has joined hands with Bhanushali Studios Limited (BSL) and Joat Films to remake five of its legendary films for the Indian market. This isn’t just a Hindi-meets-Hollywood tale—it’s a calculated move to blend global blockbusters with India’s narrative spice and masala magic.

    The deal will see the studios collaborate to develop Indian adaptations of iconic Warner Bros. Pictures titles. The reimagined films will retain their emotional heart but undergo a full Indian cultural reset. Warner Bros. Pictures will handle global distribution, indicating a wide international rollout.

    “India represents one of the world’s most vibrant and sophisticated film markets, with audiences who deeply appreciate authentic, locally rooted narratives. This partnership allows us to combine our storytelling heritage with exceptional local talent to create films that will resonate profoundly with Indian audiences while maintaining the universal appeal that defines great cinema”, said Warner Bros. Pictures VP & MD India Denzil Dias.

    BSL founder Vinod Bhanushali echoed the excitement, stating, “We’re incredibly excited to partner with Warner Bros. Pictures, a studio that has shaped cinematic history across generations. This collaboration represents a unique opportunity to reimagine the stories by Warner Bros. Pictures through an Indian creative lens, blending emotion, scale, and culture for audiences both at home and internationally”.

    Jack Nguyen of Joat Films will co-produce the films under his first-look deal with Warner Bros. Pictures. Nguyen, a seasoned industry executive with over 30 years of experience in Asian productions, set up Joat to independently back cinematic projects with regional depth.

    “I’m excited to partner with BSL to adapt Warner Bros. Pictures on titles that will resonate with Indian audiences”, Nguyen said. “Warner Bros. Pictures has an unparalleled library from which we will carefully curate select titles for the vibrant Indian market”.

    BSL’s recent critical success Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai bagged five Filmfare OTT Awards in 2023, including Best Web Original Film—cementing the studio’s rising stock in India’s storytelling ecosystem.

    Development for the first project under the alliance is currently underway, with casting calls and crew reveals expected in the coming months.

    The strategic move underscores Warner Bros. Pictures’ intent to deepen its global roots by embracing local storytelling formats in high-potential markets. As international studios increasingly eye India for both eyeballs and box office returns, this five-film pact could signal a new genre of big-budget ‘Indiwood’ collaborations.

  • Kryptonic sound: JBL and Superman turn up the volume on fandom

    Kryptonic sound: JBL and Superman turn up the volume on fandom

    MUMBAI: Who needs a cape when you’ve got Dolby Atmos? JBL is making super soundwaves this July, teaming up with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products India for a blockbuster collaboration celebrating the big-screen return of Superman James Gunn’s much-anticipated take on the Man of Steel, flying into theatres on July 11. The partnership launches a thumping 360-degree campaign, The Sound of Greatness, featuring JBL’s premium Live Series Headphones, True Wireless earbuds, and Soundbars all tuned to deliver audio worthy of Krypton.

    Fans can step into Superman-themed Experience Zones across 2,000 retail outlets in India, where JBL’s soundbars powered by Dolby Atmos and MultiBeam tech elevate the trailer into a front-row seat for a cinematic sonic boom. These immersive setups are more than product demos, they’re audio adventures.

    But the retail show isn’t just ear candy, it’s interactive. A customer engagement programme allows fans to earn points and win both premium JBL products and exclusive Superman merchandise. Meanwhile, a unified visual identity across offline and online channels ensures co-branded point-of-sale displays, merchandise, and campaign creatives reinforce the “Superman-meets-sound” buzz at every touchpoint.

    The sonic superheroics spill onto social media with #TheSoundOfGreatness, inviting users to share why their favourite JBL product packs a punch. Whether it’s the bass, design, or overall vibe, select fans will win movie tickets to catch Superman in theatres surround sound included.

    “JBL is synonymous with powerful audio that inspires through sound,” said Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products Group vice president for APAC Vikram Sharma. “We’re thrilled for fans to experience this high-octane crossover of two legendary brands.”

    Harman India vice president of lifestyle Vikram Kher added, “Both JBL and Superman have decades-long legacies in creating joy, emotion, and cultural impact. This isn’t just marketing, it’s a movement in entertainment.”

    The collaboration doesn’t just boost product visibility, it fuses pop culture, tech, and retail into one seamless super-experience. As DC Studios and Warner Bros. Pictures bring Superman back into orbit, JBL is proving that in the battle for greatness, sound is a superpower all its own.

    So this July, whether you’re watching Clark Kent take flight or just vibing to your playlist JBL’s got your back (and your ears).

  • Warner Bros Pictures appoints Rishi Parekh as director content licensing

    Warner Bros Pictures appoints Rishi Parekh as director content licensing

    MUMBAI: Warner Bros Pictures has roped in Rishi Parekh as director content licensing, India. He has a lot of pedigree behind him and is known for his negotiation skills.  

    An MBA holder from University of Southern Queensland, Parekh’s previous stint was for seven years with Zee Entertainment where he was the chief channels officer English.

    Prior to that he was senior manager commercial at Star India, also for nearly seven years. And before that he was with IOL Netcom for nearly five years.

  • Steven Spielberg’s ‘Ready Player One’ to release in December 2017

    Steven Spielberg’s ‘Ready Player One’ to release in December 2017

    MUMBAI: The game is on in 2017. Warner Bros. Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures’ Ready Player One – the sci-fi action adventure to be directed by Steven Spielberg – has been slated for release on 15 December, 2017.

     

    A three-time Academy Award winner, Spielberg is directing Ready Player One, based on Ernest Cline’s bestseller of the same name, which has become a worldwide phenomenon. The film is being produced by Spielberg; Donald De Line, under his De Line Pictures banner; Dan Farah; and Spielberg’s longtime colleague Kristie Macosko Krieger; with Bruce Berman serving as executive producer. De Line and Farah originally brought the project to Warner Bros.

     

    Ready Player One marks a return to Warner Bros. for Spielberg, who previously directed the studio’s Empire of the Sun, The Color Purple and A.I. Artificial Intelligence, in addition to producing the hits Gremlins and The Goonies.

     

    Warner Bros president, domestic distribution Dan Fellman said, “Any film from Steven Spielberg is an event film, so it felt right to date this thrilling new project from one of our greatest filmmakers for the holiday season.”

     

    Warner Bros president, worldwide marketing and distribution Sue Kroll added, “From the success of the book, Ready Player One already has a devoted following, and we’re excited for its fans and moviegoers everywhere to see this fantastically innovative story come to life. We know it couldn’t be in better hands, and look forward to working with Steven and the producers to bring it to the big screen.”

     

    Warner Bros. Pictures president, worldwide distribution Veronika Kwan Vandenberg said, “There are few directors with the global stature of Steven Spielberg, so we are thrilled to be delivering his latest adventure to audiences worldwide.”

  • Warner Bros. & Hasbro partner on ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ movie

    Warner Bros. & Hasbro partner on ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ movie

    MUMBAI: Warner Bros. Pictures, Hasbro’s Allspark Pictures and Sweetpea Entertainment are moving forward on a feature film franchise based on Dungeons & Dragons, the popular role playing game.

     

    Hasbro’s Brian Goldner and Stephen Davis, Courtney Solomon and Allan Zeman of Sweetpea Entertainment, and Roy Lee are attached as producers.

     

    Highlighting the priority being given to the project, Warner Bros. Pictures already has a script, written by David Leslie Johnson.

     

    “We are so excited about bringing the world of Dungeons & Dragons to life on the big screen. This is far and away the most well-known brand in fantasy, which is the genre that drives the most passionate film followings. D&D has endless creative possibilities, giving our filmmakers immense opportunities to delight and thrill both fans and moviegoers new to the property,” said Warner Bros. Pictures president, creative development and worldwide production Greg Silverman.

     

    “This is such an enormous opportunity to bring the rich fantasy setting of the Forgotten Realms to life and, together with the creative powerhouse of Warner Bros., use movies to tell the stories that have enchanted passionate D&D fans for decades. D&D is the role-playing game that started it all and now we have the opportunity to ignite a franchise for its legions of avid fans in a way never done before,” added Hasbro, Inc executive vice president and chief content officer Stephen Davis.

     

    Dungeons & Dragons first became popular in 1974, and since then has amassed millions of players and fans worldwide. The property has also influenced numerous writers, directors, game designers, and other creative professionals throughout its four decades.

     

    “We are thrilled that this beloved property can finally make its way to the big screen after 20 years, and that it can be realized by Warner Bros., which has been responsible for the biggest fantasy franchises over the past two decades,” said Sweetpea Entertainment’s Courtney Solomon.

     

    The announcement also reflects the resolution of Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast LLC’s complaint against Sweetpea Entertainment, Inc. and Sweetpea BVI, Ltd. and the counterclaims filed by Sweetpea against Hasbro in May 2013 related to the Dungeons & Dragon brand.

     

    All rights for future Dungeons & Dragons productions have been unified and returned to Wizards of the Coast, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hasbro.

  • Dan Fellman steps down from Warner Bros; Kroll named president worldwide distribution

    Dan Fellman steps down from Warner Bros; Kroll named president worldwide distribution

    MUMBAI: Hollywood’s theatrical distribution legend Dan Fellman is all set to leave Warner Bros. Pictures at year’s end. As Warner Bros. Pictures enjoys its unprecedented 15th consecutive billion-dollar-plus year at the US box office, Fellman, who serves as president, domestic distribution, will hang his boots at the studio at the end of the year, capping a 37-year career with Warner Bros.

     

    In the light of this development, Warner Bros has consolidated the studio’s domestic and international film distribution into a global function, wherein Sue Kroll has been promoted to Warner Bros. Pictures president, worldwide marketing and distribution. Kroll will report to Warner Bros chairman and CEO Kevin Tsujihara.

     

    Additionally, Veronika Kwan Vandenberg has been promoted to Warner Bros. Pictures president, worldwide distribution.

     

    Speaking on Fellman, Tsujihara said, “While Dan’s role was to run domestic distribution for Warner Bros., he really helped shape and lead the entire theatrical distribution business. It goes without saying he’s been an invaluable asset to the company, and he’s also been incredibly important and helpful to me personally. A couple of years ago, I asked him to stay on to help me – and Warner Bros. – through the executive transition. He graciously agreed, and now we’re at a place where we both feel the time is right to make this change. We will miss him tremendously.”

     

    Under Fellman’s leadership of domestic distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures has become the only studio to gross more than $1 billion domestically for 15 consecutive years (including 2015) as well as to have more than 70 movies earn more than $100 million domestically.

     

    He was instrumental in the industry’s conversion to digital cinema and the development of the satellite delivery system DCDC. In 2003, he pioneered the theatrical release of feature films in the IMAX format. The division recently handled the strategic rollout of Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper, with a domestic gross of $350 million, the highest of 2014.

     

    Eastwood opined, “I’ve known and worked with Dan for years, from Unforgiven to American Sniper and everything in between. He’s been a great partner on my films and helped us find the right audiences for our greatest success. Dan’s a fantastic film executive and a close friend, and I look forward to working with him on my projects in the future.”

     

    Speaking on Kroll and Kwan Vandenberg’s appointments, Tsujihara said, “Entertainment is a global business, and combining domestic and international film distribution is the logical evolution of our operations. Sue and Veronika are great executives with global perspectives and expertise that will serve this new structure well. Veronika has headed up our international distribution for the last 15 years and we know she’ll bring the same thoughtful, strategic management to our domestic film operations. And, Sue is widely known and respected for her acumen and success in marketing and distribution in the global film marketplace. Dan has been a formidable force in the distribution world, and there’s no one better to continue his great work on our behalf than Veronika and Sue.”

     

    “Veronika and I have been partners for years, and I look forward to this next chapter in our professional relationship. I’d also like to acknowledge the legacy of excellence and achievement that Dan and his team have established. There’s a high bar set for us, and I’m confident that working together as a global team, we’ll continue this success,” said Kroll.

     

    “I am very fortunate to have worked closely with my colleague and dear friend Dan Fellman throughout these years. Our domestic film team is the best in the business, and I’m excited to be working with Jeff Goldstein (EVP and general sales manager) and the entire domestic distribution group. Bringing all of our talented executives’ distribution expertise together into a worldwide organization will help us to maximize every opportunity for success,” said Kwan Vandenberg.

     

    Kroll most recently served as Warner Bros. Pictures president, worldwide marketing and international distribution, a role she’d held since 2013. On the other hand, Kwan Vandenberg most recently served as Warner Bros. Pictures president, international distribution, a post to which she was promoted in November 2000. 

  • ‘Into the Storm’ to premiere on HBO on 28 June

    ‘Into the Storm’ to premiere on HBO on 28 June

    MUMBAI: Catch the HBO Blockbuster of the Month Into the Storm scheduled to premiere on Sunday, 28 June 2015 at 1 pm and 9 pm only on HBO.

    As a new day begins in the town of Silverton, its residents have little reason to believe it will be anything other than ordinary. Mother Nature, however has other plans. In the span of just a few hours, an unprecedented onslaught of powerful tornadoes ravages Silverton. Storm trackers predict that the worst is still to come, as terrified residents seek shelter, and professional storm-chasers run toward the danger, hoping to study the phenomenon close up and get a once-in-a-lifetime shot.

    The film was released by Warner Bros. Pictures. Directed by Steven Quale and Written by John Swetnam.

    Into the Storm stars Richard Armitage, Sarah Wayne Callies & Matt Walsh.

  • Warner Bros. taps Sony’s Loren Schwartz as EVP genre marketing

    Warner Bros. taps Sony’s Loren Schwartz as EVP genre marketing

    MUMBAI: Veteran marketing executive Loren Schwartz has been named Warner Bros. Pictures’ new executive vice president, genre marketing and creative advertising.

     

    In his new post, Schwartz will report directly to Warner Bros. Pictures executive vice president of marketing Blair Rich, in addition to Warner Bros. Pictures president of worldwide marketing and international distribution Sue Kroll.

     

    Kroll said, “Loren is among the industry’s most respected and knowledgeable executives, who has broken new ground in all facets of genre marketing.  His expertise will be integral to our outreach on a range of niche projects, encompassing everything from horror to urban to faith-based.”

     

    Rich added, “We look forward to working with Loren in our global efforts to market our genre films—an important part of our extensive and diverse slate—and to capture the attention of an ever-changing and ever-widening audience.”

     

    Schwartz, who has more than two decades of success in film entertainment marketing, comes to Warner Bros. from Sony, where he most recently had the title of executive vice president of marketing for their Screen Gems division.  During his tenure, he created campaigns for films like Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead, Resident Evil,Heaven is for Real, Think Like a Man and The Vow.

     

    He had previously served as senior vice president of creative advertising at Columbia Pictures, where he worked on more than 60 films, including Superbad, Pineapple Express, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Anger Management and 50 First Dates, to name only a few.

     

    Schwartz started his career in 1993 at Trimark Pictures, working on both theatrical and home video titles, the most notable being the cautionary tale Swimming with Sharks.  In 1996, he joined Fox’s indie label, Searchlight Pictures, as manager of advertising and was involved in the campaigns for such successes as Stealing Beauty and The Full Monty.

     

    The following year, he moved over to Sony Pictures, starting as manager of creative advertising and rapidly moving up the ranks to his most recent post.

  • James Wan to direct Jason Momoa in Warner’s ‘Aquaman’

    James Wan to direct Jason Momoa in Warner’s ‘Aquaman’

    MUMBAI: James Wan will direct Warner Bros. Pictures’ upcoming Aquaman feature film, which stars Jason Momoaas the sea-dwelling Super Hero.

     

    Warner Bros. Pictures president, creative development and worldwide production Greg Silverman said, “We’ve been so lucky to have worked with James, first on New Line’s The Conjuring and now on their upcoming The Conjuring 2,and are thrilled to have him on board as we continue to expand our DC slate. The Aquaman film will be a major tentpole picture for us and James’s span of work has proven him able to take on any manner of project, bringing his incredible creative talent and unique voice to the material.”

     

    Wan will also be supervising the script by Kurt Johnstad. The film is being produced by Charles Roven, Deborah Snyder and Zack Snyder.

     

    Rovensaid, “James is not only a great storyteller but can make action truly explode on the big screen, and Jason has a dynamic presence that commands your attention.Together, they willbring an undeniable vitality and energy to this characteras he headlines his first feature film.”

     

    Currently set for a 2018 release, the film is based on characters appearing in comic books published by DC Entertainment.

  • Clint Eastwood to direct film on heroic pilot Chesley Sullenberger

    Clint Eastwood to direct film on heroic pilot Chesley Sullenberger

    MUMBAI: Clint Eastwood will helm Warner Bros. Pictures’ as-yet-untitled drama about the life of Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, who became an American hero when he landed his disabled jet on the Hudson River,saving the lives of everyone aboard.

     

    Eastwood will direct the film from a screenplay by Todd Komarnicki, based on the book Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters, by Sullenberger and Jeffrey Zaslow. The film is being produced by Eastwood and Tim Moore, for Malpaso; Frank Marshall, under the Kennedy/Marshall banner; and Allyn Stewart, for Flashlight Films. Flashlight’s Kipp Nelson and RatPac-Dune’s Steven Mnuchin are serving as executive producers.

     

    Warner Bros. Pictures president, creative development and worldwide production Greg Silverman said, “Simply put, Clint Eastwood is at the top of his game, not to mention a global treasure.On the heels of his extraordinary work in American Sniper, it is tremendously exciting to see him explore the life of another captivating true-life hero.It is also great to be collaborating with Frank Marshall and Allyn Stewart to produce this compelling script by Todd Komarnicki.”

     

    The film will go beyond Sullenberger’s almost impossible and much-heralded achievement of safely landing a jumbo jet on the water, which was captured on video and viewed around the world.But behind the scenes, a drama was unfolding that could have cost him his reputation and his wings.

     

    Sullenberger said, “I am very glad my story is in the hands of gifted storyteller and filmmaker Clint Eastwood, and veteran producers Allyn Stewart and Frank Marshall.The project could not have found a better home than Warner Bros. Pictures. This is truly a dream team.”