Warner Bros. Discovery is the home to several superhit movies and TV shows. Owned by David Zaslav, Warner Bros. Discovery is a very popular global media and entertainment company that offers almost all kinds of content to the general audience.
Recently, the conglomerate has been in a lot of controversy as a new round of layoffs hit it. Reports have come up regarding the layoffs as filmmakers Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and Paul Thomas Anderson have an ’emergency call’ with David Zaslav, Warner Bros. CEO, regarding TCM’s future.
Also Read: WB CEO Sides With Writers’ Strike 2023, Says for “Great Storytelling, we need great writers”
Hollywood Giants Have ‘Emergency Call’ With David Zaslav after TCM Layoffs
News about the layoffs at TCM, Warner Bros. Discovery has been spreading like wildfire. With the current sacking and restructuring at Turner Classic Movies, Warner Bros. Discovery has been caught up in a lot of controversy.
As per reports, Hollywood giants Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and Paul Thomas Anderson have recently called for an ’emergency meeting’ with the CEO of Warner Bros. David Zaslav regarding the unguarded future of TCM, thanks to the layoffs. The statement released regarding the same states that,
“We have each spent time talking to David, separately and together, and it’s clear that TCM and classic cinema are very important to him. Our primary aim is to ensure that TCM’s programming is untouched and protected. We are heartened and encouraged by the conversations we’ve had thus far, and we are committed to working together to ensure the continuation of this cultural touchstone that we all treasure.”
With the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike, TCM’s layoffs and reorientation of the head staff might be taking place at a bad time, as the current circumstances might make TCM’s future within the film industry vulnerable. However, with the above statement released, a promising future for TCM can be expected, if everything goes right.
David Zaslav’s View on the Future of Streaming
While the layoffs and restructuring of Warner Bros.’s TCM might put Turner Classic Movies as well as streaming’s potential future at risk, David Zaslav still believes that his idea of bundled streaming service package will be the perfect standard to advance.
Sharing his point of view and predicting the future of streaming, Zaslav said,
“For me, it seems very clear that if we were to package this great product that we have with others, if you were to wake up tomorrow and in each market the number one, two or three products, if we were marketed with two or three, for [a] specific price, it would be great for consumers, it would probably reduce churn.”
Talking about a new single platform, Max, which will inevitably be created by combining HBO Max and Discovery+, David Zaslav also indicated how this is a part of the theory behind merging the channels.
Looking forward to accelerating the future of streaming, Zaslav is also reported to be negotiating with Netflix for licensing older HBO series to maximize Warner Bros.’s content value, potentially making them available on a non-Warner Bros. platform for the first time in nearly a decade.
While the unsure future of TCM still lies exposed, fans can only hope for the best as David Zaslav moves forward with his bundled idea for Warner Bros.’s TCM’s future.
Source: CBR.com
