Warner Bros Gobbles Up DC; Levitz Out
In a not-unexpected move, Warner Bros. has taken complete control of DC Comics, renaming the company DC Entertainment and promising to integrate the publishing house’s work into its existing divisions.
President and publisher Paul Levitz, an employee of the company for nearly four decades, is relinquishing those roles and will go back to writing comic books for the company. He will also be serving as both an editorial consultant and as a transition consultant for the new operation.
Rumors, of course, run rampant, the most persistent being DC’s possible move to Los Angeles. Levitz has had an “I don’t have to move west” clause in his employment contract, which adds fuel to this fire.
Unlike the Disney / Marvel situation, Warner Bros. is clearly moving DC’s various operations into its mainstream, so it is logical to expect that a great many changes lie ahead. When Disney announced its purchase of Marvel, they said they were leaving its management team in place.
Full details from Warner Bros’ official press release follows.
WARNER BROS. CREATES DC ENTERTAINMENT
Diane Nelson to Serve as President, DC Entertainment
Paul Levitz to Segue from President & Publisher of DC Comics
To Writer, Contributing Editor and Overall Consultant to DC Entertainment
(Dateline – Burbank, CA) Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI) has created DC Entertainment Inc., a new company founded to fully realize the power and value of the DC Comics brand and characters across all media and platforms, to be run by Diane Nelson, it was announced today by Barry Meyer, Chairman & CEO, and Alan Horn, President & COO, Warner Bros.
DC Entertainment, a separate division of WBEI, will be charged with strategically integrating the DC Comics business, brand and characters deeply into Warner Bros. Entertainment and all its content and distribution businesses. DC Entertainment, which will work with each of the Warner Bros. divisions, will also tap into the tremendous expertise the Studio has in building and sustaining franchises and prioritize DC properties as key titles and growth drivers across all of the Studio, including feature films, television, interactive entertainment, direct-to-consumer platforms and consumer products. The DC Comics publishing business will remain the cornerstone of DC Entertainment, releasing approximately 90 comic books through its various imprints and 30 graphic novels a month and continuing to build on its creative leadership in the comic book industry.
In her new role, Nelson will report to Jeff Robinov, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Group, in order to best capitalize on DC Entertainment’s theatrical development and production activities and their importance to drive its overall business with each of the divisions of Warner Bros.
Nelson will bring her expertise and more than 20 years’ experience in creative brand management, strategic marketing and content development and production to ensuring DC Entertainment’s dual mission of marshalling Warner Bros.’ resources to maximize the potential of the DC brand while remaining respectful of and collaborative with creators, talent, fans and source material. Additionally, Nelson will continue to oversee the franchise management of the Harry Potter property, which she has done since 2000, and also continue to represent the Studio’s interests with the author of the Harry Potter books, J.K. Rowling. Nelson will segue from her post as President, Warner Premiere but maintain oversight responsibilities of that division. (An executive succession plan for Warner Premiere will be announced shortly.)
Paul Levitz, who has served as President & Publisher of DC Comics since 2002, will segue from that role to return to his roots as a writer for DC and become a contributing editor and overall consultant to DCE. This transition will take place as expeditiously as possible without disrupting DC’s business operations.
In his new role, Levitz will be called upon for his deep knowledge and more than three-decade history with DC Comics, both as a comic creator and an executive. Besides serving as a writer on a number of DC Comics titles, he will be a contributing editor and consultant to DC Entertainment on projects in various media. Additionally, he will consult as needed on the transition and integration of the DC Comics organization into DC Entertainment and will utilize his unique experience, knowledge and relationships with the comics industry’s creative community to help achieve DC Entertainment’s goal of maximizing the value of DC properties. Further, Levitz will advise DC Entertainment on creative and rights-holder relationships, in particular regarding the legacy relationships that have been a part of DC Comics for decades.
Widely recognized and respected for his support of writers, artists and creators in the comics industry, Levitz is best known creatively for his work with DC Comics, having written most of the classic DC characters, including Batman, Wonder Woman and the Superman newspaper strip. At Comicon International in 2008, Levitz was awarded the Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award as part of the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the only industry executive ever so honored.
“DC Comics and its super hero characters are truly touchstones of popular culture, and the formation of DC Entertainment is a major step in our company’s efforts to realize the full potential of this incredible wellspring of creative properties,” said Meyer. “Diane knows our studio as a creative executive, a marketer and a senior manager, and this varied background will help her effectively and creatively integrate the DC brand and properties across all our businesses. We’re also thrilled that Paul will remain involved with DC and we’ll be able to tap his expertise to help us reach our goals for this new business.”
“It’s no secret that DC has myriad rich and untapped possibilities from its deep library of iconic and lesser-known characters,” said Horn. “While we’ve had great success in films and television, the formation of DC Entertainment will help us to bring more DC properties across additional platforms to fans around the world, while maintaining brand integrit
y and authenticity. Diane is a terrific choice to lead DC Entertainment, and with Paul in his new role as a valued consultant and contributing editor, both our company and comic fans win.”
“Based on the great success we’ve had working with DC Comics to create some of the most popular and successful super hero films of all time, I’ve long believed that there was much more we could do across all of Warner Bros.’ businesses with this great body of characters and stories,” said Robinov. “The prioritization of DC and the creation of DC Entertainment is a great opportunity that reaches far beyond the film group. There are endless creative possibilities to build upon the many significant successes already achieved by my colleagues Kevin Tsujihara and the Home Entertainment Group in the videogame, home video and direct-to-platform arenas and Bruce Rosenblum and the Television Group in live-action, animated and digital series. Collectively, we have the ability to grow a body of properties highlighting the iconic characters and the diversity of the creative output of DC Comics.”
“The founding of DC Entertainment fully recognizes our desire to provide both the DC properties and fans the type of content that is only possible through a concerted cross-company, multi-platform effort,” said Nelson. “DC Entertainment will help us to formally take the great working relationships between DC Comics and various Warner Bros. businesses to the next level in order to maximize every opportunity to bring DC’s unrivalled collection of titles and characters to life.”
“After so many roles at DC, it’s exciting to look forward to focusing on my writing and being able to remain a part of the company I love as it grows into its next stage,” said Levitz. “It’s a new golden age for comics and DC’s great characters, and I hope my new position will allow me to contribute to that magic time.”
DC Comics will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2010 (NEW FUN COMICS #1, the first DC comic, began publishing in 1935), at which time more explicit details regarding DC Entertainment’s corporate and management structure, film and content release slate, creative roster and business objectives will be unveiled at a multi-faceted anniversary celebration and press conference in the first quarter of the year.
Current DC properties in development and/or production at Warner Bros. Entertainment include:
– “Human Target” is being produced by Warner Bros. Television for a mid-season debut on Fox.
– “Midnight Mass” is in series development at Warner Bros. Television for consideration for the 2010-11 season.
– “Jonah Hex,” Warner Bros. Pictures’ supernatural Western starring Josh Brolin, Megan Fox and John Malkovich, recently wrapped production in Louisiana.
– “The Losers,” Dark Castle/Warner Bros. Pictures’ action-adventure drama starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldana and Chris Evans, began principal photography mid-July in Puerto Rico.
– “The Green Lantern,” Warner Bros. Pictures’ next big superhero tentpole release, recently cast Ryan Reynolds as the titular character. The film has a projected second quarter 2011 release date.
– “Lobo,” based on the DC Comics anti-hero, has Guy Ritchie attached as a director; Joel Silver, Akiva Goldsman and Andrew Rona are producing for Silver Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures.
– Warner Premiere’s direct-to-platform DVD animated release of “Green Lantern: First Flight” debuted July 28.
– Warner Bros. Animation currently produces “Batman: The Brave and the Bold,” which airs on Cartoon Network.
– Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment released “Batman: Arkham Asylum” on August 25, a dark, action packed videogame adventure for Xbox 360 videogame and entertainment system, PlayStation3 computer entertainment system and Games for Windows.
Prior to being named President, DC Entertainment, Nelson most recently served as President, Warner Premiere since its founding in 2006. Warner Premiere is a Studio-based production company which develops and produces high-quality, direct-to-DVD and short-form digital content, including the highly successful line of DC Universe animated DVD titles, and also pioneered the development of the motion comics category. Under Nelson’s leadership, Warner Premiere functions as a full-service production entity with its own resources and release schedule, furthering the Studio’s mandate of being a destination for both established and up-and-coming talent to create stand-alone properties as well as experiment in new media.
Before that, Nelson served as Executive Vice President, Global Brand Management, Warner Bros. Entertainment, with the primary responsibility of working cross-divisionally and throughout Time Warner to maximize and optimize all the various windows and outlets available to the Studio’s signature franchises, brands and event properties on a global basis. In this post, Nelson’s primary focus was the management of the Harry Potter brand, which she has overseen since the brand’s launch at the Studio in 1999. These efforts have helped drive the success of the brand to become the most successful film franchise of all time, as well as a respected consumer property that has generated billions of dollars for the Studio.
At Global Brand Management, Nelson and her team of more than 15 employees worked in all media and platforms to support a number of other key franchise properties, including “The Matrix Reloaded,” “The Matrix Revolutions,” “Batman Begins,” “The Dark Knight,” “Happy Feet,” “Polar Express” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” among others.
Prior to overseeing Global Brand Management, Nelson had
served as Executive Vice President, Domestic Marketing, Warner Bros. Pictures. Nelson rose quickly through the ranks, having also served as Senior Vice President, Domestic Marketing, Warner Bros. Pictures and prior to that, Senior Vice President, Family Entertainment, Warner Bros. Corporate Worldwide Marketing and Planning. She was also Vice President, Worldwide Corporate Promotions, a post to which she was promoted in March 1998, after joining the Studio in September 1996 as Director of Worldwide Corporate Promotions.
Nelson came to the Studio from Walt Disney Records, where she served as Director of National Promotions. She is a graduate of Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications.
It was inevitable… both DC and Marvel will head west at some point and comic books as the focus of each will become a very minor part of the 'entertainment' concern.This reminds me of the time Dylan went electric…
Here's to hoping that the unpublished stories of Swamp Thing meets Jesus Christ in a swamp by Rick Veitch and Hellblazer story "Shoot" by Warren Ellis and Phil Jimenez gets published, now that Paul Levitz is no longer president of DC Comics.
Yeah, Tom. Good luck with that.For the record, Paul wasn't president at the time of the Swamp Thing story, it wasn't his decision and I believe he opted out of the decision because it wasn't his spiritual ox being gored. So to speak. The story offended another DC veep who wasn't in editorial.
Yowza. The stock market is pretty quiet about it, only a small tick up today for Time Warner and Disney. It'll be interesting to see what the reaction is like in a day or so.
It's been my understanding that DC was already owned by Warner. So isn't this more of a "DC gets gobbled up" as a "DC gets restructured" story? I can only think that this was brought on first by Marvels success at creating their own film distribution company and then Disney's interest in buying Marvel. Warner wants the public to believe that DC is as vital, cutting edge and filled with as many marketable characters.
That's a good question, Russ. Until now, DC was a fairly independent company that reported to Warner Premiere (and, before that, Warner Bros. and, before that, Warner Publishing; Warner Premiere is another separate entity within Warner Bros. and WarnerBros. is an entity within what is now Time Warner). If Paul wanted to, he could have sold you Batman lock, stock and barrel. They cut their own licensing deals, did their own sales and marketing, and so on completely separate from the studio. Now, they've been brought into the mother-company and they lose a lot of their independence. The soon-to-be-former president and publisher will be a writer and transition consultant (and, my guess, a happy one), and other staffing changes will become evident over time. Just how this transition works remains to be seen, but they spell things out pretty clearly in the press release.Hence the phrase "gobbled up." Yep, DC was already on Warner Bros. table. Now, they're in Warner Bros. tummy. It remains to be seen just how much of Superman gets digested.Marvel is more-or-less in the position DC was in before now. Management remains the same, the movie deals remain in tact: Paramount will continue to distribute Marvel Films for another five pictures, unless Disney chooses to pay Paramount a shitload of money. Which, of course, is possible. At the very least, the redundancy in DC's corporate name has now been eliminated.
I guess this means the 'gravy train' will come to a stop for some at DC…ABOUT TIME!
Ah, there's no one more relieved than a former DC staffer!
Do I sound relieved?Just stating reality!:)
Bet they REALLY negotiate to keep Superman now!
I don't think Levitz was the problem re: negotiating with the Siegel family.
Indeed. Quite the contrary.
I didn't mean to imply that. With the recent purchase of Marvel, Warner may finally 'get off the pot' and acknowledge that to the world DC and Superman are considered the same thing.
All those people that Paul had a personal (let's call it an issue) with will still be out in the cold if the powers that be listen to him regarding those people in his new role. Ms. Nelson, (whom I have met and think is really smart) just may be able to bring those creators who dared to voice an opinion when wronged back in.I hope that DC becomes a place again where that petty High School shit is forgotten. For more deep provoking thoughts on the matter please check out my Straight No Chaser column this Friday at: michaeldavisworld.com
Wow, Michael – if you take out the petty High School shit – will it still be comics?
Read my piece on Friday dear friend…
You mean I should read your Straight No Chaser column this Friday at: michaeldavisworld.com?
You mean the same michaeldavisworld.com that carries Mike Gold's weekly column Brainiac On Banjo and Martha Thomases' weekly column Brilliant Disguise, as well as a bunch of other swell columns that didn't ussta be on ComicMix? THAT michaeldavisworld.com??Next thing you'll be telling us is that getthepointradio.com is carrying Mike Gold's daily WEIRD SCENES INSIDE THE GOLD MIND commentaries and his weekly two-hour kick-ass multi-genre but mostly rock and blues music show WEIRD SOUNDS INSIDE THE GOLD MIND, at 7 PM Eastern on Sundays with a rebroadcast at 10 PM Thursdays. Gee, Mark, you can't keep a secret!Mike Gold
Mike, we should be producing ads for old time radio.
Sometimes, I think we do that for a living…But you're right.
And when you're not listening to Mike at getthepointradio.com or reading his articles at michaeldavisworld.com, or reading "Straight No Chaser" at michaeldavisworld, be sure to drop by back at comicmix.com to read Tinnel and Wheatley's epic FREE online comic Lone Justice: Crash, which itself is taken right from the FREE and AWARD WINNING "Easy Street" online comic available for you to read FREE at comicmix.com!!!Unshaven Comics is semi-awesome.
I always thought respectability would be the death of comics.
Hey, if you can't bank on pulling some petty shit, why take the job? There's no fun in being king of a diminishing marketplace. Cutting Mad back must have been like cutting off a finger. Sure, there's lots of people who will hope that Paul's leaving will open or reopen doors for them, and there's lots of people who would follow Paul someplace else. He's a good writer; the only reason I'm disappointed that he's got a deal with DC — other than the fact that I can't call him up and ask him to work with ComicMix — is that I'd really love to see him writing The Avengers.
Yeah, well we survived that pretty well, and we've been surviving this for quite a while.The Warner Bros. and Disney moves are just acknowledgements of what has been going on for a long time — nearly 20 years, in DC's case, and I dunno how long in Marvel's with all those hostile buyouts and such. America is interested in legacy superheroes, and corporate America steps up to the plate to take control. But, as I'm just about to tell Marty Pasko (I'm such a name dropper), America is interested in legacy superheroes but not in superhero comics publishing. Both DC and Marvel, as publishers, have been the heart and tail of their divisions, but neither have been much more than the tail of their corporate empires. Levitz, to his great credit, worked this out to provide the publishing side with ground cover: if the Studio couldn't care about more than return-on-investment, he could support the print side. Marvel has come to this realization more recently, but they didn't need the subterfuge. Now, under Disney, they probably will. But it won't matter — Marvel, like DC under Paul, could increase their publishing revenues five fold and not get a fart out of Disney's bottom line. Or they could post what would, in publishing terms, be a significant loss and not approach the cost of the average failed ABC-TV dramatic series (ABC is owned by Disney as well).There can be some freedom in that if the publisher plays his or her cards right, as Paul has shown. But the most important person on the print side is the person who runs editorial. Without somebody absolutely great in that position, it won't matter how much either Warners or Disney "interferes."
I've been careful to stay out of discussions involving the financial and legal DC issues for obvious reasons (yes, he's my grandfather) but I find your comments well-informed. The current intra and ultra office politics are out of my league but not the ancient feuds. The phrase that has my sixth sense tingling is– "It's no secret that DC has myriad rich and untapped possibilities from its deep library of iconic and lesser-known characters," said Horn." I'd love to know what your thoughts are on this.