James Gunn and Peter Safran Named CEOs of DC Studios by Warner Bros. Discovery

James Gunn and Peter Safran officially take over the DCU.

The 'Suicide Squad' and 'Peacemaker' director is teaming up with 'Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom' producer to serve as both co-chairmen and CEO of DC Studios, IndieWire can confirm. The duo will be responsible for the overall creative direction of the acclaimed superhero franchise for film, television and animation under the new unified Warner Bros. banner. Discovery.

Gunn and Safran will report to Warner Bros. Chief Executive David Zaslav. Discovery, and will work closely with Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, co-presidents and CEOs of Warner Bros. Movie Group. Appointments will be effective November 1.

In their new roles, Gunn and Safran will lead the development and execution of a long-term plan for DC Comics' many licensed properties, focused on continuing the tradition of high-quality storytelling for the DC universe through audiovisual. media, while building a sustainable growth business from the iconic franchise. In addition to their executive responsibilities, Gunn and Safran will develop, direct and produce projects. In their new roles, they will also work alongside Channing Dungey, Chairman of Warner Bros. Television Group; Casey Bloys, President and CEO, HBO and HBO Max Content; Kathleen Finch, President and Chief Content Officer, US Networks Group; Pam Lifford, President, Warner Bros. Discovery Consumer Products; and David Haddad, chairman of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.

Both Gunn and Safran have extensive experience in the superhero genre, having brought some of the most popular characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC Universe to life in blockbuster movies and series, including: Marvel's blockbuster "Guardians of the Galaxy" and highest-selling movie, "Aquaman"; "Shazam!" "; "The Suicide Squad"; and HBO Max's original live-action series "Peacemaker".

Zaslav commented on the news, saying, "DC is one of the most entertaining, powerful and iconic characters in the world and I'm thrilled to have the singular and complementary talents of James and Peter joining our world-class team and overseeing the direction. of the legendary DC Universe. Their decades of experience in filmmaking, their strong ties to the creative community and their proven track record of thrilling superhero fans around the world make them uniquely qualified to develop a long-term strategy to across film, television and animation, and take this iconic franchise to the next level of creative storytelling."

Gunn and Safran said in a joint statement, "We're honored to be guardians of these DC characters we've loved since we were kids. We look forward to collaborating with the most talented writers, directors and actors. talent in the world to create an integrated, multi-layered universe that always allows for the individual expression of the artists involved.Our commitment to Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Harley Quinn and the rest of the stable of DC characters has never ceased. "equaled as our commitment to the wonder of human possibility that these characters represent. We are thrilled to invigorate the theatrical experience around the world by telling some of the biggest, finest and grandest stories ever told. We are especially excited to do all of this with Mike, Pam, Casey, Channing and the entire Warner Bros. Discovery team, and grateful to David Zaslav, whose bold vision for the future of the franchise we share and allows this the opportunity of a lifetime. Above all, we look forward to bringing you the story of the DCU."

De Luca and Abdy added, "We couldn't be more thrilled to have James Gunn and Peter Safran join the team and take on the leadership of the DC Universe. James is a brilliant filmmaker and storyteller and Peter is a producer. extremely successful and prolific. To have them both commit to working together to forge this new era for DC is a literal dream come true. We all share a very similar sensibility and passion for this universe and the stars wouldn't have aligned better. We can't wait to get started, dig in and collaborate with these unparalleled creative minds."

Below, read Zaslav's announcement of Gunn and Safran's nominations.

All,

We are thrilled to announce that two of the most talented in the industry...