Smallville - DC Comics United [124] As DC Movies crumble, we stay united. [WATCH TODAY: The Batman vs. Dracula @7pm est time 9/23/22] - Page 2

dragonfire · 08-17-2022, 03:27 PM

Quote:

The Hollywood Reporter
Why Warner Bros. Discovery’s Issues Are Beyond ‘Batgirl’
The newly combined company's $825 million content culling is raising antitrust red flags and causing consumer backlash.

Quote:

Months before the Justice Department blessed the $43 billion Warner Bros. Discovery merger, 30 members of Congress warned the agency in a letter that the resulting competition vacuum could allow the newly formed giant to ignore what consumers want. Among the antitrust concerns they pressed was that it could dampen diverse and inclusive programming — which has become a common criticism after WBD canned its $90 million HBO Max film Batgirl, the first DC movie led by a Latina, Leslie Grace.

“There’s been no indication with Batgirl that they’ll shop it around,” Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, tells The Hollywood Reporter. “So this incredibly gifted Latina actress and wonderful story get thrown down the drain for a tax write-off.”

In the four months since the deal closed, CEO David Zaslav has overhauled the entertainment powerhouse. During an Aug. 4 earnings call, he trumpeted a 10-year plan for DC and a “reset” that involved shelving Batgirl — part of a cost-savings push and pivot back to creating projects for theaters. “It’s not about how much,” said Zaslav, speaking of their content offerings. “It’s about how good.”

The message was clear: Batgirl doesn’t live up to Warners’ new standards for theatrical releases and has no place in its streaming plans. (Blue Beetle, starring Xolo Maridueña as DC’s first Latino superhero, in December was scheduled for an August 2023 theatrical release after initially being destined for HBO Max.) So far, WBD has taken an $825 million write-down on content — axing projects like Scoob!: Holiday Haunt, Wonder Twins and J.J. Abrams’ big-budget sci-fi drama Demimonde — to help pay off $50 billion-plus in debt it racked up to complete the deal.

Experts question if these moves indicate that the newly-merged company has too much market power under antitrust laws, which seek to promote innovation, choice and product variety. Merger enforcers consider if a deal will incentivize a company to “withdraw a product that a significant number of customers strongly prefer,” according to the DOJ and FTC guidelines. “You have to ask if this combined entity has sufficient market share to act unilaterally with respect to the traditional parameters of competition, like pricing and output,” says USC law professor Jonathan Barnett. “You’d be concerned by some of the post-closing actions.”

Castro agrees that the company’s plans to slash spending on content raises antitrust issues, observing that there’s “already been large cuts throughout the company and they’re anticipating more.” He also notes that the prospect of having a long-labored project killed for tax purposes will scare off talent. “I don’t know if that was the best way for David Zaslav and his new team to introduce themselves to Hollywood,” he says. “I don’t see people wanting to do business with them.”

WBD’s reputation with creators and viewers has indeed taken a hit. “It’s hard not to feel like this is a pattern,” says Gordita Chronicles showrunner Brig Muñoz-Liebowitz. Her HBO Max series about a 12-year-old Dominican girl (Oliva Goncalves) in 1980s Miami adjusting to life in the U.S. was also canceled — despite critical acclaim and popularity. The series was the seventh-most-watched comedy among all comedies released in 2022, according to analytics shop Whip Media. Muñoz-Liebowitz adds, “I would think they’d want to grandfather the commitments they made into their future decision-making and not alienate the consumers they have.”

WBD, which declined to comment for this story, said the move was inspired by a strategic shift away from live-action kids and family programming — though the show isn’t listed under the “family” category on HBO Max, only “Latino.”

With the decisions to shelve Batgirl and pass on a second season of Gordita Chronicles, Warner Bros. Discovery may be glossing over the significance of the Latinx community — a group that is drastically underrepresented in Hollywood. Even though Latinos make up about 19 percent of the country, they account for only 6 percent of roles, according to a 2021 UCLA diversity report. “The new Warner Bros. Discovery leadership is relying on formulas and cost-saving measures that have historically excluded marginalized communities,” says Rafael Agustín, CEO of the Latino Film Institute. “They assume they are doing everything right for their bottom line, not realizing how badly not investing in diversity and inclusion today is going to hurt their business in the future.”

HBO Max’s offerings have been as well known for their cultural diversity as for their quality and ambition. Some of the streamer’s stickiest content has been facilitated through partnerships with Japanese animation house Studio Ghibli and Crunchyroll, which specializes in anime distribution. (HBO’s licensing deal with Crunchyroll expired in January.) But the goodwill and competitive edge garnered from embracing a wide collection of titles across several genres, like Insecure, A Black Lady Sketch Show and Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away, may now be eroding. “It seems like self-harm, to be honest,” Muñoz-Liebowitz observes. “Say you were a fast-food restaurant and you have a really popular menu item. When you’re bought by another company, would you get rid of the item? It doesn’t make sense to get rid of something popular just because you’re making a business change.”

In addition to content itself, another indicator of whether Warner Bros. Discovery is running afoul of the merger guidelines is what the newly merged entity ends up charging for a combined HBO Max/Discovery+ service when it launches in 2023. Under antitrust law, an acquisition’s effect on price is the heaviest factor in weighing a merger. It’s worth looking at the aftermath of AT&T’s purchase of WarnerMedia before the Texas phone giant gave up on its entertainment ambitions. Less than two years following the Justice Department’s unsuccessful effort to block the deal — the agency’s first challenge to a vertical merger in 40 years — AT&T raised DirecTV prices even though it promised during its legal battle to lower post-merger bills.

HBO Max is among the most expensive streaming platforms at $14.99 monthly, and it remains to be seen how much appetite there is among consumers for a price hike to add Discovery+ offerings. There may not be much overlap in the demand for content across the two platforms. The company said itself during its quarterly earnings call that HBO Max skews male, specializes in scripted content and appointment viewing, and is the “home of fandoms,” while Discovery+ skews female, focuses on unscripted programming and comfort viewing, and is the “home of genredoms.” Viewers may revolt if Zaslav is misinterpreting the synergies offered by the marriage of HBO Max and Discovery+ into a single service. “When there’s consolidation and only a few companies are controlling the market, they become more monopolistic,” Castro says. “There’s a greater chance they’ll be able to raise prices on consumers and limit selection.”

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/bu...st-1235197626/

Make Them Laugh · 08-17-2022, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eternalfate (View Post)

Yep which is why people wanted Booster Gold in season 1-3 but it never happened...

probably nobody thought the show would last 3-4 seasons

**PhoenixRising** · 08-17-2022, 09:02 PM

Thanks for that info, dragonfire!

This is why I think Hollywood should stop making comic book adaptations. They should stick to TV and animation, not feature films.

dragonfire, was there a conversation from the last thread that we didn't get moved to this one?

Oh, here it is:

Quote:

No problem.

Yup.

Yup, or more like the CEO of Discovery.

Natalie Bolt.

They was but just like the Old Republic they're becoming the Empire with the CEO of Discovery as the Emperor who's looking for his Vader.

Ok.

I know. Yes.

Yup.

I know what you meant. What I meant was I think they skip the transitional period, and went straight to Order 66.

Thanks, and no problem. Good, and thanks.

I hope everyone is ok, and goodnight as well.

Hi, dragonfire!

Okay.

Well, same thing now.

Never heard of her.

Wow, you're comparing a studio to the Empire? Didn't I already do that with Disney?

I'm glad you know.

Order 66. Well, again, that order wouldn't have been necessary if WB hadn't let Zack Snyder ruin the DCEU right from the start with his nonsense.

Thanks for all that, dragonfire. Are they recasting one of Clark and Lois' sons?

Oh, I think Ezra Miller needs more help than that. He'll be lucky if he's not in jail.

You're welcome. And thanks. I'm okay, and I'm glad you are too. Goodnight!

dragonfire · 08-17-2022, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhoenixRising (View Post)

Thanks for that info, dragonfire!

This is why I think Hollywood should stop making comic book adaptations. They should stick to TV and animation, not feature films.

dragonfire, was there a conversation from the last thread that we didn't get moved to this one?

Oh, here it is:

Hi, dragonfire!

Okay.

Well, same thing now.

Never heard of her.

Wow, you're comparing a studio to the Empire? Didn't I already do that with Disney?

I'm glad you know.

Order 66. Well, again, that order wouldn't have been necessary if WB hadn't let Zack Snyder ruin the DCEU right from the start with his nonsense.

Thanks for all that, dragonfire. Are they recasting one of Clark and Lois' sons?

Oh, I think Ezra Miller needs more help than that. He'll be lucky if he's not in jail.

You're welcome. And thanks. I'm okay, and I'm glad you are too. Goodnight!

No problem.

I know.

Yes.

Hey Alex.

Yup.

What is?

Before Loki, and Obi-Wan I didn't either.

Yes, because what the CEO of Discovery is doing reminds me of it. Yes, but I don't think even Disney would do Order 66.

To be honest it's hard to quit Disney even when I try. Every time I think I'm out they find a way to pull me back in especially with the X-Men.

Thanks.

I know.

No problem.

Yes.

Well, at least it's a start to hopefully recovery.

Thanks.

No problem.

Good, and thanks.

Thanks, you too.

I hope everyone is ok, and goodnight as well.

Quote:

Variety
Dwayne Johnson Called the Studio to Remove Black Adam From ‘Shazam!’: It’d Be a ‘Disservice’ to the Character
Dwayne Johnson's DC passion project “Black Adam” will finally open in theaters this October, but the character could've debuted in 2019's...

https://variety.com/2022/film/news/d...am-1235341461/

**PhoenixRising** · 08-18-2022, 09:40 PM

Hi, dragonfire!

I'm glad you know again.

What is? My reply to you from the last thread, that's what is.

I reposted it here.

Well, I haven't watched either show.

Disney is doing the opposite. They're oversaturating the market with too much crap.

And actually, Disney did to an Order 66 to the Daredevil universe, remember?

You're addicted to Disney, then.

You're welcome.

I hope the recasting isn't a disaster. I've seen bad recasting before.

For Ezra Miller?

Well, if he recovers, let's hope he stays away from The Flash.

Thanks for the info, dragonfire!

So does this mean there's trouble for Black Adam too?

You're welcome, and thanks.

I'm okay, and I'm glad you are too. Goodnight!

dragonfire · 08-18-2022, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhoenixRising (View Post)

Hi, dragonfire!

I'm glad you know again.

What is? My reply to you from the last thread, that's what is.

I reposted it here.

Well, I haven't watched either show.

Disney is doing the opposite. They're oversaturating the market with too much crap.

And actually, Disney did to an Order 66 to the Daredevil universe, remember?

You're addicted to Disney, then.

You're welcome.

I hope the recasting isn't a disaster. I've seen bad recasting before.

For Ezra Miller?

Well, if he recovers, let's hope he stays away from The Flash.

Thanks for the info, dragonfire!

So does this mean there's trouble for Black Adam too?

You're welcome, and thanks.

I'm okay, and I'm glad you are too. Goodnight!

Hey Alex.

Thanks.

Thanks for telling me.

I know.

Maybe but they're doing better than Discovery/WB.

Oh yeah they Order 66 it that they had Cox returned to the role in No Way Home, next She-Hulk, then ECHO, and his own series called Daredevil: Born Again with 18 episodes.

Plus they even have him as the voice of Daredevil for Spider-Man: Freshmen Year.

Gee it doesn't sound like an Order 66 now does it?

No, they're just giving me reasons to be interested in their stuff. WB was doing that until the CEO of Discovery took over.

Thanks.

Same.

For everyone involved in it. Well, I don't know about that.

No problem.

It means Rock didn't want Black Adam in Shazam! which seems to show Rock's control over Black Adam although if the movie isn't successful at the box office that could change.

Thanks, and no problem.

Good, and thanks.

Thanks, you too.

I hope everyone is ok, and goodnight as well.

Quote:

Variety
HBO Max to Remove 36 Titles, Including 20 Originals, From Streaming
HBO Max will remove 36 titles from its service as early as this week, Variety has confirmed. A spokesperson for HBO Max attributed the...

https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/hbo...ed-1235344286/

**PhoenixRising** · 08-19-2022, 08:20 PM

Hi, dragonfire!

You're welcome. And you're welcome.

Well, I don't have streaming.

Maybe, we'll see. Disney+ shows have a habit of disappearing after one season. She-Hulk is getting torn apart by critics. Disney doesn't understand comic books.

Well, Cox seems like the only survivor of Order 66, just like Obi Wan and Yoda.

Everyone else is gone.

I see. Well, I haven't liked what they were doing since Zack Snyder took over.

You're welcome.

So do I, but I think it would be in everyone's best interests if Miller moved on to something else, away from the DCEU.

Yeah, I heard that too. I'm not sure, why, since Black Adam is an enemy of Shazam. He's not a hero.

Thanks for that link. Yep, this is why I hate all these companies and streaming services.

You're welcome, and thanks.

I'm okay, and I'm glad you are too. Goodnight!

dragonfire · 08-20-2022, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhoenixRising (View Post)

Hi, dragonfire!

You're welcome. And you're welcome.

Well, I don't have streaming.

Maybe, we'll see. Disney+ shows have a habit of disappearing after one season. She-Hulk is getting torn apart by critics. Disney doesn't understand comic books.

Well, Cox seems like the only survivor of Order 66, just like Obi Wan and Yoda.

Everyone else is gone.

I see. Well, I haven't liked what they were doing since Zack Snyder took over.

You're welcome.

So do I, but I think it would be in everyone's best interests if Miller moved on to something else, away from the DCEU.

Yeah, I heard that too. I'm not sure, why, since Black Adam is an enemy of Shazam. He's not a hero.

Thanks for that link. Yep, this is why I hate all these companies and streaming services.

You're welcome, and thanks.

I'm okay, and I'm glad you are too. Goodnight!

Hey Alex.

Thanks.

I know.

I see.

They're also bringing back D'Onofrio as Kingpin.

I know.

Thanks.

I know.

Well, with the Rock Black Adam will probably be an Anti-Hero.

No problem.

I know.

Thanks, and no problem.

Good, and thanks.

Thanks, you too.

I hope everyone is ok, and goodnight as well.

**eternalfate** · 08-20-2022, 03:28 PM

Alex you can schedule these two movies watches schedule/time.

Green Lantern Beware My Power & Teen Titans The Judas Contract?

**PhoenixRising** · 08-20-2022, 08:46 PM

Why me, Tia?

I wanna know when you want to watch them.

Thanks, dragonfire!

I'll reply to you soon.

**eternalfate** · 08-21-2022, 03:39 PM

I don't care. I always schedule these things. You do it for a change. lol

For these movies though after 5:30pm Monday - Friday I am good to go. Weekends anytime works for me.

**PhoenixRising** · 08-21-2022, 06:48 PM

Okay, Tia.

How's Thursday sound? The usual time?

Quote:

Originally Posted by dragonfire (View Post)

Hey Alex.

Thanks.

I know.

I see.

They're also bringing back D'Onofrio as Kingpin.

I know.

Thanks.

I know.

Well, with the Rock Black Adam will probably be an Anti-Hero.

No problem.

I know.

Thanks, and no problem.

Good, and thanks.

Thanks, you too.

I hope everyone is ok, and goodnight as well.

Hi, dragonfire!

Happy birthday!

You're welcome.

I'm glad you know.

D'Onofrio is coming back too? Well, that's still just Daredevil.

Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Jessica Jones are all gone.

So are Cloak and Dagger. I don't know why Marvel even bothered with that show.

You're welcome.

An anti-hero? I don't know how well that's gonna go. He's always been a villain and Shazam's nemesis.

I'm glad.

You're welcome, and thanks.

I'm okay, and I'm glad you are too. I hope you have a happy birthday, dragonfire!

dragonfire · 08-22-2022, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhoenixRising (View Post)

Hi, dragonfire!

Happy birthday!

You're welcome.

I'm glad you know.

D'Onofrio is coming back too? Well, that's still just Daredevil.

Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Jessica Jones are all gone.

So are Cloak and Dagger. I don't know why Marvel even bothered with that show.

You're welcome.

An anti-hero? I don't know how well that's gonna go. He's always been a villain and Shazam's nemesis.

I'm glad.

You're welcome, and thanks.

I'm okay, and I'm glad you are too. I hope you have a happy birthday, dragonfire!

Hey Alex.

Thanks.

Yes.

Well, there are rumors of

Spoiler:

Good question.

Thanks.

Yes, I mean this is the Rock were talking about here.

I know.

Thanks, and no problem.

Good, and thanks.

Thanks, and I did.

For my birthday I got Batman & Nightwing action figures, and Batman mask & cape.

I hope everyone is ok, and good day as well.

**PhoenixRising** · 08-22-2022, 07:55 PM

Hi, dragonfire!

You're welcome.

Oh really? Same actress, or a different one?

Oh, so you agree that Cloak and Dagger was a waste of time?

Yeah, but we can't just start turning villains into anti-heroes just because of who's playing them.

Black Adam did some despicable stuff.

You're welcome.

Yes, I know.

You told me on the Heroes board. That's all really cool stuff!

I'm okay, thanks.

I'm glad you are too. Goodnight!

dragonfire · 08-22-2022, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhoenixRising (View Post)

Hi, dragonfire!

You're welcome.

Oh really? Same actress, or a different one?

Oh, so you agree that Cloak and Dagger was a waste of time?

Yeah, but we can't just start turning villains into anti-heroes just because of who's playing them.

Black Adam did some despicable stuff.

You're welcome.

Yes, I know.

You told me on the Heroes board. That's all really cool stuff!

I'm okay, thanks.

I'm glad you are too. Goodnight!

Hey Alex.

Thanks.

I think if it's true then I imagine it'll be the same actress.

To be honest I didn't watched the show.

I know.

Thanks.

Thanks.

Good, no problem.

Thanks.

Thanks, you too.

I hope everyone is ok, and goodnight as well.

Quote:

Deadline
‘Batman: Caped Crusader’ Series Not Moving Forward At HBO Max
Batman: Caped Crusader, an animated series from executive producers Bruce Timm, J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves, will not be moving at HBO Max.

https://deadline.com/2022/08/batman-...ax-1235097947/

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Fan Forum > DC & Marvel > Smallville > DC Comics United [124] As DC Movies crumble, we stay united. [WATCH TODAY: The Batman vs. Dracula @7pm est time 9/23/22]