Now that the merger of Warner Bros. and Discovery has closed, David Zaslav has assumed his new role as the company’s President and CEO. The Wall Street Journal published a profile of “Zas,” emphasizing his management approach and how different it is from how the media conglomerate was run under AT&T.
Zaslav uses a decidedly hands-on approach to running the company’s many television channels, streaming services, and news/media outlets. He intends to increase the number of new movies Warner Bros. releases theatrically from seventeen in 2022 to “20-25” in 2023.
The expansion is based on an assessment of financial profitability since his analysis indicates that theatrical releases provide more profit upfront and increased viewership on HBO Max. Exhibitors are thrilled with a strong vote of confidence coming from the CEO of one of Hollywood’s major studios…and streaming providers.