Embattled Warner Bros. Movie Chiefs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy Sidestep Job Drama at CinemaCon

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What a difference a year can make.

Last year at CinemaCon, Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, co-chairs of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, radiated self-assurance as they stepped onto the stage before a crowd of enthusiastic cinema owners, all eager to hear from the studio responsible for the upcoming film Barbie. They assumed this role when they moved to the Burbank lot from MGM in summer 2022, and they were now marketing and releasing what would become a monumental box office hit.

In last year’s CinemaCon event, Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, co-chairs of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, showed self-assurance as they took the stage before a throng of cinema owners excited to hear from the studio behind the upcoming film Barbie. They had taken over this position after moving to the Burbank lot from MGM in summer 2022, and it was now their task to market and release what would become a blockbuster hit.

As a devoted admirer, I can’t help but feel a sense of uncertainty looming over the dynamic duo this year, marking nearly three years into their tenure. A series of high-profile flops, such as Bong Joon Ho’s “Mickey 17,” cast a shadow. This film, the most expensive project in Bong’s career with a budget approximating $118 million before marketing expenses, has so far grossed only $43 million domestically and $121.5 million worldwide since its release in cinemas earlier this month. “Mickey 17” serves as an emblem of Abdy and De Luca’s dedication to nurturing auteurs and producing unique content, rather than solely focusing on the conventional blockbusters.

However, it appears that David Zaslav, the head of Warner Bros. Discovery, is becoming more and more worried about creating large intellectual properties (IP). Additionally, there are rumors that he’s displeased with the substantial budgets allocated to the movie productions spearheaded by these filmmakers.

Abdy and De Luca, longtime Hollywood professionals, refused to let negative news regarding their future affect their attendance at CinemaCon to promote their upcoming movies. Although they avoided discussing the ongoing issues at Warner Bros. studio, they seemed noticeably more anxious than during their previous appearances on stage at the annual Las Vegas event.

De Luca reassured Abdy, ‘Next year, I’ll choose more challenging names for you,’ he said, understanding her difficulty with the words on the prompter.

During certain segments of De Luca and Abdy’s presentation, the atmosphere in the audience was noticeably somber, despite Leonardo DiCaprio, a global icon, joining them to endorse Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another. DiCaprio shared the stage with his co-stars Regina Hall and Teyana Taylor.

Under the Title One Battle After Another, set to release this fall, boasts a production cost of an impressive $150 million – undeniably the highest budget that director Anderson has ever handled in his career.

Another venture, carrying considerable risk for De Luca and Abdy, is the upcoming supernatural horror movie titled “Sinners“, set to release on April 18 next month. The production budget for this film ranges from $80 million to $90 million. Yet, it’s not the cost that has sparked surprise. Instead, De Luca and Abdy have garnered attention by striking an unconventional deal with the director, Ryan Coogler. In this agreement, the intellectual property rights will return to Coogler after a significant number of decades.

Director Ryan Coogler, known for movies that have earned more than $2.6 billion globally, spoke in a video message to cinema owners, expressing that this film holds the deepest personal significance for him compared to any of his previous works.

For Abdy and De Luca, a highlight is the upcoming movie based on Minecraft, expected to generate significant revenue at the box office this weekend. However, they should not claim all the credit as it’s a collaboration with Legendary Pictures on this project.

The duo understand fully that their future with Warner’s remains uncertain, and Bloomberg even hinted at preliminary, unofficial discussions between Zaslav and possible replacements.

Initially introducing them, Warner’s Global Distribution Chief Jeff Goldstein referred to De Luca and Abdy as “the much acclaimed heads” of the studio.

Abdy expressed that our film industry is exceptionally well-suited to shape culture and generate worth worldwide. Before we begin, she wanted to express gratitude to our theater partners for their steadfast backing of our films. So thank you, thank you, thank you. As Jeff previously stated, there’s much to anticipate in the coming year.

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2025-04-02 04:55