Warner Bros. Pictures
| File:Warner Bros. Pictures logo.svg Logo since 2019 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film production and distribution |
| Founded | April 4, 1923 in Burbank, California, United States |
| Founder | Harry Warner, Albert Warner, Sam Warner, Jack L. Warner |
| Headquarters | Burbank, California , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Michael De Luca (co-chair), Pamela Abdy (co-chair) |
| Products | Motion pictures |
| Parent | Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group (Warner Bros. Discovery) |
Warner Bros. Pictures is a prominent American film production company and the distribution division of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, both subsidiaries of Warner Bros. Discovery under the Streaming & Studios sector. Based at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California, the studio also handles the release of animated features created by Warner Bros. Pictures Animation.
Established on April 4, 1923, by the Warner siblings—Harry, Albert, Sam, and Jack L.—the company oversees all aspects of film production, theatrical distribution, marketing, and promotional activities for movies from Warner Bros.-affiliated labels such as Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, New Line Cinema, Castle Rock Entertainment, as well as various independent producers.
Within the Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, Warner Bros. Pictures operates as one of four live-action studios alongside New Line Cinema, Castle Rock Entertainment, and Spyglass Media Group (in which it holds a minority interest). Its most lucrative franchises include Harry Potter, the DC Universe (previously known as the DC Extended Universe), Batman, The Lord of the Rings, and Monsterverse. The studio’s top-grossing film on a global scale is Barbie, which has generated $1.4 billion in box office revenue.
History
The origins of Warner Bros. Entertainment trace back to 1910 with the creation of the Warner Features Company in New Castle, Pennsylvania, founded by filmmaker and businessman Sam Warner along with his brothers Harry, Albert, and Jack. Their initial production was Peril of the Plains (1912), marking their entry into filmmaking. By 1915, Sam and Jack had set up a production facility in California while Albert and Harry formed the Warner Brothers Distributing Corporation in New York to handle film releases.
During World War I, the brothers produced the patriotic film My Four Years in Germany, which achieved commercial success and helped establish their reputation as a distinguished studio. On April 4, 1923, Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc. was formally incorporated to dedicate efforts exclusively to film production. The company made a landmark industry breakthrough with the 1927 debut of The Jazz Singer, recognized as the first significant sound motion picture starring Al Jolson; tragically, co-founder Sam Warner passed away just before its release.
Throughout its history, Warner Bros. Pictures has released twenty-five films that received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Picture, with numerous acclaimed titles spanning from 1929 through the late 1930s. Following an antitrust ruling in 1948 targeting major studios, Warner Bros. sold most of its pre-1950 film and cartoon catalog to Associated Artists Productions (a.a.p.) in 1956. This collection eventually transferred ownership to United Artists and MGM.
In November 1966, Jack L. Warner divested a 32% stake in the studio and music divisions to Canadian investors Elliot and Kenneth Hyman of Seven Arts Productions, resulting in the rebranding to Warner Bros.-Seven Arts in 1967.
During the 1980s, Turner Broadcasting System acquired MGM’s pre-1986 film and television libraries along with a.a.p.’s holdings, which included important animation assets such as Hanna-Barbera (purchased in 1991) and Ruby-Spears studios. Turner further expanded by acquiring Castle Rock Entertainment in 1993 and New Line Cinema in 1994.
The merger of Warner Communications with Lorimar-Telepictures and Time Inc. in 1989 formed Time Warner (now known as Warner Bros. Discovery), significantly broadening its content portfolio by adding Lorimar’s post-1974 Rankin/Bass productions and post-1947 Monogram Pictures properties.
When Time Warner acquired Turner Broadcasting System in 1996, it reunited Warner Bros.’ pre-1950 film library under one corporate umbrella, consolidating vital subsidiaries and reinforcing its position within the global entertainment industry.
Warner Bros. Pictures
Established on March 3, 2003, Warner Bros. Pictures was founded to broaden the variety of film genres and attract a wider audience. It joined the Warner Bros. Pictures Group in 2008, with Jeff Robinov serving as its inaugural president. In 2017, Toby Emmerich, formerly a senior executive at New Line, took over as president and was elevated to chairman in 2018. By June 2019, the company enhanced its distribution footprint by partnering with SF Studios to cover the Scandinavian market.
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 caused major interruptions to Warner Bros. Pictures' theatrical release schedule. In response, December 2020 saw the adoption of a simultaneous release strategy for 2021 films—allowing movies to premiere both in theaters and on HBO Max for one month, starting with Wonder Woman 1984. This dual-release method, dubbed "Project Popcorn," drew criticism from industry professionals concerned about compensation, leading Warner Bros. to adjust their payment agreements by January 2021. However, by March 2021, the studio reverted to the conventional 45-day theatrical window following a deal with Cineworld, the operator of Regal Cinemas.
After WarnerMedia merged with Discovery, Inc., forming Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) in April 2022, notable leadership and organizational changes were revealed on June 1, 2022:
- Toby Emmerich announced his departure after a transitional period.
- The company was segmented into three divisions: Warner Bros. Pictures/New Line Cinema, DC Films, and Warner Animation Group.
- MGM executives Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy were named co-chairs of Warner Bros. Pictures and temporarily managed other branches.
- Emmerich launched his own production venture secured by a five-year distribution and financing agreement with Warner Bros.
In the same month, COO Carolyn Blackwood exited the company. Steve Spira resumed his role as president of business affairs, while former president Alan Horn returned as an advisor to WBD President David Zaslav.
In August 2022, Warner Bros. Pictures entered into a multi-year international distribution agreement for MGM titles outside the United States, encompassing home entertainment and collaborative marketing initiatives. The studio also shifted its strategic emphasis back toward theatrical releases rather than exclusive HBO Max premieres.
Executive transitions persisted with DC Films president Walter Hamada resigning in October 2022. Later that month, President of Production & Development Courtenay Valenti departed and was succeeded by Jesse Ehrman.
On June 9, 2023, the Warner Bros. Pictures Group was renamed the Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group to better represent its changing business focus.
Film Catalog
Through strategic mergers and acquisitions, Warner Bros. has amassed an extensive collection of films, cartoons, and television content. By 2022, the studio's holdings included more than 145,000 hours of programming, featuring approximately 12,500 feature-length movies and 2,400 television series encompassing over 150,000 episodes.
Warner Bros. oversees multiple profitable shared universes derived from literary works and comic books, many ranking among the top-grossing intellectual properties in the film industry.
| Intellectual Property | Number of Films | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|
| DC Extended Universe | 15 | Originating from DC Comics; this represents Warner Bros.' initial shared universe effort. |
| DC Universe | 1 | A reboot spearheaded by James Gunn and Peter Safran, with the inaugural film scheduled for release in 2025. |
| Wizarding World | 11 | Acquired rights from J. K. Rowling for $2 million plus profit participation; ranks as the fourth highest-grossing IP worldwide. Includes eight Harry Potter films and three Fantastic Beasts installments. |
| The Conjuring Universe | 8 | A horror franchise inspired by paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren; encompasses Annabelle, The Nun, and The Curse of La Llorona. |
| Monsterverse | 5 | Co-produced alongside Legendary Entertainment, showcasing iconic kaiju characters such as Godzilla and King Kong from Toho's roster. |
| Middle-earth | 6 | Film adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's literary works, directed by Peter Jackson. |
| The Lego Movie | 4 | Warner Bros. retained rights until 2019; subsequent sequels were cancelled following rights transfer to Universal Pictures. |
Film Franchises
_|DC Extended Universe_|2013-23_|Fifteen films; partnerships include DC Entertainment, DC Films, RatPac Entertainment_| _|Conjuring Universe_|2013-present_|Seven films; joint productions involve Atomic Monster, The Safran Company, New Line Cinema_| _|Lego Movie franchise_|2014-19_|Four films; collaborations include Warner Bros. Animation, Village Roadshow Pictures, Lego System A/S_| _|Monsterverse_|2014-present_|Five films; produced jointly with Legendary Pictures_| _|Creed franchise_|2015-present_|Three films; co-productions with MGM and New Line Cinema_| _|The Meg / It franchises_|2018-present / '17-'19'_|Distribution rights for It held by New Line Cinema_; The Meg includes two installments to date_| _|Detective Pikachu_|2019-present_|One film; co-produced alongside Legendary Pictures, The Pokémon Company, Toho_| _|Joker / Dune franchises_|2019-present / '21-present'_|Two films each; Joker co-produced with Village Roadshow and DC Studios_; Dune produced jointly with Legendary Pictures_| _|The Batman franchise_|2022-present_|Distribution rights only; production managed by DC Films and collaborators_| _|Minecraft Movie / DC Universe upcoming projects_|2025-present_|Collaborations include Legendary Pictures, Mojang Studios, Vertigo Entertainment_; Distribution exclusively for DC Universe projects produced by DC Studios._|}Top-grossing Films
- Template:† Denotes movies currently showing in theaters during the week starting Template:Days before now.
| Franchise Title | Years Active | Number of Films | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold Diggers | 1923–1951 | 7 | |
| Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies | 1930–present | 8 | Over 1,030 theatrical shorts produced |
| Penrod and Sam | 1931–1938 | 2 | |
| Perry Mason | 1934–1937 | 6 | |
| Philo Vance | 1934–1940 | 5 | |
| Torchy Blane | 1937–1939 | 9 | |
| Four Daughters | 1938–1941 | 4 | |
| Nancy Drew | 1938–2019 | 6 | |
| Secret Service | 1939–1940 | 4 | |
| 1954–2018 | 3 | Acquired from Selznick International Pictures; co-produced with Transcona Enterprises (1954), First Artists, Barwood Films (1976), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Live Nation Productions, Gerber Pictures, Joint Effort (2018) | |
| 1960–present | 5 | Co-production with Village Roadshow Pictures since 2001 | |
| 1971–1988 | |||
| 1973–2005 | 4 | Co-produced with Morgan Creek Entertainment for films 3 and 4 | |
| 1977–1984 | 3 | ||
| 1978–1980 | 2 | ||
| 1978–2006 | 5 | Co-produced with Legendary Entertainment for the 2006 installment; except Supergirl, which was distributed by Tri-Star Pictures | |
| 1979–present | 5 | Produced in partnership with Village Roadshow Pictures | |
| 1979–2006 | 2 | ||
| 1980–2009 | Co-produced with Paramount Pictures and New Line Cinema | ||
| 1980–2019 | |||
| 1981–2011 | 3 | ||
| 1982–2017 | 2 | Co-produced with Alcon Entertainment and Columbia Pictures for the 2017 film | |
| 1983–2015 | 5 | ||
| 1984–1990 | 2 | Co-production with Amblin Entertainment | |
| 1984–1994 | 7 | ||
| 1985–present | 2 | Co-produced alongside Sesame Workshop | |
| 1985–2023 | Co-productions include Amblin Entertainment, The Guber-Peters Company, OW Films, SGS Pictures, Quincy Jones Productions, Domain Entertainment | ||
| 1987–1998 | 4 | ||
| 1987–2010 | 3 | ||
| 1988–present | 2 | ||
| 1989–1997 | 4 | Co-production with Polygram Filmed Entertainment during 1989-1995 period | |
| 1992–2017 | 3 | ||
1992–1995
rowspan="4" |2 |
Co-produced with Regency Enterprises | ||
| 1992–2013 | |||
| 1993–1995 | |||
| 1993–1998 | |||
| 1993–2010 | 4 | Produced in partnership with Regency Enterprises | |
| 1994–1998 | 2 | Distribution only; production by Morgan Creek Entertainment | |
| 1994–2009 | 3 | ||
|
Eraser '96-22 rowspan=2 |- |
Twister 1996-2024 Co-production including Universal Pictures, Amblin Entertainment, The Kennedy/Marshall Company, Domain Entertainment | ||
|
The Dukes of Hazzard 1997-2007 rowspan=2=4 Co-productions with Kudzu Productions and Gerber Pictures | |||
| _The Matrix_ | _1999-present_ | _In collaboration with Village Roadshow Pictures_ | |
| _Analyze This_ | _1999-2002_ | _Two films; co-produced alongside Village Roadshow and TriBeCa Productions_ | |
| _Pokémon_ | _1999-2019_ | _US distribution only; co-produced with The Pokémon Company_ | |
| _Deep Blue Sea_ | _1999-2020_ | _Three films; co-production with Village Roadshow Pictures_ | |
| _The Whole Nine Yards_ | _2000-04_ | _Distribution only; co-produced with Morgan Creek and Franchise Pictures_ | |
| _Miss Congeniality_ | _2000-05_ | _Co-produced alongside Castle Rock Entertainment and Village Roadshow Pictures_ | |
| _Tom and Jerry_ | _2001-present_ | _Sixteen films; co-produced with Turner Entertainment_ | |
| _Cats & Dogs_ | _2001-20_ | _Three films; first two co-productions with Village Roadshow Pictures_ | |
| _Wizarding World_ | _2001-present_ | _Eleven films in total_ | |
| _Scooby-Doo_ | _2002-present_ | _Six films total_ | |
| _Kangaroo Jack / Terminator franchises_ | _2003-09 / '04' | _Kangaroo Jack: Co-production with Jerry Bruckheimer Films; Terminator: US distribution only, co-produced alongside Columbia Pictures_ | |
| _A Cinderella Story / Laura's Star franchises_ | _2004-present / '04-'21' | _A Cinderella Story: six films total; Laura's Star: co-production with Rothkirch Cartoon-Film_ | |
| _Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants / The Dark Knight trilogy / Willy Wonka franchises_ | _2005-08 / '05-'12 / '05-present'_ | _Collaborations include Alloy Entertainment, Legendary Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures_ | |
| _Happy Feet / 300 franchises_ | _2006-11 / '06-present'_ | _Joint productions involving Village Roadshow and Legendary Pictures_ | |
| _Hangover franchise_ | _2009-13_ | _Comprises three films_ | |
| _Final Destination / Sherlock Holmes franchises_ | _2009-present_ | Joint ventures include New Line Cinema, Practical Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures_ | |
| Watchmen franchise_ | 2009-24_ | US distribution only; partnerships include Paramount Pictures, DC Films, Legendary Pictures_ | |
| Top Cat / Dolphin Tale franchises_ | 2011-15 / '11-'14'_ | International distribution rights for Top Cat; Dolphin Tale co-produced alongside Alcon Entertainment_ | |
| The Hobbit trilogy_ | 2012-14_ | Collaborations include Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, New Line Cinema, WingNut Films; ownership shared with MGM_ | |
| Magic Mike franchise_ | 2012-23_
_|_| |
| Position | Movie Title | Release Year | Box Office Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barbie | 2023 | $636,238,421 |
| 2 | The Dark Knight Template:Double dagger | 2008 | $534,987,076 |
| 3 | The Dark Knight Rises | 2012 | $448,149,584 |
| 4 | A Minecraft Movie | 2025 | $423,949,195 |
| 5 | Wonder Woman | 2017 | $412,845,172 |
| 6 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 | 2011 | $381,447,587 |
| 7 | The Batman | 2022 | $369,345,583 |
| 8 | American Sniper | 2014 | $350,159,020 |
| 9 | Joker | 2019 | $335,477,657 |
| 10 | Aquaman | 2018 | $335,104,314 |
| Position | Movie Title | Year of Release | Global Box Office Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barbie | 2023 | $1,445,630,472 |
| 2 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 | 2011 | $1,342,359,942 |
| 3 | Aquaman | 2018 | $1,148,528,393 |
| 4 | The Dark Knight Rises | 2012 | $1,081,153,097 |
| 5 | Joker | 2019 | $1,074,445,730 |
— Figures include theatrical re-releases
Notes
- Jointly owned by New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (producers of the film)
External links
- Articles with short description
- Pages with broken file links
- American companies established in 1923
- Film production companies of the United States
- Entertainment companies based in California
- Companies based in Burbank, California
- Mass media companies established in 1923
- 1923 establishments in California
- Warner Bros. divisions
- Film distributors of the United States
- Academy Award for Technical Achievement winners
- 5
- Companies of the United States by year of establishment