David Zaslav Reportedly Blasts WB Execs After ‘Joker 2’ Flop & Soaring Film Budgets
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav reportedly expressed his disappointment with the studio’s film heads, Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, and “ripped them a new one”, following the disappointing performance of Joker: Folie à Deux.
The film, which was highly anticipated after the success of the original Joker in 2019, grossed only $208 million—far below expectations, especially when considering its production cost of nearly $200 million, which was almost four times higher than the first film’s budget.
After the film’s underperformance, Zaslav called for a meeting with De Luca and Abdy at Warner Bros. headquarters in New York. Inside the closed-door meeting, Zaslav reportedly vented his frustrations about Joker 2‘s poor reception and the increasing costs of the studio’s upcoming films.
According to sources familiar with the discussion, Zaslav raised concerns about the mounting financial strain these big-budget films could put on the company.
A Warner Bros. spokesperson downplayed the situation, describing the meeting as a “straightforward Joker 2 postmortem” and a “constructive conversation on the slate” of future films. However, the tension between the studio’s leadership and the financial struggles of the movie department seems evident.
The failure of Joker 2 has put even more pressure on De Luca and Abdy, who took over as co-leads of the film division in 2022. They are already facing a significant challenge with the studio’s upcoming slate of films, which includes other expensive productions with uncertain financial prospects.
One of these is Mickey 17, a sci-fi comedy directed by Bong Joon-ho, which is expected to cost over $100 million. Industry projections suggest it might struggle to make a significant profit at the box office, with an estimated opening weekend of just $20 million.
This comes at a time when Warner Bros. Discovery is under financial strain after merging with Discovery in a $43 billion deal. Zaslav has admitted that the studio needs to do more to ensure consistency in its releases and improve its financial standing.
In a November conference call, he acknowledged, “even in an industry of hits and misses, we must acknowledge that our studio’s business must deliver more consistency.”
Despite the setbacks, Zaslav hired De Luca and Abdy with hopes that they could turn things around by leveraging their deep industry connections and experience. De Luca and Abdy, both known for their work at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, had successful relationships with major stars and directors.
They were expected to bring a mix of blockbuster films and award-winning talent to Warner Bros. However, their heavy focus on original films by acclaimed directors has yet to yield the kind of box-office results that other studios, like Disney, have enjoyed with their IP-driven films.
At Warner Bros., De Luca and Abdy have continued to spend heavily on high-profile projects. For example, they spent over $130 million on One Battle After Another, a film by Paul Thomas Anderson starring Leonardo DiCaprio. However, films like this have failed to demonstrate the same commercial success as franchise films like Barbie or Dune, leaving Warner Bros. struggling with costly risks and uncertain returns.
The studio is now facing another crucial period, as it prepares to release Mickey 17 and other films like Minecraft and Superman in the coming years. With Zaslav pushing for more profitable outcomes, the spotlight is on De Luca and Abdy to deliver not just star-studded films, but also financial stability for the company.
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!
