Comedy Wile E. Coyote vs. ACME

[DaddlerTheDalek]

I can't believe this...

 

[Iceman]

I didn’t even know about this film before today. What a shame, and unfortunately no surprise at WBD since Zaslav took over.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

Disgusting.

 

[CaptainWagner]

On the most obvious level, this is just appallingly evil, anti-art bull**** and honestly terrifying for the future of the industry. Just disgusting news to drop when we're celebrating the end of the strike, and you just know those ghouls waited until now to announce it so it wouldn't affect negotiations.

But on a secondary level, this makes absolutely no sense business-wise. WB is facing down a wasteland of a release schedule next year thanks to the strike. Zaslav just got done publicly complaining they're lacking in programming for kids. And they just decide to shelve a completed movie with a good test results and a major IP? Insane rake-stepping ****.

The shareholders need to chuck Zaslav into the South Bay and the feds needs to step in. If our tax dollars are paying for this movie, then we should own it now. Any work that's filed as a write-off in this way should be handed over to the Library of Congress and entered into the public domain.

 

[AndrewGilkison]

"Its not worth releasing, even though its testing well." What

 

[Mani-Man]

Zaslav has to go, there is no other way.
Stock is down way low, public perception is not good and he cancelled another movie, making working for WB a huge risk of wasting your time working on something that then gets cut.

Zaslav is one of the figure heads that perfectly captures what is wrong with the Industry.
As many said, this man isnt in the business to make movies etc...he is there to make Money for himself.
He has no interest in the IPs, the craft or anything.
Money fast...thats all he cares about.

He cuts down a movie that is finished, had a loved IP and John Cena in it, tested very positive and all that...and why?
Because he saw no value in it and instead took 30 Million right now.

Awful human, the worst that could happen to WB in a long time.

 

[Dr.]

I don't understand why they couldn't at the very least shop it somewhere else for the same amount of money they saved from the write-off. Especially if it's as good as people say it is.

Granted, I don’t have a head for business (let alone Hollywood biz). But I’m puzzled how this makes sense for WB — even in terms of a dispassionate mitigation of loss. As I understand it, WB paid $70M for a fully complete movie. So with the $30M write-down, they forfeit “only” $40M. ...Yes? But had WB sold the movie for a mere $35M, the loss would be slightly less. Even better if a buyer was willing to pay slightly more. So is there some accounting advantage to booking a “write-down” vs. selling the product at an equivalent loss?

Also: it seems WB suffered a fair bit of reputational damage by cancelling Batgirl and that Scooby-Doo thing. And this maneuver represents further damage — which, long-term, might be more expensive for the company.

 

[Mani-Man]

Im not sure even experts understand Zaslav at this point.
You would think looking at the stock and looking at the Test reactions to this, it would be worth it to elevate the Companies Stock and make some money.
Especially considering the bad reputation following the Batgirl thing.

But nope, lets cut a movie that was testing well while the Stock is already low, after a strike that made every studio look awful and greedy.
What could go wrong there.

 

[BeserkerHilf]

The problem is, this **** is run by Wall Street dudes now and the stock price reacts accordingly. Apparently the motto is "just look $30m less Bad" instead of being in the business of making actual money.


Wednesday afternoon:

Thursday:

 

[DarkKnight]

Here we go again...... #ReleaseBatgirl #ReleaseWileECoyoteVsAcme #ReleaseAyerCut

I really truly do hate to read this.

 

[Primal Slayer]

WB has become a joke.

It's funny to think that Zazzy was part of the WB 100yr documentary talking about how he admired the OGs and blah blah blah but he's running the company into the ground.

 

[OrbOfConfusion]

With Gunn being the co-head of DC Studios, how secure is that slate if even a project he helped produce can get shelved? Zaslav could and probably will just shelve what he feels won't work.

 

[Drizzle]

First thing Zaslav does post-strike is shelve a perfectly good movie?

 

[Pennywise]

 

[Kane52630]

 

[Arachnerd]

Can't wait for the next movie in the WB line that Zaslav spontaneously scraps for more tax write-offs.

 

[Filmfreak]

Until Comcast buys the whole studio, which probably won't be long.

 

[Pennywise]

 

[Filmfreak]

So Zaslav is not only a piece of garbage but a complete idiot as well. Things like this happening (again) is surreal.

 

[kguillou]

Theres something else going on here folks. Something we dont know about and likely never will. If the film was testing great and done why the F would you shelve it or wouldnt just sell it off for more money? i just…im stunned.

Btw i never even heard of this movie before today and i LOVE the concept of this. This is the type of creative film content we desperately need and now its shelved.

F*** off Zaslav.

 

[TheVileOne]

Zaslav has to go, there is no other way.
Stock is down way low, public perception is not good and he cancelled another movie, making working for WB a huge risk of wasting your time working on something that then gets cut.

Zaslav is one of the figure heads that perfectly captures what is wrong with the Industry.
As many said, this man isnt in the business to make movies etc...he is there to make Money for himself.
He has no interest in the IPs, the craft or anything.
Money fast...thats all he cares about.

He cuts down a movie that is finished, had a loved IP and John Cena in it, tested very positive and all that...and why?
Because he saw no value in it and instead took 30 Million right now.

Awful human, the worst that could happen to WB in a long time.

They got back $30 million a $72 million movie. That's not much of a tax rebate.

 

[TheVileOne]

Theres something else going on here folks. Something we dont know about and likely never will. If the film was testing great and done why the F would you shelve it or wouldnt just sell it off for more money? i just…im stunned.

Btw i never even heard of this movie before today and i LOVE the concept of this. This is the type of creative film content we desperately need and now its shelved.

F*** off Zaslav.

This is what I don't get. Why not try licensing it out for another streamer, like the new Batman show which is going on Amazon? I'm sure some streamer would be willing to pay something for it.

Even Evil Dead Rise was given a theatrical release because it was apparently testing well, and that was a hit. Something is very suspicious here.

 

[TheVileOne]

With Gunn being the co-head of DC Studios, how secure is that slate if even a project he helped produce can get shelved? Zaslav could and probably will just shelve what he feels won't work.

It's not secure at all. It's another reason why announcing it earlier this year was a huge mistake. They should've at least waited until all the films this year were over and done with.

 

[kguillou]

This is what I don't get. Why not try licensing it out for another streamer, like the new Batman show which is going on Amazon? I'm sure some streamer would be willing to pay something for it.

Even Evil Dead Rise was given a theatrical release because it was apparently testing well, and that was a hit. Something is very suspicious here.

Thats what i mean. Something else is at work here. Something influenced Zaslav into this decision because this literally makes no business sense.

 

[Sithborg]

With Gunn being the co-head of DC Studios, how secure is that slate if even a project he helped produce can get shelved? Zaslav could and probably will just shelve what he feels won't work.

I'm sure its as safe as everything else.

AKA not safe at all.

Theres something else going on here folks. Something we dont know about and likely never will. If the film was testing great and done why the F would you shelve it or wouldnt just sell it off for more money? i just…im stunned.

Btw i never even heard of this movie before today and i LOVE the concept of this. This is the type of creative film content we desperately need and now its shelved.

F*** off Zaslav.

There doesn't need to be anything that needs to be going on other than the money counters are looking at pinching pennies. I should look at WBD's financial statements. I'm beginning to think they don't have the actual cash to release a lot of their own movies.