Warner Bros. Discovery may be close to finding its new head of DC Films as LEGO producer and former WB executive Dan Lin is one of the names in contention for the gig. There have been a lot of changes taking place this year at Warner Bros. following its merger with Discovery, which together became Warner Bros. Discovery. With David Zaslav as the new Warner Bros. Discovery CEO, things are being drastically changed behind the scenes as the newly formed company is restructuring its strategy for consumers and priorities in IPs.
August has been a heated month for Warner Bros. Discovery. It all began with the controversial decision to cancel HBO Max's Batgirl movie, with Leslie Grace in the lead as Barbara Gordon. The studio has also gotten rid of multiple titles at HBO Max, reportedly for tax write-down reasons. This was another reason for why Batgirl, despite having wrapped principal photography, was scrapped. In turn, this has also meant changes for the studio's DC Films division, which is currently overseen by Walter Hamada. Following the Batgirl axing, Hamada is reportedly sticking with DC Films until Black Adam has released before making his exit.
With Warner Bros. Discovery seeking their own Kevin Feige to head up DC Films in a similar fashion to Marvel Studios, a frontrunner for the gig has now been revealed. According to Deadline, Dan Lin, who has previously worked as an executive at Warner Bros. and whose producer credits include the LEGO and Godzilla movies, is being eyed for the role of the new head of DC Films. THR is also adding that should Lin be tapped for the role, he would also oversee content for DC TV. While Lin is reportedly in active talks for the position, it's key to remember that no deal has been signed yet.
The Lin development comes exactly two weeks after Arrowverse creator Greg Berlanti was rumored for the Feige-like role at DC Films. Apparently, there were other hames being considered for the position too, as THR claims that Amy Pascal, Matt Tolmach, and Sean Bailey were supposedly in the mix too. Having one head oversee both DC Films and TV shows would make sense given the many moves that have been taking place lately. The CW's Arrowverse has been winding down, while the studio has been attempting to branch out its franchises with spinoff shows or films through HBO Max and theaters. The DCEU is also in flux right now as it remains unclear what the overall strategy is for the current cinematic universe.
This would be a significant deal if Lin does sign on as the head of DC Films, which has a 10-year plan in mind, because he would report directly to Zaslav. That means Lin would be above Warner Bros. TV, the HBO/HBO Max division, and Warner Bros. Pictures. Depending on how negotiations go, it's possible Lin, and the studio, will have a locked deal in the coming weeks, which would be the first step forward for Warner Bros. Discovery's mission in growing the DC brand. With everything that has been going on with DC Films lately, having a new leader in charge for the future can slowly begin to build up trust in the studio again following all the controversial headlines for Warner Bros. Discovery in August.
Source: Deadline & THR
