There's a massive shakeup at Warner Bros. after the failure of 'Batman v Superman'
Nearing the end of its theatrical run, the movie has only grossed $869.8 million worldwide to date. For a superhero movie of its size, in which the two most famous comic-book characters of all time go head-to-head, that just doesn't cut it. The movie really needed at least $1 billion to be a success.
Meanwhile, "Captain America: Civil War" has nearly hit a billion worldwide in less than two weeks.
Though Warner has been putting on a strong face in public, it looks like the studio has decided to shake things up so it can rebound.
The studio just created a separate division for the releases of its DC properties, called DC Films, and has hired a pair of executives to run it, according to news of the shakeup at The Hollywood Reporter.
The shift is similar to what Disney has with Marvel Studios, whose president Kevin Feige oversees all aspects of adapting the comic-book characters to the screen, from choosing the producers and filmmakers to making key casting decisions.
According to THR, Berg was already involved in "Batman v Superman," "Suicide Squad," the Wonder Woman standalone movie, and "Justice League." He also has a close connection with the current Batman, Ben Affleck, as he's worked on the star's movies at the studio like "Argo" and the upcoming "Live by Night."
Johns has been a key member in the launching of DC Comics' TV series like "Arrow," "The Flash," and "Supergirl."
It was essential for Warner Bros. to show that it has a cohesive unit running the DC properties. It has numerous projects coming out of that pipeline, including the much-anticipated "Suicide Squad" opening in August - which has already undergone expensive reshoots - and the recently announced standalone Harley Quinn movie starring Margot Robbie.