Wednesday 14 December 2022

Deadline; Warner Bros 100th Anniversary Kicks Off Campaign: Celebrations Include Global Concert Series, 3-Part Docu On Studio, Classic Pic Releases & More

Story from Deadline:

Warner Bros. Discovery today fired off its global centennial campaign, Celebrating Every Story, ahead of the Warner Bros. Studio’s 100th anniversary on April 4, 2023. The milestone birthday will be celebrated across the conglom’s programming, streaming, home entertainment, consumer product, experience divisions and more.

Throughout the next year, the studio will curate from its immense library, comprised of 145,000 hours of programming, 12,500 feature films and 2,400 television programs consisting of more than 150,000 individual episodes, for the public’s consumption.

Take a look at the centennial commemorative reel above voiced by Morgan Freeman, who won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for Warner Bros’ Clint Eastwood movie Million Dollar Baby.

David Zaslav, Chief Executive Officer, Warner Bros. Discovery, said: “The name Warner Bros. is synonymous with entertainment, and we are honored to be celebrating this iconic studio’s centennial and the rich heritage that stretches back to the four brothers who founded it in 1923. Over the past 100 years, Warner Bros. has created some of the most recognizable and beloved films, TV shows and characters ever made, and has been the place for impactful storytelling that both defines and reflects our culture. We are excited about our company’s bright and dynamic future and, as we embark on its second century, to continue to tell the kind of great stories that entertain, inform and inspire audiences around the world.”

Among the Warner Bros.’ 100th anniversary celebrations: 6-In programming, there’s a three-part documentary on the history of Warner Bros. from WB Unscripted Television to debut on HBO Max (and select partners in territories where HBO Max isn’t available); programming marathons and special episodes across Warner Bros. Discovery’s 40+ domestic networks and international channels; archival interviews airing on Extra from the series’ 29 seasons of Studio set visits, red carpet premieres and junkets; a year-long focus on classic Warner Bros. films on TCM; partnerships with various community organizations to help recruit and identify filmmakers to be a part of a short-film project paying homage to some of Warner Bros.’ most iconic movies; and centennial branding and events connecting fans to the Studio’s TV brands, franchises and characters.

HBO Max will launch a dedicated programming page in late January with thematic and seasonal programming. HBO Max will mine the studio’s film and TV archives to present curated collections celebrating holidays and cultural events, including Black History Month, Women’s History Month, AAPI Month and Pride/LGBTQ.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is set to release a series of celebratory film and TV bundles on digital, Blu-ray and DVD, including four 25-film volumes and a 100-film collection (both featuring souvenir collectibles), complete TV series collections available for the first time, and “Best of” TV compilations from WBTV franchises. Throughout the year, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will also release a dozen remastered titles available for the first time in 4K Ultra-High Definition, with titles ranging from the Superman 5-Film Collection to special 50th Anniversary editions of Enter the Dragon and The Exorcist.

In consumer products, Warner Bros. Discovery is presenting several exclusive centennial activations with key partners, including Amazon, Saks Fifth Avenue, Funko, Mattel, New Era, Running Press, and more. There’s also a new Looney Tunes product line.

In experiences, there will be a Candlelight Concert Series across 100 cities, including Los Angeles, New York, London, Toronto, Melbourne, Paris, Singapore, Milan, São Paulo and Mexico City, with music performed from the studio’s iconic films and series.

The Warner Bros Studio Tour Hollywood will have a special 100th anniversary exhibit as part of the tour starting in February as well as more surprises later in 2023.

The TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood in April will celebrate key films and talent from Warner Bros. Pictures’ history, including Casablanca, the 50th anniversaries of The Exorcist, with director William Friedkin in attendance, and Enter the Dragon, and world premiere restorations of East of Eden and Rio Bravo.

Also, there will be limited theatrical releases of classic Warner Bros. pics in cinemas as well as screenings at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.

In addition there’s activations at Warner Bros.’ hotel and theme parks including The WB Abu Dhabi, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, Parque Warner Madrid, and Warner Bros. Movie World in Australia. There will also be centennial exhibitions in China and a themed exhibition during the Beijing International Film Festival as well as pop-up channels in Germany, film exhibitions across Europe and consumer products and fashion lines across all offshore territories.

© 2022 Deadline Hollywood.