Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. has created DC Entertainment Inc., a new company that will streamline the DC Comics brand and characters across all of the studio’s media and platforms.
The move comes one week after Disney snapped up DC rival Marvel for $4 billion.
The newly-formed company will be run by Diane Nelson, it was announced today by Barry Meyer, Chairman & CEO, and Alan Horn, President & COO, Warner Bros.
Nelson will segue from her post as President of Warner Premiere but maintain oversight of that division.
DC Entertainment, which will work with each of the Warner Bros. divisions, will also prioritize DC properties as key titles and growth drivers across all of Warner Bros, including feature films, television, interactive entertainment, direct-to-consumer platforms and consumer products.
The DC Comics publishing business will remain the cornerstone of DC Entertainment, releasing approximately 90 comic books through its various imprints and 30 graphic novels a month.
Nelson will continue to oversee the franchise management of the "Harry Potter" property, which she has done since 2000.
Paul Levitz, who has served as President & Publisher of DC Comics since 2002, will segue from that role to return to his roots as a writer for DC and become a contributing editor and overall consultant to DCE.
Current DC properties in feature and television development or production at Warner Bros include:
— “Human Target,” produced by Warner Bros. Television for a mid-season debut on Fox.
— “Midnight Mass,” in series development at Warner Bros Television for consideration for the 2010-11 season.
— “Jonah Hex,” Warner Bros Pictures’ supernatural Western starring Josh Brolin, Megan Fox and John Malkovich, recently wrapped production in Louisiana.
— “The Losers,” Dark Castle/Warner Bros Pictures’ action-adventure drama starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Zoe Saldana.
— “The Green Lantern," starring Ryan Reynolds. The film has a projected second quarter 2011 release date.
— “Lobo,” based on the DC Comics anti-hero, has Guy Ritchie attached as a director.
