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Warner Bros. Discovery chief David Zaslav on Wednesday announced Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy‘s early renewal for a multi-year deal as co-chair & CEOs of the Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group. Their deal had not been set to expire until next year.
He’s got good reason to keep them happy. Only seven months ago, rumors were rampant that the media mogul was considering replacing them after a string of misses (some were left over from the previous regime, but they were still on the hook).
Then came the rebound of all rebounds, beginning in April with A Minecraft Movie, which grossed $957 million globally, and Ryan Coogler’s original horror pic Sinners, which began silencing naysayers by grossing nearly $370 million globally. That was followed by this summer’s successful reboot Final Destination: Bloodlines ($307 million); and Weapons, an original horror title from filmmaker Zach Cregger that has astonished in earning north of $250 million to date. New Line, home of the Final Destination and Conjuring franchises, also handled Weapons after De Luca beat out rivals in paying $38 million for rights to Cregger’s hotly sought-after project.
“When I first arrived at the studio, recommitting this storied company to its theatrical roots, renewing Warner Bros. longstanding role as a home for the world’s best storytellers, and reestablishing this iconic studio to its position as an industry leader in terms of quality and box office success were among my key objectives,” Zaslav said in a note to staff. “Bringing Mike & Pam on to lead this team was an important step to achieve those goals, and I am excited to share with you that we have re-upped their deal to enable them to continue the stellar work they and this team will do over the next several years bringing the very best movies to cinemas around the world.”
This fall, The Conjuring: Last Rights to exceeded all expectations in earning nearly $460 million to date, nearly $100 million more than the next title in the Conjuring Universal of films.
Known for their strong commitment to auteurs, Abdy and De Luca also came under scrutiny for giving Paul Thomas Anderson the biggest budget of his career to make One Battle After Another, a critical darling and and early-runner in the awards race. The reported net budget is $135 milion; other say it is as high as $170 million. One Battle After Another debuted to $22 million at the box office over the last weekend in September, but what counts are film’s legs.
(It may not be a coincidence that Zaslav is speaking up as One Battle begins its theatrical journey, since this is the project for which Abdy and De Luca have come under for the most scrutiny.)
Continuing, he said, “Mike & Pam’s unwavering leadership and commitment to this business has been critical to our success this year, with countless box office records broken across Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema, where Jesse Ehrman, Richard Brenner and their teams have been flawless. Among our greatest achievements is our balanced slate featuring global tentpoles, strategically leveraged IP from among Warner Bros. storied past, including those from DC Studios, led by Peter Safran and James Gunn, and our world-class collection of horror films, while adding new and groundbreaking original works. Next year, we will take another important step as we re-introduce new animated titles to that strategy.”
Zaslav said he also wanted to congratulate the entire Motion Picture Group for its year, noting that the studio has achieved a milestone that hasn’t been achieved since 2019 — surpassing $4 billion at the global box office with just 11 films. “The results have been nothing short of remarkable, and I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve accomplished together,” he said.
Abdy and DeLuca sent their own note to staff. Read it below in full, followed by Zaslav’s note.
Team!
What a year we have had! We are grateful to all of you for your hard work and to David for his steadfast belief in in both of us and this team. We are so proud to stand on the shoulders of the incredible leaders who have steered Warner Bros. over its 100-year history.
We knew from our first meeting with David that his unwavering vision, leadership and resolve to be a destination for filmmakers with singular visions would lead Warner Bros. back to its founding principles of making fearless, entertaining and cinema worthy films for audiences of all ages.
We have the privilege to do this job because of the support and trust he has put in us, and in all of you. We could not be more excited to be leading this team as we introduce an exciting slate of films in the coming years and continue making every film experience an event worthy of the Warner Bros. shield.
Pam & Mike
Zaslav’s memo:
To All Motion Picture Group Team Members-
As we approach the end of 2025, I wanted to take a moment to congratulate the entire Motion Picture Group for a truly incredible year. Thanks to your talent, dedication and teamwork, our studio has achieved a milestone that hasn’t been achieved since 2019 – surpassing $4 billion at the global box office with just 11 films. Together, we’ve delivered 15 weeks at #1, seen nine films debut in the top global spot, and proudly hold three of the top ten highest grossing films worldwide. These achievements are not just numbers, but they are a testament to the creativity, passion and relentless drive that each of you brings to this work every day. The results have been nothing short of remarkable, and I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve accomplished together.
When I first arrived at the studio, recommitting this storied company to its theatrical roots, renewing Warner Bros. long standing role as a home for the world’s best storytellers, and reestablishing this iconic studio to its position as an industry leader in terms of quality and box office success were among my key objectives. Bringing Mike & Pam on to lead this team was an important step to achieve those goals, and I am excited to share with you that we have re-upped their deal to enable them to continue the stellar work they and this team will do over the next several years bringing the very best movies to cinemas around the world.
Mike & Pam’s unwavering leadership and commitment to this business has been critical to our success this year, with countless box office records broken across Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema, where Jesse Ehrman, Richard Brenner and their teams have been flawless. Among our greatest achievements is our balanced slate featuring global tentpoles, strategically leveraged IP from among Warner Bros. storied past, including those from DC Studios, led by Peter Safran and James Gunn, and our world-class collection of horror films, while adding new and groundbreaking original works. Next year, we will take another important step as we re-introduce new animated titles to that strategy.
We have a lot to be grateful for and much to celebrate including several of this year’s best reviewed movies, many of which have pierced the culture zeitgeist in profound ways while also delighting moviegoers around the world.
With thanks,
David
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