Warner Bros has reupped Walter Hamada as president of DC Films. He will continue to oversee the DC film slate, along with features produced for the HBO Max streaming platform. Terms of the new deal were not disclosed, but Hamada’s new contract runs through 2023.
“Walter is not only passionate about story and the DC canon, he’s also a thoughtful and incredibly talented executive who is fully committed to investing the time and care necessary for moviemaking on this scale,” said Toby Emmerich, chairman of Warner Bros Pictures Group. “With Walter overseeing our DC movies for theatrical exhibition and on HBO Max, we are excited for him and his team to bring more of these stories to life, working with new and established talent to broaden the reach and diversity of the DC cinematic universe.”
Hamada currently oversees WBPG’s slate of films based on DC’s superheroes and super-villains, as well as titles based on other characters and stories also licensed from DC including its Vertigo and Mad Magazine imprints. He and the DC-based film team also draw upon resources from across both Warner Bros Pictures and New Line Cinema. Going forward, this group will increase its production level to include producing several feature-length productions specifically for the HBO Max platform each year, while continuing to produce a roster of theatrical releases through the Warner Bros Pictures and New Line labels.
In 2019, Hamada oversaw production of New Line’s Shazam! and Warner Bros Pictures’ blockbuster Joker, which earned almost $1.1 billion at the global box office and was nominated for 11 Oscars, winning best actor for Joaquin Phoenix and for Hildur Guðnadóttir’s original score. In February 2020, DC-Based Films released Birds of Prey. The division most recently released Wonder Woman 1984, which was received with mix reviews but played a huge part in launching the WB and HBO Max day-and-date slate.
“Walter is an incredibly talented, well respected executive, known by his colleagues and our filmmakers as a great collaborator,” said Ann Sarnoff, chair and CEO, WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group. “I’m excited about where he’s taking DC Films and look forward to working with him and the rest of the team to build out the DC Multiverse.”
The re-up comes as Hamada’s name came up during an investigation by Warner Bros into conduct on its original Justice League, after allegations from the film’s co-star Ray Fisher, who played Cyborg, that director Joss Whedon’s “on-set treatment of the cast and crew of Justice League was gross, abusive, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable.”Hamada was not in charge of DC feature production and release of Justice League; he was a New Line executive at the time but has been looped in to the matter as acting president.
Warner Bros said last month that an investigation into the accusations had been concluded and “remedial action has been taken.” Fisher later called out Hamada over the probe and said he would no longer work with the DC Films boss.
Hamada was New Line’s EVP Production and was one of the key executives in charge of the label’s horror successes It and The Conjuring franchises.
He was named president of DC Films in January 2018.
Variety was first to report the Hamada news today.