AT&T today revealed a new company wide diversity and inclusion policy for WarnerMedia, the parent company of Warner Bros., HBO, and Turner. The new policy covers Warner Bros. across their movie, TV, and digital divisions.
The first project to move forward with this new policy is a movie called Just Mercy, which stars Michael B. Jordan. Warner Bros. chairman and CEO, Kevin Tsujihara, commented on the new policy.
“I’m proud that Warner Bros, and our sister companies HBO and Turner, are willing to state unequivocally that this is where we stand on diversity and inclusion. Our policy commits us to taking concrete action to further our goals, to measure the outcomes and to share the results publicly,” Tsujihara said. “I’m also thrilled that we were able to work with Michael B. Jordan to craft a meaningful policy and framework that will apply to all of our productions, across all of our divisions, going forward.”
Birds of Prey may be one of the first DC movies to implement this policy. Cathy Yan was hired as director, and Margot Robbie promised that there would be a lot of diversity on the screen as well.
WarnerMedia’s full statement on the new policy can be read below.
WarnerMedia companies, Warner Bros., HBO and Turner, have long been committed to diversity and inclusion as moral and business imperatives. It is essential that our content and creative partners reflect the diversity of our society and the world around us. Together with other production companies, networks, guilds, unions, talent agencies and others in the industry, we all must ensure there is greater inclusion of women, people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, those with disabilities and other underrepresented groups in greater numbers both in front of and behind the camera.
For our part, WarnerMedia pledges to use our best efforts to ensure that diverse actors and crew members are considered for film, television and other projects, and to work with directors and producers who also seek to promote greater diversity and inclusion in our industry. To that end, in the early stages of the production process, we will engage with our writers, producers and directors to create a plan for implementing this commitment to diversity and inclusion on our projects, with the goal of providing opportunities for individuals from under-represented groups at all levels. And, we will issue an annual report on our progress.
The companies of WarnerMedia have a historic and proven commitment to diversity and inclusion. But there is much more we can do, and we believe real progress can be made in the industry. We will work with our partners in the entertainment community to make this commitment a reality.
SOURCE: Deadline (via Superhero News)
