James Gunn and Peter Safran appointed to take over DC Studios

Shutterstock - James Gunn - DFree

James Gunn and Peter Safran have been appointed to the roles of Co-Chairmen and Chief Executive Officers of DC Studios.

It was announced on Tuesday that Gunn and Safran are stepping in to run DC Studios. While Gunn will focus on the creative side of things, Safran will be dealing with the business aspects. Both men will report directly to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, and will be working closely with overall Warner Bros.’ film bosses De Luca and Pamela Abdy.

“DC has among the most entertaining, powerful, and iconic characters in the world and I am thrilled to have the singular and complementary talents of James and Peter joining our world-class team and overseeing the creative direction of the storied DC Universe,” Zaslav said in a statement. “Their decades of experience in filmmaking, close ties to the creative community, and proven track record thrilling superhero fans around the globe make them uniquely qualified to develop a long-term strategy across film, TV, and animation, and take this iconic franchise to the next level of creative storytelling.”

“We’re honored to be the stewards of these DC characters we’ve loved since we were children,” Gunn and Safran said in a joint statement. “We look forward to collaborating with the most talented writers, directors, and actors in the world to create an integrated, multilayered universe that still allows for the individual expression of the artists involved. Our commitment to Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Harley Quinn, and the rest of the DC stable of characters is only equaled by our commitment to the wonder of human possibility these characters represent. We’re excited to invigorate the theatrical experience around the world as we tell some of the biggest, most beautiful, and grandest stories ever told.”

“We could not be more excited to have James Gunn and Peter Safran join the team and assume the leadership of the DC Universe,” De Luca and Abdy said in a statement. “James is a brilliant filmmaker and storyteller and Peter is a tremendously successful and prolific producer and to have them both committing to work together to forge this new era for DC is a literal dream come true. We all share a very similar sensibility and passion for this universe and the stars couldn’t have aligned any better. We can’t wait to get started, dig in, and collaborate with these unmatched creative minds.”

The positions are set to begin on November 1 and are reported to be four-year deals. One of their first tasks is said to be to map out an overall plan for the films going forward.

IMAGE SOURCE: Shutterstock – James Gunn – DFree