Warner Looking To Sell Looney Tunes

[GAcoaster]

This is an interesting twist-- one of their best known brands and figures synonymous with Warner Brothers for 80+ years:

Report: WB Looking To Sell Looney Tunes Brand After Coyote vs. Acme

Warner Bros. may now be looking to sell the entire Looney Tunes brand. Earlier this week, it was announced that Warner Bros. Discovery may finally be selling the distribution rights for Coyote vs. Acme to Ketchup Entertainment. The move comes after Warner Bros. decided to shelve the completed...

www.yahoo.com

There's apparently some speculation Disney may be an interested purchaser.

This could be interesting for the theme parks as well when Six Flags licensing is coming up for renewal and the combined SF/CF could theoretically replace the Looney Tunes with Peanuts.

 

[rageofthegods]

Christ almighty.

 

[saint.piss]

No shocker.... it's a dumb decision but I would expect nothing less from current WB leadership. David Zaslav is a hack.

 

[Jake S]

Just remember this next time someone tells you that someone must be clear-eyed, rational and intelligent because they work in a C-Suite or are otherwise a Big Business Boy.

 

[rageofthegods]

The story of our times is rich mediocrities presenting the positions they got through birthright or *ss-kissing like they're achievements and then being shocked when people are unimpressed.

Anyway, I won't pretend the Looney Tunes aren't a stale brand right now but that speaks more to WB's mismanagement of the property than anything about the brand itself. Universal has had no problem keeping brands from the 30s relevant today.

 

[Mad Dog]

The story of our times is rich mediocrities presenting the positions they got through birthright or *ss-kissing like they're achievements and then being shocked when people are unimpressed.

Anyway, I won't pretend the Looney Tunes aren't a stale brand right now but that speaks more to WB's mismanagement of the property than anything about the brand itself. Universal has had no problem keeping brands from the 30s relevant today.

The Peter Principle. It's been around for ages.

 

[Wesker69]

WB's struggle with Looney Tunes sounds like Disney's struggle with The Muppets

I LOVED the short-lived Looney Tunes sitcom style animated series from a few years ago. It was great & has become "meme material". Wish they hadn't canceled it.

Also this is definitely a Zaslov decision of stupidity. They're trying their hardest to kill off WB it seems. At this rate, considering how much WB is in Universal, they might as well just hand the Studio & IPs over to Universal. And completely sever ties with Zaslov/Discovery. *wishful thinking*

 

[Mad Dog]

WB's struggle with Looney Tunes sounds like Disney's struggle with The Muppets

I LOVED the short-lived Looney Tunes sitcom style animated series from a few years ago. It was great & has become "meme material". Wish they hadn't canceled it.

Also this is definitely a Zaslov decision of stupidity. They're trying their hardest to kill off WB it seems. At this rate, considering how much WB is in Universal, they might as well just hand the Studio & IPs over to Universal. And completely sever ties with Zaslov/Discovery. *wishful thinking*

Zaslov makes Chapek look like a winner. He's that inept.

 

[Viator]

Warner Bros. Discovery has been on a march of death for the past 7 months. The fact they aren't selling the entire company makes me wonder if they fear that certain governmental powers would bar it; so they are moving to piece-meal things to save their own skin.

@Mad Dog is right--genuinely baffled that Zaslav is the one leading general that is taking a golden legacy down the stupid drain.

 

[Wesker69]

Just let Universal have WB & it's backlot. It'd make park expansion easier if the backlot across the street became theirs..

I do wonder about Looney Tunes (& DC) in regards to the future of Six Flags..

 

[TheUniC6]

WB's struggle with Looney Tunes sounds like Disney's struggle with The Muppets

I LOVED the short-lived Looney Tunes sitcom style animated series from a few years ago. It was great & has become "meme material". Wish they hadn't canceled it.

Also this is definitely a Zaslov decision of stupidity. They're trying their hardest to kill off WB it seems. At this rate, considering how much WB is in Universal, they might as well just hand the Studio & IPs over to Universal. And completely sever ties with Zaslov/Discovery. *wishful thinking*

Warner Bros. Discovery has been on a march of death for the past 7 months. The fact they aren't selling the entire company makes me wonder if they fear that certain governmental powers would bar it; so they are moving to piece-meal things to save their own skin.

@Mad Dog is right--genuinely baffled that Zaslav is the one leading general that is taking a golden legacy down the stupid drain.

NBCU is going to have their cable networks spun off by November 2025. Hopefully this slimmed down structure will allow them to nab key WB assets and turn the thing around.

I doubt Disney is interested in getting Looney Tunes.

 

[Paulio]

Looney Tunes has been part of WB's identity for 80 years and Bugs Bunny is WB's official mascot, so this is a really big move, if not risky, one by WB. If the sale does come by, I hope Comcast/Universal snatch the brand up since they lack iconic cartoon legends on their own (only Woody Woodpecker is famously associated with Universal and is only popular nowadays in some places like Brazil).

 

[Mad Dog]

Warner Bros. Discovery has been on a march of death for the past 7 months. The fact they aren't selling the entire company makes me wonder if they fear that certain governmental powers would bar it; so they are moving to piece-meal things to save their own skin.

@Mad Dog is right--genuinely baffled that Zaslav is the one leading general that is taking a golden legacy down the stupid drain.

My brother, who is a retired VP of a film studio, knew Zaslav personally. When Zaslav took over, he predicted this stuff would happen and he said Zaslav does not know the business and was incompetent....He was right on.

 

[Freak]

Being that this is the same dude that scrapped the Batman Beyond animated movie (Which looked SICK) for the Minecraft movie doesn’t surprise me that he would make some 0 IQ decision to do something like this.

Pull some random dude out of a Chili’s drink off his bum and he would run the company better than Zaslov could. What a Goober move.

 

[Mad Dog]

On problem with much of corporate America is that they bring in CEO's/Presidents that don't understand the business they're being put in charge of. Just asking for failure.

 

[GAcoaster]

Does anyone know if the Hannah Barbera assets might be lumped in with Looney Tunes since they were all under the umbrella of Warner Brothers Animation when AOL/Time Warner combined?

 

[Legacy]

Any studio other than Universal—who then immediately hands the Tunes to Illumination—is a tragedy.

 

[TheGentTrent]

Any studio other than Universal—who then immediately hands the Tunes to Illumination—is a tragedy.

Give them to Paramount, who has consistently proven an understanding of churning out Saturday morning antics.

 

[Paulio]

Does anyone know if the Hannah Barbera assets might be lumped in with Looney Tunes since they were all under the umbrella of Warner Brothers Animation when AOL/Time Warner combined?

Don't think so, but I wouldn't rule it out. Fun fact: Universal was one of the original bidders for Hannah Barbera in 1991, but was outbid by Ted Turner. If the sale does come by, maybe Universal will finish the job it started in 1991.