Warner Bros. Discovery Has Axed Its Pipeline Programs For Writers And Directors
Oscity / Shutterstock By Erin Brady/Oct. 11, 2022 6:30 pm EST
One of the most prolific industry programs in Hollywood is officially shutting down. The Hollywood Reporter confirmed on Tuesday that the Warner Bros. Television Writers and Directors Workshops will no longer be operating after more than 40 years of service. An official statement has not been released regarding the decision, but these closures are shaping up to be another controversial axing that has plagued Warner Bros. Discovery for the past few months.
These closures come as even more layoffs rock the company, particularly affecting the Warner Bros. TV Group division. One other division that has been shut down is the Stage 13 short-form content studio. Unfortunately, THR claims that these will not be the only layoffs hitting the company this week, with more expected as part of a $3 billion cost-saving initiative. Over their four decades of operation, both workshops have been responsible for launching the careers of several notable writers and directors. Writing alumni include Akela Cooper (“Star Trek: Strange New Worlds”), Kari Drake (“Severance”), and Katie Avery (“Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin”). As far as directors go, the program counts Regina King (“One Night in Miami”) and Jude Weng (“Only Murders in the Building”) among its graduates.
We recommend taking some time to go through the alumni pages of the writers and directors programs just to see the kind of talent they help cultivate.
Warner Bros. Discovery Has Axed Its Pipeline Programs For Writers And Directors
Oscity / Shutterstock
By Erin Brady/Oct. 11, 2022 6:30 pm EST
One of the most prolific industry programs in Hollywood is officially shutting down. The Hollywood Reporter confirmed on Tuesday that the Warner Bros. Television Writers and Directors Workshops will no longer be operating after more than 40 years of service. An official statement has not been released regarding the decision, but these closures are shaping up to be another controversial axing that has plagued Warner Bros. Discovery for the past few months.
These closures come as even more layoffs rock the company, particularly affecting the Warner Bros. TV Group division. One other division that has been shut down is the Stage 13 short-form content studio. Unfortunately, THR claims that these will not be the only layoffs hitting the company this week, with more expected as part of a $3 billion cost-saving initiative. Over their four decades of operation, both workshops have been responsible for launching the careers of several notable writers and directors. Writing alumni include Akela Cooper (“Star Trek: Strange New Worlds”), Kari Drake (“Severance”), and Katie Avery (“Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin”). As far as directors go, the program counts Regina King (“One Night in Miami”) and Jude Weng (“Only Murders in the Building”) among its graduates.
We recommend taking some time to go through the alumni pages of the writers and directors programs just to see the kind of talent they help cultivate.
These closures come as even more layoffs rock the company, particularly affecting the Warner Bros. TV Group division. One other division that has been shut down is the Stage 13 short-form content studio. Unfortunately, THR claims that these will not be the only layoffs hitting the company this week, with more expected as part of a $3 billion cost-saving initiative.
Over their four decades of operation, both workshops have been responsible for launching the careers of several notable writers and directors. Writing alumni include Akela Cooper (“Star Trek: Strange New Worlds”), Kari Drake (“Severance”), and Katie Avery (“Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin”). As far as directors go, the program counts Regina King (“One Night in Miami”) and Jude Weng (“Only Murders in the Building”) among its graduates.
We recommend taking some time to go through the alumni pages of the writers and directors programs just to see the kind of talent they help cultivate.
One terrifying question
HBO
That’s exactly what is being cut in these layoffs — important opportunities. Breaking into the broader writing industry is hard enough as it is, but the film and television spheres are a whole other beast. As the aforementioned Cooper wrote in a tweet responding to the news “it helped kick start so many careers.”
But hey, at least we’re getting another DC Extended Universe reboot!
