Warner Bros.

Pictures[edit]

Warner Bros. Pictures logo and wordmark used from 1993 to

2019; on-screen logo used from 1998 until 2021
The division was incorporated as Warner Bros. Pictures on March 3, 2003, to diversify film subjects
and expand audiences for their film releases.[29] The company became part of the Warner Bros.
Pictures Group, which was established in 2008, and Jeff Robinov was appointed the first president
of the company.[30] In 2017, longtime New Line executive Toby Emmerich joined as president.[31] In
January 2018, he was elevated to chairman.[32][33] On October 23, 2018, it was announced Lynne
Frank, President of Warner Bros. Pictures Group, would be leaving the company to pursue new
opportunities.[34] In June 2019, Warner Bros. Pictures signed an agreement with SF Studios to have
their films distributed in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland.[35]

As with most other film distributors, Warner Bros. Pictures struggled with releasing films during the
2020 COVID-19 pandemic due to restrictions on theater openings. After pushing several films
planned for 2020 into 2021, WB announced in December 2020 that they would take the unusual
approach of having their entire slate of 2021 films planned for both theatrical release as well as
having a simultaneous one-month period of availability on the HBO Max streaming service, in a
similar manner for how they were releasing Wonder Woman 1984 that month. After one month, such
films would still be available in theaters and would then later be available via home media under
typical release schedules.[36] The move to include streaming, dubbed "Project Popcorn", was
criticized by production companies, directors, and actors as Warner Bros. Pictures had not informed
anyone about the plan ahead of the announcement, as well of concerns of lower payouts due to the
streaming options,[37] leading Warner Bros. Pictures to alter its compensation rates for the affected
films by January 2021 to provide larger payouts to casts and crews of these films.[38]