In celebration of the 100th anniversary of Warner Bros. Studios, the Warner Bros. Discovery’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team today unveiled plans for a short film series that reimagines the Studio’s iconic films through a diverse and inclusive lens. Six filmmakers have been selected to develop and shoot 20-minute short film adaptions bringing a modern lens to the classic Warner Bros. titles A Star is Born, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Calamity Jane, Jack and the Beanstalk, The Prince and the Pauper and Rebel Without a Cause, with representative casting, storytelling and narrative.
The filmmakers will begin production this summer and receive mentoring from a team of accomplished producers and directors, including Greg Berlanti (TV’s Arrow, The Flash), Angel Manuel Soto (Upcoming Blue Beetle, The Farm), Blitz Bazawale (Upcoming The Color Purple, Black is King), Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights)Danis Goulet (Night Raiders, TV’s Alaska Daily) and James Lebrecht (Crip Camp). In addition, producer Ali Afshar (American Wrestler: The Wizard, Holiday Harmony and A Christmas Mystery) will serve as a consulting producer on the projects and support the filmmakers throughout the process.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to work with WBD’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team to expand opportunities for a broader range of talent to realize their dreams at Warner Bros.,” said Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, Co-Chairs & CEOs, Warner Bros. Pictures Group. “We can’t think of a better way to celebrate this Studio’s 100-year legacy than investing in the next generation of great storytellers, and we look forward to seeing these iconic movies through their eyes.”
The featured filmmakers were selected by DEI industry veterans, including WBD’s Senior Vice President of DEI in North America Karen Horne, in collaboration with Warner Bros. Pictures executives, Visual Communications, Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, Urban World, Sundance Indigenous Lab, Outfest and ReelAbilities Film Fest. The participants and their selected films are: Robin Cloud, (Calamity Jane); Regan Linton (Jack and the Beanstalk) B. Monét (A Star is Born); Monica Moore-Suriyage (Adventures of Robin Hood); Juan Pablo Arias Muñoz (Rebel Without A Cause) and Taietsarón:sere ‘Tai’ Leclaire (Prince and the Pauper).
“The impact of Warner Bros.’ films over the last century has been tremendous — they have shaped our culture and our understanding of the world around us. In celebration of the studio’s 100th anniversary, we are thrilled to empower these talented filmmakers to create a modern and diverse reimagining of these iconic productions as both a tribute to the original work and as a mechanism to remind us of the power we have to tell stories and depict people in an inclusive and fulsome manner,” said Asif Sadiq, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, Warner Bros. Discovery.
The completed short films will be showcased on Max in 2023.
