It’s been just under one day since Peter Safran (Clayface, Supergirl) and James Gunn’s (Guardians of the Galaxy, Superman) were ousted as heads of DC Studios. Now, The Hollywood Reporter is reporting on their departure and providing some closure about what exactly went down between the two and Skydance.
Warner Bros. merger with Paramount and subsequent reconfiguration into Skydance had just been fresh when Safran and Gunn were ousted. Reportedly, the duo were basking in the success of Clayface, a movie which had cost $44 million to make and which had made $100 million. Gunn had also recently wrapped production on Man of Tomorrow, a sequel to last year’s Superman. Sources say Gunn was busy at work on a third Superman installment, which he had planned on possibly releasing every two years and perhaps even morphing into a Justice League franchise.
Apparently, on Friday, November 6, Skydance co-CEOs David Ellison (Star Trek Beyond, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts) and Ynon Kreiz (Barbie, Masters of the Universe) paid a surprise, fateful visit to Warner Bros.’ lot in Burbank, California. Despite assurances that Gunn and Safran would be staying on as heads of DC Studios, they were out.
Their replacement was a familiar face: Jeremy Latcham (The Avengers, Spider-Man: Homecoming), a man who used to work at Marvel Studios and who had once been Kevin Feige’s right-hand man. Described as “mild-mannered”, Latcham is upfront about his Christian faith and desire to make uplifting films. Latcham had, ironically, had a hand in Gunn’s rise, advocating for him to direct Guardians of the Galaxy.
Gunn and Safran reportedly had some issues with the co-chairs of the Skydance Motion Picture Group, Josh Greenstein (Wonder Boys, Impostor), and Dana Goldberg (Spy Kids: Armageddon, Ray Gunn), who disliked the fact that Gunn and Safran reported directly to the top brass at Warner Bros. Greenstein and Goldberg are attempting to consolidate all production of motion pictures under their leadership, which Gunn and Safran’s contract prevented. Safran and Gunn were also reportedly slow in sharing slate details, footage, and sharing plans with Skydance leadership. In the end, Greenstein and Goldberg prevailed, and Latcham will report directly to them.
DC’s financials were also a point of contention. While Superman grossed $618 million worldwide, the studio felt that this was not an adequate amount for a movie of this caliber, nor did they feel like the film had the pop culture impact it should have had. Supergirl‘s failure at the box office further solidified these feelings. Gunn and Safran will still work creatively with DC, but their control has now been limited. It is unclear whether Gunn will get to realize his plans for a Superman trilogy, but sources close to him say he’s eager to get back to work on the creative side of things, rather than being stuck on the executive and business side. Reportedly, Gunn and Latcham have not yet spoken since the news dropped, but were expected to speak on Monday.