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[Revolutionary]

A courtroom Looney Tunes comedy starring John Cena and co-written by James Gunn would easily make more than $30M in the long run but Zaslav would rather just take the $30M tax write-off so he can receive his yearly bonus... what a waste. Batgirl's write-off was understandable (reportedly had disastrous test screenings), but this is just perplexing, and a lot of creatives seem to be upset about it on Twitter.








Update:

 

[Zathalus]

Goddamit. This could have actually been funny.

 

[jason10mm]

I'm starting to feel like this entire DC/Max thing is just a GIANT troll for a mockumentary. How can streaming be so unprofitable that NOT releasing stuff is the only way to make money?

 

[Meicyn]

Must be infuriating busting your ass on a project for months or years, only to have some rich asshole use your work as a tax write-off for their own benefit.

 

[nkarafo]

Ok, if it exists someone will leak it right?

 

[Daneel Elijah]

Must be infuriating busting your ass on a project for months or years, only to have some rich asshole use your work as a tax write-off for their own benefit.

And with hollywood accounting not paying you well as no film means no reason for any kind of bonus.

 

[jason10mm]

And with hollywood accounting not paying you well as no film means no reason for any kind of bonus.

Sadly this is probably true. I'm not sure of all the stipulations in the latest round of strike agreements, but wouldn't surprise me to see the studios lean on legacy media with fewer residuals than new stuff that costs them much more. Why make something new if you can convince folks to sub to watch Friends for the 5th time?

 

[Revolutionary]

Ok, if it exists someone will leak it right?

 

[Majima Everywhere System]

At what point does the SEC start to question the accounting here. I feel like if you did all the work to make a finished product that is easily distributed without additional financial burden, you don’t get to cancel it for convenience.

It’s not like a car prototype, where the initial investment is nothing compared to making it accessible to customers.

 

[Ownage]

A courtroom Looney Tunes comedy starring John Cena and co-written by James Gunn would easily make more than $30M in the long run but Zaslav would rather just take the $30M tax write-off so he can receive his yearly bonus... what a waste. Batgirl's write-off was understandable (reportedly had disastrous test screenings), but this is just perplexing, and a lot of creatives seem to be upset about it on Twitter.

Nothing new, we all know Zazzy is a psychopath.

 

[AJUMP23]

Why would you do this. I guess you are a tax shelter and not a film company.

 

[Werewolf Jones]

Release garbage like Blue Beetle and not this? Lmao.

 

[Saber]

Coyote vs ACME? Man, I would love to see that, what a shame...

 

[Esca]

I would have really liked to have seen this. Love Looney toons and this sounds cool

 

[kruis]

Doesn't make any sense to throw a finished movie in the trash can when there's an enormous movie/tv show drought coming on in 2024 because of those months' long writers and actors strikes.

 

[GloveSlap]

At what point does the SEC start to question the accounting here. I feel like if you did all the work to make a finished product that is easily distributed without additional financial burden, you don’t get to cancel it for convenience.

It’s not like a car prototype, where the initial investment is nothing compared to making it accessible to customers.

Yeah, it's shady. Disney removing Willow from Disney+ was even crazier. How do you factor the write off value of something that's already been on your streaming service for months?

 

[Papa_Wisdom]

#RELEASETHECENACUT

 

[NecrosaroIII]

What a waste of effort.

 

[Blackage]

The Scooby Doo movie at least leaked online, hopefully this will too.

 

[NeverYouMind]

The Scooby Doo movie at least leaked online, hopefully this will too.

Scooby Doo movie?

 

[Dural]

Scooby Doo movie?

Scooby Doo and Krypto Too was cancelled then leaked, Scoob Haunted Holiday was also cancelled but hasn't leaked yet.

 

[NeverYouMind]

Scooby Doo and Krypto Too was cancelled then leaked, Scoob Haunted Holiday was also cancelled but hasn't leaked yet.

Damn! I don't like Krypto. I might have watched Haunted Holiday though... These cancelations of completed products with no additional production cost are so strange to me.

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

God exist.

 

[bitbydeath]

How do these tax write-offs work exactly?
There’s no way this would have cost anywhere near 30M to make.

 

[Husky]

what the fuck WHY

 

[Ownage]

How do these tax write-offs work exactly?
There’s no way this would have cost anywhere near 30M to make.

I can put a value on anything I want. It's the responsibility of the government and the courts to argue and prove that I'm wrong. Until then, game on, because that's the game.

 

[chromhound]

But they keep releasing garbage....

 

[Dice]

Zaslav

Fuck this guy. Literally destroying WB/HBO on purpose to lower the value in an attempt to sell to Comcast. Psychopath CEO fuck.

 

[ManaByte]

Actually the directors of Batgirl said WB deleted the movie from the servers.

 

[ahtlas7]

Didn’t meet certain quotas for release I would assume.

 

[AREYOUOKAY?]

Of course they had to cancel it if you can't even see the characters on the big screen.

 

[KrakenIPA]

Ok, if it exists someone will leak it right?

If someone zipped it i wouldn't be surprised.

 

[Pigenator]

What a retarded decision.
What sense does it make to not release a finished movie? Literally throwing money away. Just sell it to Netflix or something.

 

[nkarafo]

Actually the directors of Batgirl said WB deleted the movie from the servers.

Even so someone must have kept a backup. Digital files are not like physical items, they can be duplicated in an instant by anyone.

 

[dave_d]

Actually the directors of Batgirl said WB deleted the movie from the servers.

Geez, did they hire the people from Impact Wrestling or something?(I hope a few of you get that reference.)

 

[22:22:22]

The whole thread title could've been Egyptian.

I'm getting old

 

[cormack12]

Someone ELI5 please?

They made a movie. Paid the actors etc. And it cost x amount.

How does not releasing it create financial benefit for someone?

 

[wvnative]

Actually the directors of Batgirl said WB deleted the movie from the servers.

jesus fucking christ are you serious?

 

[ManaByte]

jesus fucking christ are you serious?

Because it was taken as a tax write-off, it can never be released as long as WB exists. So they deleted the movie. Likely that will happen with this too.

 

[wvnative]

Because it was taken as a tax write-off, it can never be released as long as WB exists. So they deleted the movie. Likely that will happen with this too.

Wow.

If I worked in the movie industry, i'd never want to work with WB again.

 

[sankt-Antonio]

Wow.

If I worked in the movie industry, i'd never want to work with WB again.

Why? Everyone got paid for the work they did. Without risk of bad reviews and a stain on their resume. If it where me I would love to work on this free from public scrutiny for the work done.

 

[wvnative]

Why? Everyone got paid for the work they did. Without risk of bad reviews and a stain on their resume. If it where me I would love to work on this free from public scrutiny for the work done.

Creative people want their hard work to be seen, not erased as if it never happened.

 

[Kilau]

Ironic a movie staring John Cena will never be seen.

 

[sankt-Antonio]

Creative people want their hard work to be seen, not erased as if it never happened.

Creatives are used to not seeing their designs see the light of day (product design being one example) the process needs to be fulfilling and fun. At least that’s how I would feel.

 

[Revolutionary]

Actually the directors of Batgirl said WB deleted the movie from the servers.

I read that as well, but I also read some people interpret it as though their access to the servers was revoked, not that all files were outright deleted. Time will tell, I suppose.

 

[March Climber]

I’m more upset that we would have potentially had a film where the two main characters didn’t talk and would thus give you all of the emotional moments through their actions.

The idea itself sounds artistically risky and I would have been all for it.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

Can they just leak it or put it out if it's a freebie?

 

[ManaByte]

Can they just leak it or put it out if it's a freebie?

Not when taken as a tax write off. That's why they apparently deleted Batgirl from existence. It can never be released or seen and the only way to prevent it from ever coming out is to erase it.

 

[Alcibiades]

I'm all for free markets but at some point the government needs to get involved for the sake of arts.

If they want the tax write off, fine, but they have to release all the media related to the project and make it public domain.

 

[RavageX]

Creative people want their hard work to be seen, not erased as if it never happened.

Uh huh. So lets take a look at the movie and tv show scene. You call that shit creative? (Mostly talking about writers)

Im sure these people are crying into their piles of money as they whine about how their creativity has been hidden from the world.

Does them a favor actually, they keep getting hired for work because if some of the crap got released to the public they might never get hired again.