Warner Bros. likely to end 50 Year Relationship with Clint Eastwood

Tools    





Warner's new CEO, David Zaslav, appears to only want to green light movies that he predicts will be box office successes. He was very unhappy with the performance of "Cry Macho," which reportedly has led him to decline to finance Eastwood's next project, which has led to the two separating.

If true, what does everyone think of this news? Will this mean that Eastwood retires, or do you think he will continue to work for another studio? What do you think of the idea that only movies that make money should be made?

Warner Bros. May Have Ended Their 50-Year Partnership With Clint Eastwood
August 4, 2022 Jordan Ruimy

I wrote back in May about my worries with incoming Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav.

The gist of my dread came in the way he treated Clint Eastwood, who has been making movies with Warners for over 50 years now. It’s been one of the most trust-worthy and lasting director/studio friendships in the industry.

Zaslav didn’t seem to give a damn about the partnership. A leaked conference call had Zaslav acting like this hotshot who would not flinch if he had to let go of Eastwood’s partnership with the studio.

The major point of contention was Eastwood’s box-office flop “Cry Macho.” After executives told Zaslav that they had doubted the movie would turn a profit, Zaslav asked “then why did you make it if you had reservations?” When they replied that Eastwood had given the studio many hits and never delivered a movie late or over budget, he answered: “We don’t owe anyone any favors.”

“Eastwood is turning 92 next week. He has nothing more to prove, but he still wants to make the small-budgeted movies he seems to be churning out on a yearly basis. Zaslav taking over is very bad news for not just Eastwood, but quality cinema as a whole. His attitude seems repugnant. That's not a way to talk about a man who brought your studio a ton of prestige over the last five decades with critically-acclaimed and award-winning movies.”

Now, after chatting with a few in-the-know individuals about the “Batgirl” debacle, I’m hearing Eastwood isn’t going back to the Warner Bros, which, as you can surmise, I am not surprised about at all.

The story goes that Eastwood recently pitched a new movie to the studio and it didn’t get greenlit. Yes, they rejected Clint Eastwood. Maybe the movie pitched wasn’t good, I don’t know, but it’s becoming clearer by the day that Warners are going in a totally different direction under Zaslav.

Eastwood is in his twilight years, he still wants to make movies and, know what? He’s been making some very good ones these last few years, especially “The Mule” and “Richard Jewell.”
https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/202...3s3rkb7stmaxho



I thought he might quit 20 years ago. If he doesn't want to quit yet he won't. He has his own movie company and he's rich as f*ck! I'm sure he'll be fine. With the non stop mediocrity that comes from studios like Warner Bros these days, he's probably better off.
__________________
We are both the source of the problem and the solution, yet we do not see ourselves in this light...



matt72582's Avatar
Please Quote/Tag Or I'll Miss Your Responses
I can't see him starring and directing again. If he does, it might be one more. I hope he keeps on going. If he makes a bad movie, oh well, at least he's in it. I saw "The Mule", and it was ok. If he wasn't in it, I'd probably say something different. Clint Eastwood is the last star alive I'm interested in. There's no one else who's movies I'd watch, even though I know Clint's movies will be average/good... I hope he can live to 100.



If true, what does everyone think of this news? Will this mean that Eastwood retires, or do you think he will continue to work for another studio? What do you think of the idea that only movies that make money should be made?
One of the streamers, Amazon, Netflix, Hulu, or Apple+, would absolutely love to be in the Clint Eastwood business. Whatever and however much business may be left. He works on relatively modest budgets, has never gone over them, can easily draw in other known actors to work with him, and with the streamers not reliant on box office as a metric, uh, yeah, I am sure if he has a project to shop he will have multiple non-Warner Brothers buyers.
__________________
"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra



I thought he might quit 20 years ago. If he doesn't want to quit yet he won't. He has his own movie company and he's rich as f*ck! I'm sure he'll be fine. With the non stop mediocrity that comes from studios like Warner Bros these days, he's probably better off.
I agree. Eastwood would have no trouble obtaining financing for a film. TBH it's hard to imagine a role that he could shine in at aged 92, but he's certainly capable of directing a good picture. Whatever he might come out with, I'll go to see it.

Parenthetically, the corporate mindset of only financing movies that are nearly sure profit makers have ruined cinematic story telling.



One of the streamers, Amazon, Netflix, Hulu, or Apple+, would absolutely love to be in the Clint Eastwood business. Whatever and however much business may be left. He works on relatively modest budgets, has never gone over them, can easily draw in other known actors to work with him, and with the streamers not reliant on box office as a metric, uh, yeah, I am sure if he has a project to shop he will have multiple non-Warner Brothers buyers.
Holden, thanks so much for this hopeful note. I hope you are right Holden! Given that he is 92, I know that he doesn't have many movies left that he can make, but his Mom did live until she was 97, and he does make movies quite quickly, so I think he can do a few more. I'd also like him to go out on a better movie as a director than "Cry Macho," which I think was one of the worst movies that he has made as both an actor and a director. What did you think of that, Holden?

I also think that box office potential and amount of money made is only one criteria for a successful film. I think the others are audience reception, Oscar nominations and other awards potential, and critical reviews. Eastwood often does well with at least one of the three ("The Mule," which was made only two films ago, made $187 million at the global box office, and Kathy Bates got an Oscar nomination for "Richard Jewell"). Although I understand that in the aggregate Warner Bros. films need to make money to maintain their business and be profitable, I don't think every single film green lit needs to be a blockbuster, and that if that is the CEO's goal, it's short-sighted, and will likely harm the quality of the films Warner Bros. makes in the future.



World of Reel is reporting Eastwood is planning on directing a "final film". Good news, if true, for those of us who are Eastwood fans, but I'm not sure that it is. Is anyone on the forum familiar with Discussing Film? Is this a legitimate news source for film info? I'm skeptical this is true, as Eastwood has always said he has no interest in retiring, and even if he were planning on doing that, I doubt he'd ever announce something as his "final film," even internally. Also, based on David Zaslav's comments previously, I'm not sure Warners would agree to finance another film from Eastwood. I've personally not heard of this source organization. What does everyone think?

https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/202...i5mgg1rqb95myl

https://discussingfilm.net/2023/03/3...ros-exclusive/



He's done enough. He need do no more. That'll do, Clint. That'll do.



Sorry if I'm rude but I'm right
A 50-year-long relationship? That's longer than most people in Hollywood no matter how you look at it!
__________________
Look, I'm not judging you - after all, I'm posting here myself, but maybe, just maybe, if you spent less time here and more time watching films, maybe, and I stress, maybe your taste would be of some value. Just a thought, ya know.



mattiasflgrtll6's Avatar
The truth is in here
Nothing is less believable than something from Eastwood being billed "final". He thought about retiring as early as 2004! He obviously loves what he's doing too much to genuinely quit.
__________________



So, I still am skeptical of this story and note that I have not gotten an answer to my initial question. Is Discussing Film a legitimate news source, or is this more likely to be fake tabloid level news? I'm just not familiar with this source. Are others skeptical, or does this sound like it could be true? I thought as film authorities some of you might know the source. To me, if it's not posted in Deadline, Variety, Hollywood Reporter, etc I doubt its veracity. Thanks!



I haven't heard anything about the story one way or another. But if Eastwood has a movie he wants to make, he would not likely have any trouble getting financial backing.



Nothing is less believable than something from Eastwood being billed "final". He thought about retiring as early as 2004! He obviously loves what he's doing too much to genuinely quit.
Its almost impossible to not love something that pays so well.



Whatever his next film I look forward to the many threesome scenes in it



It seems like no one really has any prior knowledge of Discussing Film here. I guess time will tell if this story is true or not. On the one hand, I hope it is, because I'd like to see him end his career on a much higher note than "Cry Macho," which was, to me, one of his worst films and performances. On the other hand, it makes me sad because, if true, it likely means Clint is planning to retire and there will be no further films to watch after this next one.



I think there's not much left to be done by Eastwood. Between his age, his politics, his demeanor and his film catalog, there just doesn't seem like there's much of a future in movies by Eastwood. His main identity has been cowboys and cops, neither of which are big genres today and his mood precedes him. At his age and state of wealth, I can't imagine him wanting to take on a project like directing a movie. The studio is probably just telling him that.