Latest news with #WarnerBros.PicturesGroup
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Warner Bros. Heads Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy Take ‘Minecraft' Victory Lap, Toast a ‘World-Class Achievement'
Warner Bros. Pictures Group studio heads Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy took a victory lap after the stunning record opening for 'A Minecraft Movie' this weekend, telling staffers in a companywide memo Monday, 'This is truly a world-class achievement!' The film, based on the hit video game, dominated the global box office with a staggering $313.7 million gross worldwide. They also highlighted its record-breaking performance as 'the largest domestic opening weekend of 2025, the biggest since July, and Warner Bros.' largest opening weekend since 2023.' 'This is what happens when we believe in the power of our creativity, each other and the strength of great storytelling,' they added. The blockbuster success comes at a crucial time for the pair, as CEO David Zaslav has begun taking early-stage talks with potential successors, according to media reports. The 'Jumanji'-esque adventure film stars Jack Black as Steve, the player avatar in the hit video game from Mojang Studios who guides four people lost in the block-filled Overworld and teaches them how to survive against the creatures that lie within. 'A Minecraft Movie' carries a reported $150 million budget, with 75% footed by Warner Bros. and the rest by Legendary. That is a flip in the production budget share for Warner and Legendary's 2024 hit 'Dune: Part Two,' but nonetheless continues what has been a fruitful partnership between the two studios. Read De Luca and Abdy's memo in full below: Team, It's a hit! This opening weekend, movie-going audiences dug into A Minecraft Movie, making it the no. 1 film in the U.S. and 75 global markets, bringing in an impressive $313.7 million – the largest domestic opening weekend of 2025, the biggest since July, and Warner Bros.' largest opening weekend since 2023. This is truly a world-class achievement! Thanks to the creativity and collaboration of teams across WB Pictures and the entire company, our film about the power of imagination and building something bigger than ourselves sparked incredible reactions from audiences everywhere. From viral videos to uncontainable fan excitement, A Minecraft Movie has ignited a worldwide block party! It also paved the way for record-setting partnerships, marketing firsts, and continued progress in harnessing the talent and resources across the entire organization to create cultural moments that truly matter. A massive congratulations and heartfelt thanks to every colleague who helped craft this epic adventure – together, we've built something truly special. A Minecraft Movie is the result of an incredible team effort, brick by brick. This is what happens when we believe in the power of our creativity, each other, and the strength of great and Pam Variety first reported the news. The post Warner Bros. Heads Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy Take 'Minecraft' Victory Lap, Toast a 'World-Class Achievement' appeared first on TheWrap.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy Tout ‘A Minecraft Movie' as a ‘World-Class Achievement' in Companywide Memo
Brick by brick, Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy are taking a win for this weekend's monster hit 'A Minecraft Movie.' The co-heads of the Warner Bros. Pictures Group, recently bedeviled by a string of flops and whispers about their futures at the company, addressed the whole of their corporate parent Warner Bros. Discovery in a memo on Monday. The pair claimed victory on behalf of the studio for the record-smashing video game adaptation – which earned nearly $315 million at the worldwide box office in its first outing – a movie co-produced with Legendary Entertainment. More from Variety 5 Reasons 'A Minecraft Movie' Became a Record-Breaking Box Office Success China Box Office: 'A Minecraft Movie' Debuts on Top, Ending the Long Reign of 'Ne Zha 2' Box Office: 'Minecraft' Is Already the Second-Biggest Movie of the Year With $313 Million in Global Debut De Luca and Abdy noted that 'A Minecraft Movie' represented 'the largest domestic opening weekend of 2025, the biggest since July, and Warner Bros.' largest opening weekend since 2023. This is truly a world-class achievement!' The execs concluded the memo saying, 'This is what happens when we believe in the power of our creativity, each other, and the strength of great storytelling.' That message was echoed multiple times last week in Las Vegas, when De Luca and Abdy presented their upcoming films at CinemaCon. They extolled the value of big creative swings that 'drive culture and create long-term value.' On the eve of the annual exhibitors convention, Variety reported that De Luca and Abdy's studio had become consumed by tension thanks to misfires like 'Mickey 17' and Robert De Niro's 'The Alto Knights' — to say nothing of upcoming risks like Paul Thomas Anderson's $130 million 'One Battle After Another' starring Leonardo DiCaprio, and Maggie Gyllenhaal's $80 million 'The Bride!' Both titles played well at CinemaCon. The 'Minecraft' cash haul will surely be a tonic for the executives as they try to replicate that success for the rest of the year. In a separate email to their studio team, De Luca and Abdy celebrated synergies across the company that helped promote 'A Minecraft Movie,' including activations with Food Network, TBS, TNT Sports, Cartoon Network and more. They also quoted Jack Black's character in the film, who delivers the line: 'Anything you can dream about here, you can make.' Read the full memo from De Luca and Abdy to WBD: Team, It's a hit! This opening weekend, movie-going audiences dug into A Minecraft Movie, making it the no. 1 film in the U.S. and 75 global markets, bringing in an impressive $313.7 million – the largest domestic opening weekend of 2025, the biggest since July, and Warner Bros.' largest opening weekend since 2023. This is truly a world-class achievement! Thanks to the creativity and collaboration of teams across WB Pictures and the entire company, our film about the power of imagination and building something bigger than ourselves sparked incredible reactions from audiences everywhere. From viral videos to uncontainable fan excitement, A Minecraft Movie has ignited a worldwide block party! It also paved the way for record-setting partnerships, marketing firsts, and continued progress in harnessing the talent and resources across the entire organization to create cultural moments that truly matter. A massive congratulations and heartfelt thanks to every colleague who helped craft this epic adventure – together, we've built something truly special. A Minecraft Movie is the result of an incredible team effort, brick by brick. This is what happens when we believe in the power of our creativity, each other, and the strength of great and Pam Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Disney+ in April 2025 The Best Celebrity Memoirs to Read This Year: From Chelsea Handler to Anthony Hopkins
