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00:00:03,009 --> 00:00:04,411
{\an8}[Constance Wu] Storytelling,
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00:00:04,510 --> 00:00:07,047
{\an8}that's how we make
meaning in our lives.
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00:00:07,145 --> 00:00:12,252
{\an8}Even before we had
movies, people told
stories over the campfire.
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00:00:12,351 --> 00:00:16,123
{\an8}It's how we love each other
and grow as communities.
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00:00:16,222 --> 00:00:19,794
{\an8}And I think Warner Bros.
has taken all the tools
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00:00:19,892 --> 00:00:21,929
{\an8}and all the technology we have
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{\an8}and used that
to tell those stories
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{\an8}that are essential
to the fabric of what it
means to be human.
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00:00:34,473 --> 00:00:37,645
{\an8}[Morgan Freeman]
Warner Bros. has been
transforming storytelling
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00:00:37,744 --> 00:00:41,081
{\an8}for over 100 years.
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{\an8}Faced with the explosion
of unprecedented technology,
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00:00:44,311 --> 00:00:48,789
{\an8}new corporate landscapes
and revolutionary
cultural change,
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00:00:48,887 --> 00:00:54,261
{\an8}the studio would lead
the industry
into the digital age.
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{\an8}[Alan Horn]
Visual effects experienced
a tremendous growth spurt,
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00:00:57,762 --> 00:01:00,334
{\an8}and we found ourselves
having opportunities
to do things
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00:01:00,433 --> 00:01:01,802
{\an8}we just couldn't do before.
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00:01:01,901 --> 00:01:03,337
{\an8}- [explosion]
- [people gasp]
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{\an8}I will not be side-lined,
sidetracked, or sidestepped.
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{\an8}[Oprah Winfrey]
I just don't think there's
anything more important
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00:01:10,977 --> 00:01:13,781
{\an8}than people being able
to see their own stories.
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{\an8}It is the greatest sense
of validation.
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{\an8}Women will be silent no more!
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{\an8}[Gal Gadot] We're gonna make
so many girls feel empowered,
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{\an8}and feel capable,
and dream big.
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{\an8}[Freeman] But through
all of the tectonic
shifts of the times,
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00:01:32,432 --> 00:01:35,135
{\an8}runs a 100-year-old commitment
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{\an8}to visionary creators,
and bold, authentic stories.
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{\an8}[Jon M. Chu] Now we are here
to tell a new perspective,
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{\an8}and we have the power
and the knowledge to do so.
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{\an8}[Christopher Nolan] It's not
about hiring filmmakers
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{\an8}and letting them
do what they want,
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{\an8}it's about having
a useful machine
to create something
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{\an8}that hopefully the audience
hasn't seen before.
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{\an8}[explosions]
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{\an8}[Freeman] And to continue
to educate, entertain,
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{\an8}and enlighten us
for generations to come.
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{\an8}[LeVar Burton]
As a storyteller,
there is a responsibility
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00:02:05,664 --> 00:02:08,302
{\an8}for the images,
and the stories that we tell.
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{\an8}Clearly it meant something
to the founders
of this studio.
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{\an8}And I love that
about Warner Bros.
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{\an8}and their mission
and what they set out to do.
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{\an8}To uplift humanity
through storytelling.
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- [claps hands forcefully]
- Damn it, I'm in.
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{\an8}[crowd] Five, four,
three, two, one!
45
00:02:53,045 --> 00:02:55,711
{\an8}- [fireworks whistling]
- [crowd cheering]
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{\an8}[Freeman] When the ball dropped
on New Year's Eve 2000,
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00:03:00,652 --> 00:03:04,124
{\an8}the world welcomed the dawn
of a new millennium
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00:03:04,223 --> 00:03:06,994
{\an8}and the birth
of the Digital Age.
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00:03:07,092 --> 00:03:08,496
{\an8}The rise of the Internet
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00:03:08,594 --> 00:03:11,365
unleashed a frenzy
of new business opportunities,
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00:03:11,463 --> 00:03:15,836
sparking a gold rush
of investment
in the dotcom space.
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00:03:15,934 --> 00:03:20,007
But of all the new
digital giants leading
the Internet revolution,
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{\an8}none was more dominant
than America Online.
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{\an8}[automated voice on computer]
You've got mail.
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{\an8}[Freeman] Determined to become
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{\an8}the biggest media empire
in the world
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{\an8}and flush with cash,
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00:03:30,483 --> 00:03:33,721
{\an8}AOL set their sights
on Time Warner,
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00:03:33,819 --> 00:03:37,324
{\an8}kicking off the biggest
corporate merger in history.
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{\an8}I don't think it's too much
to say
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this really is
a historic moment,
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a time when we transform
the landscape of media
and communications.
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{\an8}[Freeman] As the deal
was announced,
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{\an8}Warner Bros. promoted
a slate of new leaders
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{\an8}who would have to navigate
the shifting media landscape.
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{\an8}[Horn] One day,
Bob Daly called me.
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00:03:58,144 --> 00:03:59,914
{\an8}He said,
"Are you sitting down?"
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00:04:00,012 --> 00:04:03,417
{\an8}I said, "Bob, I'm laying down
because it's six o'clock
in the morning."
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00:04:03,516 --> 00:04:04,985
{\an8}He said, "Oh, I forgot.
I'm in New York."
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00:04:05,084 --> 00:04:09,023
{\an8}So, he said, "Terry and I
are stepping down.
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00:04:09,121 --> 00:04:10,558
{\an8}And we would like Barry Meyer
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00:04:10,657 --> 00:04:13,027
{\an8}to run Bob Daly's job
as chairman.
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00:04:13,125 --> 00:04:17,598
{\an8}And we'd like you
to come in
and be Terry Semel."
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{\an8}[Freeman] Alan Horn began
working with Bob Daly
and Terry Semel in 1996
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00:04:23,097 --> 00:04:25,940
{\an8}after his company,
Castle Rock Entertainment,
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00:04:26,038 --> 00:04:28,275
{\an8}was acquired by Time Warner.
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{\an8}Warner Bros. was pre-eminent,
dominant, best in class,
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00:04:32,878 --> 00:04:38,018
{\an8}so the notion of running
the place with Barry Meyer
was very exciting.
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00:04:38,117 --> 00:04:41,589
{\an8}I had been at the studio
since 1971,
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00:04:41,686 --> 00:04:45,192
{\an8}so I'd been there for,
you tell me, what, 25 years.
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00:04:45,290 --> 00:04:49,396
[Freeman] Barry Meyer
came to Warner Bros. as
a business affairs executive
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00:04:49,495 --> 00:04:52,199
and rose through the ranks
in the TV division
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00:04:52,298 --> 00:04:55,035
before stepping into
the top job.
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00:04:55,134 --> 00:04:56,971
[Meyer] When I became CEO,
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00:04:57,069 --> 00:05:00,741
I felt really, really
well-groomed.
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00:05:00,840 --> 00:05:03,277
[Horn] I felt that Bob
and Terry had done a great job
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00:05:03,375 --> 00:05:06,547
and it was important for us
to continue the legacy
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00:05:06,646 --> 00:05:10,084
and to keep this studio
at the forefront
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00:05:10,183 --> 00:05:13,220
of the motion picture community.
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00:05:13,318 --> 00:05:16,991
[Freeman] But it would be
a tough road ahead
for Horn and Meyer.
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00:05:17,090 --> 00:05:18,425
[automated voice] Welcome.
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[Freeman] With a new
corporate parent
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00:05:20,326 --> 00:05:22,329
aimed at keeping Americans
at home and online,
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00:05:22,427 --> 00:05:25,365
Warner Bros. felt compelled
to do the opposite.
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00:05:25,464 --> 00:05:29,904
Get people off of their couches
and into movie theaters.
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00:05:30,001 --> 00:05:34,870
When I came in, I said,
"I want to do tentpole movies
with size and scale."
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00:05:34,973 --> 00:05:39,980
Because I felt those are
the pictures that will drive
the success of the company.
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00:05:40,079 --> 00:05:41,849
We need to give
the audience member
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00:05:41,947 --> 00:05:46,854
a reason to sit down
and watch this
on a big screen.
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00:05:46,952 --> 00:05:50,658
[Freeman] Horn's vision
would be realized
through a children's book
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00:05:50,751 --> 00:05:53,327
by an unknown British writer.
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00:05:53,425 --> 00:05:55,463
It had not been published
in the United States yet,
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it was barely just published
in the UK.
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The first Harry Potter book
was found by a guy named
David Heyman,
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00:06:04,403 --> 00:06:07,708
who was a production executive
who worked for us in London.
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00:06:07,807 --> 00:06:09,810
[David Heyman]
The writing was so vivid,
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00:06:09,909 --> 00:06:12,547
{\an8}the characters so relatable,
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{\an8}the world so richly realized, imagined.
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00:06:16,549 --> 00:06:18,619
{\an8}It was a story
that I related to.
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00:06:18,717 --> 00:06:23,223
{\an8}Who wouldn't want to go
to a magic school
like Hogwarts?
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00:06:23,322 --> 00:06:26,527
{\an8}[Freeman] A dark and complex
coming-of-age saga
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00:06:26,625 --> 00:06:29,329
{\an8}set at a magical British
boarding school,
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00:06:29,429 --> 00:06:31,198
{\an8}Warner Bros. saw its potential
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00:06:31,297 --> 00:06:33,434
{\an8}to revolutionize
family entertainment,
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00:06:33,532 --> 00:06:36,537
and optioned
the still-unfinished series
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00:06:36,636 --> 00:06:39,935
from first-time author
J.K. Rowling.
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00:06:40,038 --> 00:06:45,145
Then the books came out
and became a gigantic,
worldwide bestseller.
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[all] Three, two, one...
[screaming]
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00:06:48,380 --> 00:06:52,219
[Horn] All of a sudden,
the decision to make
the Harry Potter film
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00:06:52,318 --> 00:06:55,723
was really, you know,
a no-brainer.
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00:06:55,820 --> 00:06:58,659
The challenge, of course,
was presenting something
to an audience
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00:06:58,757 --> 00:07:02,229
that's already in love
with the underlying
literary property.
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00:07:02,328 --> 00:07:04,799
If they don't like it,
they really don't like it.
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00:07:04,897 --> 00:07:07,001
[both screaming excitedly]
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00:07:07,100 --> 00:07:09,437
{\an8}There was a tremendous
amount of terror
126
00:07:09,535 --> 00:07:14,141
{\an8}because this was
the most popular book
in the world at the time.
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And if I screwed up,
I'd kill the franchise.
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[Freeman] The director
behind family classics
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00:07:19,746 --> 00:07:22,282
like Home Alone
and Mrs. Doubtfire,
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00:07:22,380 --> 00:07:27,788
Chris Columbus was chosen
to direct for his unique
ability to work with children.
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00:07:27,886 --> 00:07:31,959
But Columbus
had never taken on
a fantasy franchise
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00:07:32,058 --> 00:07:34,194
of this magnitude before.
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00:07:34,293 --> 00:07:37,565
[Columbus] It was
a frightening experience
in making the first film,
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00:07:37,664 --> 00:07:40,501
because the first film
was setting the map
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00:07:40,599 --> 00:07:43,438
{\an8}for every subsequent film
that was going to follow.
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00:07:43,535 --> 00:07:46,474
{\an8}So I was flown out to Scotland
to meet with J.K. Rowling.
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00:07:46,572 --> 00:07:50,277
And she said, "Tell me
your vision for the film."
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And I said, "The first one
has to be this inviting,
almost storybook quality film,
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00:07:54,881 --> 00:07:57,351
where Harry is invited
into the world of Hogwarts,
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00:07:57,450 --> 00:07:59,520
and we fall in love with it.
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But then, in the second film,
it gets darker,
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00:08:02,521 --> 00:08:04,592
and by the time
we get to Prisoner of Azkaban,
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00:08:04,691 --> 00:08:08,463
things get really dark
and really complex."
144
00:08:08,562 --> 00:08:10,431
And I didn't know
what she was going to say.
145
00:08:10,524 --> 00:08:12,667
And she said,
"Well, that's exactly
how I see the film."
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00:08:12,765 --> 00:08:15,903
{\an8}One, two, three, action!
147
00:08:16,001 --> 00:08:19,139
{\an8}I remember the first film
was very much a case of,
"How do we do any of this?"
148
00:08:19,238 --> 00:08:23,578
{\an8}Like working out how to
do Hagrid, or working out
how to do Quidditch.
149
00:08:23,675 --> 00:08:26,346
{\an8}We didn't know how to do
any of that stuff.
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00:08:26,440 --> 00:08:28,883
{\an8}[Freeman] New technology
allowed Columbus and his team
151
00:08:28,981 --> 00:08:32,386
{\an8}to achieve never-before-seen
visual effects,
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00:08:32,486 --> 00:08:35,022
{\an8}that felt like true magic.
153
00:08:35,121 --> 00:08:37,257
You're a wizard, Harry.
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00:08:37,355 --> 00:08:40,327
[Radcliffe] Even as a kid,
you did have a sense
on Potter of like,
155
00:08:40,425 --> 00:08:44,565
"Oh, I'm working with the best
people in the world,
156
00:08:44,663 --> 00:08:48,002
figuring out how to make
these things come to life."
157
00:08:48,100 --> 00:08:51,572
[Alfonso Cuaron]
I was completely amazed
by the scale of it
158
00:08:51,670 --> 00:08:54,442
and by the visual effects,
obviously, by the story.
159
00:08:54,540 --> 00:08:56,176
{\an8}And I fell in love with it.
160
00:08:56,275 --> 00:08:59,614
{\an8}I find that there was
a universe
that was very complex.
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00:08:59,711 --> 00:09:03,718
[Meyer] I remember Alan and I
flying to London
162
00:09:03,811 --> 00:09:05,419
to see the first cut,
163
00:09:05,518 --> 00:09:06,921
and when the movie was over,
164
00:09:07,019 --> 00:09:10,791
the two of us got up
and just hugged each other.
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00:09:10,890 --> 00:09:12,527
[Freeman] The first
Harry Potter film
166
00:09:12,625 --> 00:09:15,963
opened to critical
and box office success,
167
00:09:16,061 --> 00:09:18,132
kickstarting a global franchise
168
00:09:18,225 --> 00:09:20,400
that would transform
the industry,
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00:09:20,500 --> 00:09:22,937
and captivate a generation.
170
00:09:23,035 --> 00:09:25,840
{\an8}[Jacqueline Coley]
People didn't just want
to see the movies and go home.
171
00:09:25,938 --> 00:09:27,975
{\an8}They wanted to feel
a part of these places.
172
00:09:28,072 --> 00:09:32,513
{\an8}And it built these huge
communities around things
that they all loved.
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00:09:32,611 --> 00:09:36,884
And that really showed
that these franchises
are infinitely valuable.
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00:09:37,784 --> 00:09:40,087
[people screaming]
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00:09:40,185 --> 00:09:42,089
[Freeman] With the potential
for Harry Potter
176
00:09:42,189 --> 00:09:44,158
only just beginning,
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00:09:44,257 --> 00:09:48,796
it seemed Warner Bros.
had cracked the secret
to mega-franchise success.
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00:09:48,895 --> 00:09:52,332
But the studio's triumph
couldn't mask the turmoil
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00:09:52,431 --> 00:09:56,103
unfolding at the new
AOL Time Warner.
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00:09:56,203 --> 00:09:58,706
{\an8}We had different goals.
181
00:09:58,805 --> 00:10:00,908
{\an8}The thing with the AOL guys
is you always felt
182
00:10:01,007 --> 00:10:02,610
{\an8}that they just wanted
to get the stock up
183
00:10:02,709 --> 00:10:04,945
so they could cash out
and move on.
184
00:10:05,043 --> 00:10:08,483
Pump the revenue
as best you can
at whatever the cost was.
185
00:10:08,582 --> 00:10:11,652
That wasn't the way
we ran the company.
186
00:10:11,750 --> 00:10:15,856
{\an8}[Michael Schneider] You had
two very different cultures
trying to work together,
187
00:10:15,955 --> 00:10:18,593
{\an8}and it just didn't make sense
from the beginning.
188
00:10:18,690 --> 00:10:21,596
{\an8}And right around
that same time,
the dotcom bubble burst.
189
00:10:21,693 --> 00:10:24,398
New warnings today
about falling corporate profits
190
00:10:24,497 --> 00:10:26,867
sent the Dow down 292 points.
191
00:10:26,966 --> 00:10:28,703
The Nasdaq lost 109.
192
00:10:28,801 --> 00:10:31,405
{\an8}[Schneider] And suddenly
the value of AOL
193
00:10:31,503 --> 00:10:34,108
{\an8}wasn't necessarily
what it once was.
194
00:10:34,207 --> 00:10:36,171
{\an8}A horrible, horrible deal.
195
00:10:36,275 --> 00:10:39,814
{\an8}It cost me a lot of money.
It cost everybody
a lot of money.
196
00:10:39,912 --> 00:10:42,583
{\an8}[Peter Roth]
It was a dark time.
197
00:10:42,682 --> 00:10:45,019
{\an8}And it's certainly been
written about ad nauseam.
198
00:10:45,118 --> 00:10:47,655
{\an8}It, you know,
has been described
as the one of the worst
199
00:10:47,754 --> 00:10:50,525
{\an8}business deals
in the history of business.
200
00:10:50,622 --> 00:10:52,760
[Freeman] As Time Warner's
stock plummeted,
201
00:10:52,859 --> 00:10:55,162
the pressure to keep
the sinking ship afloat
202
00:10:55,255 --> 00:10:57,397
rested on
the studio's shoulders,
203
00:10:57,497 --> 00:11:00,034
and one division in particular,
204
00:11:00,132 --> 00:11:02,670
Warner Bros. Television.
205
00:11:02,769 --> 00:11:04,505
[Roth] When I came
to Warner Bros.,
206
00:11:04,604 --> 00:11:06,674
the single most important goal
207
00:11:06,772 --> 00:11:09,810
was to bring in
a whole new array
of what I considered to be
208
00:11:09,908 --> 00:11:14,882
the best, most talented,
most compelling producers
in all of television.
209
00:11:14,981 --> 00:11:17,351
Hire the right people
and get out of their way
210
00:11:17,450 --> 00:11:18,953
and let them do their thing.
211
00:11:19,052 --> 00:11:20,555
{\an8}[Freeman] In his new role,
212
00:11:20,652 --> 00:11:24,091
{\an8}Peter Roth would bet big
on creative mavericks
213
00:11:24,189 --> 00:11:26,661
{\an8}to push the boundaries of TV.
214
00:11:26,760 --> 00:11:28,328
{\an8}[Roth] I was handed
many scripts,
215
00:11:28,422 --> 00:11:30,397
{\an8}most of which
I didn't particularly care for.
216
00:11:30,497 --> 00:11:31,466
{\an8}But I read this one script
217
00:11:31,565 --> 00:11:32,667
{\an8}called The West Wing,
218
00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:34,702
{\an8}which I loved.
219
00:11:34,801 --> 00:11:37,572
{\an8}I pick up the phone,
I call Aaron Sorkin.
220
00:11:37,670 --> 00:11:39,640
I say, "Hey, Aaron,
I just want you to know
221
00:11:39,739 --> 00:11:42,977
this script is extraordinary.
222
00:11:43,075 --> 00:11:45,279
I do have to acknowledge
and admit to you, though,
223
00:11:45,378 --> 00:11:47,882
in the history of broadcast television,
224
00:11:47,980 --> 00:11:53,053
there has never been
a hit set in Washington DC."
225
00:11:53,152 --> 00:11:55,189
There was no reason
that anybody
should have thought
226
00:11:55,287 --> 00:11:56,991
that that show
was going to work.
227
00:11:57,089 --> 00:11:59,359
{\an8}There was a tremendous
amount of research
that NBC showed me
228
00:11:59,458 --> 00:12:00,895
{\an8}that people, literally,
when you ask them,
229
00:12:00,993 --> 00:12:02,430
{\an8}do they wanna watch
a show about politics?
230
00:12:02,529 --> 00:12:04,432
Said, "Absolutely not."
231
00:12:04,531 --> 00:12:06,801
But the fact that
it's never worked before
232
00:12:06,899 --> 00:12:08,569
doesn't mean that
it can't work now.
233
00:12:08,668 --> 00:12:11,071
And executed
as brilliantly as this?
234
00:12:11,171 --> 00:12:12,372
Why not?
235
00:12:12,472 --> 00:12:14,308
[crew] Take seven.
236
00:12:14,406 --> 00:12:18,212
[Wells] The rhythm
of Aaron's writing
is very specific.
237
00:12:18,311 --> 00:12:19,580
Not every actor can do it.
238
00:12:19,679 --> 00:12:21,276
{\an8}- [Billy] Is Josh
on his way out?
- No.
239
00:12:21,381 --> 00:12:22,483
{\an8}- Is he?
- No.
240
00:12:22,582 --> 00:12:24,251
{\an8}- I know he's your friend.
- He is.
241
00:12:24,350 --> 00:12:25,653
{\an8}- Did Caldwell say--
- Billy, I'm not talking
about this.
242
00:12:25,752 --> 00:12:27,421
That ba ba ba ba
ba ba ba ba ba.
243
00:12:27,520 --> 00:12:30,090
When you try
to cut it together,
then it's really cutty.
244
00:12:30,189 --> 00:12:33,393
If you stand back from it,
it feels like you're
in the theater.
245
00:12:33,487 --> 00:12:36,130
And so Tommy Schlamme,
who directed the pilot,
246
00:12:36,230 --> 00:12:38,132
his solution to that was,
247
00:12:38,231 --> 00:12:39,333
let's move it.
248
00:12:40,867 --> 00:12:42,269
[Bonnie] Don't kill
the messenger, Leo.
249
00:12:42,369 --> 00:12:44,238
Oh, why the hell not, Bonnie?
250
00:12:44,338 --> 00:12:46,206
- [Bonnie] Five minutes?
- Please.
251
00:12:46,305 --> 00:12:49,109
[Wells] The movement itself
will help
with the rhythm of it.
252
00:12:49,207 --> 00:12:53,413
It became its own very
specific thing in Tommy's
hands on The West Wing.
253
00:12:53,513 --> 00:12:55,215
We've got to work
with these people.
254
00:12:55,314 --> 00:12:57,452
And where the hell
do you get off,
strutting your--
255
00:12:57,550 --> 00:12:59,186
- I know.
- Al Caldwell's a good man.
256
00:12:59,285 --> 00:13:00,755
Al Caldwell wasn't there.
257
00:13:00,854 --> 00:13:02,857
I'm saying you take everyone
on the Christian right,
258
00:13:02,955 --> 00:13:05,392
dump them into one big pile
and label them stupid.
259
00:13:05,490 --> 00:13:08,696
[Roth] I literally leapt up
as I saw that
first tracking shot
260
00:13:08,794 --> 00:13:12,066
and saying, "Oh, my God,
this is like out of Scorsese!"
261
00:13:12,165 --> 00:13:15,002
It was so beautifully written,
so compelling.
262
00:13:15,101 --> 00:13:17,037
Such an idealized version
of the White House
263
00:13:17,136 --> 00:13:19,507
that we all desperately
needed to see.
264
00:13:19,606 --> 00:13:21,008
[President Bartlet]
There's a promise
265
00:13:21,107 --> 00:13:22,810
that I ask everyone
who works here to make.
266
00:13:22,909 --> 00:13:24,339
Never doubt
267
00:13:24,443 --> 00:13:26,213
that a small group
of thoughtful
and committed citizens
268
00:13:26,312 --> 00:13:27,615
can change the world.
269
00:13:28,581 --> 00:13:29,850
Do you know why?
270
00:13:31,050 --> 00:13:33,420
It's the only thing
that ever has?
271
00:13:33,519 --> 00:13:37,391
[Wells] We heard from
many, many people
who went into public service
272
00:13:37,491 --> 00:13:38,959
having watched The West Wing.
273
00:13:39,058 --> 00:13:40,795
It brought something
to television
274
00:13:40,893 --> 00:13:43,397
that I think had not been
on television before.
275
00:13:43,495 --> 00:13:46,734
[Coley] I don't think
it can be denied
that the one-hour drama
276
00:13:46,833 --> 00:13:49,604
really elevated with shows
like The West Wing.
277
00:13:49,702 --> 00:13:52,773
This idea of television
that could rival
278
00:13:52,872 --> 00:13:54,975
what we see on the big screen.
279
00:13:55,074 --> 00:13:57,812
Shows like The West Wing
were integral
280
00:13:57,911 --> 00:14:01,582
in what we now consider
the heyday of peak TV.
281
00:14:03,015 --> 00:14:05,319
{\an8}You do not look old enough
to have a daughter.
282
00:14:05,418 --> 00:14:07,855
{\an8}And you do not look
like a daughter.
283
00:14:07,948 --> 00:14:08,656
{\an8}That's possibly
284
00:14:08,755 --> 00:14:10,024
{\an8}very sweet of you.
285
00:14:11,290 --> 00:14:12,960
{\an8}[Freeman] By the early 2000s,
286
00:14:13,058 --> 00:14:15,996
{\an8}television was in the midst
of a creative renaissance
287
00:14:16,095 --> 00:14:19,099
{\an8}known as
the Golden Age of TV...
288
00:14:19,199 --> 00:14:21,168
{\an8}My past is not your future.
289
00:14:21,268 --> 00:14:22,970
{\an8}Wow, you're cool.
290
00:14:23,069 --> 00:14:25,906
{\an8}[Freeman]
...with genre-defining
new hits from Warner Bros.
291
00:14:26,005 --> 00:14:29,577
{\an8}Your real parents weren't
exactly from around here.
292
00:14:29,675 --> 00:14:31,211
{\an8}All right, let's move it!
293
00:14:31,310 --> 00:14:34,081
{\an8}[Freeman] As the studio's
most iconic TV phenomenons
294
00:14:34,180 --> 00:14:36,451
{\an8}continued to rule
the ratings...
295
00:14:36,550 --> 00:14:38,118
{\an8}- We win!
- [laughs]
296
00:14:38,217 --> 00:14:40,354
{\an8}[Freeman] ...this period
of Warner Bros. Television
297
00:14:40,452 --> 00:14:44,058
{\an8}launched the careers
of some of the biggest stars
of the era,
298
00:14:44,157 --> 00:14:48,395
{\an8}including ER heartthrob,
George Clooney.
299
00:14:48,493 --> 00:14:51,499
{\an8}[George Clooney]
With ER, it was
a magical five years,
300
00:14:51,598 --> 00:14:53,367
{\an8}and then my contract was up,
301
00:14:53,466 --> 00:14:54,635
{\an8}and I didn't want to renew
302
00:14:54,734 --> 00:14:55,903
{\an8}because I was already
doing movies
303
00:14:56,002 --> 00:14:57,404
{\an8}and I was making
a pretty good living.
304
00:14:57,503 --> 00:14:59,073
You know,
every movie I did was,
305
00:14:59,172 --> 00:15:00,941
the article would lead with,
you know,
306
00:15:01,040 --> 00:15:03,143
"He's not going to be
a movie star."
307
00:15:03,242 --> 00:15:05,980
There was a big stigma
between television
and film at the time.
308
00:15:06,078 --> 00:15:07,915
[Freeman] Clooney's rise
to movie stardom
309
00:15:08,013 --> 00:15:10,184
was not an overnight success,
310
00:15:10,283 --> 00:15:14,088
even after taking on one
of the most prized roles
in Hollywood.
311
00:15:18,691 --> 00:15:20,761
{\an8}Hi, Freeze. I'm Batman.
312
00:15:22,295 --> 00:15:23,297
[Clooney] Batman & Robin
313
00:15:23,397 --> 00:15:24,765
was a big, big flop,
314
00:15:24,864 --> 00:15:27,968
and, critically,
just murdered for it.
315
00:15:28,062 --> 00:15:30,638
Suddenly, because you
were someone who could
greenlight a film,
316
00:15:30,737 --> 00:15:32,840
they were reviewing you
based on the film.
317
00:15:32,933 --> 00:15:35,510
So you're getting killed
for a movie
that you just thought,
318
00:15:35,609 --> 00:15:37,978
"Well, I just said yes
to an acting job."
319
00:15:38,077 --> 00:15:40,147
And so I had to change
how I thought about it,
320
00:15:40,246 --> 00:15:43,250
going, "Well,
if I'm gonna get blamed
for the film, then I better...
321
00:15:43,350 --> 00:15:44,519
pick better films."
322
00:15:46,820 --> 00:15:50,190
{\an8}[yells] Come on, you bitch!
323
00:15:50,289 --> 00:15:52,159
[Clooney] Perfect Storm
was such a massive hit.
324
00:15:52,258 --> 00:15:55,430
It had nothing to do with me.
It's a movie about a big wave.
325
00:15:55,527 --> 00:15:57,965
But I said, "Since I took
so much shit
for Batman & Robin,
326
00:15:58,064 --> 00:15:59,634
I'm going to take
all the credit for this."
327
00:15:59,733 --> 00:16:01,068
[crowd cheering]
328
00:16:01,166 --> 00:16:03,237
[Freeman] After becoming
a bankable name,
329
00:16:03,336 --> 00:16:06,441
Clooney would utilize
his relationship
with Warner Bros.
330
00:16:06,538 --> 00:16:10,711
to redefine what
a modern movie star
looks like.
331
00:16:10,810 --> 00:16:12,713
{\an8}[Danny] It's never been
done before.
332
00:16:12,812 --> 00:16:15,115
{\an8}It's gonna need planning
and a large crew.
333
00:16:15,214 --> 00:16:16,851
[Freeman] Clooney formed
a production company
334
00:16:16,950 --> 00:16:18,986
with director
Steven Soderbergh,
335
00:16:19,085 --> 00:16:22,356
and the pair gambled
on a modern reimagining
336
00:16:22,454 --> 00:16:26,594
of a Warner Bros.
Rat Pack classic,
Ocean's Eleven.
337
00:16:26,693 --> 00:16:28,095
Ocean's was a property
338
00:16:28,193 --> 00:16:29,797
that I didn't think Steven
would want to do
339
00:16:29,896 --> 00:16:32,232
because he was kind of this
independent auteur.
340
00:16:32,331 --> 00:16:34,168
And he said,
"I know how to do this.
341
00:16:34,267 --> 00:16:36,532
We have to populate it
with big stars."
342
00:16:38,003 --> 00:16:41,308
What? Did you guys get
a group rate or something?
343
00:16:41,407 --> 00:16:43,143
Hang on to your knickers.
344
00:16:44,844 --> 00:16:46,380
[Danny] The house always wins.
345
00:16:46,478 --> 00:16:50,384
Unless, when that perfect hand
comes along, you bet big,
346
00:16:50,483 --> 00:16:52,186
and then you take the house.
347
00:16:52,284 --> 00:16:53,888
You've been practicing
that speech, haven't you?
348
00:16:53,986 --> 00:16:55,355
Little bit. Did I rush it?
Felt like I rushed it.
349
00:16:55,455 --> 00:16:56,991
No, it was good. I liked it.
350
00:16:57,089 --> 00:16:59,527
[Freeman] Ocean's Eleven's
success at the box office
351
00:16:59,619 --> 00:17:04,499
{\an8}delivered a tentpole hit
for Warner Bros. that would
pay out for years to come.
352
00:17:04,596 --> 00:17:07,935
{\an8}But Clooney would take
his goodwill with the studio
353
00:17:08,033 --> 00:17:11,238
and cash in for something
more personal.
354
00:17:11,337 --> 00:17:13,874
We were trying to do the
"one for us, one for them."
355
00:17:13,968 --> 00:17:16,677
And that was a fair deal.
You know,
Clint always did that,
356
00:17:16,776 --> 00:17:19,046
which was,
"I'll do a big commercial film
357
00:17:19,145 --> 00:17:20,748
and let me do my little film."
358
00:17:20,847 --> 00:17:23,451
{\an8}[Edward] We must not confuse
dissent with disloyalty.
359
00:17:23,549 --> 00:17:26,921
{\an8}We cannot defend freedom abroad
by deserting it at home.
360
00:17:27,020 --> 00:17:30,190
{\an8}[Freeman] Both behind
and in front of the camera,
361
00:17:30,289 --> 00:17:33,127
{\an8}Clooney set out to build
on the studio's legacy
362
00:17:33,225 --> 00:17:35,329
{\an8}of socially conscious filmmaking.
363
00:17:37,030 --> 00:17:39,967
{\an8}- Why am I being
investigated, Fred?
- Drop it.
364
00:17:40,065 --> 00:17:42,937
{\an8}[Clooney] These are movies
that talk about
really serious issues,
365
00:17:43,035 --> 00:17:46,541
{\an8}and Warner Bros. was willing
to take big chances.
366
00:17:46,638 --> 00:17:49,009
{\an8}[Horn] Relationships
with people
like George Clooney
367
00:17:49,108 --> 00:17:51,411
{\an8}were critical to the studio.
368
00:17:51,511 --> 00:17:52,780
{\an8}If the relationship is good,
369
00:17:52,879 --> 00:17:55,483
{\an8}these very talented people
come back,
370
00:17:55,581 --> 00:18:00,688
{\an8}so it's helpful
to have a project
that resonates with them.
371
00:18:01,587 --> 00:18:03,758
{\an8}They killed them, Michael.
372
00:18:03,856 --> 00:18:05,926
{\an8}Those small farms,
the family farms.
373
00:18:06,024 --> 00:18:08,996
{\an8}[Clooney] Michael Clayton
is a hard film to even
consider getting made.
374
00:18:09,095 --> 00:18:11,466
{\an8}That's not some easy film
to swallow.
375
00:18:11,563 --> 00:18:13,568
{\an8}[Tony Gilroy] I was very angry
when I wrote that movie.
376
00:18:13,667 --> 00:18:15,703
{\an8}This case in the movie,
377
00:18:15,802 --> 00:18:17,738
{\an8}it's based
on a real case that happened.
378
00:18:17,836 --> 00:18:21,075
It's about the moment
where people decide
to do the wrong thing.
379
00:18:22,842 --> 00:18:25,079
[horse neighs]
380
00:18:25,177 --> 00:18:27,047
[Clooney] And I have to say, Warners,
381
00:18:27,146 --> 00:18:28,816
you know,
when we sat them down,
382
00:18:28,914 --> 00:18:31,385
they said, "You know,
you're going to piss off
some people."
383
00:18:31,483 --> 00:18:34,822
And we were like, "What does
that mean for you guys?"
384
00:18:34,921 --> 00:18:37,224
And they were like,
"Who cares? Let's go."
385
00:18:37,323 --> 00:18:39,527
[Michael] I'm not the guy
that you kill.
386
00:18:39,625 --> 00:18:41,061
I'm the guy that you buy.
387
00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:44,499
Are you so fucking blind
you don't even see what I am?
388
00:18:44,597 --> 00:18:49,236
Truly, forever, I will
have this place in my heart
for Warner Bros.
389
00:18:49,334 --> 00:18:53,641
because of, I felt that
they were very brave
390
00:18:53,739 --> 00:18:56,477
{\an8}at times that were not easy
to be very brave.
391
00:18:56,575 --> 00:18:58,779
{\an8}[Freeman] Clooney's pursuit
of meaningful stories
392
00:18:58,878 --> 00:19:00,214
{\an8}with Warner Bros.
393
00:19:00,312 --> 00:19:03,851
{\an8}culminated with
the 2012 film Argo.
394
00:19:03,949 --> 00:19:05,419
{\an8}Originally, I was going
to play the part.
395
00:19:05,518 --> 00:19:07,321
{\an8}And we were going to do it,
and then Ben called up.
396
00:19:07,419 --> 00:19:09,557
{\an8}And Ben had just done
a couple of films before that
397
00:19:09,655 --> 00:19:10,891
{\an8}that were really good.
398
00:19:10,990 --> 00:19:12,392
{\an8}And he said,
"I want to direct it."
399
00:19:12,492 --> 00:19:13,628
And I was like, "Great."
400
00:19:13,727 --> 00:19:14,729
"And I want to play the part."
401
00:19:14,827 --> 00:19:16,096
I was like, "Fuck!"
402
00:19:16,195 --> 00:19:17,898
I need you to help me
make a fake movie.
403
00:19:17,997 --> 00:19:20,067
So you want to come
to Hollywood
and act like a big shot...
404
00:19:20,165 --> 00:19:21,697
- Yeah.
- ...without actually
doing anything?
405
00:19:21,801 --> 00:19:23,838
- No.
- You'll fit right in.
406
00:19:23,935 --> 00:19:26,941
[Clooney] He took the script
in a different direction
than we were.
407
00:19:27,039 --> 00:19:29,844
Our version of Argo
was funnier.
408
00:19:29,941 --> 00:19:33,514
And he was like,
"I think there's more of
a thriller in this as well."
409
00:19:33,612 --> 00:19:35,583
- [Tony] Good. What's your job
on the movie?
- [Joe] Producer.
410
00:19:35,681 --> 00:19:37,752
[Tony] Associate producer.
What's the last movie
you produced?
411
00:19:37,850 --> 00:19:39,253
What's your middle name?
412
00:19:39,351 --> 00:19:41,589
- Leon.
- Shoot him.
He's an American spy.
413
00:19:41,686 --> 00:19:43,157
[Joe] You really believe
your little story's going
to make a difference
414
00:19:43,256 --> 00:19:45,292
when there's a gun
to our heads?
415
00:19:45,385 --> 00:19:48,028
I think my story is the only
thing between you
and a gun to your head.
416
00:19:48,127 --> 00:19:49,964
They are calling the operation.
417
00:19:50,062 --> 00:19:51,832
I'm taking it through.
418
00:19:51,931 --> 00:19:53,300
[Adam] You don't decide
if it goes.
419
00:19:53,399 --> 00:19:54,401
[Jack] ...a one-way
whorehouse mirror...
420
00:19:54,501 --> 00:19:56,604
It is going!
421
00:19:56,702 --> 00:19:58,506
[Clooney] And he did
a beautiful job with that,
and it won Best Picture.
422
00:20:01,035 --> 00:20:03,711
To see good films
on the big screen,
423
00:20:03,809 --> 00:20:08,449
the kind of films
that are not guaranteed
to make it,
424
00:20:08,548 --> 00:20:10,217
{\an8}it's very difficult.
425
00:20:10,316 --> 00:20:13,387
{\an8}And I don't want to crap
on the tentpole films
426
00:20:13,485 --> 00:20:15,990
because I enjoy them
and I actually think
they're good for us,
427
00:20:16,089 --> 00:20:22,229
but it can't be that
at the expense of the films
that mark you,
428
00:20:22,328 --> 00:20:25,966
and I'm hopeful that those
will still find their way.
429
00:20:27,366 --> 00:20:29,236
{\an8}[Freeman] Throughout
the digital age,
430
00:20:29,335 --> 00:20:31,271
{\an8}Warner Bros. was able
to keep a foot
431
00:20:31,370 --> 00:20:34,174
{\an8}on both sides
of the filmmaking divide...
432
00:20:34,273 --> 00:20:36,143
{\an8}[Frank] No one gives it to you.
433
00:20:36,243 --> 00:20:38,479
{\an8}You have to take it.
434
00:20:38,577 --> 00:20:41,549
{\an8}[Freeman] ...releasing
a balance of artistically
daring work
435
00:20:41,648 --> 00:20:42,883
{\an8}to critical acclaim.
436
00:20:42,982 --> 00:20:44,885
{\an8}This is the time
to build our nation.
437
00:20:44,985 --> 00:20:46,420
{\an8}[all cheering]
438
00:20:47,953 --> 00:20:49,490
{\an8}Hiya, fellas.
439
00:20:49,588 --> 00:20:51,859
{\an8}[Freeman] And record-smashing
event films
440
00:20:51,958 --> 00:20:54,929
{\an8}with sequels
that kept on giving.
441
00:20:55,027 --> 00:20:57,698
{\an8}The enemy is preparing for war.
442
00:20:57,797 --> 00:20:59,867
- [roars]
- [Gandalf screams]
443
00:20:59,966 --> 00:21:03,471
[Freeman] But an ambitious,
new auteur at the studio
444
00:21:03,570 --> 00:21:05,072
had a vision for a film
445
00:21:05,171 --> 00:21:08,943
that would transcend
the dichotomy altogether.
446
00:21:09,040 --> 00:21:12,980
[Nolan] I felt
an increasing separation
between the serious drama
447
00:21:13,078 --> 00:21:16,451
and the big blockbusters
that were using the CGI
at the time.
448
00:21:16,548 --> 00:21:20,120
I've always hated that divide,
because I feel
that as a filmmaker,
449
00:21:20,219 --> 00:21:22,623
you want to try
to blur those boundaries,
450
00:21:22,722 --> 00:21:24,091
{\an8}to create something
451
00:21:24,189 --> 00:21:25,125
{\an8}that hopefully the audience
452
00:21:25,225 --> 00:21:26,594
{\an8}hasn't seen before.
453
00:21:28,360 --> 00:21:30,465
{\an8}[Freeman] After taking
the industry by storm
454
00:21:30,562 --> 00:21:33,634
{\an8}with his mind-bending
feature, Memento,
455
00:21:33,732 --> 00:21:37,472
{\an8}director Christopher Nolan
made a home at Warner Bros.
456
00:21:37,569 --> 00:21:41,709
{\an8}with the 2002 noir
thriller Insomnia.
457
00:21:41,802 --> 00:21:43,678
{\an8}Are you trying to
impress me, Finch?
458
00:21:43,777 --> 00:21:45,513
Because you got the wrong guy.
459
00:21:45,610 --> 00:21:49,249
[Freeman] But the young auteur
was about to break new ground
460
00:21:49,348 --> 00:21:52,553
with the studio's
most iconic vigilante,
461
00:21:52,652 --> 00:21:55,556
who was ripe for a reinvention.
462
00:21:55,655 --> 00:21:58,092
[Nolan] They were
at a point with Batman
463
00:21:58,190 --> 00:22:02,296
where the previous iteration
of the franchise had
somewhat run out of steam,
464
00:22:02,394 --> 00:22:05,466
and they didn't really know
what they wanted to do with it.
465
00:22:05,565 --> 00:22:07,334
{\an8}When Tim Burton
took on the character,
466
00:22:07,433 --> 00:22:08,936
{\an8}he made this
absolutely brilliant
467
00:22:09,035 --> 00:22:10,805
{\an8}and extraordinary world
468
00:22:10,903 --> 00:22:14,041
within which the character
was also extraordinary.
469
00:22:15,374 --> 00:22:18,378
But what hadn't happened
was this sort of other version
470
00:22:18,477 --> 00:22:21,616
where you
allow Batman to be
this extraordinary figure,
471
00:22:21,713 --> 00:22:24,919
but you try and portray
a relatively realistic world.
472
00:22:25,012 --> 00:22:26,621
And that was my pitch
to Warner Bros.
473
00:22:26,718 --> 00:22:30,691
{\an8}is, let's look at giving
everything a grounded sense
474
00:22:30,790 --> 00:22:32,727
{\an8}in a cinematic world.
475
00:22:32,826 --> 00:22:36,697
{\an8}And I thought,
"This guy has a take on Batman.
476
00:22:36,796 --> 00:22:38,132
Very, very smart."
477
00:22:38,231 --> 00:22:39,700
I think
his English accent helped.
478
00:22:39,799 --> 00:22:41,702
That always gives you
ten degrees more intelligence
479
00:22:41,801 --> 00:22:44,872
in the eyes of those listening,
but anyway.
480
00:22:44,970 --> 00:22:48,509
We had
a great meeting with him,
and he was just so impressive,
481
00:22:48,608 --> 00:22:50,878
so off we went.
482
00:22:50,977 --> 00:22:52,346
[Freeman]
Sold on Nolan's vision
483
00:22:52,445 --> 00:22:54,715
of bringing Batman
into the real world,
484
00:22:54,808 --> 00:22:58,653
Warner Bros. handed over
the reins to one of their
most prized properties
485
00:22:58,750 --> 00:23:02,990
and a budget bigger than
anything Nolan had
taken on before.
486
00:23:03,089 --> 00:23:04,424
[Emma Thomas]
With Batman Begins,
487
00:23:04,523 --> 00:23:06,293
{\an8}the scary thing was,
really, the scale of it
488
00:23:06,393 --> 00:23:08,128
{\an8}and how we were
going to deliver
489
00:23:08,228 --> 00:23:09,764
{\an8}these incredible visuals.
490
00:23:09,862 --> 00:23:12,467
Chris has always been
attracted to making films
491
00:23:12,564 --> 00:23:14,502
that really make audiences
feel like
492
00:23:14,600 --> 00:23:16,771
they can touch what it is
that they're watching.
493
00:23:16,868 --> 00:23:19,640
And doing everything
as practically as possible
on this film
494
00:23:19,739 --> 00:23:22,443
was really how he wanted
to achieve that.
495
00:23:22,541 --> 00:23:26,847
[Nolan] I really tried
to get the scope
and scale and relatability
496
00:23:26,946 --> 00:23:30,485
of any sort of action cinema,
not just comic book cinema.
497
00:23:30,582 --> 00:23:33,253
And so we did a lot
with miniatures.
498
00:23:33,353 --> 00:23:34,689
We shot on real locations.
499
00:23:34,787 --> 00:23:36,824
We went around the world
with the films.
500
00:23:36,922 --> 00:23:41,228
With this idea that Batman is,
in some sense,
is not a superhero.
501
00:23:41,327 --> 00:23:44,164
I like to joke that,
if he has a superpower,
it's great wealth,
502
00:23:44,263 --> 00:23:47,635
so he's able to buy things
and put together
all kinds of assets
503
00:23:47,732 --> 00:23:50,337
that he can utilize
in his fight against crime.
504
00:23:55,909 --> 00:23:57,177
So, what do you think?
505
00:23:57,910 --> 00:24:00,615
Does it come in black?
506
00:24:00,713 --> 00:24:03,117
[Nolan] There's nothing magic
about the character.
507
00:24:05,952 --> 00:24:08,623
And that makes him relatable.
508
00:24:08,721 --> 00:24:11,492
We could, any of us,
in theory, be Batman.
509
00:24:12,259 --> 00:24:14,061
What the hell are you?
510
00:24:14,160 --> 00:24:15,663
[glass smashes]
511
00:24:15,762 --> 00:24:17,064
[Carmine groans]
512
00:24:17,164 --> 00:24:18,533
I'm Batman.
513
00:24:21,700 --> 00:24:25,339
[Horn] Chris gave it
a credibility
that made me feel
514
00:24:25,438 --> 00:24:28,843
that this was not a comic
book character.
515
00:24:28,942 --> 00:24:31,946
I felt... It felt real to me.
516
00:24:32,043 --> 00:24:36,917
[Freeman] Batman Begins
reinvented the superhero
origin story,
517
00:24:37,016 --> 00:24:40,821
but Nolan would push
his vision even further...
518
00:24:40,920 --> 00:24:43,423
with a genre-defying villain.
519
00:24:43,522 --> 00:24:46,694
{\an8}[Nolan] Once we've created
that contemporary,
more realistic world,
520
00:24:46,792 --> 00:24:49,897
{\an8}we wanted to try
and figure out what might
the Joker be in that.
521
00:24:49,996 --> 00:24:52,567
[Joker] Whatever
doesn't kill you,
simply makes you...
522
00:24:55,168 --> 00:24:56,303
stranger.
523
00:24:58,772 --> 00:25:00,575
[Coley]
For everything you can say
524
00:25:00,672 --> 00:25:02,943
about any superhero movie
that happened before this,
525
00:25:03,042 --> 00:25:04,612
{\an8}none of them approached it
526
00:25:04,710 --> 00:25:08,749
{\an8}with the crime thriller approach
that Chris Nolan did.
527
00:25:08,847 --> 00:25:13,287
It was one of
the best film series
to ever happen,
528
00:25:13,386 --> 00:25:15,155
one of the best franchises
to ever happen,
529
00:25:15,254 --> 00:25:18,392
and, obviously, as one of
the best superhero movies
530
00:25:18,491 --> 00:25:20,528
to ever happen here
at Warner Bros.
531
00:25:21,395 --> 00:25:22,730
[Freeman] The Dark Knight
532
00:25:22,828 --> 00:25:25,800
became the highest
grossing film of 2008,
533
00:25:25,898 --> 00:25:30,871
but its true legacy went beyond
just box office numbers.
534
00:25:30,970 --> 00:25:33,140
[Thomas] The Dark Knight
had great cultural resonance
535
00:25:33,238 --> 00:25:37,277
and it definitely felt like
we might actually get
a Best Picture nomination
536
00:25:37,376 --> 00:25:41,048
as a superhero movie,
but it didn't happen.
537
00:25:41,147 --> 00:25:42,883
And subsequently,
the next year,
538
00:25:42,982 --> 00:25:45,453
the Academy moved
to ten Best Picture nominees
539
00:25:45,550 --> 00:25:49,724
and I've heard it called
the "Dark Knight rule."
540
00:25:49,821 --> 00:25:51,892
[Freeman] Christopher Nolan
ignited what would become
541
00:25:51,991 --> 00:25:57,331
a flourishing new movement
in large-scale filmmaking.
542
00:25:57,430 --> 00:25:59,600
{\an8}[Ariadne] Why is it
so important to dream?
543
00:25:59,699 --> 00:26:01,736
{\an8}[Cobb] In my dreams,
we're still together.
544
00:26:01,834 --> 00:26:03,203
{\an8}We filmed a lot
on the stages here.
545
00:26:03,303 --> 00:26:05,172
{\an8}Stage 16, in particular.
546
00:26:05,271 --> 00:26:07,708
{\an8}And that's the largest
stage in Hollywood,
the tallest stage,
547
00:26:07,806 --> 00:26:11,546
{\an8}that was famously lifted up
to give more ceiling height.
548
00:26:11,644 --> 00:26:13,581
{\an8}We shot
our Japanese castle set,
549
00:26:13,678 --> 00:26:16,283
{\an8}where the windows are blown in
with water cannons.
550
00:26:19,484 --> 00:26:21,856
{\an8}[Freeman] Over the next decade
at Warner Bros.,
551
00:26:21,955 --> 00:26:23,423
{\an8}he would push the genre
552
00:26:23,523 --> 00:26:25,793
{\an8}to bigger,
more personal heights,
553
00:26:25,892 --> 00:26:30,498
{\an8}redefining what
a blockbuster film
could be.
554
00:26:30,596 --> 00:26:32,533
{\an8}[Coley] Whether it be
The Dark Knight,
555
00:26:32,631 --> 00:26:35,002
{\an8}whether it be our chances
for interstellar travel,
556
00:26:35,101 --> 00:26:37,938
{\an8}whatever it is,
he wants to bring that concept
557
00:26:38,037 --> 00:26:40,975
{\an8}into the most
cinematic lighting
and framing possible
558
00:26:41,073 --> 00:26:42,543
{\an8}to tell a compelling story.
559
00:26:44,576 --> 00:26:46,547
{\an8}[Nolan] It's enormously
important that
560
00:26:46,645 --> 00:26:49,584
{\an8}individual voices
have been nurtured
through the studio system.
561
00:26:50,350 --> 00:26:51,752
{\an8}I felt very looked after,
562
00:26:51,851 --> 00:26:55,355
{\an8}and I really enjoyed
the feeling of the security
563
00:26:55,455 --> 00:26:58,893
{\an8}of an experienced studio
around me.
564
00:26:58,991 --> 00:27:03,931
{\an8}A machine that could be
brought to bear
on my creative impulses.
565
00:27:04,029 --> 00:27:07,768
{\an8}It felt like
a tremendous privilege
to be working in that system.
566
00:27:09,968 --> 00:27:12,673
[Freeman] While Warner Bros.
continued its storied history
567
00:27:12,772 --> 00:27:15,743
working with some of the
biggest names in the business,
568
00:27:15,841 --> 00:27:20,481
there was one place on the lot
every celebrity wanted to be.
569
00:27:20,579 --> 00:27:23,451
- [man 1] Seven, six, five...
- [man 2] The pressure...
570
00:27:23,549 --> 00:27:26,181
- There you go. Ready, A?
- [man 1] Four, three, two,
571
00:27:26,285 --> 00:27:27,888
- one...
- [woman] Roy, tech right up.
572
00:27:27,988 --> 00:27:29,289
{\an8}[crowd cheering]
573
00:27:29,389 --> 00:27:31,659
{\an8}[Freeman]
The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
574
00:27:31,757 --> 00:27:34,962
{\an8}With a rotating list
of Hollywood's biggest stars,
575
00:27:35,061 --> 00:27:38,699
{\an8}Ellen ruled the daytime scene
for almost 20 years.
576
00:27:38,798 --> 00:27:41,335
{\an8}- You guys are doing
pretty good.
- Yep.
577
00:27:41,433 --> 00:27:45,806
{\an8}[Freeman] But before she was
on a first-name basis
with all of America,
578
00:27:45,905 --> 00:27:50,511
{\an8}Ellen's daytime dominance
seemed almost unthinkable.
579
00:27:50,609 --> 00:27:51,979
{\an8}[Ellen DeGeneres]
A lot of people didn't think
580
00:27:52,078 --> 00:27:53,147
{\an8}that it would work.
581
00:27:53,247 --> 00:27:54,482
{\an8}A lot of people thought
582
00:27:54,580 --> 00:27:57,151
{\an8}it's housewives at home
during the day
583
00:27:57,250 --> 00:27:58,553
{\an8}doing their ironing,
584
00:27:58,651 --> 00:28:00,555
{\an8}you know, and, you know,
wearing their aprons,
585
00:28:00,654 --> 00:28:01,989
and they're not going to watch
586
00:28:02,087 --> 00:28:03,524
a lesbian during the day.
587
00:28:03,622 --> 00:28:07,061
And, of course, that made me
mad and upset because
588
00:28:07,159 --> 00:28:09,396
they also didn't watch
a lesbian at night, so...
589
00:28:09,495 --> 00:28:13,701
I had no time.
There was no time
for a lesbian on television.
590
00:28:13,799 --> 00:28:17,738
[Freeman] Ellen DeGeneres made
television history in 1997
591
00:28:17,837 --> 00:28:21,175
when she came out as gay
in her sitcom Ellen.
592
00:28:21,274 --> 00:28:24,645
She revealed her secret
to her therapist on the show,
593
00:28:24,744 --> 00:28:26,647
played by Oprah Winfrey.
594
00:28:26,746 --> 00:28:28,649
{\an8}I didn't even give it
a second thought.
595
00:28:28,748 --> 00:28:31,051
{\an8}Ellen asked, and I said, "Yes."
596
00:28:31,150 --> 00:28:33,220
{\an8}It wasn't until after I did it,
597
00:28:33,319 --> 00:28:38,358
that I realized, "Oh, this was
a very, very, very big deal."
598
00:28:38,457 --> 00:28:41,395
We do not want
the gay and lesbian lifestyle
599
00:28:41,488 --> 00:28:44,231
paraded in the living rooms
of America's homes.
600
00:28:44,330 --> 00:28:45,966
[Schneider] This was the '90s,
601
00:28:46,065 --> 00:28:50,938
and we hadn't really seen
a show with a lead
who had been gay.
602
00:28:51,037 --> 00:28:55,876
I was supposedly "untouchable,"
and no one was hiring me.
603
00:28:55,975 --> 00:28:58,245
[Schneider]
A couple years later,
604
00:28:58,344 --> 00:29:00,781
{\an8}when it came time
for The Rosie O'Donnell Show
to go off the air,
605
00:29:00,880 --> 00:29:04,552
{\an8}Warner Bros. needed
a new marquee talk show host.
606
00:29:04,651 --> 00:29:07,488
{\an8}For a mainstream
daytime talk show
607
00:29:07,586 --> 00:29:10,925
to feature a lesbian comedian
at its heart
608
00:29:11,023 --> 00:29:14,795
was a huge risk
on the part of Warner Bros.
609
00:29:14,894 --> 00:29:16,664
[DeGeneres]
Once I agreed to do the show,
610
00:29:16,763 --> 00:29:19,567
Warner Bros. had a hard time
selling the show.
611
00:29:19,665 --> 00:29:22,603
I remember
the most common remark.
612
00:29:22,702 --> 00:29:24,038
The station managers would say,
613
00:29:24,136 --> 00:29:26,974
"She doesn't even curse.
She's not even dirty."
614
00:29:27,074 --> 00:29:29,076
I was like, "Fucking A."
615
00:29:29,174 --> 00:29:31,512
I think there were a lot of
people who just didn't
think that would work.
616
00:29:31,605 --> 00:29:33,914
[announcer] Here she is now,
Ellen DeGeneres!
617
00:29:34,013 --> 00:29:37,452
[DeGeneres]
And they couldn't have been
more wrong.
618
00:29:37,549 --> 00:29:40,455
{\an8}Okay, so these are
my offices right here
on the Warner Bros. lot.
619
00:29:40,552 --> 00:29:43,624
{\an8}It's very exciting because
now there's all kinds of
things going on here.
620
00:29:43,723 --> 00:29:45,159
{\an8}I can do anything I want.
621
00:29:45,258 --> 00:29:46,627
{\an8}"G. Clooney."
622
00:29:47,693 --> 00:29:49,324
{\an8}Which of these two do you like?
623
00:29:49,428 --> 00:29:51,799
{\an8}[DeGeneres]
That makes me wonder
what she's worried about.
624
00:29:51,898 --> 00:29:54,301
{\an8}Or does my breath...
You know when you do the...
625
00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:56,270
{\an8}- Yeah.
- Like that? Like that? Yeah.
626
00:29:56,369 --> 00:29:57,404
{\an8}Get me a mint.
627
00:29:57,504 --> 00:29:59,139
{\an8}You can't throw a stone
628
00:29:59,239 --> 00:30:00,174
{\an8}without hitting somebody
629
00:30:00,274 --> 00:30:01,542
{\an8}in the face.
630
00:30:01,641 --> 00:30:02,910
{\an8}- You just throw the stone--
- [Julia screams]
631
00:30:03,009 --> 00:30:05,312
{\an8}- Oh, my God!
- Oh, Julia Louis-Dreyfus!
632
00:30:05,411 --> 00:30:07,482
{\an8}- What the [bleep] was that?
- Sorry.
633
00:30:07,580 --> 00:30:09,650
{\an8}- What the [bleep]
was that, Ellen?
- Sorry.
634
00:30:11,151 --> 00:30:14,349
{\an8}[crowd cheering]
635
00:30:14,453 --> 00:30:16,957
{\an8}[Channing Dungey]
The Ellen DeGeneres Show,
19 seasons.
636
00:30:17,056 --> 00:30:19,760
{\an8}There was a long run there
for a reason.
637
00:30:19,859 --> 00:30:22,357
{\an8}The key sort of watchword
for Ellen was "fun."
638
00:30:22,462 --> 00:30:25,299
{\an8}[crowd cheering]
639
00:30:25,397 --> 00:30:28,469
{\an8}The fact that she started
every episode
with the dancing.
640
00:30:28,567 --> 00:30:31,038
{\an8}It made you laugh.
It made you feel good.
641
00:30:31,138 --> 00:30:32,440
{\an8}[all scream]
642
00:30:33,572 --> 00:30:35,576
{\an8}It was the bright spot
in your day.
643
00:30:35,675 --> 00:30:38,112
{\an8}Just spend a little time
with Ellen.
644
00:30:38,211 --> 00:30:40,648
{\an8}[DeGeneres] I'm grateful
that I could
make a difference,
645
00:30:40,746 --> 00:30:42,450
{\an8}and giving a face and a voice
646
00:30:42,548 --> 00:30:45,586
{\an8}to people who are feeling
alone and not represented
on television.
647
00:30:45,685 --> 00:30:47,221
[crowd applauding]
648
00:30:47,319 --> 00:30:49,557
[Winfrey] The secret to having
a great talk show
649
00:30:49,656 --> 00:30:53,961
is the ability to be
100% fully yourself,
650
00:30:54,060 --> 00:30:56,831
and that's what the
audience is looking for.
651
00:30:56,930 --> 00:31:00,568
{\an8}Ellen found a way
to be more and more real.
652
00:31:05,799 --> 00:31:08,208
[Freeman] While Ellen
was conquering daytime,
653
00:31:08,307 --> 00:31:11,479
a new genre
was taking over primetime.
654
00:31:13,213 --> 00:31:14,482
{\an8}Oh, my God.
655
00:31:14,581 --> 00:31:16,584
{\an8}[Freeman]
Unscripted television.
656
00:31:16,683 --> 00:31:18,185
In the early 2000s,
657
00:31:18,284 --> 00:31:20,888
Warner Bros. got in
on the ground floor
658
00:31:20,987 --> 00:31:23,958
with a genre-defining
dating series,
659
00:31:24,057 --> 00:31:25,159
The Bachelor.
660
00:31:25,257 --> 00:31:27,094
[Roth] What if we were
to do a show
661
00:31:27,192 --> 00:31:30,765
in which a guy is looking
to find the love of his life
662
00:31:30,863 --> 00:31:33,801
and introduced to
25 gorgeous women,
663
00:31:33,900 --> 00:31:36,604
all of whom aspired
to be his wife?
664
00:31:38,204 --> 00:31:41,742
If you think about it,
it's Prince Charming
come to light.
665
00:31:41,841 --> 00:31:44,411
Let's welcome our new bachelor...
666
00:31:44,511 --> 00:31:45,846
[Freeman] A heartfelt twist
667
00:31:45,945 --> 00:31:47,782
on the competition shows
of the time,
668
00:31:47,881 --> 00:31:50,117
the 2002 premiere
of The Bachelor
669
00:31:50,216 --> 00:31:53,320
{\an8}sparked a reality romance phenomenon.
670
00:31:53,419 --> 00:31:55,389
{\an8}[Jessie Palmer]
The show has just grown
and grown and grown,
671
00:31:55,483 --> 00:31:56,591
{\an8}not just here
in the United States,
672
00:31:56,689 --> 00:31:58,025
{\an8}but literally around the world.
673
00:31:58,858 --> 00:32:00,895
{\an8}People want to see real people.
674
00:32:00,994 --> 00:32:03,163
{\an8}They're rooting
for the love story.
675
00:32:03,262 --> 00:32:05,132
{\an8}[Freeman] The Bachelor
kicked off
676
00:32:05,231 --> 00:32:09,136
{\an8}an unscripted studio division
that chased pop culture...
677
00:32:09,235 --> 00:32:10,705
{\an8}Yes!
678
00:32:10,804 --> 00:32:12,172
{\an8}[Freeman] ...and celebrated
ordinary people.
679
00:32:12,271 --> 00:32:15,910
{\an8}A violin has strings
and fiddle has "strings."
680
00:32:16,010 --> 00:32:17,712
{\an8}Boy, you my man!
681
00:32:17,809 --> 00:32:19,780
{\an8}[Nick Offerman]
I've been waiting
a year and a half
682
00:32:19,879 --> 00:32:22,783
{\an8}to find out about
my great-grandparents.
683
00:32:22,882 --> 00:32:25,285
{\an8}- Come on!
- You want me to come too?
Oh, Lord.
684
00:32:25,385 --> 00:32:27,187
{\an8}[audience cheering]
685
00:32:27,286 --> 00:32:34,194
{\an8}This is Harry Potter:
Hogwarts Tournament
of Houses!
686
00:32:34,293 --> 00:32:37,493
{\an8}[Freeman] As television
began overflowing
with new content,
687
00:32:39,232 --> 00:32:43,070
{\an8}Warner Bros. doubled down
on a tried and true format.
688
00:32:43,803 --> 00:32:45,139
{\an8}The sitcom.
689
00:32:47,973 --> 00:32:49,677
{\an8}[Roth] I thought,
"Who can I make a deal with
690
00:32:49,770 --> 00:32:52,947
that can change the course
of our fare in comedy?"
691
00:32:53,046 --> 00:32:56,984
And number one on my list
back in 1999 was Chuck Lorre.
692
00:32:57,083 --> 00:32:59,353
Made a four-year deal,
the most expensive deal
693
00:32:59,451 --> 00:33:02,089
in the history of television
of comedy creators.
694
00:33:02,755 --> 00:33:04,725
It was terrible.
695
00:33:04,824 --> 00:33:06,093
{\an8}I had a four-year deal,
696
00:33:06,192 --> 00:33:08,763
{\an8}and for three years
I just sucked eggs.
697
00:33:08,861 --> 00:33:10,698
If I walked
into the commissary,
698
00:33:10,795 --> 00:33:13,868
none of those executives
would look up from their
Cobb salad and look at me.
699
00:33:13,967 --> 00:33:16,871
And then, literally
in the last half year...
700
00:33:16,968 --> 00:33:20,808
I got involved with a project
that became
Two and a Half Men.
701
00:33:20,906 --> 00:33:21,976
{\an8}You reupholstered the couch.
702
00:33:22,075 --> 00:33:23,539
{\an8}I like it better
the way it was.
703
00:33:23,643 --> 00:33:25,112
{\an8}Stained?
704
00:33:25,211 --> 00:33:27,648
{\an8}Hey, every one of those stains
had a story behind it.
705
00:33:29,982 --> 00:33:31,986
{\an8}[Freeman] A modern take
on The Odd Couple,
706
00:33:32,085 --> 00:33:34,789
Two and a Half Men
co-starred Charlie Sheen
707
00:33:34,888 --> 00:33:36,824
as a hard-partying playboy
708
00:33:36,922 --> 00:33:39,293
with a taste for
the double entendre.
709
00:33:39,391 --> 00:33:41,896
Charlie to base camp.
I can see the summit.
710
00:33:44,063 --> 00:33:47,502
{\an8}But in 2007, Chuck Lorre
stumbled onto
711
00:33:47,599 --> 00:33:51,567
{\an8}an idea that would redefine
the culture of cool.
712
00:33:53,372 --> 00:33:56,243
{\an8}It began with Bill Prady,
who, back in the '80s,
713
00:33:56,342 --> 00:33:58,345
when he was a computer
programmer in New York,
714
00:33:58,444 --> 00:34:00,781
and he told me about
the guys he worked with
who were brilliant,
715
00:34:00,880 --> 00:34:03,050
but entirely dysfunctional.
716
00:34:03,149 --> 00:34:07,555
Geniuses who could rattle off
pi to 80 places,
717
00:34:07,653 --> 00:34:08,789
but couldn't talk to women.
718
00:34:08,888 --> 00:34:10,586
Just go mute.
719
00:34:10,689 --> 00:34:14,028
And I remember going,
"Bill, that's our show.
Those guys!"
720
00:34:14,126 --> 00:34:16,897
{\an8}And you can start sorting
protons and neutrons,
721
00:34:16,996 --> 00:34:19,667
{\an8}while I build carbon atoms.
722
00:34:19,764 --> 00:34:23,438
[Lorre] One thing we learned
was the audience
viewed the guys as children.
723
00:34:23,536 --> 00:34:25,105
Bazinga!
724
00:34:25,204 --> 00:34:27,603
[Lorre] Because they were very
naive and childlike.
725
00:34:27,707 --> 00:34:29,109
Oh, no!
726
00:34:29,208 --> 00:34:31,278
See, this is why I wanted
to have a costume meeting.
727
00:34:31,376 --> 00:34:33,180
[Lorre] And they didn't want
anybody around them
728
00:34:33,279 --> 00:34:36,451
who might be hostile
or didn't care for them.
729
00:34:36,549 --> 00:34:39,386
So, Klingon Boggle?
730
00:34:39,484 --> 00:34:41,489
[Lorre] There was
a wonderful maternal quality
731
00:34:41,587 --> 00:34:43,090
that Kaley brought to the role.
732
00:34:43,189 --> 00:34:46,961
She was bemused by them,
occasionally perturbed
by them,
733
00:34:47,059 --> 00:34:49,296
but always gentle with them.
734
00:34:49,396 --> 00:34:50,965
This is really impressive.
735
00:34:51,064 --> 00:34:53,834
I have a board.
If you like boards,
this is my board.
736
00:34:53,932 --> 00:34:57,838
[Lorre] I think the guys
felt alienated
from the rest of the world,
737
00:34:57,937 --> 00:34:59,306
the culture at large, perhaps.
738
00:34:59,405 --> 00:35:02,409
And their solution
to that separateness
739
00:35:02,509 --> 00:35:04,311
was they had each other.
740
00:35:04,410 --> 00:35:07,081
They created a community
amongst themselves.
741
00:35:09,582 --> 00:35:14,321
We went to Comic-Con
that summer
and it was standing room only.
742
00:35:14,421 --> 00:35:16,524
[audience laughing]
743
00:35:16,622 --> 00:35:18,125
I couldn't stay away.
744
00:35:18,224 --> 00:35:20,961
[Lorre] There were people
crying just to see these actors
745
00:35:21,060 --> 00:35:23,531
like they were the Beatles.
And I went,
746
00:35:23,630 --> 00:35:25,600
[chuckling] "Oh...
747
00:35:25,698 --> 00:35:28,503
Something's happening
on the show that never could
have been anticipated."
748
00:35:28,601 --> 00:35:30,705
The Big Bang Theory
mixed a lot of things
749
00:35:30,798 --> 00:35:33,107
that were in the popular
culture at the moment.
750
00:35:33,206 --> 00:35:35,510
The rise of Comic-Con
and fandom
751
00:35:35,608 --> 00:35:37,612
becoming much more
than just a niche,
752
00:35:37,709 --> 00:35:40,380
but something
that was celebrated
in the popular culture
753
00:35:40,480 --> 00:35:42,016
and in the mainstream.
754
00:35:42,114 --> 00:35:44,652
That was front and center
in The Big Bang Theory,
755
00:35:44,751 --> 00:35:46,120
and they really embraced that.
756
00:35:46,219 --> 00:35:47,087
Ow!
757
00:35:49,522 --> 00:35:52,560
[Freeman] Two and a Half Men
and The Big Bang Theory
758
00:35:52,659 --> 00:35:54,294
cemented Chuck Lorre
759
00:35:54,393 --> 00:35:57,565
{\an8}as a formidable
television auteur
at Warner Bros.
760
00:35:57,663 --> 00:35:59,695
{\an8}who was just getting started.
761
00:36:01,368 --> 00:36:03,237
{\an8}Yes. That's it!
762
00:36:03,336 --> 00:36:05,305
{\an8}[Roth] Mike & Molly to Mom,
763
00:36:05,404 --> 00:36:08,976
{\an8}to Young Sheldon
to Bob Hearts Abishola.
764
00:36:09,975 --> 00:36:12,012
{\an8}- Tequila?
- Many shots.
765
00:36:12,112 --> 00:36:13,213
{\an8}And you paid for it.
766
00:36:14,247 --> 00:36:16,517
{\an8}[Roth] Hit after hit after hit.
767
00:36:16,615 --> 00:36:18,886
{\an8}It's been one of the most
successful relationships,
768
00:36:18,984 --> 00:36:22,623
certainly of my career
and, frankly,
of Warner Bros. Television.
769
00:36:22,722 --> 00:36:27,161
[Freeman] As Chuck Lorre
reigned over a sitcom kingdom,
770
00:36:27,259 --> 00:36:30,498
a regime change was underway
in the C suite.
771
00:36:31,926 --> 00:36:34,268
After 12 years
leading the studio,
772
00:36:34,366 --> 00:36:37,772
Barry Meyer and Alan Horn
stepped down.
773
00:36:37,871 --> 00:36:41,442
Steering the studio's ship
through the Digital Age,
774
00:36:41,540 --> 00:36:45,012
Meyer and Horn
oversaw a flourishing period
775
00:36:45,111 --> 00:36:48,015
of creative and financial boom
at Warner Bros.
776
00:36:49,515 --> 00:36:53,187
{\an8}They passed the torch
to a new leader in 2013
777
00:36:53,286 --> 00:36:56,657
{\an8}who planned to bring WB
to the front lines
778
00:36:56,756 --> 00:36:59,326
{\an8}of the superhero studio wars.
779
00:36:59,424 --> 00:37:04,465
{\an8}Kevin Tsujihara really wanted
to expand the DC universe.
780
00:37:04,563 --> 00:37:07,535
And they wanted to expand it
as quickly as they could.
781
00:37:07,634 --> 00:37:12,673
Because Marvel had been
doing multiple movies.
782
00:37:12,771 --> 00:37:17,044
[Freeman] The new era
of DC expansion
began on television,
783
00:37:17,143 --> 00:37:20,681
{\an8}from WB's veteran
showrunner Greg Berlanti,
784
00:37:20,780 --> 00:37:24,151
{\an8}with the superhero
soap opera, Arrow.
785
00:37:28,654 --> 00:37:32,627
{\an8}Greg Berlanti
changed the course
of our company and of DC,
786
00:37:32,724 --> 00:37:38,433
{\an8}starting with Arrow
and then Flash and then
Legends of Tomorrow.
787
00:37:38,526 --> 00:37:39,900
{\an8}And then Supergirl.
788
00:37:41,467 --> 00:37:43,438
{\an8}[Freeman] Known as
the Arrowverse,
789
00:37:43,535 --> 00:37:47,341
{\an8}Berlanti's interconnected world
fed an insatiable appetite.
790
00:37:47,438 --> 00:37:52,513
{\an8}[Freeman] But Kevin Tsujihara
had ambitious plans
to compete with Marvel...
791
00:37:54,548 --> 00:37:56,551
{\an8}on the big screen,
792
00:37:56,643 --> 00:38:01,522
{\an8}with the triumphant
return of the most iconic
superhero of all time.
793
00:38:03,889 --> 00:38:08,824
[Jor-El] You will give
the people of Earth
an ideal to strive toward.
794
00:38:08,928 --> 00:38:12,933
In time, you will help them
accomplish wonders.
795
00:38:14,934 --> 00:38:16,704
[Freeman] Man of Steel
marked WB's
796
00:38:16,803 --> 00:38:20,575
official launch of
the DC Extended Universe.
797
00:38:20,673 --> 00:38:21,976
You're going to go to war?
798
00:38:22,074 --> 00:38:25,646
{\an8}That son of a bitch
brought the war to us.
799
00:38:25,744 --> 00:38:29,283
{\an8}[Freeman] From the ultimate
superhero face-off,
800
00:38:29,381 --> 00:38:32,386
{\an8}to a motley crew of supervillains...
801
00:38:32,485 --> 00:38:33,888
{\an8}[laughs]
802
00:38:33,986 --> 00:38:37,525
{\an8}[Freeman] ...DC was reshaping
the comic book film landscape.
803
00:38:39,024 --> 00:38:40,695
But an up-and-coming filmmaker
804
00:38:40,793 --> 00:38:45,861
was about to breathe new life
into a long dormant hero.
805
00:38:45,965 --> 00:38:50,037
We always wanted to break
that action comic book ceiling.
806
00:38:50,136 --> 00:38:52,773
We felt that Wonder Woman
would be the one to do it.
807
00:38:52,871 --> 00:38:57,177
{\an8}I think I was about eight
or nine when I first saw
Wonder Woman.
808
00:38:57,276 --> 00:39:01,348
{\an8}I was like a moth to the flame,
of the image,
809
00:39:01,448 --> 00:39:03,851
{\an8}the symbolism, the delight.
810
00:39:03,949 --> 00:39:09,289
{\an8}And ever since that time,
I never lost my desire to
tell a universal story
811
00:39:09,388 --> 00:39:12,560
{\an8}that brings beauty
into people's life
and inspires them.
812
00:39:12,657 --> 00:39:16,597
{\an8}And so, after I made Monster
and had some success,
813
00:39:16,695 --> 00:39:21,368
I went to Warner Bros.
I said, "I want to direct
Wonder Woman."
814
00:39:21,466 --> 00:39:23,738
[Freeman] With a lifelong
passion for the character,
815
00:39:23,836 --> 00:39:30,445
Patty Jenkins' unique vision
for DC's first female
superhero won over WB.
816
00:39:30,542 --> 00:39:34,081
But the studio would be taking
an Amazon-sized risk
817
00:39:34,179 --> 00:39:38,914
on a filmmaker with
no experience helming
a big-budget action film.
818
00:39:39,017 --> 00:39:43,691
There's a history of female
superhero movies
being thought not to work,
819
00:39:43,788 --> 00:39:48,563
and so I definitely
felt the pressure every day.
820
00:39:48,661 --> 00:39:54,168
On the other hand, I was given
the great gift of Gal Gadot.
821
00:39:54,266 --> 00:39:57,872
{\an8}When Patty and I met,
it was love at first sight.
822
00:39:57,970 --> 00:39:59,206
{\an8}From the first moment,
823
00:39:59,305 --> 00:40:00,975
{\an8}we've both wanted to tell
824
00:40:01,074 --> 00:40:03,143
{\an8}the same story.
825
00:40:03,242 --> 00:40:08,483
We didn't want to think about
Wonder Woman as tough
and hard and cold.
826
00:40:08,582 --> 00:40:11,519
We wanted her to be
a true woman.
827
00:40:12,385 --> 00:40:15,422
Like the way women are.
828
00:40:15,521 --> 00:40:17,992
- We need to help these people.
- We have to stay on mission.
829
00:40:18,090 --> 00:40:19,326
So what? So we do nothing?
830
00:40:19,424 --> 00:40:20,828
No. We can't save everyone
in this war.
831
00:40:20,927 --> 00:40:23,864
- Steve...
- This is not what
we came here to do.
832
00:40:23,963 --> 00:40:27,802
[Jenkins]
Often superhero movies
are all about the bad guy.
833
00:40:27,900 --> 00:40:31,171
Wonder Woman was not
at all about the bad guy.
834
00:40:31,270 --> 00:40:33,541
It was about
Wonder Woman's journey
835
00:40:33,638 --> 00:40:36,511
to becoming a hero
and her birth into the world.
836
00:40:41,714 --> 00:40:43,417
- Fire!
- Fire!
837
00:40:45,516 --> 00:40:49,289
[Jenkins] That's why
superhero comic books were
written in the first place.
838
00:40:49,388 --> 00:40:51,258
They were about,
what would you do
with great power,
839
00:40:51,356 --> 00:40:53,227
and how can you be
a hero in the world?
840
00:41:07,440 --> 00:41:09,343
[Lynda Carter] I rose up.
841
00:41:09,441 --> 00:41:13,648
{\an8}I was standing in the seats
of the theater
842
00:41:13,746 --> 00:41:17,718
with Gal, and my daughter
said, "Mom, I never
really understood
843
00:41:17,816 --> 00:41:23,423
why people were so enthralled
with you in Wonder Woman
until I saw Gal."
844
00:41:23,522 --> 00:41:26,293
It's not just
a cartoon character.
845
00:41:26,393 --> 00:41:29,997
It is much more than that.
846
00:41:30,096 --> 00:41:33,601
[Freeman] Wonder Woman's
impact went far beyond
the big screen...
847
00:41:35,769 --> 00:41:39,807
becoming a symbol
of female empowerment.
848
00:41:39,906 --> 00:41:43,911
{\an8}Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman
opened up a new space,
849
00:41:44,004 --> 00:41:47,214
{\an8}especially for young women
and girls
850
00:41:47,313 --> 00:41:50,485
{\an8}to have a sense
of themselves as powerful.
851
00:41:51,784 --> 00:41:53,921
[Freeman] Wonder Woman
broke down the walls
852
00:41:54,019 --> 00:41:57,224
of what a superhero could be.
853
00:41:57,323 --> 00:42:00,895
But Warner Bros. would push
the boundaries even further,
854
00:42:00,993 --> 00:42:05,833
devoting an entire film
to a notorious villain.
855
00:42:05,931 --> 00:42:07,568
{\an8}[Todd Phillips]
I wasn't so much
a comic book guy.
856
00:42:07,667 --> 00:42:09,670
{\an8}I loved the movies.
I certainly loved
857
00:42:09,769 --> 00:42:10,838
{\an8}the Chris Nolan films,
858
00:42:10,937 --> 00:42:13,307
{\an8}but I really wanted to do
a character study,
859
00:42:13,406 --> 00:42:15,710
{\an8}a movie about
a singular person.
860
00:42:17,542 --> 00:42:19,279
{\an8}I always loved
what the Joker character
861
00:42:19,378 --> 00:42:22,282
{\an8}represents in the comics
and the films.
862
00:42:22,381 --> 00:42:25,052
I thought, "Boy, if we can
get a great actor
to play that part,
863
00:42:25,150 --> 00:42:29,457
we could really do
a deep dive into why
this person is this way."
864
00:42:32,224 --> 00:42:35,295
[laughs uncontrollably]
865
00:42:36,228 --> 00:42:37,598
What? You think that's funny?
866
00:42:46,872 --> 00:42:48,543
{\an8}[Toby Emmerich]
It was a hard script
to say yes to,
867
00:42:48,641 --> 00:42:51,106
{\an8}because it was a dark film.
868
00:42:51,210 --> 00:42:53,514
{\an8}It was
an anti-hero protagonist.
869
00:42:54,380 --> 00:42:56,250
It took place in the DC world.
870
00:42:56,349 --> 00:42:58,486
There'd been a Joker.
871
00:42:58,583 --> 00:43:01,188
But this was going to be
a different Joker, played
by a different actor.
872
00:43:01,287 --> 00:43:03,524
But the studio
loved the screenplay.
873
00:43:03,622 --> 00:43:06,026
You know, everyone who
read the script just said,
874
00:43:06,120 --> 00:43:08,123
"Wow, this could be
something great."
875
00:43:08,228 --> 00:43:09,597
So we took the shot.
876
00:43:10,197 --> 00:43:12,700
Is it just me?
877
00:43:12,799 --> 00:43:15,202
Or is it getting crazier
out there?
878
00:43:15,302 --> 00:43:16,937
[chuckling]
879
00:43:17,036 --> 00:43:20,074
[Phillips] I've been around
a lot of great actors,
880
00:43:20,173 --> 00:43:21,876
but nobody quite like Joaquin.
881
00:43:23,242 --> 00:43:25,012
He really went in deep,
882
00:43:25,111 --> 00:43:29,216
and really felt like
he became Arthur/Joker.
883
00:43:29,315 --> 00:43:31,752
- [gun fires]
- [man screams]
884
00:43:31,851 --> 00:43:33,788
[Phillips] In one
particular scene,
885
00:43:33,885 --> 00:43:37,124
he had killed these
three Wall Street guys
on the subway,
886
00:43:37,222 --> 00:43:40,427
and he was supposed
to run into
this rundown bathroom
887
00:43:40,526 --> 00:43:42,229
and hide the gun.
888
00:43:43,196 --> 00:43:45,399
[panting]
889
00:43:45,497 --> 00:43:47,568
[Phillips] And Joaquin brought
up a thing going, "Why is
Arthur hiding the gun?"
890
00:43:47,667 --> 00:43:49,269
And so I said, "Yeah,
let's not do that.
891
00:43:49,369 --> 00:43:50,605
Let's do something else."
892
00:43:50,703 --> 00:43:52,740
And we just him and I alone
893
00:43:52,832 --> 00:43:55,209
sat in this bathroom
for 45 minutes thinking
what else could we do?
894
00:43:55,307 --> 00:43:58,278
And I said to him, "Oh, I got
this great new piece
of music from Hildur,"
895
00:43:58,378 --> 00:44:00,080
who's our composer.
896
00:44:00,179 --> 00:44:02,983
[slow somber music playing]
897
00:44:03,081 --> 00:44:07,182
And I played the music,
and Joaquin just started
moving to it.
898
00:44:09,622 --> 00:44:13,961
And then he kind of improvised
this gorgeous dance.
899
00:44:16,995 --> 00:44:20,868
And it was like,
really quickly we realized,
"Oh, that's the scene.
900
00:44:20,967 --> 00:44:23,198
This is the moment.
This is the metamorphosis.
901
00:44:23,302 --> 00:44:28,175
This is where he first feels
Joker coming out of him."
902
00:44:28,273 --> 00:44:29,910
- [Joker] What do you get?
- [Murray] I don't think so.
903
00:44:30,009 --> 00:44:32,279
[Joker] When you cross
a mentally ill loner
904
00:44:32,377 --> 00:44:36,116
with a society
that abandons him
and treats him like trash?
905
00:44:36,215 --> 00:44:38,213
- Call the police, Gene.
- I'll tell you what you get.
906
00:44:38,317 --> 00:44:40,988
- Call the police.
- You get what
you fucking deserve!
907
00:44:41,088 --> 00:44:43,524
[audience screams]
908
00:44:46,525 --> 00:44:48,963
{\an8}[female newscaster]
The new Joker film,
opening nationwide today,
909
00:44:49,061 --> 00:44:52,700
{\an8}is sparking fears
of real-life violence.
910
00:44:52,798 --> 00:44:54,835
{\an8}[Emmerich]
That was a scary time.
911
00:44:54,933 --> 00:44:58,573
America's changed,
gun violence has changed
so much in the last decade,
912
00:44:58,670 --> 00:45:02,643
and there'd been a shooting
once in a Batman film.
913
00:45:02,742 --> 00:45:05,012
We never thought the film
would incite violence,
914
00:45:05,111 --> 00:45:07,982
but you never know how people
will misinterpret art,
915
00:45:08,079 --> 00:45:12,620
so we took every measure
we could to make sure that
that wasn't going to happen.
916
00:45:12,719 --> 00:45:14,722
It was a relief
when the film came out.
917
00:45:14,821 --> 00:45:16,524
People understood the film.
918
00:45:16,622 --> 00:45:19,927
Violence
is a destructive force
and a hurtful force.
919
00:45:20,026 --> 00:45:23,197
[Freeman] A bold departure
from the comic book genre,
920
00:45:23,296 --> 00:45:25,900
Joker was hailed as a triumph.
921
00:45:25,998 --> 00:45:29,203
{\an8}Nominated for 11 Oscars
and winning two,
922
00:45:29,301 --> 00:45:33,441
{\an8}it became the highest grossing
R-rated movie of all time.
923
00:45:34,073 --> 00:45:35,142
{\an8}[guns cocking]
924
00:45:35,242 --> 00:45:36,777
{\an8}Hands up.
925
00:45:36,876 --> 00:45:39,379
{\an8}[growling]
926
00:45:39,478 --> 00:45:44,318
{\an8}You know, New York
is considerably more
interesting than I expected.
927
00:45:44,418 --> 00:45:45,453
{\an8}[Thunderbird screeches]
928
00:45:45,552 --> 00:45:47,622
{\an8}[Freeman] By the late 2010s,
929
00:45:47,720 --> 00:45:50,390
{\an8}the path to box office success
was dominated
930
00:45:50,490 --> 00:45:52,993
{\an8}by supercharged
mega franchises.
931
00:45:53,093 --> 00:45:55,496
{\an8}[roars]
932
00:45:55,594 --> 00:46:00,295
{\an8}[Freeman] To find a hit
with mass appeal,
outside the tentpole world,
933
00:46:00,399 --> 00:46:03,838
{\an8}Warner Bros. embraced
an unexpected filmmaker,
934
00:46:03,936 --> 00:46:07,508
{\an8}determined to make
a new kind of impact.
935
00:46:07,606 --> 00:46:10,545
{\an8}The fact that Warner Bros.
is the steward of stories
936
00:46:10,642 --> 00:46:14,649
{\an8}to not just America,
but the world,
that's a huge responsibility.
937
00:46:14,747 --> 00:46:18,886
{\an8}But for me to be one little
piece of that history,
938
00:46:18,985 --> 00:46:22,890
{\an8}I mean, I can't even believe
that I'm here right now.
939
00:46:22,989 --> 00:46:25,660
{\an8}[Freeman] After a string
of high-profile blockbusters,
940
00:46:25,758 --> 00:46:30,598
{\an8}director Jon Chu
was one of Hollywood's
fastest rising stars.
941
00:46:30,696 --> 00:46:34,735
But after a decade
in the industry,
Chu had a realization
942
00:46:34,834 --> 00:46:37,572
that would send him down
a more personal path.
943
00:46:37,669 --> 00:46:40,641
[Chu] I'd been
hearing this stuff
from the industry itself.
944
00:46:40,740 --> 00:46:42,577
"You can't hire this person,
or that couple.
945
00:46:42,675 --> 00:46:44,979
They don't sell internationally,
or that," so...
946
00:46:45,078 --> 00:46:48,716
I realized all that stuff
was backwards and it
was, like, in me.
947
00:46:48,808 --> 00:46:52,787
And if I wanted to actually put
an all-Asian cast in a movie,
948
00:46:52,885 --> 00:46:55,623
I'm one of the only people
who could do that.
949
00:46:55,722 --> 00:46:57,992
And so that's when I found
Crazy Rich Asians.
950
00:46:58,084 --> 00:47:01,929
My mom, my sister,
my cousin, all told me,
"You got to read this book."
951
00:47:02,029 --> 00:47:03,664
{\an8}Come to Singapore.
952
00:47:03,762 --> 00:47:06,000
{\an8}I think it's about time
people met
my beautiful girlfriend.
953
00:47:06,098 --> 00:47:07,702
{\an8}[Chu] At the center of it
is what touched me
954
00:47:07,800 --> 00:47:09,637
was this story
about Rachel Chu,
955
00:47:09,734 --> 00:47:12,707
who's an Asian-American
going to Asia
for the first time.
956
00:47:12,805 --> 00:47:14,942
That's exactly my experience
of going to Hong Kong.
957
00:47:15,041 --> 00:47:17,177
And I really zeroed in
on that for Rachel Chu.
958
00:47:17,276 --> 00:47:19,179
I was like, "I know
how to tell that story."
959
00:47:19,278 --> 00:47:21,215
At first it was going to be
an independent production
960
00:47:21,314 --> 00:47:23,951
because we didn't think
a studio
would back this thing.
961
00:47:24,049 --> 00:47:26,487
And then we got the call
from Warner Bros.,
962
00:47:26,585 --> 00:47:30,224
which seemed like a place
that was unthinkable
for a movie like this.
963
00:47:30,323 --> 00:47:32,627
But they said, "This is
part of our tradition.
964
00:47:32,725 --> 00:47:34,929
We were started by immigrants.
965
00:47:35,027 --> 00:47:36,797
{\an8}We have a tradition of
telling stories
966
00:47:36,896 --> 00:47:39,500
{\an8}of different cultures
and different perspectives."
967
00:47:40,533 --> 00:47:41,736
{\an8}And immediately they were in.
968
00:47:42,702 --> 00:47:44,472
{\an8}Three, two, one, action!
969
00:47:44,571 --> 00:47:46,401
{\an8}[gasps]
970
00:47:46,505 --> 00:47:48,843
{\an8}[Constance Wu]
I was very excited
not to just make a romcom
971
00:47:48,941 --> 00:47:51,211
{\an8}starring an Asian American,
972
00:47:51,310 --> 00:47:56,584
{\an8}but to make one
that was about class
and identity struggles.
973
00:47:56,681 --> 00:48:01,589
That was about relationships
with your parents and
with generational differences.
974
00:48:01,688 --> 00:48:03,958
I'm not leaving
because I'm scared,
975
00:48:04,057 --> 00:48:06,761
or because I think
I'm not enough.
976
00:48:06,859 --> 00:48:10,731
Because, maybe for
the first time in my life,
977
00:48:12,099 --> 00:48:14,569
I know I am.
978
00:48:14,667 --> 00:48:15,736
[Chu] That's the end
of the movie.
979
00:48:15,835 --> 00:48:17,337
It's not about getting the guy.
980
00:48:17,436 --> 00:48:20,475
It's about her standing up
for her own self-worth.
981
00:48:20,572 --> 00:48:25,580
And we were thinking of putting
in Coldplay's "Yellow."
982
00:48:25,678 --> 00:48:28,516
Warner Bros.
was very worried about,
"Well, what does that say?
983
00:48:28,615 --> 00:48:30,551
How are people
gonna interpret that?"
984
00:48:30,650 --> 00:48:33,253
And I said to them, I was like,
985
00:48:33,353 --> 00:48:35,022
"I want to re-own that word,
986
00:48:35,121 --> 00:48:37,324
and this song
can do that for us."
987
00:48:37,424 --> 00:48:39,059
And they trusted me.
988
00:48:39,158 --> 00:48:42,329
So, at first, Coldplay,
wasn't going to allow us
to use it,
989
00:48:42,429 --> 00:48:43,731
so I wrote this letter.
990
00:48:43,829 --> 00:48:46,300
"Dear Chris, Guy,
Jonny, and Will,
991
00:48:46,399 --> 00:48:49,269
I know it's a bit strange,
but my whole life I've had
992
00:48:49,368 --> 00:48:52,807
a complicated relationship
with the color yellow.
993
00:48:52,905 --> 00:48:55,209
From being called the word
in a derogatory way
994
00:48:55,308 --> 00:48:57,277
throughout grade school,
995
00:48:57,376 --> 00:49:00,080
to watching movies
where they called
cowardly people 'yellow,'
996
00:49:00,179 --> 00:49:02,850
it's always had a negative
connotation in my life.
997
00:49:03,983 --> 00:49:05,720
That is, until
I heard your song.
998
00:49:06,586 --> 00:49:08,589
For the first time in my life,
999
00:49:08,687 --> 00:49:11,959
it described the color
in the most beautiful,
magical ways I'd ever heard.
1000
00:49:12,726 --> 00:49:14,361
The color of the stars,
1001
00:49:14,460 --> 00:49:17,364
her skin, love.
1002
00:49:17,463 --> 00:49:20,034
It will give a generation
of Asian Americans and others
1003
00:49:20,133 --> 00:49:22,737
the same sense of pride I got
when I heard your song.
1004
00:49:22,835 --> 00:49:24,705
I want all of them
to have an anthem
1005
00:49:24,803 --> 00:49:27,775
that makes them feel
as beautiful as your words
and melody
1006
00:49:27,874 --> 00:49:31,011
made me feel
when I needed it most."
1007
00:49:31,110 --> 00:49:32,847
And then, a couple hours later,
they replied,
1008
00:49:32,946 --> 00:49:36,050
and we got the rights
to it, so...
1009
00:49:36,148 --> 00:49:38,586
I wrote it over there
in the edit room, on the couch.
1010
00:49:40,252 --> 00:49:42,356
{\an8}When I first watched
Crazy Rich Asians,
1011
00:49:42,455 --> 00:49:43,624
{\an8}in the movie theater,
1012
00:49:43,723 --> 00:49:45,893
{\an8}I was really emotional.
1013
00:49:45,991 --> 00:49:48,729
{\an8}When I started in the '80s,
1014
00:49:48,827 --> 00:49:52,867
{\an8}there was just
so few opportunities
for Asian actors.
1015
00:49:52,965 --> 00:49:55,169
I would go watch movies
all the time,
1016
00:49:55,267 --> 00:49:57,605
and I would always
fantasize or dream
1017
00:49:57,704 --> 00:49:59,740
that the lead of the movie
1018
00:49:59,839 --> 00:50:02,710
would have an Asian face
that looked like me.
1019
00:50:02,808 --> 00:50:06,581
{\an8}So when I first saw
Crazy Rich Asians
in the movie theater,
1020
00:50:06,680 --> 00:50:09,216
it meant everything to me.
1021
00:50:09,315 --> 00:50:13,821
That movie is the reason
why I decided
to get back into acting
1022
00:50:13,919 --> 00:50:16,724
after a 22-year break.
1023
00:50:16,822 --> 00:50:19,994
I'm having this whole
second act, it's because
of this movie.
1024
00:50:21,293 --> 00:50:23,230
And I'm so grateful
to Warner Bros.
1025
00:50:23,329 --> 00:50:26,166
that made this movie,
and also to everybody involved.
1026
00:50:27,599 --> 00:50:30,705
[Freeman] Jon Chu's vision
for an all-Asian romcom
1027
00:50:30,804 --> 00:50:32,607
soared past expectations,
1028
00:50:32,704 --> 00:50:35,943
becoming one of
the biggest movies
of the year.
1029
00:50:37,377 --> 00:50:38,846
But, behind the scenes,
1030
00:50:38,945 --> 00:50:43,518
a new mega-merger
had landed at the studio.
1031
00:50:43,616 --> 00:50:46,654
{\an8}After a two-year battle
with the Department of Justice,
1032
00:50:46,752 --> 00:50:51,058
{\an8}telecom behemoth AT&T
took control of TimeWarner,
1033
00:50:51,157 --> 00:50:55,062
{\an8}branding the new joint company WarnerMedia.
1034
00:50:55,161 --> 00:50:58,232
{\an8}The studio underwent
numerous restructuring efforts,
1035
00:50:58,330 --> 00:51:00,935
{\an8}eventually leading
to Ann Sarnoff
1036
00:51:01,033 --> 00:51:05,005
{\an8}becoming the first female CEO
of Warner Bros.
1037
00:51:05,104 --> 00:51:07,442
{\an8}How do you tell stories
and make programming,
1038
00:51:07,539 --> 00:51:10,077
{\an8}whether it's feature films
or television or games
1039
00:51:10,176 --> 00:51:12,580
{\an8}that are relevant
to this next generation?
1040
00:51:12,678 --> 00:51:15,783
I think that's a big challenge
for all of us in the business.
1041
00:51:15,880 --> 00:51:18,352
[Freeman] To capture
the attention
of a new generation,
1042
00:51:18,450 --> 00:51:20,821
the studio gambled
on a cutting-edge vision
1043
00:51:20,919 --> 00:51:26,761
to reintroduce one of
the most iconic figures
in music history.
1044
00:51:26,859 --> 00:51:30,164
{\an8}Elvis was unlike
any movie journey
I've ever been on.
1045
00:51:30,262 --> 00:51:33,267
{\an8}Like, I can't tell you
how many people said to me,
1046
00:51:33,365 --> 00:51:35,302
{\an8}"Yeah, but, how are you
going to find an Elvis?"
1047
00:51:35,401 --> 00:51:39,406
{\an8}Not only is he
an unbelievable
vocal character,
1048
00:51:39,504 --> 00:51:42,009
{\an8}but also he's one of
the most handsome
and attractive people
1049
00:51:42,108 --> 00:51:43,778
that ever walked
the face of the Earth.
1050
00:51:43,876 --> 00:51:46,046
And then there's
the way he moved.
1051
00:51:46,145 --> 00:51:50,646
So the finding of Austin Butler
and the casting process...
1052
00:51:53,887 --> 00:51:55,890
{\an8}I now look at it and go,
1053
00:51:55,988 --> 00:51:58,526
"Actually, I think
I didn't find Austin.
1054
00:51:58,624 --> 00:52:00,427
I think Austin found it."
1055
00:52:00,526 --> 00:52:02,897
♪ Well, that's all right
Mama ♪
1056
00:52:02,995 --> 00:52:05,132
♪ That's all right for you ♪
1057
00:52:05,231 --> 00:52:07,134
♪ That's all right, Mama ♪
1058
00:52:07,233 --> 00:52:09,904
[Luhrmann] He was born
to play that role.
1059
00:52:10,003 --> 00:52:13,007
We knew that, in Austin,
a new star was born.
1060
00:52:14,473 --> 00:52:16,577
[Freeman] With the perfect
Elvis cast,
1061
00:52:16,675 --> 00:52:20,180
{\an8}and Tom Hanks set
to play the infamous
Colonel Tom Parker,
1062
00:52:20,279 --> 00:52:23,918
production began in Australia
in March 2020.
1063
00:52:24,016 --> 00:52:25,786
[Luhrmann]
We're shooting on the film,
1064
00:52:25,885 --> 00:52:27,655
and we're doing a scene
where Colonel Tom Parker
1065
00:52:27,754 --> 00:52:29,890
is guiding Elvis
through the showroom.
1066
00:52:29,988 --> 00:52:33,093
And I'm about to say,
"Look, let's bring Tom
now into the scene.
1067
00:52:33,192 --> 00:52:34,429
And Tom, you
explore this idea."
1068
00:52:34,527 --> 00:52:36,396
And as I do, my first
assistant says,
1069
00:52:36,495 --> 00:52:40,468
"Hey, Tom has to leave
the set. I think he's got
that flu thing."
1070
00:52:40,566 --> 00:52:43,638
And the rest of the world
knows what happens next, right?
1071
00:52:43,737 --> 00:52:45,506
I was actually on an airplane,
1072
00:52:45,605 --> 00:52:47,007
and I got a text.
1073
00:52:47,106 --> 00:52:50,144
"Confidential, Tom Hanks
tested positive for COVID."
1074
00:52:50,242 --> 00:52:51,612
[newscaster] "The medical
officials have protocol
1075
00:52:51,711 --> 00:52:53,180
that must be followed.
1076
00:52:53,279 --> 00:52:55,550
We Hanks' will be tested,
observed, and isolated
1077
00:52:55,648 --> 00:52:58,553
for as long as public health
and safety requires."
1078
00:52:58,650 --> 00:53:00,955
"Okay, we've got to shut down.
What are we doing?
1079
00:53:01,054 --> 00:53:02,923
Is Tom okay? What's going on?"
1080
00:53:03,022 --> 00:53:05,526
{\an8}If this evolves
into a pandemic,
1081
00:53:05,624 --> 00:53:08,996
{\an8}there's no way we
in the United States
are going to escape
1082
00:53:09,095 --> 00:53:11,298
{\an8}having more infections
in this country.
1083
00:53:11,397 --> 00:53:13,834
And the next thing,
Hazmat suits
and shutting down sets,
1084
00:53:13,933 --> 00:53:15,570
and the film's over.
1085
00:53:15,668 --> 00:53:18,873
[Freeman] The pandemic
shut down all film productions
1086
00:53:18,972 --> 00:53:21,075
and movie theaters
across the country,
1087
00:53:21,173 --> 00:53:26,146
putting the future
of the entire film industry
in jeopardy.
1088
00:53:26,245 --> 00:53:27,743
[Emmerich]
There was a real concern
1089
00:53:27,842 --> 00:53:29,450
that the big
movie theater chains
1090
00:53:29,548 --> 00:53:31,719
wouldn't be able
to survive COVID.
1091
00:53:31,817 --> 00:53:34,922
Is this going to just make
people not want to go
to movie theaters anymore?
1092
00:53:35,022 --> 00:53:36,591
It was scary.
1093
00:53:36,688 --> 00:53:38,392
[Luhrmann] And this is where
Warners comes in.
1094
00:53:38,490 --> 00:53:42,630
I said, "Look, I am making this
movie for movie theaters.
1095
00:53:42,727 --> 00:53:46,133
You need to see Elvis,
the movie, and Elvis, the man,
1096
00:53:46,232 --> 00:53:49,036
and Elvis, the performer,
on a big screen."
1097
00:53:49,135 --> 00:53:51,672
[Emmerich]
Austin Butler and Baz
never left Australia.
1098
00:53:51,770 --> 00:53:55,309
They stayed there,
they rode out COVID,
and they made this movie
1099
00:53:55,407 --> 00:53:58,579
under these newly devised
COVID protocols.
1100
00:53:58,673 --> 00:54:00,047
I mean, to me,
that's a miracle.
1101
00:54:01,909 --> 00:54:05,185
{\an8}Mr. Presley.
Are you ready to fly?
1102
00:54:05,285 --> 00:54:05,986
I'm ready.
1103
00:54:06,086 --> 00:54:07,121
Ready to fly.
1104
00:54:09,388 --> 00:54:11,125
[Emmerich]
It got people into theaters.
1105
00:54:11,223 --> 00:54:13,127
It's one of the most
successful original films
1106
00:54:13,225 --> 00:54:15,730
to be released since COVID.
1107
00:54:15,829 --> 00:54:18,599
My singular focus
in making a movie
1108
00:54:18,697 --> 00:54:23,799
is to bring all kinds of people
to come sit in a dark room
with strangers,
1109
00:54:23,902 --> 00:54:27,141
for everyone to be united
from what's going up
on that flickering screen,
1110
00:54:27,239 --> 00:54:31,411
and for a few brief moments,
not to feel alone.
1111
00:54:31,510 --> 00:54:33,213
You know,
we all laugh together,
we all cry together,
1112
00:54:33,312 --> 00:54:35,583
we're all moved together,
we're all touched together.
1113
00:54:35,682 --> 00:54:38,185
We are not alone.
1114
00:54:38,284 --> 00:54:41,121
{\an8}[David Zaslav]
There's a lot of ways
that we consume content,
1115
00:54:41,220 --> 00:54:43,390
{\an8}on small screens,
on TV screens,
1116
00:54:43,483 --> 00:54:46,994
{\an8}but when you go to
a motion picture,
everything stops.
1117
00:54:48,461 --> 00:54:51,732
{\an8}When I was about 17 years old
on a Saturday afternoon,
1118
00:54:51,826 --> 00:54:53,934
{\an8}my dad took me
to a motion picture.
1119
00:54:54,033 --> 00:54:57,337
{\an8}And the lights went out
and there was
this giant screen,
1120
00:54:57,437 --> 00:54:59,474
{\an8}and Bonnie and Clyde came on,
1121
00:55:00,740 --> 00:55:03,010
{\an8}and it was like magic.
1122
00:55:03,109 --> 00:55:07,948
{\an8}That was, for me,
the beginning of this
journey for my life.
1123
00:55:08,047 --> 00:55:09,984
{\an8}Kid that grew up in Brooklyn
1124
00:55:10,081 --> 00:55:13,053
{\an8}and was inspired
by so many of the movies
that Warner Bros. made.
1125
00:55:14,286 --> 00:55:17,892
And here I am,
which, for me is...
1126
00:55:17,990 --> 00:55:19,994
It's the stuff that dreams
are made of.
1127
00:55:20,092 --> 00:55:21,896
It's hard to believe.
1128
00:55:21,993 --> 00:55:25,199
[reporter 1]
AT&T set to combine
WarnerMedia with Discovery,
1129
00:55:25,298 --> 00:55:27,167
creating a media powerhouse.
1130
00:55:27,266 --> 00:55:30,137
[reporter 2] AT&T's
WarnerMedia and Discovery
agree to merge.
1131
00:55:30,235 --> 00:55:34,975
Discovery's boss David
Zaslav will run this new
combined company.
1132
00:55:35,074 --> 00:55:39,614
{\an8}Well, hello,
Warner Bros. Discovery!
1133
00:55:39,712 --> 00:55:41,348
{\an8}[audience cheering]
1134
00:55:41,446 --> 00:55:43,217
{\an8}Were there are other names
thrown out?
1135
00:55:43,315 --> 00:55:45,219
{\an8}How did you come to
"Warner Bros. Discovery"?
1136
00:55:45,317 --> 00:55:47,522
{\an8}- I just said, "We have to use
Warner Bros."
- Uh-huh.
1137
00:55:47,620 --> 00:55:49,123
{\an8}"Because I don't want
a corporate name.
1138
00:55:49,221 --> 00:55:52,392
{\an8}Warner Bros. stands
for these four guys."
1139
00:55:54,227 --> 00:55:56,363
{\an8}[Freeman] The Warner Bros.
Discovery merger
1140
00:55:56,462 --> 00:55:59,299
{\an8}capped off two decades
of acquisitions,
1141
00:55:59,398 --> 00:56:03,203
{\an8}rebranding,
and corporate instability.
1142
00:56:03,302 --> 00:56:07,274
{\an8}The marriage resulted
in a powerhouse portfolio.
1143
00:56:07,372 --> 00:56:09,444
{\an8}[Zaslav] Together
we have a chance to be
1144
00:56:09,541 --> 00:56:12,279
{\an8}the greatest entertainment
company in the world.
1145
00:56:12,379 --> 00:56:13,548
{\an8}Whoa!
1146
00:56:13,647 --> 00:56:16,216
{\an8}[Zaslav] Because we have
the most content,
1147
00:56:16,316 --> 00:56:17,785
{\an8}the most platforms,
1148
00:56:17,884 --> 00:56:20,455
{\an8}and we're more global
than any other media company.
1149
00:56:20,552 --> 00:56:23,558
{\an8}[Dungey]
When you think about
the tremendous amount
1150
00:56:23,655 --> 00:56:26,126
{\an8}of intellectual property
that exists at this company,
1151
00:56:26,225 --> 00:56:28,529
{\an8}the opportunities
are just so rich.
1152
00:56:28,623 --> 00:56:30,465
{\an8}But it is imperative
1153
00:56:30,562 --> 00:56:33,601
{\an8}for us to be making shows
that really reflect
the world around us.
1154
00:56:33,699 --> 00:56:35,636
{\an8}It's about who's telling
the stories,
1155
00:56:35,735 --> 00:56:37,237
{\an8}who's behind the scenes.
1156
00:56:37,336 --> 00:56:41,208
{\an8}People understand that talent
can come from anywhere.
1157
00:56:41,308 --> 00:56:43,010
{\an8}This is just the wave now,
1158
00:56:43,109 --> 00:56:45,480
{\an8}and I do think Warner Bros.
has done a good job of that.
1159
00:56:45,577 --> 00:56:47,848
{\an8}They're opening their arms
to that a little bit more.
1160
00:56:47,947 --> 00:56:51,285
{\an8}We think it's really important
to find filmmakers and voices
1161
00:56:51,383 --> 00:56:54,922
{\an8}that tell authentic stories,
positive stories about
1162
00:56:55,020 --> 00:56:58,358
{\an8}what it looks like
to be them or what their
culture feels like.
1163
00:56:58,457 --> 00:57:00,628
{\an8}[Mike De Luca]
Those filmmakers are
worth their weight in gold.
1164
00:57:00,726 --> 00:57:03,664
{\an8}Those storytellers
that understand
that you're part of a tribe,
1165
00:57:03,762 --> 00:57:06,166
{\an8}you feel like you're part
of a collective humanity.
1166
00:57:08,462 --> 00:57:10,671
{\an8}[Rick] Don't you sometimes
wonder if it's worth all this?
1167
00:57:10,770 --> 00:57:12,840
{\an8}I mean,
what you're fighting for.
1168
00:57:12,939 --> 00:57:15,375
{\an8}[Victor] Might as well
question why we breathe.
1169
00:57:15,474 --> 00:57:17,678
{\an8}If we stop breathing,
we'll die.
1170
00:57:17,777 --> 00:57:22,316
{\an8}Each of us has a destiny,
for good or for evil.
1171
00:57:22,414 --> 00:57:26,153
{\an8}[Zaslav] When you tell
a great story,
you can change minds.
1172
00:57:26,251 --> 00:57:28,756
The Warner brothers
understood that,
1173
00:57:28,855 --> 00:57:31,592
Steve Ross understood that.
1174
00:57:31,690 --> 00:57:35,530
And so, when you think about
Warner Bros. today,
1175
00:57:35,622 --> 00:57:40,535
it's about building on
the incredible success
over the last 100 years.
1176
00:57:41,834 --> 00:57:43,904
[Freeman] What began
as a family affair
1177
00:57:44,003 --> 00:57:48,909
has grown into
a global empire
of entertainment.
1178
00:57:49,008 --> 00:57:52,680
{\an8}Since its inception,
the studio has
developed talent
1179
00:57:52,779 --> 00:57:57,752
{\an8}into risk takers, trailblazers
and visionaries.
1180
00:57:57,851 --> 00:58:00,755
{\an8}In return,
those fearless voices
1181
00:58:00,853 --> 00:58:04,525
{\an8}have reflected
and shaped our culture.
1182
00:58:04,623 --> 00:58:08,162
{\an8}[Phillips] I think what's made
Warner Bros. last 100 years
1183
00:58:08,262 --> 00:58:09,630
{\an8}is that inclination
1184
00:58:09,729 --> 00:58:13,200
{\an8}to swing for the fences
and trust filmmakers.
1185
00:58:13,293 --> 00:58:15,503
{\an8}[Scott] It's a dangerous story
for this paper.
1186
00:58:15,602 --> 00:58:17,572
{\an8}Fuck it, let's stand by
the boys.
1187
00:58:19,204 --> 00:58:20,775
{\an8}[Freeman]
Throughout the decades,
1188
00:58:20,874 --> 00:58:22,309
{\an8}storytellers have embraced
1189
00:58:22,408 --> 00:58:25,040
{\an8}the pioneering spirit
of the founders.
1190
00:58:26,879 --> 00:58:31,786
{\an8}That same courage
will inspire the next century.
1191
00:58:31,884 --> 00:58:34,789
{\an8}[Melissa] We do this
because we're supposed to.
1192
00:58:34,887 --> 00:58:36,524
{\an8}It's a calling.
1193
00:58:36,623 --> 00:58:38,459
{\an8}You answered.
1194
00:58:38,557 --> 00:58:40,928
{\an8}[Winfrey] What it means
to tell stories
1195
00:58:41,027 --> 00:58:45,633
{\an8}in a world that is craving
direction and hope
1196
00:58:45,731 --> 00:58:49,470
{\an8}has more value now
than ever before.
1197
00:58:51,270 --> 00:58:54,069
{\an8}[Zaslav] One of
the great things about
being here on the lot
1198
00:58:54,174 --> 00:58:56,310
{\an8}is not just the legacy.
1199
00:58:56,409 --> 00:58:59,113
{\an8}It's not what happened here,
who's been here.
1200
00:58:59,812 --> 00:59:01,215
{\an8}It's who is here.
1201
00:59:01,308 --> 00:59:03,884
{\an8}We all came together
for the same reason.
1202
00:59:03,983 --> 00:59:06,220
{\an8}To fight to tell a great story,
1203
00:59:06,320 --> 00:59:08,689
{\an8}and to make a difference.
1204
00:59:08,788 --> 00:59:12,087
{\an8}We love this business,
and we have more stories
to tell.
1205
00:59:17,964 --> 00:59:20,134
[upbeat music playing]