As Warner Bros. Discovery prepares to split its company into two, the Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group is undergoing staff reductions to implement a “global operating model” that will impact 10% of the workforce.
The cuts will impact those in the marketing, distribution, production, strategy, operations and theatre ventures departments at Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group.
This process began in early 2025 and is designed to move the Marketing & Distribution structures away from the U.S./international model and into a more global structure.
“Earlier this year, in collaboration with leaders across the film division, we undertook a thoughtful assessment of our current structure and began the work to transform our business as we transition from a U.S. Home Office/International model toward a fully global structure,” De Luca and Abdy said in a note to staff sent Wednesday. “Adapting how we work often calls for evolution, and the future of how we run this business has required us to make some very difficult decisions.”
The move comes ahead of WBD’s split in mid-2026 that will see David Zaslav run Warner Bros., which will house the studios and streaming operations, while Gunndar Widenfelds will run Discovery Global, which will include cable, news and sports.
The move also comes as Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, under the leadership of De Luca and Abdy, is having a banner year with box office successes like “A Minecraft Movie,” “Sinners,” “Final Destination: Bloodlines” and DC Studios’ “Superman.”
Here’s the letter sent to staff by De Luca and Abdy:
Team Motion Pictures –
Earlier this year, in collaboration with leaders across the film division, we undertook a thoughtful assessment of our current structure and began the work to transform our business as we transition from a US Home Office/International model toward a fully global structure.
The exploration led to important conversations and insights to better understand how we reach audiences, what fundamental shifts should be implemented as teams work together across the world to collectively engage today’s moviegoers, and what the division needs to be successful.
In partnership with our P&C colleagues, and with these new learnings, we spent a lot of time thinking about how we evolve our teams to ensure films made here at Warner Bros. continue to receive world class release campaigns, and we engross audiences with the kind of memorable in-theater experience only the big screen can offer.
Adapting how we work often calls for evolution, and the future of how we run this business has required us to make some very difficult decisions, including staffing adjustments that will impact members of the Motion Picture Group. This week, your department leadership will share what these strategic changes mean for you and your teams. In the coming weeks and months, we will work with leaders around the world to shape and implement this global operating model in a way that reflects local needs and realities.
We know news like this is never easy, and we are tremendously grateful to our departing team members whose contributions throughout their time at Warner Bros. Pictures has made a lasting impact on both of us, and so many of you. They each have a lot to be proud of.
We know this group will continue to achieve great things together while we remain focused on what’s ahead.
With gratitude,
Mike & Pam
