As the clock ticks toward the official acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery by Skydance, CEO David Zaslav sent another company-wide email.
This was accompanied by a three-minute video, insiders say The Hollywood Reporter. It was actually Zaslav’s farewell speech.
Greeting employees at nine o’clock, there was a video in which Zaslav was sitting in a director’s chair in the Warner Bros. Studios Ranch Loft warehouse. in Burbank, California, extolling the virtues of the creative class, while clips from decades of films and shows produced by Warners labels flashed by.
“You start with an idea, and through talent, expertise and a huge amount of hard work, you turn it into something real,” Zaslav explains in the video. “Something that connects people, stays with them, and becomes part of their lives. Over the years, you’ve created countless moments like this. Stories and characters, games and experiences, that have become part of our culture.”
He later added that it was a “great honor to stand alongside all of you. I hope you will be proud of what you have built, what you have created and the role you have played in creating an extraordinary story.”
And he concludes the message by once again praising his employees, saying, “I can’t wait to see what you do in the years to come. I’m so grateful for all the years at Warner Bros. Discovery, for the wonderful experiences creating content, telling stories, and getting to know so many of you. Thank you very much.”
The video was not received kindly in the Burbank parking lot. The executive is expected to walk away with compensation that could reach more than $800 million. And the sale he orchestrated results in the imminent layoff of thousands and thousands of people.
The mood on the ground, depending on who you talk to, is one of anxiety, fear, anger and survival mode. An executive adds about Zaslav’s farewell message: “So you don’t have the right tone. »
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