Turner Classic Movies will lean on Warner Bros. film chiefs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy for library curation and editorial vision, sources told Variety, in wake of the exit of network head Pola Changnon this week.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav had been considering bringing in De Luca and Abdy for some time, insiders said, to rely on their cinephile instincts and shape the best possible programming slate for the channel one beloved by Hollywood titans and film fans for showcasing of film history.
TCM will still exist with the U.S. Networks Group run by Kathleen Finch. While De Luca and Abdy will advise, a senior executive in charge of operations is expected to be named in the future. Warner Bros. Discovery had no comment on the matter.
The exit of Changnon, along with other key TCM employees, caused an outcry from the film community including top directors Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Paul Thomas Anderson, who met with Zaslav Wednesday, and released a statement saying We have each spent time talking to David, separately and together, and its clear that TCM and classic cinema are very important to him. Our primary aim is to ensure that TCMs programming is untouched and protected.
De Luca and Abdy have already been mining the Warner library for a series of salons hosted on the lot, they revealed in a recent cover story with Variety. As a move to boost morale, they have invited top filmmakers like George Clooney, Christopher Nolan and Andy Muschietti to select WB classics and screen them for employees. The screenings (titles including Chariots of Fire and All The Presidents Men) are often followed by conversations with the directors.
The news was first reported by the Hollywood Reporter.