Whether this is just a normal change of the guard or a reaction to the disappointing Justice League film, Geoff Johns has a new partner to help run DC Films.
The Hollywood Reporter states that former New Line SVP Walter Hamada will replace Jon Berg as president of DC Films.
Hamada had overseen the successful The Conjuring shared universe at New Line and was responsible for this year’s hit Stephen King adaptation, It. He was also overseeing Shazam!, a rare DC Extended Universe film housed at New Line and not at Warner Brothers.
Berg left to become a partner at Vertigo, the production shingle run by producer Roy Lee. There appears to be no relation to DC Comics imprint of the same name.
As an outsider, this move might be a step towards fiscal responsibility for Warners’ comic book film arm. None of The Conjuring films cost more than $40 million and the franchise made a $500 million for the studio after expenses. It has made over $698 million worldwide against a $35 million budget. It appears that Hamada is skilled at getting the maximum return from a minimum investment, something the spendthrift DC Films arm should try to employ.
