Warner Bros.' Kevin Tsujihara to Exit as Studio Chief
He has led the Burbank studio since 2013.
Kevin Tsujihara is exiting his role as chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Entertainment, a job he’s held for six years.
"It is in the best interest of WarnerMedia, Warner Bros., our employees and our partners for Kevin to step down as Chairman and CEO of Warner Bros.," said WarnerMedia CEO John Stankey on Monday. The executive did not name a replacement for Tsujihara.
Stankey added, "Kevin has contributed greatly to the studio’s success over the past 25 years and for that we thank him. Kevin acknowledges that his mistakes are inconsistent with the Company’s leadership expectations and could impact the Company’s ability to execute going forward."
In a Hollywood Reporter article on March 6, text messages between the executive and Charlotte Kirk revealed that Tsujihara said that he would push for auditions for the actress amid an apparent sexual relationship that he was having with Kirk. The actress appeared in two Warner Bros. films: 2016's How to Be Single and 2018's Ocean's 8. Tsujihara's personal attorney stated, "Mr. Tsujihara had no direct role in the hiring of this actress." An outside law firm continues to investigate the claims made against Tsujihara.
Under Tsujihara’s tenure, Warners had struggled to turn out DC superhero movies that matched the success of Disney’s Marvel label until it hit upon a winning formula with 2017's Wonder Woman, directed by Patty Jenkins and starring Gal Gadot, which took in $821.8 million worldwide. It then enjoyed an even bigger success with last year's Aquaman, directed by James Wan and starring Jason Momoa, which has grossed $1.1 billion worldwide, eclipsing all of Warners' earlier superhero movies, including those in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy.
Tsujihara is also credited with courting J.K. Rowling for a series of Harry Potter spinoff movies. The first installment, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, grossed $814 million in 2016, although its 2018 sequel Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald stalled at $653.4 million. A third installment is slated for 2021.