WARNER BROS. CENTENARY SPECIAL HEADS FROM CANNES TO FOXTEL

Direct from its World Premiere at the 2023 Festival de Cannes, the four-part documentary special 100 YEARS OF WARNER BROS. will debut from June 11 on Australian fee-vee provider Foxtel. Narrated by Morgan Freeman and directed by Academy Award® and Emmy®-nominated filmmaker Leslie Iwerks, the in-depth portrait of the first century of Hollywwod’s most innovative studio explores the impact of Warner Bros. on art, commerce and culture.

 
100 YEARS OF WARNER BROS features insights and first-person stories from directors, actors, executives, journalists and historians, as the four specials trace Warner Bros.’ underdog origins – from its founding in the early 1920s by four brothers from an immigrant family, through decades of creative risks and impactful storytelling, to the historic mergers of the 2000s that transformed the company into a global entertainment powerhouse. 

The four episodes cover four key segments in the major's growth:

1. THE STUFF THAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF: Four brothers (pictured, right) set out to build a movie studio from the ground up–while making a giant leap from silent films to “talkies.” As the Warners stand up to WWII Nazism, personal ambitions lead to family betrayal.

2. CLINT, KUBRICK AND KRYPTONITE: After a historic sale, Warner Bros. navigates the upheavals of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Under a new strategist CEO, the company enters an era of unmatched storytelling with groundbreaking projects.

3. HEROES, VILLAINS AND FRIENDS: In the ‘80s, a new generation helps crown Warner Bros. as a forerunner in Hollywood’s blockbuster age. After a historic merger, the company becomes one of the biggest entertainment giants in the world.

4. WIZARDING WORLD AND THE BIG BANG: As the millennium brings a new era of business partnerships bookended by mergers, Warner Bros. continues to champion authentic voices while harnessing the latest technologies of the digital age.

The four documentary specials feature over 60 interviews with legendary, studio-aligned  stars as Kim Basinger, Candice Bergen, Linda Blair, Orlando Bloom, Quinta Brunson, LeVar Burton, Lynda Carter, George Clooney, Kevin Costner, Ellen DeGeneres, Robert De Niro, Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Gal Gadot, Andy Garcia, Ke Huy Quan, Harvey Keitel, Linda Lavin, Matthew Modine,, Edward James Olmos, Jesse Palmer, Daniel Radcliffe, Keanu Reeves, Oprah Winfrey and Constance Wu. (Pictured, left: Director Leslie Iwerks)

Filmmakers and execs who have helped forge the Warners brand who contribute recollections include Tim Burton, Jon M. Chu, Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuarón, Ernest Dickerson, Toby Emmerich, William Friedkin, Ron Howard, Patty Jenkins, Tony Gilroy, Baz Luhrmann, Todd Phillips, Chuck Lorre, Gregory Nava, Christopher Nolan, Gregory Orr, Martin Scorsese, Oliver Stone and John Wells, with critic/academic Leonard Maltin providing important historical context.

The streamer will further support the movie industry giant’s centenary with programming ‘pop-up’ channels. From June 30 to July 27 on Channels 128 and 402, ‘WB 100 Movies Pop-Up’ will feature more than 200 movies from 1939 to today’s blockbusters, including Casablanca, The Wizard of Oz, Dumb & Dumber, Caddyshack (pictured, right), The Dark Knight, the Vacation franchise, The Witches of Eastwick and Elvis. And the ‘Cartoon Network WB 100 Classics Pop-Up’ will feature classic cartoons from the Warner Bros. catalogue, amongst them such animated icons as Tom & Jerry, Scooby-Doo, Jellystone and many more (June 30 to July 14 on Channel 700).

100 YEARS OF WARNER BROS. debuts from Sunday, June 11 at 8.30pm on Fox Docos and available On Demand on FOXTEL