No studio boasts a more storied history than Warner Brothers. It made the first sound film, The Jazz Singer, seminal gangster films such as The Public Enemy, and classics like The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca and Yankee Doodle Dandy. Their stars included Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis, and James Cagney. They also featured Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and many other childhood favorites.
During the New Hollywood era, Warners produced Bonnie and Clyde, The Exorcist, and All the President's Men. In the 70s and 80s Warner Brothers developed relationships with Stanley Kubrick and Clint Eastwood. It also launched the modern superhero movies with Superman and Batman.
After some down years, Warners rebounded in 2025 with Sinners, One Battle After Another, and Weapons. But what should have been cause for celebration has become trepidation. Skydance, under Larry Ellison, having bought Paramount last year, now plans to buy Warners to make a mega-studio. Will this mean job losses, less filmmaker independence, less films period? What will become of the studio's legacy and future?
