Warner Bros. pipeline programs for writers and directors to close – The Hollywood Reporter

Discover Warner Bros. The long-running television workshops for writers and directors will close at the end of the current 2022-23 season, The Hollywood Reporter Learn.

While it wasn’t specifically variety shows exclusively for participants from historically excluded backgrounds, Warner Bros. TV The workshop was seen as an important pipeline of opportunity for such artists looking to break into the business. The Writers Workshop has been around for over 40 years, with notable recent alumni including Akela Cooper (Luke CageNext Bloomhouse M3GAN), Zack Schwartz (Wu Tang: An American EpicTNT snow holeand Latoya Morganthe walking DeadAnd the in the badlands). Among the alumni of the directors’ workshop is Jude Wing (Only the murders in the buildingAnd the Find our OhanaJaafar Mahmoud (RebootAnd the Young Sheldon) and Regina King.

Last month, WBD She restructured her group for diversity, equity and inclusion, with Senior Vice President Karen Horne, who previously oversaw pipeline programs under WarnerMedia, was promoted to oversee DEI for the North American region. In her place, Grace Ann Moss has been appointed to oversee pipeline programs at the vice president’s level.

The company is also closing Phase 13, its short digital content studio, with existing projects in the works to be absorbed into Warner Bros. Television. , who has been overseeing the development and programming of Phase 13 since 2020. Phase 13 was founded in 2017 as part of the Digital Networking division of Warner Bros. and produced series such as Netflix SpecialCreated by and starring Ryan O’Connell about his experiences as a young gay man with cerebral palsy, the CW/Netflix anthology Two sentence horror storieswhich was created by Vera Miao and served as a showcase for filmmakers from a variety of backgrounds.

The decision to close Phase 13 and the WBTV writers and directors’ workshops is part of the larger demobilization tour Taking place today at the Warner Bros. Collection. TV Group led by Channing Dungey. The additional layoffs are expected to come as part of a larger effort by the Warner Bros. CEO. Discovery, David Zaslav, for finding an estimated $3 billion in cost savings from the newly merged company. Casey Bloys’ HBO and HBO Max division underwent a similar round of layoffs in August. Staffing cuts are expected in other WBD divisions as Zaslav and his top lieutenants seek to eliminate layoffs and sizing up their various divisions. As part of a larger effort, HBO Max and Discovery+ will merge next year as executives continue to discuss a new name for the service.