DC Films Head Walter Hamada Extends Deal To The End Of 2023

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DC Films Head Walter Hamada Extends Deal To The End Of 2023

DC Films president Walter Hamada renews his deal to continue on through 2023 as he continues to reshape the DCEU and enact his future plans.

DC Films president Walter Hamada renews his deal to continue on through 2023. Prior to Hamada's installation in the position, Geoff Johns and Jon Berg essentially ran DC Films and the DCEU. The DC Extended Universe was first planned as a connected universe in the vein of the MCU, but was marred by early missteps. Following the disappointing response to Justice League in 2017, both Johns and Berg were moved to producer positions while Hamada was hired as the new DC Films president. His track record at New Line - which includes the release of movies like The Conjuring and It - gave fans hope that Hamada would be an excellent fit.

Indeed, since Hamada stepped into the role, DC Films has seen an upswing in quality. Though the first movie to be released under him, 2018's Aquaman, was completed before he took office, but he did serve as producer. Since then, Hamada has overseen releases such as Joker and Birds of Prey, and the next few years will see an even greater shift within the DCEU. DC Films will focus less on connected storytelling and will instead produce features that can stand on their own, like James Gunn's The Suicide Squad and Matt Reeves' The Batman (which is not part of the DCEU continuity).

Clearly, the higher-ups at Warner Bros. are pleased by Hamada's work, as the executive has renewed his deal to serve as DC Films president. Per Variety, the deal will now last through 2023, and Hamada will continue to report to Warner Bros. Picture Group Chairman Toby Emmerich. Emmerich said in a statement:

Walter is not only passionate about story and the DC canon, he’s also a thoughtful and incredibly talented executive who is fully committed to investing the time and care necessary for moviemaking on this scale. With Walter overseeing our DC movies for theatrical exhibition and on HBO Max, we are excited for him and his team to bring more of these stories to life, working with new and established talent to broaden the reach and diversity of the DC cinematic universe.

Hamada has earned criticism in recent months from Justice League star Ray Fisher, who came forward last summer with accusations that director Joss Whedon acted unprofessionally during reshoots of the 2017 film. While Fisher initially pinned his allegations on Whedon, he later expanded to include the likes of Berg, Johns, and Hamada. Fisher claimed Hamada sought to cover up some of his allegations, and just last week, the Cyborg actor announced he refuses to star in any DC film produced by Hamada. It remains to be seen how this announcement will impact his DC future.

It isn't too surprising that Hamada has seen his contract get reupped, as last week he also unveiled some of his future plans for DC Films. This includes several DC movies heading to HBO Max over the next few years, falling in line with Warner Bros.' new focus on streaming. Right now, Hamada has big plans for DC, and he'll have at least a couple more years to see them through.