David Zaslav bids farewell to industry he helped destroy

“Behind every one of those moments is the work, talent and commitment of everyone who does their part to bring it all to life,” he continues. “And that is what matters. Honoring the work that came before us, doing our part to carry it forward and knowing that the work continues.”

Tomorrow, Zaslav will be back on the market when the Paramount merger closes, and Warner Bros. becomes a part of someone else’s debt-ridden movie conglomerate. Arriving at the company four years ago through a merger with Discovery, where Zaslav was CEO, he set about unsuccessfully reducing the company’s $43 billion in debt through rounds of layoffs and canceling film projects. His most high-profile cancellations were an unfinished Batgirl movie and shelving Coyote Vs. Acme, the Looney Tunes movie currently on track to outgross every single Warner Bros. release this year. Zaslav leaves the company, which Paramount will borrow $80 billion to consume, more than $550 million richer, and the industry he insisted he loved so much, one century-old studio smaller than when he found it. 

“I can’t wait to see what you do in the years ahead. I’m so grateful for all these years at Warner Bros. Discovery, for the wonderful experiences creating content, telling stories and getting to know so many of you,” he concludes. “Thank you so much.”