Mumbai: Warner Bros. Discovery has officially launched its global centennial campaign, "Celebrating Every Story," in preparation for the studio's 100th anniversary on 4 April 2023. This landmark birthday will be celebrated across consumer touchpoints over the next 12 months with special programming and content, exclusive products and home entertainment releases, a dedicated programming page on HBO Max, omni-channel social media campaigns, live events and screenings, and fan-focused activations around the world. The official centennial logo and commemorative reel will also be unveiled.
Speaking on the launch, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav commented, "The name Warner Bros. is synonymous with entertainment, and we are honoured to be celebrating this iconic studio’s centennial and the rich heritage that stretches back to the four brothers who founded it in 1923. Over the past 100 years, Warner Bros. has created some of the most recognisable and beloved films, TV shows and characters ever made and has been the place for impactful storytelling that both defines and reflects our culture. We are excited about our company’s bright and dynamic future and, as we embark on its second century, to continue to tell the kind of great stories that entertain, inform, and inspire audiences around the world."
Highlights of the centennial programming include a three-part documentary on the history of Warner Bros. from WB Unscripted Television, which will premiere on HBO Max (and select partners in regions where HBO Max isn't available); programming marathons and special episodes across Warner Bros. Discovery's 40+ domestic networks and international channels; and archival interviews airing on Extra from the series' 29 seasons of studio set visits, red carpet premieres, and other events.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will release a series of commemorative film and television bundles on digital, Blu-ray, and DVD, including four 25-film volumes and a 100-film collection (both with souvenir collectibles), complete TV series collections for the first time, and "Best of" TV compilations from the most beloved WBTV franchises. Throughout the year, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will release a dozen remastered titles in 4K ultra-high definition for the first time, including the Superman 5-film collection and special 50th anniversary editions of Enter the Dragon and The Exorcist.
HBO Max will launch a dedicated programming page with thematic and seasonal programming in late January. HBO Max will mine Warner Bros.' unparalleled film and television libraries to present curated collections commemorating holidays and cultural events such as Black History Month, Women's History Month, AAPI Month, and Pride/LGBTQ.
From apparel and housewares to toys and collectibles, publishing, retailers, and food and beverage companies, Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products is celebrating this milestone in collaboration with some of the world's most popular and powerful brands.
Throughout 2023, the consumer products division will present a number of exclusive centennial activations in collaboration with key partners such as Amazon, Saks Fifth Avenue, Funko, Mattel, New Era, Running Press, and others. In addition, a new line of products featuring the Looney Tunes, a cornerstone of Warner Bros.' history, will be unveiled, with the ultimate superfans dressed up as other legendary WB characters from fan favourite franchises such as DC and Wizarding World taking centre stage.
Throughout the year, the company will present a number of live events and experiences to fans around the world, including: Candlelight Concerts in 100 cities, taking fans on a musical journey through 100 years of Warner Bros. in cities such as Los Angeles, New York, London, Toronto, Melbourne, Paris, Singapore, Milan, So Paulo, and Mexico City.
In April, the TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood will honour key films and major talent from Warner Bros. Pictures' history, including Casablanca, the 50th anniversaries of The Exorcist and Enter the Dragon, as well as world premiere restorations of East of Eden and Rio Bravo.
Limited theatrical engagements of some of Warner Bros.' most popular film titles throughout its history; exhibits and screenings commemorating the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures' centennial in Los Angeles; and commemorative screenings at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History's Warner Bros. Theater will be included.
The centennial will be celebrated with exclusive merchandise, photo ops, special engagements and activations, and more at Warner Bros.' hotels and theme parks around the world, including The WB Abu Dhabi, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, Parque Warner Madrid, and Warner Bros. Movie World in Australia.
Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood, the world's premier attraction for bringing fans closer to the entertainment they love, will play a significant role in commemorating the centennial. A special 100th anniversary exhibit will debut as part of the tour in February, and more centennial-themed surprises will be revealed later in the year.
Warner Bros. has been active internationally for virtually its entire history. Teams from across the world will host centenary activations across all of the studio's businesses to acknowledge the brand's popularity worldwide as well as its content, characters, and consumer products. The Warner Bros. centennial celebration will truly be a global event, with centennial celebrations in China and a themed exhibition during the Beijing International Film Festival, pop-up channels in Germany, film exhibitions throughout Europe, consumer products and fashion lines across all regions, and more.
This Day in History, Backlot Journeys, 100 Iconic WB Moments, mashups with top-tier IP, activations at live events, user-generated content, photo ops and filters, and other specially designed themed campaigns will launch across social media to let fans of all things Warner Bros. join in the celebration.
