What Is DC Films Production Company?

Last Updated on February 15, 2022 by Lil Ginge

DC Films is the official film production company behind the movies featuring characters from DC Comics and DC Entertainment. It is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Pictures Group, which is owned by WarnerMedia.

The American-owned film company was founded on November 3, 2018, by Geoff Johns and Jon Berg with its headquarters at 4000 Warner Boulevard in Burbank, California. It was created in the wake of the failure of the Warner Bros. Pictures film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, directed by Zack Snyder.

Currently run by executives Walter Hamada, President of DC Films as well as Chantal Nong, Vice President of Production, DC Films has overseen a number of successful DC comics-based productions and has a full slate of upcoming films.

The History of DC Films Production Company

After the release of Snyder’s Batman v Superman, the world of DC comics on film was a mess. The film was not a “flop” per se but was critically panned with a Rotten Tomato critics score of 29% and an audience score of 63%. The movie also grossed below expectations at just $873.6 million globally, considering it was the first film ever to feature both Superman and Batman in the same movie.

In response to this perceived failure, Warner Bros. founded DC Films to consolidate and fix the mess that was DC on film. DC Films was created with Berg and DC Comics Chief Content Officer Geoff Johns at the helm. The hope was for DC to better compete with Disney’s wildly successful Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), their counterpart to the world of superhero comics in the movies.

One way DC Films was to differ from the MCU was that while Marvel was run and creatively controlled by a master producer in Kevin Feige, the President of Marvel Studios, DC Film would still have a director-driven mandate. That meant that the individual directors of each film would retain control over most aspects of casting, the film’s design, the story, and more elements of the movie.

Berg was selected as President due to his previous work on DC superhero films including Batman v Superman, Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, and Justice League. Meanwhile, Geoff Johns was a longtime comic book writer previously involved with DC Television. He also initially helped co-write Ben Affleck’s The Batman film before it was scrapped in favor of the Matt Reeves production.

In January 2018, Warner Bros. announced that WB executive Walter Hamada would become President of DC Films. Hamada would oversee upcoming DC films. He would essentially replace Berg and Johns, who Warner Bros. partially attributed the failures of the Justice League movie to. Hamada had been a production executive at New Line Cinema for a decade and was responsible for developing films like It and The Conjuring.

DC Films – Previously Released Movies

NumberTitleRelease DateDirectorCo-Production CompaniesNotes
1.Suicide SquadAugust 5, 2016David AyerRatPac-Dune Entertainment, Atlas Entertainment
2. Wonder WomanJune 2, 2017Patty JenkinsRatPac-Dune Entertainment, Atlas Entertainment, Cruel and Unusual Films, Tencent Pictures, Wanda Pictures
3. Justice LeagueNovember 17, 2017Zack Snyder / Joss WhedonRatPac-Dune Entertainment, Access Entertainment, Atlas Entertainment, Cruel and Unusual Films
4.AquamanDecember 21, 2018James WanThe Safran Company
5.Shazam!April 5, 2019David F. SanbergNew Line Cinema, The Safran Company
6.JokerOctober 5, 2019Todd PhillipsVillage Roadshow Pictures, BRON Creative, Joint Efforts Productions
7.Birds of PreyFebruary 7, 2020Cathy YanLuckyChap Entertainment, Kroll & Co. Entertainment, Clubhouse Productions
8.Wonder Woman 1984Decembe r25, 2020Patty JenkinsAtlas Entertainment, The Stone Quarry
9. Zack Snyder’s Justice LeagueMarch 18, 2021Zack SnyderAccess / Dune Entertainment, Atlas Entertainment, The Stone QuarryHBO Max Exclusive
10.The Suicide SquadAugust 5, 2021James GunnAtlas Entertainment, The Safran Company
Chart of Previously Released DC Films

Upcoming DC Films

NumberTitleRelease DateDirectorCo-Production CompaniesNotes
11The BatmanMarch 4, 2022Matt Reeves6th & Idaho, 
12Black AdamJuly 29, 2022Jaume Collet-SerraNew Line Cinema, Seven Bucks Productions, FlynnPicture Co.
13The FlashNovember 4, 2022Andy MuschiettiThe Disco Factory, Double Dream
14.Aquaman and the Lost KinddomDecember 16, 2022James WanAtomic Monster Productions, The Safran Company
15Batgirl2022Adil El Arbi & Bilall FallahWarner Bros. Pictures, Burr! ProductionsHBO Max Exclusive
16Shazam! Fury of the GodsJune 2, 2023David F. SandbergNew Line Cinema, The Safran Company, Seven Bucks Productions, Mad Ghost Productions
17.Blue BeetleAugust 18, 2023Angel Manuel Soto
Chart of upcoming DC Films

DC Movies Currently In Development

  • Black Canary (HBO Max Exclusive)
  • Static Shock
  • Green Lantern Corps
  • Supergirl
  • Zatanna
  • Untitled Superman film
  • Wonder Woman 3 (untitled)
  • Hourman film (untitled)
  • Joker 2 (untitled)

DC Films: Television Series

SeriesAir DebutShowrunnerCo-Production CompaniesOriginal NetworkNotes
PeacemakerJanuary 13, 2022James GunnThe Safran Company, Troll Court EntertainmentHBO MaxThe Suicide Squad spinoff; airing now
Untitled The Batman: Gotham PD showTBDJoe Barton6th & IdahoHBO MaxIn development; The Batman spinoff 
ConstantineTBDTBDBad Robot ProductionsHBO MaxIn development
Justice League DarkTBDTBDBad Robot ProductionsHBO MaxIn development
Madame XTBDTBDBad Robot ProductionsHBO MaxIn development
Untitled: The Batman: PenguinTBDTBD6th & IdahoHBO MaxIn development
DC Films Television Shows in Production

If you found this article helpful, check out the rest of my articles on the upcoming DC Films production The Batman.

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