Channing Dungey On ‘Harry Potter’, ‘Ted Lasso’ & ‘Large Bang’ Spinoff

Warner Bros Tv is 2-for-2 in 2025 launches, with each of its new collection to debut to date this yr, Max’s The Pitt and Netflix’s Working Level, scoring with critics and audiences to earn fast renewals. The studio additionally has landed early broadcast renewals for hit comedies Abbott Elementary at ABC and Georgie & Maddy’s First Marriage at CBS whereas awaiting phrase on six bubble scripted exhibits and a comedy pilot throughout CBS, NBC, Fox and the CW.

Moreover, WBTV has discovered itself on the heart of a popular culture frenzy because the studio behind a number of the most anticipated new collection and returns which have sparked an unprecedented stage of fan curiosity and casting scrutiny: HBO’s Harry Potter, Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso, Max’s Large Bang spinoff Stuart Fails to Save the Universe as as effectively Netflix’s Scooby-Doo, certainly one of two high-profile current streaming greenlights for the studio alongside Not Appropriate For Work at Hulu.

In an interview with Deadline, Channing Dungey, Chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Tv Group | WBD US Networks, spoke of the strain of tackling beloved titles and supplied updates together with whether or not Ted Lasso might inform the story of a girls’s soccer group over a three-season arc because it did with the boys’s.

She additionally spoke of adapting to the evolving broadcast and streaming companies, producing for siblings HBO and Max in addition to rival streamers like Netflix, Apple and Hulu, and retaining high expertise beneath total offers. Dungey additionally revealed the destiny of Intercourse Lives of School Women, hinted at Nineties Warner Bros motion pictures getting collection adaptation, and addressed the potential for extra Manifest and Gilmore Women and a bigger Season 2 of The Pitt.

Designed to run over a decade, HBO’s collection adaptation of the massively standard Harry Potter fantasy books has been assembling its essential forged over the past a number of months. As Deadline reported solely, John Lithgow, Janet McTeer, Paapa Essiedu and Nick Frost are set or in negotiations to play Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape and Hagrid, respectively. HBO, which has not commented, is main the casting choice, which noticed some 32,000 children auditioning for the roles of Harry, Hermione and Ron. WBTV is the studio on the challenge, from showrunner Francesca Gardiner and director Mark Mylod.

DEADLINE: Are you near naming Harry, Hermione and Ron or confirming the grownup forged?

CHANNING DUNGEY: We aren’t but able to announce the children, we’re nonetheless working our approach via that course of. I’ve to present you credit score, you at Deadline are constantly breaking the information even after we’re not prepared, so I really feel like you might be very up to the mark on all issues Potter in that approach.

DEADLINE: We don’t have Voldemort but, that’s the one card I’m lacking in my deck.

DUNGEY: You’re lacking it in your deck, as a result of we’re nonetheless weighing a few completely different choices there, so we’re not fairly prepared there but. That’s an essential function to get proper.

DEADLINE: Cillian Murphy has been the one followers really need within the function, and he has been rumored for an additional Harry Potter character, too. Is {that a} chance?

DUNGEY: I’ve no remark, no remark, no remark.

DEADLINE: Is the present nonetheless on monitor for a summer season begin of manufacturing? It was focusing on a late 2026 or early 2027 premiere; is certainly one of them trying extra seemingly than the opposite?

DUNGEY: Nonetheless on monitor for summer season begin of manufacturing. The remaining we’ll know extra as we get rolling.

DEADLINE: Do you’ve got an episode rely but, is that one thing you could share?

DUNGEY: Not one thing that we will share, as a result of we’re nonetheless engaged on some finesses on the final couple of scripts, and the query turns into, do we predict that it’s value breaking one into two extra? We should always know shortly I might suppose.

‘Ted Lasso‘s Comeback

It was Warner Bros TV’s transfer final August to select up the choices of British Ted Lasso forged members Hannah Waddingam, Brett Goldstein and Jeremy Swift that signaled the Season 4 return of the massively standard Apple TV+ collection. The brand new season, that includes co-creator/star Jason Sudeikis’ Ted Lasso teaching a girls’s soccer group, was made official final month, with manufacturing set to start in July in Kansas earlier than returning to the UK.

DEADLINE: You by no means fairly closed the door on Ted Lasso after Season 3. How did the brand new season come collectively?

DUNGEY: It’s actually all been pushed by Jason. The studio, Warner Bros, and Apple had been very a lot open to doing extra Ted Lasso however a lot of it was about Jason feeling good in regards to the prospects, comfy with the thought. It’s all coming from his inventive mind, and we had been lucky sufficient to seek out ourselves in a spot the place he landed on an concept that he was enthusiastic about, and we’re getting the chance to assist him in that imaginative and prescient.

DEADLINE: Is every little thing coming collectively? Are you going to get all of the forged members you need again, together with Juno Temple and co-creator/author Brandon Hunt?

DUNGEY: To this point, so good. We’re nonetheless in lively conversations however we’re very hopeful.

DEADLINE: Phrase is that Jason has one other three-season arc mapped out for the ladies’s soccer group story.

DUNGEY: We’ve heard the pitch for this subsequent season, for Season 4. Is there the chance for the story to proceed after that? Completely. Have I heard an entire three-season pitch? Not but.

‘Large Bang’ Spinoff’s Standing

The gestational interval of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, Chuck Lorre’s spinoff from The Large Bang Principle, has been about so long as Season 4 of Ted Lasso. Gearing up for a (seemingly) collection greenlight determination by Max, co-creator Lorre a few weeks in the past assembled the challenge’s essential forged — Large Bang alums Kevin Sussman (Stuart Bloom), Lauren Lapkus (Denise), Brian Posehn (Bert Kibbler) and John Ross Bowie (Barry Kripke) — to workshop the 2 scripts he had co-written with Zak Penn and Invoice Prady earlier than turning them in to Max.

DEADLINE: What’s the standing of the Large Bang spinoff? I assumed by now we’d get a inexperienced mild as a result of the scripts are clearly prepared; John posted pictures from the casual desk learn.

DUNGEY: They’re laborious at work writing stuff, and Zak and Invoice are working. We’ve seen some materials on the studio, and we’ve had some inventive conversations with Max, so we’re looking forward to excellent news quickly.

DEADLINE: How do you’re feeling in regards to the scripts?

DUNGEY: They’re inventive, they’re imaginative, and they’re, most significantly, very, very humorous.

DEADLINE: Any likelihood for a number of the authentic stars to pop in?

DUNGEY: I might by no means say by no means. We’re very excited and targeted on our collection regulars who’ve nice stuff to do in these episodes.

‘The Pitt’s Breakthrough

WBTV produced The Pitt for Max beneath a brand new broadcast-style enterprise mannequin, doing 15 episodes in Season 1 at an affordable value, with HBO and Max Content material CEO Casey Bloys final fall calling the medical present “a very good template for a Max drama.” The collection has been successful, topping Max’s rankings and rising its viewership every week whereas additionally rising as a number one Emmy contender.

DEADLINE: What’s the plan for Season 2 of The Pitt? Are you going to stay to fifteen episodes or will you attempt to go nearer to the standard 22-episode broadcast season?

DUNGEY: There was a dialog about doing a bit bit extra. I believe proper now, we’re nonetheless 15 because the mannequin. If it finally ends up going up from there, it might most likely solely be by a few episodes, actually not all the way in which to 22.

What’s fantastic is, it is a excellent collaboration. John Wells, who’s a grasp showrunner, but in addition somebody who is aware of how you can inform premium broadcast tv tales. He introduced these abilities to play right here with R. Scott Gemmill and with Noah Wyle. And it’s really gratifying, as a result of it’s not that usually that you’ve a present that actually hits on all measures. It’s critically acclaimed, audiences like it. It delivers on all fronts, and that’s been so satisfying for all of us.

DEADLINE: Season 1 simply wrapped this week, and also you already are gearing up for Season 2.

DUNGEY: One of many causes that we wished to have an early renewal is as a result of we wish to maintain it on an annual cadence. That’s the opposite a part of this broadcast-style mannequin. You fall in love with these [streaming] exhibits, you see eight episodes, after which you need to wait 18 months for there to be extra. The entire promise of The Pitt was that we’d be on an annual cadence, and we’re going to have the ability to make that occur.

DEADLINE: Are you growing extra dramas beneath that mannequin for Max?

DUNGEY: We’re a few different issues. We’re growing a drama collection beneath that mannequin. We’re a few different procedural exhibits within the police area that is likely to be accomplished beneath that mannequin. So yeah, there are a variety of various issues that we’re growing proper now for Max that may match that very same that very same invoice.

Working An Indie & Promoting Amid Contraction

After nearly two years at Netflix, former longtime Disney/ABC govt Dungey took over Warner Bros’ TV studio in November 2020, a number of months into the pandemic, when manufacturing was beginning to ramp up beneath security protocols. Since then, she has navigated the impartial studio via the pandemic, two strikes and post-peak TV business contraction.

The studio lately landed collection orders for Mindy Kaling’s Not Appropriate For Work at Hulu and Berlanti Prods’ Scooby-Doo at Netflix — each of which began as script-to-series commitments — in addition to a few high-profile gross sales together with Dilettante starring Jeff Daniels from Berlanti Prods. at Apple; Kansas Metropolis Star with Kaley Cuoco from Hacks creators Lucia Aniello, Jen Statsky and Paul W. Downs at HBO; and Skinny Dip from Invoice Lawrence at Max.

All of them in addition to current renewals for Working Level, The Pitt, Presumed Harmless, Unhealthy Monkey, Shrinking, Abbott Elementary and Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage and upcoming new collection Duster on Max and Leanne and Untamed at Netflix stem from total or first-look offers the studio has with the likes of Lorre, Kaling, Wells, Lawrence, Greg Berlanti, J.J. Abrams, Quinta Brunson and the Hacks trio.

DEADLINE: How have the previous couple of years handled you as the pinnacle of an impartial TV studio?

DUNGEY: The best reward, fairly truthfully, is to be the pinnacle of an impartial studio. We tremendous worth our partnership with Max and with HBO, and are so happy with the work that we do. However the thrilling factor is that we’re actually in a position to let the tales that our inventive companions wish to inform drive the choices we make about the place the very best houses are.

These try instances within the business throughout the board, there’s plenty of noise taking place on daily basis. However what I like, is that at Warner Bros Tv, we come to work on daily basis with only one essential purpose in thoughts, and that’s to make nice tv. And attempt to drown out all the noise, whether or not it’s one thing that’s taking place simply inside our business, just like the strikes, or one thing that’s taking place extra broadly, by way of issues affecting our nation. We attempt to drown out the noise with the religion that we now have that if we proceed to be the very best at doing what we do, we can be profitable. I’ve talked rather a lot about the truth that I really feel like my function is to carry an umbrella over the inventive group, shielding them from exterior forces to allow them to deal with what they do greatest, which is telling nice tales.

DEADLINE: You latterly acquired a few collection pickups and offered a number of huge initiatives. Is {the marketplace} beginning to decide up? Clearly, the strikes had one thing to do with shopping for and greenlights lagging. Is it a bit simpler now?

DUNGEY: I wouldn’t essentially say something lately is simple; it’s a really difficult time within the enterprise. I really feel like we now have been lucky to proceed working steadily, and I chalk that as much as the wonderful inventive companions that we now have. It type of comes again to be attempting to be greatest at school, and we work with the very best. We work with creators like John Wells. Mindy Kaling, Chuck Lorre, Greg Berlanti and Invoice Lawrence and that’s given us, I believe, a leg up. We give the very best and brightest folks the time, the area and the inventive canvas that they should obtain their full potential. And that a part of what offers us the chance to attain these inexperienced lights and these collection renewals.

DEADLINE: The extent of commitments additionally has modified post-pandemic. Straight-to-series orders off a pitch are very uncommon. It looks as if the brand new premium dedication is script-to-series with a brief window for a streamer to drag the set off after a script is delivered. Is that your remark?

DUNGEY: It’s undoubtedly my remark. And I believe that the script-to-series step changed within the streaming area the notion of doing a pilot. I believe that they wish to — versus simply greenlighting issues to collection willy-nilly — the chance to learn a script, see it on its toes, and plenty of instances it’s a script plus a growth proposal or plan for the season, after which they really feel assured based mostly on these supplies going off to collection.

I’m truly advantageous with that as a result of I’ve at all times felt that there was worth in having a pilot. And for those who aren’t going to shoot a pilot, having written that pilot script, a minimum of, you actually have a way of what’s the blueprint for the collection. So I believe that that’s grow to be the brand new mannequin for an excellent purpose.

DEADLINE: Nearly all your current high-profile gross sales, greenlights and renewals come from expertise beneath total or first-look offers. Discuss in regards to the worth of these pacts. Clearly, they’re not as many as earlier than, with studios largely holding onto their most prolific showrunners and producers. How would you consider the present state of the general deal market?

DUNGEY: I believe there was a time limit after we all bear in mind, as I prefer to name them, the glory days of broadcast the place everybody had big stables of total offers since you would have the people who find themselves the preeminent story turbines. These showrunners clearly had been on the head of the record, however there was some extent the place everybody needed to have a extremely lengthy roster of expertise since you had been doing a number of exhibits that had been 22 to 24 episodes a season, and also you needed to just be sure you had sufficient folks to workers all of that up.

I believe that plenty of that has passed by the wayside throughout the board. The reality of the matter is, after we take a look at our roster now, we’re lucky to have a number of the high showrunners within the enterprise, individuals who outline excellence, and it’s an unmatched roster.

Their success is our success, and we give them plenty of inventive freedom. We wish Warner Bros to be an incredible inventive residence for them, after which we’re additionally trying to develop new voices, people who have come out of our exhibits that we really feel have the chance to develop and grow to be that subsequent stage of high expertise.

What we don’t have as a lot as we as soon as did is numerous writers which are simply on name for staffing as a result of a lot extra of the enterprise now’s a bit bit auteur-driven. You could have a showrunner on the high who has a inventive thought and a imaginative and prescient. We’re doing plenty of exhibits for streamers that are 8- to 10-episode orders. So that you don’t have that very same longer record of wants by way of staffing. So a few of these offers, sadly, we don’t have any extra.

DEADLINE: There even have been few offers purely for growth, they normally go to individuals who have already got a profitable present for the studio.

DUNGEY: We do have some offers which are based mostly on growth however that is actually because it’s for a present, or wrapped round a specific present, or comes as a product of a specific present. So yeah, that’s true.

DEADLINE: WBTV lately renewed its offers with Abrams’ Unhealthy Robotic, Kaling and All American and Discovered’s Nkechi Okoro Carroll. Discuss in regards to the determination to re-up these, and likewise the way you resolve total vs first-look; Unhealthy Robotic’s new pact is first-look, a brilliant standard deal kind lately.

DUNGEY: Yeah, I believe first-looks have grow to be a bit bit extra standard as a result of it’s rather less costly than an total, and it offers the inventive expertise some optionality. I believe for me, if it’s somebody that we’re actually enthusiastic about and consider in and really feel have the chance to do various kinds of exhibits for various kinds of platforms, I might at all times choose to have a total deal to a first-look, if I can swing it.

DEADLINE: And for J.J., how did you make the choice to proceed that relationship? There was some turbulence throughout Unhealthy Robotic’s earlier deal.

DUNGEY: We’re very completely happy about our relationship with J.J. We had a giant success final yr with Presumed Harmless and are actually enthusiastic about persevering with to work on the second season inside that universe. We have now some thrilling growth happening proper now with J.J., and we even have Duster, which is about to launch on Max. It’s a present that it’s been a bit bit lengthy within the gestation, however we’re thrilled with it and really, very hopeful that it’s going to attach with audiences in a big approach.

Producing For HBO/Max & Different Streamers

As a studio, WBTV has a twin id, feeding its personal platforms with exhibits just like the upcoming IT: Welcome to Derry, Lanterns, Steve Carell/Invoice Lawrence comedy and Kansas Metropolis Star for HBO and Peacemaker, The Pitt, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe and a set of DC animated exhibits, together with Creature Commandos, for Max. However as an indie, the studio additionally has been taking huge items a enterprise with huge auspices to Netflix (Working Level, Scooby-Doo, Untamed, Leanne), Apple (Ted Lasso, Shrinking, Dilettante) and Hulu (Not Appropriate For Work).

DEADLINE: Do you establish whether or not to pitch exterior with the creators, or do you at all times give Max and HBO heads-up what’s coming? And what’s the purpose — do you wish to be on each main streamer and have a success on each single one?

DUNGEY: Consider me, sure, I completely wish to be on each main streamer and have a success on each single one. We’ve type of been doing that; the place we’re at this level, we now have had important success on nearly each platform, and we now have significant growth and/or collection orders at each platform, which is thrilling.

DEADLINE: What about making the choice to take one thing like Working Level exterior? Was that aggressive? Was there some jealousy as a result of it might’ve labored for Max too?

DUNGEY: If it’s essential IP, just like the DC stuff, The Penguin or Lanterns, clearly that’s going to be one thing that we do inside, both at Max or at HBO. When it’s one thing like Working Level … I’ve common conversations with Casey, [WBTV President of Creative Affairs] Clancy Collins White is consistently speaking with [Max head of drama originals] Sarah Aubrey. We have now a extremely good sense of what it’s that they’re on the lookout for, significantly for Max, and if we now have one thing coming down the pike by way of growth that we predict could be proper for them, or could be good for them, we attempt to speak about it early in order that we will develop it collaboratively with them. There are different items of fabric that the city would wish to discover, a number of locations, so we’ll pitch issues large.

What I do attempt to keep away from is, we attempt to not take something out If we now have already had conversations with Max or with HBO about doing it internally; that’s simply not honest to our companions at different platforms. Once we convey one thing out, if we’re bringing it large, we wish to promote it to probably the most passionate and most dedicated place.

DEADLINE: You even have been doing extra for HBO correct after a break with a slew of latest collection and growth.

DUNGEY: We’re thrilled about that. We love working with the group at Max and the group at HBO. Not plenty of instances however a number of the instances after we’re pitching, we’ll pitch to Casey and likewise [HBO head of drama] Franny [Orsi] and Sarah and so they’ll make a dedication after the actual fact about whether or not they really feel prefer it feels extra like an HBO or a Max property. On the finish of the day, we’re agnostic about it. We’re completely happy to work on both facet. Wherever Casey and the group really feel prefer it’s going to have the very best success is the place we wish it to be.

DEADLINE: It’s additionally has been a very good relationship by way of Max permitting the studio to seek out new houses for exhibits like Useless Boy Detectives, initially produced for Max, which ended up on Netflix. Will you be capable to do the identical for Intercourse Lives of School Women following its Max cancellation?

DUNGEY: I don’t suppose so. We had been very a lot hoping to discover a new residence for that one, and I believe we’ve now come to the tip of the street, which is disappointing, as a result of it’s a present that we actually love. I’m so happy with the three seasons that we did at Max however I don’t suppose there’s going to be extra of School Women.

DEADLINE: What about extra Manifest on Netflix? That was a canceled present you efficiently discovered a brand new residence for.

DUNGEY: By no means say by no means!

State Of Broadcast & Bubble Present Odds

Warner Bros TV helped revitalize broadcast comedy with Brunson’s vital and scores hit Abbott Elementary, and is bringing The Large Bang Principle franchise’s run on CBS to 20 years with a 3rd consecutive hit, Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage. The studio additionally reestablished itself as a serious provider to the Large 4 broadcast networks after a vertical integration push a decade in the past hit impartial studios laborious. Nonetheless, the published enterprise is hard with smaller margins as networks maintain pushing for license payment reductions and extra digital rights.

With the 2022 sale of the CW — beforehand co-owned by Warner Bros and CBS — to Nexstar, Warner Bros TV’s broadcast slate obtained reduce roughly in half in a single day as Nexstar moved away from dear authentic scripted collection, canceling most present exhibits. The final remaining scripted collection from the “outdated CW” nonetheless on the community is WBTV’s All American. It’s certainly one of six WBTV broadcast scripted collection on the bubble.

DEADLINE: Is broadcast nonetheless viable for the studio?

DUNGEY: Completely, completely. I like that the 18th consecutive yr we now have exhibits on all 5 of the published networks, and I’ll proceed to name CW a broadcast community, as a result of my coronary heart continues to be there. So long as we’ve obtained All American going, I’m nonetheless feeling actually good about CW.

Look, the published enterprise actually has its challenges, however however, you continue to are reaching a really broad viewers. That’s one of many the explanation why Quinta Brunson very a lot wished Abbott to be a broadcast present, that was crucial to her after we took that out as a pitch. And, between Abbott and Georgie and Mandy, we’ve obtained The Cleansing Girl and Rescue HI-Surf at Fox, after which we’ve obtained a bunch at NBC, Sensible Minds, Discovered, Evening Courtroom. We simply completed capturing a pilot for CBS referred to as Zarna, which is a multi-camera comedy. So we really feel like there nonetheless is an efficient little bit of life left in broadcast, and it’s an area that we nonetheless actually take pleasure in working in.

DEADLINE: However isn’t it more durable with networks always chopping license charges? You could have three exhibits on NBC, which has to unlock primetime actual property for the NBA. Perhaps you need to use The Voice as a bargaining chip as a result of it nonetheless does effectively, however do you’ve got a way how issues will shake out for Discovered, Sensible Minds and Evening Courtroom?

DUNGEY: We don’t but. They’re going via all of their inner deliberation processes. We have now offered a Season 2 overview for Sensible Minds and a Season 3 overview for Discovered and obtained nice response from the inventive groups on each. We’re optimistic. It comes again to what I had stated earlier, which is, we consider that we’re delivering the highest quality programming, and that’s what offers us the braveness to proceed to maneuver ahead in an area that’s more and more aggressive. And we’re additionally very adept at Warner Bros. We all know how you can produce issues at a low value level, at a excessive value level, and every little thing in between. So we really feel like even within the even on this period the place broadcast belts are getting tighter, we nonetheless really feel like we will do a superb job, even inside price range constraints.

DEADLINE: That leads me to CW and Fox, as a result of each now have completely different fashions; Fox’s dramas are within the $3M-$4M an episode vary, whereas the CW’s license charges at the moment are largely effectively bellow $1 million an episode. Do you suppose you possibly can proceed to supply All American beneath their new enterprise parameters?

DUNGEY: We’ll see. May we produce one thing for the CW if we had been ranging from scratch, sure, completely. It’s robust when you’ve got a a longtime present like All American as a result of there are some prices constructed into that multi season. However we’re going to place our greatest efforts in the direction of it. And as for Fox, we’re nonetheless working there fairly avidly and we’re figuring it out. However once more, it feels prefer it’s a type of issues the place you need to construct the present appropriately to have the ability to produce it for a price range. And fortunately, that’s one thing that we now have many, a few years of expertise doing.

DEADLINE: And your Fox exhibits already are constructed that approach. At CBS, you’ve got the comedy pilot Zarna, which is going through two pilots and one bubble collection, all from CBS Studios, seemingly for one spot on the schedule. How did it prove? Do you’ve got hope that it might probably get that slot?

DUNGEY: We’re thrilled with it. CBS has solely simply seen it, so that you’ll have to seek out out from them how they’re feeling. However we predict the inventive group has accomplished a superb job, and it’s a extremely humorous pilot with an incredible household that you just really feel such as you’ve identified them ceaselessly. Everybody settled in actually instantly inside this pilot, which doesn’t at all times occur. So I’m optimistic, and maintain my fingers crossed.

Unscripted Slate Past ‘The Bachelor’

The following Warner Bros TV collection set to premiere isn’t scripted, it’s actuality present Love Resort for Bravo and Peacock from subsidiary Shed Media, which can be behind two of Bravo’s Actual Housewives exhibits.

Whereas the studio has a longtime cable actuality enterprise, which is anticipated to develop as Dungey now additionally oversees Warner Bros Discovery’s U.S. networks, and it additionally produces NBC’s flagship The Voice, its unscripted model might be most intently related to The Bachelor franchise on ABC, which has been going for 23 years, spawning a number of spinoffs. Deadline’s Peter White lately reported on the alleged “poisonous” tradition of the franchise, which is skipping a Bachelorette cycle this yr. Since then, a number of producers, together with The Bachelor showrunners, have exited.

DEADLINE: What’s the way forward for The Bachelor franchise? There was some behind-the-scene turmoil currently. Is it nonetheless a precious piece of enterprise for the studio?

DUNGEY: Completely, it’s nonetheless a precious piece of enterprise for us. It’s nonetheless an essential piece of enterprise for ABC. And we’re grateful. We’ve had plenty of wonderful conversations with our counterparts at ABC. It’s nonetheless an enormous precedence for us, and we’re very a lot trying ahead to Bachelor in Paradise, which is subsequent up for us.

DEADLINE: You are also a part of the Bravo universe with a number of Actual Housewives offshoots, together with the upcoming Love Resort.

DUNGEY: Love Resort, we’re getting large suggestions on from the group over at Peacock. A part of what I like about taking part in round within the unscripted area is the chance to discover various kinds of storytelling. And I really feel like everybody at all times goes straight to Bachelor after they speak about it. However we’ve obtained plenty of different enjoyable issues happening, Actual Housewives of New York and Salt Lake Metropolis, which, for those who haven’t watched it, is a delight.

After which, in my new U.S. networks remit, It’s enjoyable when all of the issues come collectively, like after we do one thing like Wizards of Baking. It’s the Harry Potter area, but it surely’s additionally my unscripted group at Warner Bros Tv producing for the Meals Community, all of these issues coming collectively in a single fell swoop. That’s to me an instance of the one WBD, the concept that we will work throughout a number of divisions of the corporate, all coming collectively to make one thing profitable, each for Meals Community and for Max.

On the animation facet, I might like to see much more partnership between my animation group and what we’re doing for Cartoon Community and Grownup Swim. We’re taking part in rather a lot within the IP area. Creature Commandos has been a giant success for us. And we’re trying ahead to do extra there, DC Superpowers, My Adventures with Inexperienced Lantern, Starfire!, these are some new issues which have been greenlit in our partnership with DC Studios.

Mining The WB IP & Extra ‘Gilmore Women’

Like every storied Hollywood studio, certainly one of Warner Bros’ most precious holdings is its IP. A major variety of WBTV’s present collection portfolio is predicated on firm IP, from a slew of live-action and animated DC properties together with Peacemaker, Lanterns and Creature Commandos to Dune: Prophecy, IT: Welcome to Derry, Scooby-Doo, a One Tree Hill sequel at Netflix, a Loopy Wealthy Asians adaptation at Max with Adele Lim, and, in fact, Harry Potter.

DEADLINE: How a lot are you specializing in mining Warner Bros IP?

DUNGEY: We’re actually mining IP. It’s one thing that the majority platforms have plenty of curiosity in. We’re blessed at Warner Bros to have such a wealthy historical past and a lot to attract from, each by way of collection that we’ve made up to now, and likewise the massive Warner Bros movie library, which is incredible. We’ve been at this 70 years on the tv facet, So there are plenty of nice tales which are ripe for redevelopment.

All that stated, my perception about IP is that there must be a purpose to inform the story now. There must be a purpose to reinvest in that IP, and it’s all in regards to the inventive expertise and their take and their perspective. Why is that this the proper second to revisit beloved title? I’m additionally a giant believer in growing new IP and new franchises, issues that you just give you as we speak. Working Level, for instance, that’s a incredible present by itself. You wish to proceed to construct the library of latest IP versus solely counting on established titles.

DEADLINE: Is there something that’s coming in down the pike on the IP entrance, something that you just’ve been attempting to crack on this job?

DUNGEY: We’ve obtained numerous various things in growth proper now, a few of that are a bit too early to speak about, however I’ll say that we now have some attention-grabbing issues coming down the pike which are based mostly on beloved Warner Bros movies of the ’90s. I’ll depart it at that.

DEADLINE: Any likelihood of The Penguin coming again?

DUNGEY: The Penguin is a type of issues the place — and it’s attention-grabbing, as a result of if you speak with everybody concerned, everyone seems to be concerned with presumably revisiting these characters and doing extra — it was very a lot designed as a restricted collection. However I might by no means say by no means. I believe if we will get the inventive stars to line up in the proper approach, and the expertise is obtainable — as a result of we actually wouldn’t wish to do that with out Colin [Farrell] and Cristin [Milioti] and that group — I might say it’s undoubtedly a chance, however there’s nothing within the works in the intervening time.

DEADLINE: This yr we mark the twenty fifth anniversary of Gilmore Women, which has aged effectively, remaining a perennial favourite, particularly across the holidays. Any likelihood of one other A 12 months Within the Life or something extra to do with Gilmore Women or are you simply celebrating the milestone?

DUNGEY: For now, we’re excited to be commemorating the milestone, and all divisions of the corporate are working collectively to have a good time with our followers. As for the longer term, I’ll merely repeat: by no means say by no means.

DEADLINE: With IP energy comes accountability. How does it really feel to be beneath the microscope on all your high-profile present initiatives, with followers always analyzing and speculating your each transfer?

DUNGEY: With any of those, we at all times are pushed by the inventive first, and we wish to be as true to the tales we’re attempting to inform as we presumably can. Sure, there’s at all times plenty of hypothesis. And if you’re working with beloved IP, be it one thing that’s new and authentic, like Ted Lasso, or Scooby, which is so beloved to these of us that grew up watching the animated cartoons, or, in fact, Harry Potter with legions of followers around the globe, we’re attempting to let the inventive drive us. We’re lucky sufficient to be working with extremely gifted showrunners on all the initiatives, and, trusting your instincts, however letting the inventive drive the choice making.