Cannes Film Festival 2023
Author: Newsroom
100 YEARS OF WARNER BROS., four Max Original documentary specials narrated by Morgan Freeman and directed by Academy Award® and Emmy®-nominated filmmaker Leslie Iwerks (“The Imagineering Story,” “Recycled Life”), made their world premiere last month at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival as an official selection and debuted on Max May 25th. The first two specials in the series are Emmy Awards eligible for Outstanding Nonfiction Documentary Special.
Exploring the impact of Warner Bros. on art, commerce, and culture, 100 YEARS OF WARNER BROS. tells the unprecedented story of the fabled entertainment studio on its 100th anniversary. Featuring insights and first-person stories from directors, actors, executives, journalists, and historians, the four specials trace Warner Bros.’ underdog origins – from its founding in the early 1920s by four brothers from an immigrant family, through decades of creative risks and impactful storytelling, to the historic mergers of the 2000s that transformed the company into a global entertainment powerhouse. With narration by Morgan Freeman and clips from iconic films and hit TV series, 100 YEARS OF WARNER BROS. offers a fascinating behind-the-scenes look into the indelible stories that have spoken to audiences worldwide for generations. Learn more about the featured titles at WB100.com.
100 YEARS OF WARNER BROS. features over 60 interviews with legendary filmmakers, actors, and executives, including Kim Basinger, Candice Bergen, Linda Blair, Orlando Bloom, Quinta Brunson, LeVar Burton, Tim Burton, Lynda Carter, Jon M. Chu, George Clooney, Chris Columbus, Kevin Costner, Alfonso Cuarón, Ellen DeGeneres, Robert De Niro, Ernest Dickerson, Clint Eastwood, Toby Emmerich, Morgan Freeman, William Friedkin, Gal Gadot, Andy Garcia, Tony Gilroy, Ron Howard, Ke Huy Quan, Patty Jenkins, Harvey Keitel, Linda Lavin, Chuck Lorre, Baz Luhrmann, Leonard Maltin, Ben Mankiewicz, Matthew Modine, Gregory Nava, Christopher Nolan, Edward James Olmos, Gregory Orr, Jesse Palmer, Todd Phillips, Daniel Radcliffe, Keanu Reeves, Charles Roven, Martin Scorsese, Jacqueline Stewart, Oliver Stone, Emma Thomas, Cass Warner, John Wells, Oprah Winfrey and Constance Wu, among others.
The two Emmy Awards-eligible specials are:
1. 100 YEARS OF WARNER BROS.: THE STUFF THAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF
Four brothers set out to build a movie studio from the ground up–while making a giant leap from silent films to “talkies.” As the Warners stand up to WWII Nazism, personal ambitions lead to family betrayal.
2. 100 YEARS OF WARNER BROS.: CLINT, KUBRICK, AND KRYPTONITE
After a historic sale, Warner Bros. navigates the upheavals of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Under a new strategist CEO, the company enters an era of unmatched storytelling with groundbreaking projects.
Warner Bros. Unscripted Television, Warner Horizon, and Iwerks & Co produce 100 YEARS OF WARNER BROS. The four documentary specials are executive produced by Leslie Iwerks, Mike Darnell, Brooke Karzen, Dan Sacks, and Bridgette Theriault. Rebecca Ratliff Cameron, Richard Burgio, and Stacey Thomas-Muir are co-executive producers.