www.vanityfair.com Open in urlscan Pro
151.101.128.239  Public Scan

Form analysis
1 forms found in the DOM

Name: newsletter-subscribe — POST

<form class="form-with-validation NewsletterSubscribeFormValidation-iCYa-Dt dweEln" id="newsletter-subscribe" name="newsletter-subscribe" novalidate="" method="POST"><span class="TextFieldWrapper-Pzdqp gNKtty text-field"
    data-testid="TextFieldWrapper__email"><label class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ TextFieldLabel-klrYvg iUEiRd cSfQOi cTMFks text-field__label text-field__label--single-line" for="newsletter-subscribe-text-field-email"
      data-testid="TextFieldLabel__email">
      <div class="TextFieldLabelText-cvvxBl kCvBtA">Your email</div>
      <div class="TextFieldInputContainer-jcMPhb oFrOs"><input aria-describedby="privacy-text" aria-invalid="false" id="newsletter-subscribe-text-field-email" required="" name="email" placeholder="Enter your email"
          class="BaseInput-fAzTdK TextFieldControlInput-eFUxkf eGzzTT jFGvbE text-field__control text-field__control--input" type="email" data-testid="TextFieldInput__email" value=""></div>
    </label><button class="BaseButton-bLlsy ButtonWrapper-xCepQ myRoN jSoEpn button button--utility TextFieldButton-csBrgY edxbrw" data-event-click="{&quot;element&quot;:&quot;Button&quot;}" data-testid="Button" type="submit"><span
        class="ButtonLabel-cjAuJN hzwRuG button__label">SUBMIT</span></button></span>
  <div id="privacy-text" tabindex="-1" class="NewsletterSubscribeFormDisclaimer-bTVtiV biUYnf"><span>By signing up you agree to our <a href="https://www.condenast.com/user-agreement">User Agreement</a> and
      <a href="https://www.condenast.com/privacy-policy">Privacy Policy &amp; Cookie Statement</a></span></div>
</form>

Text Content

Skip to main content

Open Navigation Menu
Menu
Story Saved

To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories.

Close Alert


Story Saved

To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories.

Close Alert

Sign In

Subscribe Subscribe Subscribe



Search
Search
 * Politics
 * Business
 * Hollywood
 * Style
 * Culture
 * Royals
 * Celebrity
 * Video
 * Podcasts
 * Archive
 * VF Shop
 * What Is Cinema?

 * Newsletters
 * Archive
 * VF Shop
 * VF London
 * Magazine

Limited Time Offer - Get 1 year for $29.99 $8 + a free tote. Limited Time Offer
— Subscribe Subscribe Subscribe

This one's on us. This one’s on us.

You are reading your first free article.
Limited Time Offer - 1 year for $29.99 $8 + a free tote.

You are reading your first free article.
Sale - 1 year for $8 + a free tote.

Join Now Join Now Subscribe Already a subscriber? Sign in.



Breaking


SPIELBERG, SCORSESE, AND PTA FIGHT TO SAVE TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav reportedly faces pressure from the
powerhouse filmmakers to preserve the beloved channel.

By Anthony Breznican

June 21, 2023
(L-R) Steven Spielberg, Paul Thomas Anderson, President and Chief Executive
Officer of Warner Bros. Discovery David Zaslav, and TCM host Ben
Mankiewicz Charley Gallay/Getty Images
Save this storySave
Save this storySave

Just a few months ago, Steven Spielberg sat onstage beside his longtime composer
John Williams and talked about his continued film education—which now amounts to
watching Turner Classic Movies. “I've always looked back in order to look
forward,” he said. Spielberg mentioned TCM by name, at which point a man in the
audience let out a loud whoop, triggering a robust round of applause. “Thank
you!” Spielberg shouted back. “Ben Mankiewicz, thank you for coming!” 

The ebullient shouter was not actually Mankiewicz, one of TCM's most popular
hosts, but that's why the joke landed with the crowd of cinephiles. The network
is beloved for its contemporary curation of older movies. It's more than a TV
channel. It's a community.


HWD DAILY & AWARDS INSIDER

Stars, studios, streamers, and scandals. Plus, a weekly dose of must-read awards
coverage.
Your email

SUBMIT
By signing up you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie
Statement

This week, that community was shaken when Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent
company that owns the network, laid off some of TCM's top leadership, some of
whom had been there for decades. It appeared to foreshadow a bleak future—or
perhaps none at all—for the classic movie channel. A day later, IndieWire
reported that Spielberg and fellow filmmaking heavy-hitters Martin Scorsese and
Paul Thomas Anderson had personally reached out to Warner Bros Discovery CEO
David Zaslav to intercede on behalf of TCM.



If anyone can save TCM, it's these three.



A source close to the situation said there may be a development soon, but right
now TCM and its legacy of showcasing films that might otherwise fade into
obscurity remains uncertain. 

After the layoffs, Variety reported that Kathleen Finch, chief content officer
of the networks group for Warner Bros. Discovery, wrote an internal memo to
staff affirming the company's support for TCM. “While change is never easy and
can create a sense of uncertainty, I want to assure you that we remain fully
committed to this business, the TCM brand, and its purpose to protect and
celebrate culture-defining movies. As storytellers, that is our legacy, and we
will continue bringing the history and impact of classic films to life on-air
and in other ways,” she wrote.



Even Zaslav has expressed enthusiasm for the network in April, appearing at the
14th TCM Classic Film Festival alongside Spielberg and Anderson, as well as
Mankiewcz. “I’m a fan just like you,” Zaslav told the crowd, according to
Deadline. “If I wasn’t here, I would be sitting with you. I watch Turner Classic
Movies all the time. It’s the history of our country, the motion pictures.”

Late Wednesday, Spielberg, Scorsese and Anderson released a joint statement
saying that they believed their lobbying efforts had been successful.

“Turner Classic Movies has always been more than just a channel. It is truly a
precious resource of cinema, open 24 hours a day seven days a week. And while it
has never been a financial juggernaut, it has always been a profitable endeavor
since its inception,” the statement read.

The filmmakers then acknowledged the CEO's dilemma in trying to maintain
profitability. “Earlier this week, David Zaslav, the CEO of Warner Bros.
Discovery, got in touch to talk about the restructuring of TCM. We understand
the pressures and realities of a corporation as large as WBD, of which TCM is
one moving part.”

From there, they noted that their efforts to apply their own pressure came in
sessions that were both one-on-one and as a group. Through those discussions,
Spielberg, Scorsese and Anderson said they believed Zaslav shared their point of
view. “We have each spent time talking to David, separately and together, and
it's clear that TCM and classic cinema are very important to him.  Our primary
aim is to ensure that TCM’s programming is untouched and protected,” the
statement said. "We are heartened and encouraged by the conversations we’ve had
thus far, and we are committed to working together to ensure the continuation of
this cultural touchstone that we all treasure."

Like other cinephiles, this trio will undoubtedly continue to watch to see how
TCM's fate plays out.


MORE GREAT STORIES FROM VANITY FAIR

 * Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s War of the Rosé

 * The Laugh-Out-Loud Funniest—and Sh-t-Your-Pants Scariest—Details of the Case
   Against Trump

 * The 28 Best LGBTQ+ TV Shows to Stream Right Now 

 * The Best Movies of 2023, So Far

 * The Untold Story of Lost’s Poisonous Culture

 * Inside Jackie O’s First Trip to the Kennedy Family Compound

 * Caroline Calloway Survived Cancellation—Now She’s Doubling Down

 * From the Archive: Murder in East Hampton (2002)

WATCH



Michael Shannon Breaks Down His Career, from 'Boardwalk Empire' to 'Man of
Steel'



Most Popular
 * Take Care of Maya Tackles a Thorny, Heartbreaking Medical Mystery
   
   By Eve Batey

 * Dumb Money First Look: The GameStop Stock Frenzy Is Now a Movie
   
   By Anthony Breznican

 * Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s War of the Rosé
   
   By Mark Seal

 * 







ANTHONY BREZNICAN


SENIOR HOLLYWOOD CORRESPONDENT

Anthony Breznican is a senior Hollywood correspondent at Vanity Fair. He has
covered film, television, books, and awards for more than 20 years, developing
special expertise on blockbuster franchises such as Marvel, Star Wars, and DC,
the films of Steven Spielberg, and the writings of Stephen King. Anthony
previously worked... Read more
See More By Anthony Breznican »



Read More
Award Season
The Best Supporting Objects on TV’s Best Shows
On Wednesday, Poker Face, A Small Light, and Yellowjackets, props become as
essential to the story as the actors who hold them.

By Anthony Breznican

Movies
The Best Movies of 2023, So Far
Vanity Fair chief critic Richard Lawson lists the best movies of 2023 to date,
from Past Lives to Scream VI.

By Richard Lawson

Television
What’s the Best Sex and the City Episode of All Time?
In this two-part special series, VF’s Still Watching podcast does a deep dive,
ranking the five best SATC episodes ever.

By Chris Murphy


Hollywood
Florence Pugh Has “Definitely” Been on Chaotic Movie Sets: “The Film Feels
Wrong”
Side note: Her remarks come nearly a year after the headline-making release
of Don’t Worry Darling.

By Savannah Walsh

Celebrity
New Dad Robert De Niro Celebrates His Other Baby, the Tribeca Film Festival
He held hands with girlfriend and new mom Tiffany Chen. 

By Kase Wickman

Royals
Happy Birthday, Prince William, Your Dad Got You This Picture of Himself to
Celebrate
The coronation was cool, right? Remember?

By Kase Wickman

Celebrity
Diana Silvers Dressed for the Future and the Past For Vanity Fair and Prada’s
Cannes Film Festival Party
The actor dishes on her style inspo and mixing the classic with the new.

By Kase Wickman

Hollywood
The 25 Best Shows on Netflix to Watch Right Now
From comedy classics to underseen dramatic gems, your next binge is waiting.

By Tara Ariano

Television
The 28 Best LGBTQ+ TV Shows to Stream Right Now
Celebrate Pride Month by bingeing Drag Race, The Other Two, Heartstopper, and
more LGBTQ+ gems.

By Tyler Breitfeller

Style
Jeff Bezos’s Yacht Remains the Best Place to See and Be Seen
The billionaire’s fiancée, Lauren Sanchez, was photographed again on the deck of
Koru.

By Kenzie Bryant







 * Facebook
 * Twitter
 * Instagram
 * Pinterest
 * YouTube

More from Vanity Fair

 * Newsletters
 * Subscribe
 * Digital Edition
 * Inside the Issue
 * FAQ

Contact

 * Contact VF
 * Customer Service
 * Advertising
 * Careers

 * Condé Nast Store
 * VF Media Kit
 * Accessibility Help
 * 
   Manage Preferences

© 2023 Condé Nast. All rights reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance
of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your
California Privacy Rights. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products
that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with
retailers. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed,
transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission
of Condé Nast. Ad Choices

CN Entertainment

Select international siteUnited StatesLargeChevron
 * Italy
 * Spain
 * France






We and our partners store and/or access information on a device, such as unique
IDs in cookies to process personal data. You may accept or manage your choices
by clicking below or at any time in the privacy policy page. These choices will
be signaled to our partners and will not affect browsing data.More Information


WE AND OUR PARTNERS PROCESS DATA TO PROVIDE:

Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for
identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Personalised ads
and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product
development. List of Partners (vendors)

I Accept
Show Purposes