Filmmaker Daniel Rohr's Oscar win last year for his feature-length documentary “Navalny,'' about Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, meant high praise for CNN Films. The department chose to fund and publish a damning record of Russia's attacks on its country's biggest critics, when most would not.
However, that moment of victory was met with a harsh reality. A few months ago, CNN announced that it would drastically cut back on original documentary series and film production as part of a company-wide cost-cutting initiative. The news was shocking for the documentary world and foreshadowed further contraction of the industry.
“By the time 'Navalny' hit the awards circuit, we were canceled,” said Amy Entelis, CNN's head of documentaries and talent for the network.
But 18 months later, the division is coming back to life under CNN's new chief executive.
Starting this week, CNN Films returns with the first of three films acquired in partnership with other companies. The company is also reviving its division that produces documentary series.
Entelis, CNN's executive vice president, acknowledged he has no “radical plans” or a bottomless bank account for the division. Rather, the longtime CNN executive said, “We want to be very careful, because we don't have big wallets, so our decisions have to be really smart.” Ta.
The changes are backed by Mark Thompson, who took over as the network's chief executive last year and announced plans to reinvest in original programming earlier this year.
Mr. Thompson, the former chief executive of The New York Times, said he plans to overhaul the company so it can grow despite the declining cable industry. “Have I Got News for You,'' a new Saturday night comedy starring Roy Wood Jr., is off to a strong start. The company plans to implement a paywall on its website this fall.
One of Entelis' goals is to leverage other parts of Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN's parent company.
Ahead of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival in January, where the moving and crowd-pleasing documentary “Superman: The Christopher Reeve Story” will be screened, Entelis said he wanted the film for his company. He said he thought so. After all, “Superman” is one of the most iconic characters in the DC Comics universe, and the film received rave reviews at festivals.
But bidding is sure to be fierce, and in the end, the $15 million price tag is too big for her division alone, so Ms. Entelis has to pay for the other three divisions of Warner Bros. Discovery, especially as co-chief executive. worked closely with Peter Safran of DC Studios' Jeff Goldstein and Warner Bros. president of domestic distribution will purchase the film. DC Studio's first documentary “Super/Man'' will be released in theaters on October 11th. It will then be broadcast on HBO, CNN, and Max.
“The idea that four different departments within the company were able to work together to pursue that movie is a great model because it was pretty competitive at Sundance this year,” Entelis said.
She plans to replicate this work through other co-productions or by taking on limited rights as CNN Films regains its footing.
On Saturday, the department will air “Carville: All About Winning, Fool,” about political commentator James Carville, on television. And early next year, the network will air “Luther: Never Too Much,” about R&B singer and songwriter Luther Vandross. CNN Films purchased limited rights to the film in partnership with Oprah Winfrey's network OWN, also part of Warner Bros. Discovery.
“We hope to be able to take some of the best stuff out there and apply CNN processing to it,” Entelis said.
Anderson Cooper recently had Christopher Reeve's children appear on his CNN show to drum up interest in “Superman.” Mr. Carville, who is known for sparring across political lines, and his wife, Mary Matalin, also appeared on Mr. Cooper's show to discuss their unlikely long-term marriage.
Entelis founded CNN Films in 2012 to bring new viewers to the 24-hour news network. It debuted with two huge successes: the series “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” and the documentary “Blackfish.” Bourdain's show was a huge hit, introducing viewers to remote areas through local cuisine. The documentary “Blackfish'' about SeaWorld's treatment of orcas caused so much outrage that SeaWorld lost significant amounts of sponsorship and serious market share, and ultimately agreed to end its orca breeding program. .
“They were very important touchpoints for what we wanted the world to be,” Entelis said.
Its initial success was followed by a series of hits. “Three Identical Strangers'' grossed $13.4 million in theaters around the world, and “RBG,'' about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, grossed nearly $15 million. And the series spanning several decades was very popular on the channel. The movie “Apollo 11'' followed, and “Navalny,'' which CNN commissioned independently, won an Oscar.
All of this makes the company's 2022 job cuts in the division even more surprising. Director Betsy West (“RBG,'' “Julia'') called it a “gut punch,” and Rohr, who directed “Navalny,” said he was “shocked, extremely disappointed and sad.”
He added: “I thought it seemed counter-logical that what they had spent so many years building would suddenly collapse just as they were on the verge of achieving their greatest success.'' ” he added.
But the cuts at CNN Films were quickly followed by other companies. Participant Media closed this summer. Showtime fired its documentary division chief when it merged with MTV Entertainment Studios, and HBO also cut jobs.
“Last year was a very tough year for everyone,” West said. “It's become increasingly difficult to sell films, so it's great news to know that CNN Films is back, even if in a limited way. The three films they've been working on this year are It would be great if it grew further, but the business has evolved. That's not the case.”
