“That’s All Folks!”: David Zaslav Bids Farewell To Warner Bros. Discovery

David Zaslav is saying goodbye to Warner Bros. Discovery, ending a tumultuous four-and-a-half-year tenure that brought enormous upheaval to the company and, perhaps nowhere more visibly, its storied animation operations.

Variety obtained a farewell video that Zaslav sent to WBD employees ahead of the company’s acquisition by Paramount Skydance, which is expected to close Tuesday. In the message, the outgoing CEO reflects on his time at the company, thanks employees, and celebrates the artists and craftspeople who “imagined something that didn’t exist and then found a way to bring it to life.”

For animation workers and fans, Zaslav’s legacy at Warner Bros. is considerably more complicated, to put it gently.

His arrival was followed by a brutal period of cost-cutting, including layoffs, the consolidation of Cartoon Network Studios and Warner Bros. Animation, the removal of dozens of animated titles from HBO Max, and the cancellation of numerous projects. The nearly completed Scoob! Holiday Haunt was shelved in 2022, while the completed Coyote vs. Acme was infamously targeted for a tax write-off the following year despite strong test screenings (drawing the ire of its canine protagonist). Warner ultimately allowed the latter film to be sold, and Ketchup Entertainment released it theatrically this year.

Cartoon Network vacated its longtime Burbank headquarters, Warner shut down the Cartoon Network website and Boomerang streaming service, and dozens of titles were taken down from streaming, including hundreds of classic Looney Tunes shorts.

Only recently have more encouraging developments emerged on the feature side. Under Zaslav, Warner relaunched its theatrical animation operation as Warner Bros. Pictures Animation and hired former DreamWorks Animation chief Bill Damaschke to run it. The studio now has an ambitious slate that includes The Cat in the Hat, Bad Fairies, The Lunar Chronicles, Oh, the Places You’ll Go!, and Vivienne Medrano’s original feature Prehistoria. Whether that rebuild ultimately succeeds will largely be decided after Zaslav is gone.

Variety’s transcription of Zaslav’s complete farewell message follows:

Hello, everyone. I’m here in the scenic Loft on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank. For the uninitiated, it might look like an empty room. But people here know what spaces like this can become. For decades, worlds have been built here. Sets have gone up, come down and given way to something entirely different.

If these walls could talk they’d tell stories about extraordinary creativity, craftsmanship and collaboration. They’d tell stories about the people who imagined something that didn’t exist and then found a way to bring it to life. The late nights, the early mornings, the commitment to making something the very best it can be.

That’s what all of you, all around the world, do every day. You start with an idea, and through talent, expertise and an enormous amount of hard work, turn it into something real. Something that connects with people, stays with them and becomes part of their lives. Over the years, you’ve created countless moments just like that. Stories and characters, games and experiences, that became part of our culture. Journalism that helped people understand the world around them. Moments in sports that brought people to the edge of their seats, and at times, a front-row seat to history itself.

But none of those moments happened on their own. Behind every one of those moments is the work, talent and commitment of everyone who does their part to bring it all to life. And that is what matters. Honoring the work that came before us, doing our part to carry it forward and knowing that the work continues.

For me, it’s been a great honor to be alongside all of you. I hope you take pride in what you’ve built, what you’ve created and the role you’ve played in shaping an extraordinary history.

What’s past is prologue. The future waits for each and every one of you. For your spirit, your ingenuity, your creativity and your courage.

I can’t wait to see what you do in the years ahead. I’m so grateful for all these years at Warner Bros. Discovery, for the wonderful experiences creating content, telling stories and getting to know so many of you. Thank you so much.