Recent layoffs at Turner Classic Movies have made filmmakers Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and Paul Thomas Anderson so concerned about the future of the network that they recently scheduled an emergency meeting with Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, according to Deadline.
In a joint statement released on Wednesday evening, the filmmakers they “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.”
Earlier this week, TCM laid off a large chunk of its leadership, including Executive Vice President and General Manager Pola Changnon, Senior Vice President of Programming and Content Strategy Charles Tabesh, Vice Presidnet of Brand Creative and Marketing Dexter Fedor, Vice President of Enterprises and Strategic Partnerships Genevieve McGillicuddy, and Vice Presient of Studio Production Anne Wilson. The news doesn’t particularly bode well for the future of the channel, which for decades has played a significant role in keeping film history accessible to new generations.
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Scorsese, Spielberg, and Anderson are, of course, some of the biggest directors of our time, and Spielberg and Anderson are board members of Scorsese’s movie restoration and preservation organization The Film Foundation. Their fear that Zaslav may hinder their efforts to keep film history on record feels especially reasonable when you recall that he hasn’t necessarily steered Warner Bros. Discovery in a content-friendly direction: since last year, the company has shelved already completed projects, removed hundreds of episodes of classic television series from streaming services, and canceled beloved contemporary shows.
Here’s hoping, with their powers combined, the directing trio can talk some sense into the CEO.