“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, debuted May 25 with the first two specials on HBO GO. The third and fourth specials will stream June 1.
The first two specials will premiere at the Festival de Cannes on May 24 as a 2023 Official Cannes Classics Selection.
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 around the world for generations.
The first, “100 YEARS OF WARNER BROS.: THE STUFF THAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF” present the story of the four brothers who 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.
The second part, “Clint, Kubrick and Kryptonite” is about how Warner Bros. navigates the upheavals of the ‘60s and ‘70s.
In the ‘80s, a new generation helps crown Warner Bros. as a forerunner in Hollywood’s blockbuster age in the third part, “Heroes, Villains and Friends.”
The fourth part is titled “Wizarding World and the Big Bang” about how Warner Bros. continues to champion authentic voices while harnessing the latest technologies of the digital age.
The four documentary specials feature 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.
