Warner Bros. Pictures 
New Line Cinema 
Toby Emmerich has extended his contract as chairman of Warner Bros. Pictures Group and elevated top lieutenant Carolyn Blackwood to the newly created position of chief operating officer.The move follows the box office success of "Joker," the gritty comic book adaption that became the highest-grossing R-rated movie in history with an $875 million haul. Made for $62 million, it will also be one of the most profitable superhero movies of all time.In her new role, Blackwood will be responsible for...
Carolyn
Blackwood
COO, Pictures Group
Blackwood has been credited by some with coming upon the idea to move WarnerMedia’s entire 2021 feature release slate to HBO Max as a way of dealing with pandemic-shuttered theaters while simultaneously boosting the profile of the fledgling streaming service. The move outraged talent (notably director Christopher Nolan, who departed the studio for Universal) and their reps, but Blackwood judged it a success, citing “Godzilla vs. Kong” and “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It” as films that performed well at the box office despite having a simultaneous HBO Max release. Blackwood served as president and chief content officer of the company’s New Line Cinema division before being promoted to her current role, which could change as WarnerMedia merges with Discovery.
