"Public enemy number one in Hollywood": Controversial article on Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav stirs up Hollywood

"Public Enemy Number One in Hollywood": Controversial Article on Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav Turns Heads

The glossy pages of GQ have witnessed a storm following a contentious piece on Warner Bros. Discovery CEO, David Zaslav, earning him the moniker of "Public Enemy Number One in Hollywood." As reported by Variety, the GQ Editor-in-Chief, Will Welch, who was involved in the decision to pull the piece, was also discovered to be producing a movie at Warner Bros. Pictures.

A Tangled Web of Interest

Zaslav was compared to "Succession" character Logan Roy and Richard Gere’s businessman role in "Pretty Woman" in the original version of the article. The piece was titled “How Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav Became Public Enemy Number One in Hollywood” and was written by freelance film critic Jason Bailey.

Interestingly, Welch is tied to a project at Warner Bros. called “The Great Chinese Art Heist.” Directed by Jon M. Chu, known for his work on “Wicked” and “Crazy Rich Asians,” the film features a script penned by Ken Cheng, Jessica Gao, and Jimmy O. Yang, and is based on a 2018 GQ piece.

However, Warner Bros. Pictures has remained tight-lipped about whether the project is still in the pipeline at the studio or if Welch continues his role as a producer.

"A Standard Practice for Any Reputable News Outlet": Warner Bros. Discovery's Grievances

Warner Bros. Discovery expressed their concerns about the critical piece, pointing out the writer's failure to contact them for fact-checking or comment before publication. "The freelance reporter made no attempt to reach out to Warner Bros. Discovery to fact-check the substance of the piece before publishing — a standard practice for any reputable news outlet," a Warner Bros. Discovery spokesperson said to IndieWire.

Following this, the GQ editors decided to pull the piece after a revision was published and the writer asked to have their byline removed. GQ regretted the editorial error that led to the article being published prematurely.

The intriguing conflict of interest and Zaslav's portrayal in the controversial article serve as reminders of the complexities that exist between media and Hollywood. As David Zaslav takes center stage in this drama, his "Succession"-likerole in real life becomes even more apparent.

(Several parts of the text in this article, including the title, were generated with the help of an AI tool.)