The future of Warner Bros. Pictures’ DC Universe lies in the hands of James Gunn. And it seems the filmmaker is completely devoted.
James Gunn has taken up permanent residence at Warner Bros. Pictures. The new DC Studios, led by Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 director Peter Safran, will have its own permanent location in the UK. More specifically at Leavesden Studios, which is planning a huge expansion to accommodate the ongoing reboot of the DC Universe.
As Variety reports, Leavesden Studios intends to increase its capacity by more than 50%, adding ten stages to the current 19. The production area will be expanded by a further 12 square kilometers. Warner Bros. Discovery will begin the expansion next year and plans to complete it in 2027. Leavesden was the production center for Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon. And also films like Barbie and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. A film that will hit theaters in December and will be the last film of the current era of the DC Universe before James Gunn’s reboot.
With this reboot, the future of DC Studios is at stake
DC Studios’ other future projects include film Superman: Legacy, which will be directed by James Gunn himself and is scheduled to be released in theaters by Warner Bros. on July 11, 2025. This will be the first film in the new DC Universe, although the recent Blue Beetle has been described as the first character in this reboot. A Batman and Robin movie and a Swamp Thing movie are also in the works, as are TV series starring Green Lantern and Booster Gold.
Seemingly, James Gunn and Peter Safran are communicating with Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden to ensure the expansions fit into their creative plans.. Simon Robinson, Discovery’s Chief Operating Officer, highlighted the positive impact of the Leavesden expansion on the UK economy. “We are proud to not only expand our productions in Leavesden and make it the main hub for DC Studios, but also increase our economic and social contribution to the UK creative sector.”
