Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros., or abbreviated as WB, or WBEI) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). Founded in 1923 by four brothers, Harry, Albert, Sam, and Jack Warner, the company established itself as a leader in the American film industry before diversifying into animation, television, and video games, and is one of the "Big Five" major American film studios, as well as a member of the Motion Picture Association (MPA).
Warner Bros. is known for producing a wide range of films, including classic Hollywood films, such as Casablanca (1942), The Maltese Falcon (1941), and Gone with the Wind (1939), as well as popular franchises such as Batman, Superman, Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and the DC Extended Universe. The studio also produces a variety of television shows, including Friends, The Big Bang Theory, and Game of Thrones.
Warner Bros. has a long and rich history, dating back to the early days of the film industry. In 1903, the Warner brothers began showing moving pictures in Ohio and Pennsylvania on a traveling basis. Beginning in 1905, they started acquiring movie theaters, and they then moved into film distribution. About 1913 they began producing their own films, and in 1917 they shifted their production headquarters to Hollywood, California. They established Warner Brothers Pictures, Inc., in 1923.
In 1927, Warner Bros. released The Jazz Singer, the first feature-length film with synchronized sound. This film revolutionized the film industry and led to the transition from silent films to talkies. Warner Bros. was also a pioneer in the development of color film, and in 1929 it released On with the Show!, the first all-color all-talking feature film.
Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, Warner Bros. was one of the most successful film studios in Hollywood. It produced a string of classic films, including Casablanca, The Maltese Falcon, Gone with the Wind, Citizen Kane (1941), and Singin' in the Rain (1952). The studio also launched the careers of many of Hollywood's biggest stars, such as Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis, James Cagney, and Errol Flynn.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Warner Bros. continued to produce successful films, such as Rebel Without a Cause (1955), North by Northwest (1959), and My Fair Lady (1964). However, the studio began to decline in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1989, Warner Bros. was acquired by Time Inc., which merged it with its own Warner Music Group to form Time Warner.
In the 1990s and 2000s, Warner Bros. experienced a resurgence. The studio released a number of blockbuster films, such as the Batman franchise, the Harry Potter franchise, and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It also launched several successful television shows, such as Friends and The Big Bang Theory.
In 2018, AT&T acquired Time Warner and merged it with its Warner Bros. Entertainment division to form Warner Bros. Discovery. Warner Bros. Discovery is now one of the largest media companies in the world.
Warner Bros. has had a profound impact on popular culture. The studio's films and television shows have entertained and inspired audiences for generations. Warner Bros. is also one of the most successful and influential film studios in history.