Patton Oswalt Japs David Zaslav Above the Shelves Coyote vs. Acme, Batgirl

Patton Oswalt

Philip Farone/Getty Images

Patton Oswalt snapped a shot of the Warner Bros. president. Discovery's David Zaslav during his opening monologue as host of the 71st Motion Picture Sound Editors' Golden Reel Awards.

Oswalt kicked off Sunday's MPSE ceremony in Los Angeles by lamenting the challenges Hollywood faces in 2023. Oswalt, who also hosted the event last year, went on to discuss worker strikes for both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA.

“There's no better choice to entertain a room full of post-production workers than a guy who works at both SAG and the WGA,” Ghostbusters: The Frozen Empire The actor scoffed. “Right. I'm the idiot who forced you to take out a second mortgage on your house.

“But despite the nightmare hell of the last year that we've all been through,” Oswalt continued, “you, as always, have done some amazing work. And I'm only talking about movies that are locked in a vault for the tax credit. Get it?”

The comedian went on to specifically call out Zaslav, whose company has canceled several final films amid cost-cutting measures, including Bat girl And scoop! Holiday Hunt In 2022 and Coyote vs. Peak last year. “I'm kidding, but it's exciting to see our industry thriving again,” Oswalt said. “I heard David Zaslav just offered a three-picture deal to H&R Block. Long live cinema!”

Oswalt's mention of the tax preparation company comes on the heels of a Warner Bros. announcement. Discovery said in an earnings statement last month that it took a $115 million tax write-off from abandoning unspecified films in the third quarter of 2023, sparking speculation that… Coyote vs. Peak In fact you will never get released. Hollywood Reporter I previously reported that Warner Bros. It agreed to sell the film — a mix of live-action and CG animation featuring classic Looney Tunes characters — to interested parties, prompting several distributors to unsuccessfully bid on the title.

previously, THR It was reported that Zaslav chose to stop Bat girl To note the film that was supposed to debut via live streaming. At the time, the CEO explained that the company would focus its cinematic efforts on bigger theatrical moments.

Among the winners of the 2024 Golden Reel Awards were OppenheimerWhich won two awards. Artist, band leader, Spider-Man: Through the Spider-Verse And Snow Association They were also honored at the Sound Design Celebration Gala.