HBO host John Oliver took aim at his bosses at Warner Bros. Discovery in a scathing segment on Sunday as the parent company enacted sweeping cost-cutting measures across its businesses.
The comedian, who has often delighted in stabbing his corporate overseers on “Last Week Tonight,” released his latest dig during a segment about the US government’s failure to make monkeypox vaccines available to other countries ahead of the current outbreak.
“We leave the vaccine sitting unused on a shelf in our reserves like an expired Chobani or a $90 million movie on HBO Max,” Oliver said. “By the way, hello, new business daddy. Seems like you’re doing a really great job.
“I have a vague feeling that you’re going to burn my network down for the insurance money, but I’m sure this will all pass,” added Oliver.
Oliver was referring to Warner Bros. Discovery’s shocking decision to pull the plug on its expensive DC Comics film Batgirl without ever releasing it on the HBO Max streaming service or any other platform. The company has also canceled a planned “Scooby Doo” movie.
“We won’t start a movie until it’s finished,” CEO David Zaslav said on a earnings call last week. “We’re not going to start a movie to make a quarter and we’re not going to put a movie out unless we believe in it.”
Warner Bros. Discovery has taken several restructuring and cost-cutting actions under Zaslav since the merger between the two companies was completed earlier this year. Zaslav aims to save $3 billion in costs at the merged entity this year.
Warner Bros. Discovery has shelved Batgirl without release.DC Entertainment/Warner Bros.
Zaslav previously ordered the shutdown of the doomed $300 million streaming service CNN+ just a month after it launched after the initiative failed to attract many subscribers.
Further cuts are expected in the coming days. According to Puck News, Warner Bros. Discovery is planning sweeping layoffs across the company that will last well into the fall.
The Post has reached out to Warner Bros. Discovery for comment.
Oliver has targeted Warner Bros. Discovery, led by CEO David Zaslav, over the company’s recent cost-cutting moves. Getty Images
Oliver has never been afraid to smack other business and media companies on his show.
Last month, Oliver shredded CNBC’s Jim Cramer for changing his mindset on how to respond to inflation as prices have risen steadily over the past year.
Oliver also took aim at Disney’s response to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law in March, calling the company’s records of political donations to GOP lawmakers “actively offensive.”