DC Entertainment has announced its long-awaited relocation plan that is designed to integrate the company more completely with its Hollywood-based Warner Bros. parent company, a process that began with the creation of DC Entertainment last September (see “Warner Forms DC Entertainment”).  DC, which has long had offices for movie development in California, is about to become a whole lot more bi-coastal under the new scheme, which will “relocate its business functions relating to and supporting multi-media and digital content production to Burbank, California.” 

According to the press release: “The relocation process is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2011, with DCE’s businesses related to the development and production of feature films, television, digital media, video games and consumer products as well as the company’s administrative functions relocating to a Warner Bros.-managed property in Burbank.”

DC’s publishing operations will stay in New York City where the nation’s oldest comic book publisher has been holding forth for 75 years.  The fact that DC's publishing operation is staying in New York is a definite win for the editorial staff, which has deep roots in the area, and it will also help the Big Apple retain its position as the comic book publishing capital of North America.  But it will be a stripped down operation that remains on the East Coast with DC Direct, the company's potentially huge digital content operations, and most of the publisher’s major administrative functions moving to California.

DC’s President Diane Nelson sees the restructuring as a win-win: “These organizational changes reinforce the strengths of DC’s greatest legacies – most importantly its people and its creative talent – and offer greater opportunity for maximum growth, success and efficiency in the future.  Our two offices will stretch and build their respective areas of focus, while prioritizing and aggressively striving to connect and cooperate more strongly than ever before between them and with their colleagues at Warner Bros.”

Time zones be damned, Warner Bros. President Jeff Robinov to whom Nelson reports, also believes that the bi-coastal company will be able function effectively: “This strategic business realignment allows us to fully integrate and expand the DC brand in feature films as well as across multiple distribution platforms of Warner Bros. and Time Warner.  We are creating a seamless, cohesive unit that will bring even more great characters and content to consumers everywhere.”