It was previously announced that Walter Hamada, who headed DC comics-related films at Warner Bros is leaving the organisation. Now, it has been confirmed that Hamada is entering a multi-year production deal with Paramount Pictures. He is responsible for some of the highest-grossing DC films like Aquaman and Joker. Hamada was also responsible for building the Conjuring franchise, which started in 2013 and has since spawned several sequels and spin-off films.

The news comes in the wake of Warner Bros CEO David Zaslav announcing James Gunn and Peter Safran as the new heads of content for DC-related films and series. Hamada’s mission would be to develop mid to low-budget horror films for Paramount Pictures.  

When asked about bringing Walter Hamada on board, the CEO of Paramount Pictures, Brian Robbins said, “As evidenced by the fantastic performance of Smile, there is a tremendous appetite for original, high-concept storytelling in the global marketplace, and we look forward to a long and successful partnership. With his track record for groundbreaking success, Walter is the ideal partner and visionary to build out our mainstream horror genre franchise business ”

Hamada was also involved in developing DC’s upcoming films, The Flash, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and Shazam: Fury of the Gods.