How to pitch a movie idea to Warner Bros.

In its own words

“Please be aware that Warner does not accept unsolicited submissions of concepts, creative ideas, suggestions, stories, scripts, or other potential creative content (“Unsolicited Submissions”).”

What you agree to by sending something

“This is to avoid the possibility of future misunderstanding when projects developed by Warner staff or representatives might seem to others to be similar to their submitted concepts, creative ideas, suggestions, stories, scripts, or other potential creative content.”

“In the event you do send us an Unsolicited Submission, you understand and agree that your Unsolicited Submission does not create any fiduciary relationship between you and Warner and that we are under no obligation to refrain from using the Unsolicited Submission (in whole or in part), to keep it confidential, or to compensate you for our use of it.”

What it has bought from outside

1. 1999

   Film rights to the first four Harry Potter books from J. K. Rowling

   “Heyman's enthusiasm led to Rowling's 1999 sale of the film rights for the first four Harry Potter books to Warner Bros.” en.wikipedia.org

2. 2018

   Film rights to Barbie from Mattel

   “Sony's option on the project expired in October 2018, and film rights were transferred to Warner Bros.” en.wikipedia.org

Other companies that take a movie idea

• Angel StudiosHas a submission portalAngel Studios takes projects only as a Torch, filmed work its Angel Guild streams to gauge interest.

• 

  NetflixOnly through an agentNetflix reads nothing it did not ask for.

• 

  Apple TV+Does not take outside ideasApple does not accept, review or consider ideas or creative material it did not request, and anything sent anyway becomes Apple’s property…

• 

  DreamWorks AnimationDoes not take outside ideasDreamWorks Animation falls under NBCUniversal’s terms, which will not review story or character ideas it did not ask for.

• 

  LucasfilmDoes not take outside ideasLucasfilm accepts no unsolicited product, artwork, story idea or other creative material, and returns what is sent.

• 

  ParamountDoes not take outside ideasParamount accepts no unsolicited scripts, story lines, characters or ideas, and deletes them unread.

• 

  PixarDoes not take outside ideasPixar takes no creative submission of any kind.

• 

  SkydanceDoes not take outside ideasSkydance accepts no unsolicited scripts, story lines, characters or ideas, and deletes them unread.

All of them, open doors first