Peter Safran

Safran grew up in the United Kingdom and graduated from Princeton University with a B.A. in political science.⁠[4]

He subsequently earned a J.D. at New York University School of Law.⁠[5]

He worked as a corporate attorney in New York before becoming an assistant at United Talent Agency in Los Angeles. He then became a manager at Gold-Miller Co., working with clients including Jennifer Lopez and David Hyde Pierce.⁠[1][6]

In January 1998, Safran moved from Gold-Miller to Brillstein-Grey as a manager. Contemporary reporting described negotiations over which clients would follow him; the firm’s overall roster should not be treated as his personal client list.⁠[6]

In June 2003, Safran became president of Brillstein-Grey’s talent-management division, overseeing daily operations. The division had nine managers and nearly 200 clients. His own producing work already included executive production on Scary Movie.⁠[7]

In January 2006, he left Brillstein-Grey after eight years to launch The Safran Company. James Gunn, Craig Mazin and several actors were among the clients expected to follow, continuing a combination of talent management and production.⁠[1]

In 2008, Safran partnered with Microsoft on eight shorts for Xbox Live. He and Gunn conceived a project in which horror directors, including James Wan and David Slade, explored comedy.⁠[4]

His producing work included Buried, starring Ryan Reynolds and released theatrically by Lionsgate in 2010, and Flypaper, the Patrick Dempsey comedy shown at Sundance in 2011.⁠[4]

James Wan’s The Conjuring (2013) became a major franchise for Safran and his company. His subsequent work included Annabelle spin-offs, extending the collaboration into an interconnected horror-film series.⁠[5][8]

In a 2017 Annabelle: Creation set interview, Safran said sequels should proceed only when their stories justified them. Continuing relationships with New Line, Warner Bros. and Wan helped sustain tone. He linked David F. Sandberg’s selection to seeing Lights Out and Wan’s familiarity with the director’s work.⁠[8]

Safran reunited with Wan on Aquaman (2018) and Sandberg on Shazam! (2019), extending established horror partnerships into superhero films.⁠[5]

On October 21, 2019, Deadline reported The Safran Company’s first-look producing agreement with Warner Bros. and the appointment of Rampage producer John Rickard as president of production. Safran said the expansion would increase the company’s supply of projects to the studio.⁠[2]

He produced Gunn’s The Suicide Squad (2021) and worked on its spin-off Peacemaker. Their production partnership preceded their appointment to lead DC Studios.⁠[5]

Safran and Gunn became DC Studios co-chairmen and co-CEOs on November 1, 2022.⁠[9]

At a January 30, 2023 press event, Safran supported the earlier cancellation of Batgirl, judging it unsuitable for release and theatrical competition while acknowledging the cast and crew’s talent. TheWrap specified that he had been hired after the cancellation and had not participated in that decision.⁠[10]

In DC’s official Q&A, Safran emphasized making connected characters and stories clear across media. He argued that animation could tell stories expensive to realize in live action. His target of roughly two films and two HBO Max series annually was a plan, not a record of completed output.⁠[11]

In Variety’s February 13, 2023 interview, star Leslie Grace expressed frustration at the remarks. She said the cut she saw was unfinished and lacked scenes, but believed the existing material showed the potential for a good film. This was her assessment of unfinished work, not a consensus following public release.⁠[12]

Safran was an executive producer of the adult animated Creature Commandos alongside Gunn, Dean Lorey and Sam Register. The seven-episode first season debuted on Max on December 5, 2024, produced by DC Studios and Warner Bros. Animation.⁠[13]

Superman, produced by Safran and Gunn, opened in the United States on July 11, 2025. Gunn also wrote and directed, with David Corenswet as Superman.⁠[14]

In a published August 2025 Q&A about The Conjuring: Last Rites, Safran said he and Wan required a convincing story and emotional foundation before making a fourth film. He highlighted Michael Chaves’s combination of scares and family emotion, including the Warrens’ changing relationship with their growing daughter.⁠[15]

He also said that meeting the families and Lorraine Warren had shifted him from skepticism toward belief. This described his personal conviction, not evidence establishing supernatural phenomena.⁠[15]

Safran and Gunn produced Supergirl, directed by Craig Gillespie, written by Ana Nogueira and starring Milly Alcock, with a June 26, 2026 North American release. June 28 reporting described its roughly $38 million domestic and $68 million worldwide opening as below expectations. Those opening figures are neither lifetime grosses nor net losses.⁠[16][17]

Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery closed on October 6, 2026. The new Skydance leadership structure retained Safran and Gunn as DC Studios co-chairmen.⁠[18][3]

United Talent Agency: Official website: https://www.unitedtalent.com (opens in a new window).⁠[19]

Brillstein-Grey Management: Successor institution Brillstein Entertainment Partners. Official link: https://the.team/entertainment (opens in a new window).⁠[20]

DC Studios: Official website: https://www.dc.com (opens in a new window).⁠[21]