First in a series on Hollywood’s new landscape.
For 25 years, larger-than-life producer Joel Silver had a sweetheart deal with Warner Bros., which among other perks granted him two lavish bungalows on the lot, paid for his staff of 20 and helped fund production on movies like “Sherlock Holmes” and “Lethal Weapon.”
After decades of hits, but also some costly flops like “Speed Racer” and “The Invasion,” that all ended for Silver with a $30 million buyout last September. Less than a month later, Silver was left holding court inside the shell of the former Venice post office — presenting his plans to move his film operations into this historic structure, far off the beaten studio track.