Warner Bros moving some DC Comics jobs to Hollywood

NEW YORK (Reuters) - DC Entertainment, the home of 'Superman' and 'Batman,' said on Tuesday it would move jobs to Hollywood from New York as it integrates into parent Warner Bros and looks for new platforms for its comic book stars.

The core of its digital content business will move to Warner Bros' Burbank, California, offices and the print publishing operations will remain in New York. Wildstorm, its stand-alone imprint based in La Jolla, California, will be closed, but the Wildstorm characters will continue to be published under the DC banner.

DC Entertainment President Diane Nelson said the moves would likely lead to some layoffs, but she declined to give further details or say how many jobs would be relocated. DC employs 250 people.

The company said the relocation was scheduled to be completed by the end of 2011.

Warner Bros, a unit of Time Warner Inc, has been eager to fully exploit the DC brands, which include characters like the 'Green Lantern' and 'Wonder Woman,' through traditional platforms like movies, TV and merchandise, and also through video games and social media.

The new integration is intended to make it easier for DC's brands to be expanded beyond Warner Bros to other Time Warner businesses like HBO and Turner, executives said. "We are creating a seamless, cohesive unit that will bring even more great characters and content to consumers everywhere," said Jeff Robinov, president of Warner Bros Picture group.

DC has also stepped up closer partnerships within the Time Warner family in the last year with the hotly anticipated Green Lantern movie expected from Warner Bros next summer and doubling of TV product for Cartoon Network, a sister network.

DC Comics characters are also expected to play a leading role in Warner Bros' ambitions to build up its video games unit including an online multi-player game from Sony Online Entertainment called DC Universe Online.

Walt Disney Co acquired Marvel Comics last year for $4 billion. But Nelson said "the strategy for DC Entertainment has nothing to do with Marvel." She said the company had been planning to better integrate its famous characters into Warner Bros since the creation of DC Entertainment a year ago.

(Reporting by Yinka Adegoke; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)