Recently, Ray Fisher revealed that Warner Bros. was officially investigating his allegations regarding the behaviour of Joss Whedon and Warner Bros. producers, including notably DC writer Geoff Johns, on the set of Justice League. Now, Warner Bros. has come out with a statement alleging that Fisher is failing to cooperate with that investigation, a claim Fisher denies.
Fisher’s allegations initially surfaced in July, when he denounced Whedon’s handling of the film on social media, claiming that the director had fostered a hostile work environment, aided by producers Jon Berg, Geoff Johns, and other unnamed Warner Bros. entities. Then, early in August, Fisher shared that WarnerMedia, WB’s parent company, had chosen to launch an investigation, using third-party investigators, into the matter, based on interviews with the cast and crew of the film.
Now, Warner Bros. has released a statement, as shared by the Hollywood Reporter, alleging that Fisher has failed to cooperate with this investigation and hasn’t spoken to WarnerMedia’s third-party investigator. The statement seems to be in direct response to a tweet Fisher made yesterday, where he claimed the President of DC Films, Walter Hamada, “attempted to throw Joss Whedon and Jon Berg under the bus in hopes that I would relent on Geoff Johns.”
So you can better understand how deep this goes:
After speaking out about Justice League, I received a phone call from the President of DC Films wherein he attempted to throw Joss Whedon and Jon Berg under the bus in hopes that I would relent on Geoff Johns.
I will not.
A>E
— Ray Fisher (@ray8fisher) September 4, 2020
The statement from Warner Bros. claims that, while Hamada and Fisher spoke, Fisher’s account is inaccurate. In part, it reads:
In July, Ray Fisher’s representatives asked DC Films President Walter Hamada to talk to Mr. Fisher about his concerns during the production of “Justice League.” The two had previously spoken when Mr. Hamada asked him to reprise his role as Cyborg in Warner Bros.’ upcoming Flash movie, together with other members of the Justice League. In their July conversation, Mr. Fisher recounted disagreements he’d had with the film’s creative team regarding his portrayal of Cyborg, and complained that his suggested script revisions were not adopted. Mr. Hamada explained that creative differences are a normal part of the production process, and that a film’s writer/director ultimately has to be in charge of these matters. Notably, Mr. Hamada also told Mr. Fisher that he would elevate his concerns to WarnerMedia so they could conduct an investigation. At no time did Mr. Hamada ever “throw anyone under the bus,” as Mr. Fisher has falsely claimed, or render any judgments about the “Justice League” production, in which Mr. Hamada had no involvement, since filming occurred before Mr. Hamada was elevated to his current position.
The rest of the statement goes on to claim that Fisher “insisted that WarnerMedia hire an independent third party investigator,” but that, despite multiple attempts, Fisher “has declined to speak to the investigator.”
Replying today on his Twitter, Fisher denied these claims from Warner Bros., showing what a screenshot of what appears to be an email sent on August 26th in relation to a preliminary meeting with the investigator. According to Fisher, the email went out both to his associates and to union officials at SAG-AFTRA. In the email, Fisher says that “[The investigator]’s definitely been put on the case by Warner Bros. Pictures not Warner Media. His findings will go directly and solely to Warner Bros. Pictures legal. He also had another person on the line which we weren’t made aware of. I told him I needed to have a rep on the line as security for myself.”
[referenced id=”1269760″ url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2020/08/ray-fisher-says-wb-is-officially-investigating-abuse-allegations-on-joss-whedons-justice-league-set/” thumb=”https://gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/21/bbwobofckj60gmjq6qra-300×169.png” title=”Ray Fisher Says WB Is Officially Investigating Abuse Allegations on Joss Whedon’s Justice League Set” excerpt=”Last month — in the wake of announced plans to release a new version of Justice League recreated by original director Zack Snyder — Cyborg actor Ray Fisher took to social media to denounce Joss Whedon’s handling of the film. Among other things, he accused the director of fostering a…”]
Due to his concerns, it seems, Fisher has not met with the investigator since. Considering his ongoing work with Warner Bros. Pictures, including, as THR reveals, a possible cameo in the upcoming Flash movie, the desire to have a union representative present — a common and legally enforceable request for a union employee talking to their employer — makes sense.
It’s also worth noting that I made it clear to the world on Aug 21st that I would be vetting the investigator to ensure a fair and protected process for all witnesses. @wbpictures has escalated this to an entirely different level, but I’m ready to meet the challenge.
A>E
2/2 pic.twitter.com/OcOmcVZtub
— Ray Fisher (@ray8fisher) September 5, 2020
He also shared a video, initially posted on August 21st, explaining his intent to vet the third-party investigator hired in order to determine their ability to carry out a fair investigation. The implication being that this investigation has, so far, not met Fisher’s standards so far.
The issue here is also complicated by the fact that Warner Bros. is attempting to market a new version of Justice League — the Snyder Cut version, re-edited and with new special effects helmed by the film’s original director, Zack Snyder, who initially stepped away from the project due to a personal family tragedy. That film sees release in 2021 in four parts. Fisher did not attend WB’s DC Fandome event and has only had a limited involvement in promoting the film.
We’ve reached out to Warner Bros. for clarification and for SAG-AFTRA for clarification on its involvement. We’ll update this post if we hear back.