Warner Bros

So much for synergy. For Warner Bros., the appointment of HBO chief Jeffrey Bewkes to oversee AOL Time Warner's entertainment units appears to signal a return to the days when the studio operated from its Burbank lot as an autonomous unit so long as it churned out hit films and TV shows. That approach differed markedly from the philosophy of the last 18 months since the America Online and Time Warner merger. Under now-departed AOL Time Warner Chief Operating Officer Robert W.

Bugs Bunny in goal? Wile E. Coyote on the right wing? Tweety as referee? The possibilities became almost endless Wednesday when UEFA, European soccer's ruling body, named Warner Bros. as the exclusive worldwide licensing agent for the 2004 European Championship in Portugal. The American entertainment conglomerate, part of the AOL Time Warner media group, will be in charge of all merchandising for the quadrennial 16-nation event, which is second only to the World Cup in significance. Warner Bros.

Warner Bros., which has had difficulty recently finding a hit film, topped the box office chart for the first time in seven months over the weekend as "City of Angels," starring Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan, debuted at $15.4 million. The last time the Burbank-based studio came in at No. 1 was Sept. 5 with the Steven Seagal action film "Fire Down Below." John Krier, president of the box office tracking firm Exhibitor Relations Co.

Warner Bros. and Redbox have reached a multi-year deal that reduces the wait for new movies available through the retailer's popular red rental kiosks. The studio said it will make newly released movies available to Redbox within 28 days of the DVDs and Blu-ray discs going on sale, starting in January. Earlier this year, the Time Warner Inc.-owned studio instituted a new policy that all DVD rental outlets must wait 56 days from the time the disc goes on sale at retail outlets Wal-Mart and Best Buy until consumers can rent them.

On Saturday, the boy who lived became the boy who did not show up. While Warner Bros. did not commit to appearances by cast members for its Hall H presentation of “ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," the studio teased fans in its description of the event, which promised “a program created just for Comic-Con fans... Don’t miss it!” That was enough to draw thousands of Potter enthusiasts, some of whom camped out overnight or arrived before dawn to secure their places in line.

After the coffee. Before yet another visit to the body shop. The Skinny: Am I the only one thinking "Homeland" is becoming more like "24" with each convoluted plot twist? Monday's headlines include a box office recap, the power struggle at Warner Bros. and the latest (at least as of this morning) on the BBC scandal. Daily Dose: Last Friday's episode of ABC's "Shark Tank" featured a less than subtle plug for T-Mobile. After Mark Cuban is unsuccessful in cutting a deal with a contestant, fellow shark Daymond John whips out a T-Mobile phone and takes video of an annoyed Cuban.

Bruce Lee's classic 1973 film "Enter the Dragon" will be remade by Warner Bros. The remake, to be titled "Awaken the Dragon," will be written and directed by Kurt Sutter, producer of the TV series "The Shield." It will be released by Warner Independent Pictures. Warner Bros. publicist Laura Kim said the movie would tell the story of an FBI agent who investigates a Shaolin monk and underground kung fu fight clubs.

Time Warner-owned Warner Bros. Records is expected to implement a restructuring plan Friday that will result in the loss of about four dozen jobs, sources said. The cost- and efficiency-driven cuts come as the Burbank-based label is rebounding after a lengthy, dry sales period. Warner Bros., long criticized for its large staff, currently tops the nation's pop chart with hits by Alanis Morissette and Barenaked Ladies.

Marty Greenfield, former senior vice president and chief financial officer with Elektra Records, has been named executive vice president and CFO of Warner Bros. Records Inc. Greenfield also previously worked at Sony Music/Epic Records in a variety of posts, including vice president of finance. "Finding a first-rate financial executive with a real understanding of the music business is a difficult proposition," said Russ Thyret, board chairman and CEO of Warner Bros.

Though Valley Girls may never again flock to the Sherman Oaks Galleria, the mall turned office complex will soon host another set of famous characters: the Looney Tunes. Warner Bros. will relocate its entire animation staff to new office space in the refurbished mall on Ventura Boulevard, the company said this week. Currently, several hundred TV and feature film animators are scattered on a few floors in the Imperial Bank building attached to the mall. By next summer, Warner Bros.