Sept. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Time Warner Inc. placed DC Comics under its film division, a step that highlights the movie industry’s growing reliance on comic-book characters such as Batman to generate hits.

Diane Nelson will be president of DC Entertainment, the company’s Burbank, California-based Warner Bros. Entertainment unit said today in a statement. She will report to Jeff Robinov, president of Warner Bros. Pictures.

The change to DC, whose properties include Wonder Woman and Superman, will allow Warner Bros. to generate more business from superhero characters, Robinov said in the statement. Hollywood has increasingly banked on comic book franchises to drive box- office sales. Walt Disney Co. agreed last week to pay $4 billion for Marvel Entertainment Inc., home to Spider-Man and Iron Man.

“It gives us an opportunity to invest in the library of DC comic books and characters, and better integrate them into the production and distribution businesses,” Scott Rowe, a spokesman for Warner Bros., said in a telephone interview.

Those businesses include television, made-for-video programs, video games and short digital clips, Rowe said.

New York-based Time Warner rose 60 cents, or 2.2 percent, to $28.47 at 4 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. The shares have gained 28 percent this year.

Warner Bros.’ “The Dark Knight” was the top film of 2008 with $533 million in U.S. and Canadian receipts, according to researcher Box Office Mojo. “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” based on the Hasbro Inc. toys, is the biggest film so far this year, bringing in $400.6 million for Viacom Inc.’s Paramount Pictures.

‘Potter’ Films

Paul Levitz, who has been president and publisher of DC Comics since 2002, will be a contributing editor and consultant to DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. said.

Nelson will continue to oversee the “Harry Potter” business and will give up the title of president of Warner Premiere while retaining oversight of the unit in her new role. Six “Harry Potter” movies, based on the books by J.K. Rowling, have grossed $1.71 billion in domestic ticket sales.

Warner Bros. has several movies based on DC properties in the works. Filming finished recently on “Jonah Hex,” starring Josh Brolin, in Louisiana, and “The Losers” started production in Puerto Rico in July, the company said. “The Green Lantern” is scheduled for release in the second quarter of 2011.

To contact the reporter on this story: Anthony Palazzo in Los Angeles at apalazzo@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: September 9, 2009 16:06 EDT