Legendary Entertainment has cut ties with Warner Bros, ending their longtime production deal. Now, the studio has entered a multi-year worldwide distribution deal with Sony Pictures. Moving forward, Sony will play the same role Warner Bros played for the studio in the past: marketing and distributing films produced by Legendary.
Legendary and Warner Bros collaborated on some notable projects including ‘The Dark Knight Rises’, ‘The Hangover’ movies, ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’, and ‘Dune’. Incidentally, media reports said the sequel to ‘Dune’, called ‘Dune: Part Two’ is exempt from this new arrangement, and will be distributed by Warners. The film, which brings back director Denis Villeneuve, is the continuation of the story of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet).
As per Variety, a joint press release issued by Legendary and Sony reinforced their “ongoing commitment to theatrical distribution as a driver for other ‘downstream’ windows and the theatrical window’s long-term value for films.”
Josh Greenstein and Sanford Panitch, presidents of Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, said in a statement, “It’s a rare opportunity to partner in this mutually beneficial way with true pros, who are completely aligned in our theatrical commitment and vision for this business.”
Legendary’s CEO Joshua Grode said, “As we continue to grow our content offerings, we are excited to forge this relationship with Tony, Tom, Sanford, Josh and the rest of the exceptional Sony team. Sony’s commitment to theatrical distribution aligns with our vision of how to best derive the most value for Legendary’s movies. The incredible slate of movies that Mary Parent has amassed are built for the theatrical experience and we are excited about our partnership with Sony for this next phase of Legendary’s growth.”
