The Warner Bros. Picture Group and MGM have formed a partnership to distribute MGM’s upcoming films overseas. A new Deadline exclusive reveals that Warner Bros. Pictures Group co-chairs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy have devised a strategy with MGM COO Christopher Brearton to handle the international distribution of MGM’s titles, beginning with Luca Guadagnino’s Bones and All and continuing through Creed III and beyond. According to Deadline, Warner Bros. will benefit financially from the partnership, as MGM and Warner Bros. will work together on advertising, marketing, and more. Because of this, it will be working with other entities to raise awareness of these titles outside of the United States, which might lead to a wider release of the films that have already been so well received here at home.
Although MGM’s foreign division previously collaborated with Universal, they will maintain that partnership with the 26th James Bond film, after which the contract will move to Warner Bros. Even if Universal still has a few titles remaining, it looks like Warner Bros. will be taking over foreign distribution in the near future. Although the contract is due to expire in 2023, it has the potential to be renewed. We are thrilled to be collaborating with Warner Bros. to distribute MGM’s upcoming films overseas.
As MGM’s Brearton put it, “WBD’s roster of pictures is a terrific complement to the slate of movies that the studio is presenting to audiences outside of the U.S. Warner Bros. also had glowing praise for the collaboration with MGM. De Luca and Abdy expressed their happiness at the renewed relationship between their two firms, noting that “Warner Bros. and MGM have a long and incredibly successful history of working together.” This is great news for moviegoers and the film industry as a whole since it demonstrates that “our studios and executives share a dedication and enthusiasm for presenting high-quality films of all genres to global audiences.” It will be fascinating to watch how this plays out for both MGM and Warner Bros. beyond the 2023 slate and with the future of properties like James Bond.