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Tag: MGM

  • Nikyatu Jusu Set to Direct ‘Night of the Living Dead’ Sequel for MGM

    Nikyatu Jusu Set to Direct ‘Night of the Living Dead’ Sequel for MGM

    Night of the Living Dead is back and it looks like MGM is already set to return to the iconic zombie franchise. Nanny‘s Nikyatu Jusu is already attached to direct the film for Village Roadshow Pictures, Westbrook, Origin Story, Vertigo Entertainment, and Sanibel Films. It seems the deal was grown out of a “highly competitive situation.” The film will be based on a script by LaToya Morgan, who is no stranger to zombies given her time on The Walking Dead. MGM is setting it for a theatrical run.

    George A. Romero‘s original adaptation Night of the Living Dead back in 1968 was technically the film that defined the genre and went on to spawn sequels, reboots and countless others trying to capitalize on the “Living Dead” genre. To this day, Night of the Living Dead already has five sequels directed by Romero and it’s uncertain if this one will continue where the last entry left off. It’s plot is under wraps and it’s only titled as a sequel and not a reboot.

    Jusu has made quite the splash with her work on Nanny, which was the first horror film to win the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, which also made her only the second Black female director to receive the reward. So, it’s no surprise that Amazon wasn’t going to waste any time to get her attached to a new project, especially one with such a legacy behind it. It’ll be interesting to see if they try to stick to what makes this genre iconic or rather try to twist the genre on its head with a new look t a zombie-infested world.

    Source: Deadline

  • Warner Bros. to Distribute MGM Films Internationally Except for the Next ‘James Bond’

    Warner Bros. to Distribute MGM Films Internationally Except for the Next ‘James Bond’

    It looks like MGM has found a new distribution partner in Warner Bros. Discover for its international releases. There is, however, one massive surprise in the form that James Bond‘s next film is not part of that very deal. This deal is a move away from their usual partnership with Universal, who was behind the releases of House of Gucci, Licorice Pizza, and the previous James Bond installment, No Time to Die.

    As of this deal, the upcoming releases of Bones and All as well as Creed III will be distributed through Warner Bros. International. Universal isn’t out of the deal completely, as they are still set to distribute MGM and Orion’s upcoming release of Till, as well as 2023’s Woman Talking. They also have the rights to distribute the next James Bond film,w which was part of their original agreement.

    This multi-year deal not only includes theatrical distribution of non-US countries (which will also include China) but also means they will collaborate on marketing, publicity, and exhibitor relations. It does open up the question of what it might also mean for their US distribution, especially with Amazon purchasing MGM for $8.5 billion earlier this year.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • Amazon Buying MGM Studios to Further Expand Streaming Service

    Amazon Buying MGM Studios to Further Expand Streaming Service

    Amazon continues to expand into the film industry by purchasing long-standing MGM Studios for $8.45 billion. This marks the companies second-largest acquisition since Whole Foods in 2017. The move was already teased around a week ago, but now they made the move to continue their rapid expansion into streaming and the entertainment industry. They aim to leverage MGM’s filmography of 4,000 films and 17,000 TV shows. Senior Vice President of Prime Video and Amazon Studios, Mike Hopkins, gave the following statement:

    The real financial value behind this deal is the treasure trove of IP in the deep catalog that we plan to reimagine and develop together with MGM’s talented team. It’s very exciting and provides so many opportunities for high-quality storytelling.

    Amazon has been investing quite a bit to strengthen its hold in the streaming market to keep up with competitors Netflix and Disney. It’s becoming quite a competitive market, especially with AT&T’s move to combining WarnerMedia with Discovery also enhancing their move forwards with HBO Max. It also aligns with the recent revelation that their new Lord of the Rings series costs a whopping $465 million to produce, which is one of the most costly television shows ever produced. They also expanded through NFL deals to broadcast Thursday Night Football. Their flywheel effect remains their main focus to expand Prime subscribers. Not only would it bolster their streaming offering, but also further supports new purchases directly in the eCommerce offerings of the site. It will be interesting to see what other purchases they have planned in the near future if they continue down this path.

    Source: CNBC