Roadshow no longer handling Warner Brothers Films

[Jobe]

Whilst the license deal for the Theme park business remains intact, Village Roadshow and Warner Brothers have split after 40+ years together. 

On the Dark Horizons website , Garth is reporting :

"After numerous decades together, Warner Bros. Pictures and Roadshow Films are severing ties – at least on the film front according to Variety.

The Australian distributor, which basically has handled almost all Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line releases in Australia and New Zealand for over four decades, was notified that its current contract to handle the theatrical releases of Warner titles will not be renewed beyond its expiry at the end of December.

Roadshow Films’ parent company Village Roadshow Limited announced the shift in a Monday filing to the Australian Stock Exchange. Theatrical distribution of Warner’s films in the region are instead expected to be handled by Universal Pictures from the beginning of 2021, including titles such as Matt Reeves’ “The Batman”.

The end of this partnership is part of a much larger reshuffle and realignment going on within WarnerMedia group as it streamlines its various divisions, eliminates production capacity and puts greater emphasis on its HBO Max service.

The separate home entertainment distribution contract also expires in December, but Roadshow hasn’t indicated if they’ve received notice of that cancellation as well. The license deal between Roadshow and Warner Bros. in the theme parks business, which includes the Warner Bros. Movie World theme park on the Gold Coast, remains intact.

In its filing, Roadshow’s owner Village Roadshow Ltd. went to great lengths to indicate Warners theatrical releases had little impact of Village’s bottom line this past year and they do “not anticipate that any material impairment or write down of assets will arise as a result of the expiry”. Roadshow Films currently has other supply arrangements with STX, FilmNation and Village Roadshow Picture"

This does beg the question just how long does this licensing deal have left between the them park division and Warner Brothers? It is reasonable to assume that given the split in the distribution deal, it is highly probable that after the licensing deal for the them park divsion expires it potentially may not be renewed. In this case , a rebranding and a rename will definitely be on the cards. I guess there will be more to come of this - stay tuned for the further details.

[rappa]

I think it’s a big stretch to say this means the theme park licensing will end. 
 

Film distribution has alternatives and they are streamlining their model. 
Where as the theme parks licensing is a completely separate beast onto itself. 

[AheadMatthewawsome]

This is gonna cause troubles to Roadshow Films. If the Theme Park License ends, this could possibly be the end of Roadshow within the next few months or years.

[westical]

3 minutes ago, AheadMatthewawsome said:

This is gonna cause troubles to Roadshow Films. If the Theme Park License ends, this could possibly be the end of Roadshow within the next few months or years.

Say what. 

[AheadMatthewawsome]

2 minutes ago, westical said:

Say what. 

I just have a gut feeling that Roadshow may go bankrupt sometime soon. Or become severely diminished. As because only 23 films out of over 85 they did were not with Warner Brothers. 

[Rexillium]

umm I'm confused here, what does it mean by theatrical release opposed to the home entertainment distribution (DVD), I only knew them to be a home entertainment distributor.

Is it saying they won't let them play it in their cinema division?

Edited September 22, 2020 by Rexillium

[Brad2912]

2 hours ago, AheadMatthewawsome said:

I just have a gut feeling that Roadshow may go bankrupt sometime soon. Or become severely diminished. As because only 23 films out of over 85 they did were not with Warner Brothers. 

The company who is currently on the ASX, but is in the process of being bought out, is going to go bankrupt? 
 

seriously.. 

2 hours ago, Rexillium said:

umm I'm confused here, what does it mean by theatrical release opposed to the home entertainment distribution (DVD), I only knew them to be a home entertainment distributor.

Is it saying they won't let them play it in their cinema division?

VR was a distributor of Films, whilst also owning their own cinema chains. this just means they won’t be the distributor. Has absolutely nothing to do with what films are shown in cinemas 

[rappa]

Come on though, some person on a theme park forum has a gut feeling. That enough to stake your investment options on right!