AMC Entertainment launches Leawood Films distribution venture

AMC Entertainment Holdings (NYSE: AMC) announced the creation of Leawood Films, a film distribution company that will focus on bringing independently financed and completed films to theatrical audiences in the United States and internationally.

The venture, headquartered in both Los Angeles and Leawood, Kansas, will work exclusively with filmmakers who have secured full financing for their productions or who already have completed films. AMC said it does not intend to finance productions, develop scripts, or take on traditional film production risks.

Leawood Films will focus primarily on small and medium-sized releases and will not be limited to any specific genre. According to the company, the first projects are unlikely to be released before 2027 or 2028, and no initial films have been selected yet.

Three entertainment industry veterans will serve as advisors: Toby Emmerich, former chairman of Warner Bros. Pictures Group; Ricky Strauss, former president of marketing at Walt Disney Studios; and Kyle Davies, former president of domestic distribution at Paramount Pictures. The venture will be represented by attorney Craig Jacobson of Hansen Jacobson.

AMC said Leawood Films will respect a minimum 45-day premium video-on-demand window and a 90-day or more subscription video-on-demand window. The company added that downstream revenues and intellectual property ownership will largely remain with filmmakers.

AMC chairman and CEO Adam Aron said in a statement that the initiative is intended to address excess capacity in the theatre industry by increasing the number of films released theatrically. Aron described Leawood Films as a "modestly scaled initiative" that is not expected to compete with AMC's existing studio and distributor relationships.

AMC said it plans to partner with Variance Films in North America and Piece of Magic Entertainment internationally to support the distribution effort.

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