WARNERMEDIA AND ROADSHOW FILMS SPLIT IN DISTRIB SECTOR SHAKE-UP

Once considered one of the sturdiest partnerships in global film distribution, WarnerMedia and Roadshow Films will cut ties at the end of 2020 after four decades. Australian parent company Village Roadshow Ltd (VRL) announced to the ASX on Monday that December 31 would be the final day of their co-dependent arrangement, with Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic Dune (December 17) and Patty Jenkins blockbuster DCU sequel Wonder Woman 1984 (December 26) representing their final films together.

Long held and cherished relationships at the boardroom level have dissolved in recent times. In August, an overhaul at WarnerMedia by corporate owner AT&T saw several top executives ousted, including a crucial ally in Ron Sanders, President of Worldwide Theatrical Distribution and Home Entertainment. No indication was given as to whether VRL would still rep Warner titles on the home video front, although that contract also expires in December.  

Founded as a drive-in theatre venture in 1954 by Roc Kirby, whose car-friendly venues became known as ‘villages’, Roadshow expanded into traditional cinema sites (or ‘hardtops’) throughout the 1960s. Kirby’s sons Robert and John entered the family business and, with young execs like Graham Burke (pictured, right; with Robert Kirby, left)promoted through the ranks, Roadshow expanded into the distribution sector, launching a specialised division in 1967. By 1971, Roadshow were so dominant in the Australian market they were able to forge their first partnership with Warner Bros.

In the wake of the acquisition of De Laurentis Entertainment, the entity Village Roadshow was formed in 1989, a show of strength that further solidified ties with Warner Bros. Their first release together was the Kylie Minogue vehicle, The Delinquents (1989), followed by such blockbuster successes as Analyze This, The Matrix and Deep Blue Sea (all 1999); Miss Congeniality (2000); Ocean’s Eleven (2001); Happy Feet (2006); Sherlock Holmes (2009); The Great Gatsby (2013); The Lego Movie (2014); Mad Max Fury Road (2015) and Joker (2019).

While embodying the ‘business’ side of showbusiness, the union also found critical favour with David O. Russell’s Three Kings (1999), a National Board of Review honouree, and provided Denzel Washington with his lead actor Oscar in Antoine Fuqua’s Training Day (2001). The partnership forged a strong bond with writer/director Clint Eastwood and his Malpaso Productions, leading to a stake in such prestige pics as Space Cowboys (2000), Mystic River (2003), Gran Torino (2008), American Sniper (2014), Sully (2016) and The 15:17 to Paris (2018).

The Village Roadshow / Warner Bros partnership weathered some expensive underperformers as well, including Red Planet (2000); The Majestic (2001); The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002; pictured, right); Showtime (2002); Dreamcatcher (2003); Catwoman (2004); The Invasion (2007); Speed Racer (2008); Gangster Squad (2013); Jupiter Ascending (2015); Winter’s Tale (2014); and, In the Heart of the Sea (2015).

In announcing the split, Roadshow CEO Joel Pearlman said, “It has been an honour to release so many incredible Warner Bros. titles over the years and we are proud of the work that we have achieved together.” It was made clear in the ASX filing that the license deal between VRL and Warner Bros. in the theme parks business remains intact and that the $468million sale of VRL to funds managed by BGH Capital would be unaffected.

VRL will continue to seek productions for their Village Roadshow Studios at Gold Coast in Queensland, currently home to Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis and rumoured to be pitching for Taika Waititi’s Thor sequel. It also owns 31% of the New York-based sales and production company FilmNation.

It is understood that the Australian division of Universal Pictures will take control of Warner titles from early 2021.

OZ SHOOT CONTINUES AS CANNES BUYERS EYE FIRST IMAGES.

Productions only get one chance to create the kind of buzz that a presence on The Croisette can deliver. Having only commenced its far north coast shoot on May 2, reps for director Luke Sparke’s sophomore effort Occupation have rolled out images and announced plot and cast details at the Marche du Film, the frantic sales and distribution trade show component of the Festival de Cannes.

Sparke’s directorial debut, the low-budget high-concept B-thriller Red Billabong, made a splash in 2016, securing niche international engagements (including screens in Vietnam) and home-vid exposure in monster-movie friendly markets, such as Japan. Shot with a natural storytelling flair and turning a tidy profit meant that the young Queensland-based director had industry cache, the kind that has allowed him to move ahead with haste on his follow-up production. The budget is estimated to be close to A$3million. (Pictured, above; key cast of Occupation)

"We're in the thick of [the shoot] right now, pulling massive days on back-to-back action scenes, which is quite rare for Australia,” said Sparke via press release. “It's looking great and I'm looking forward to rolling it out over the next months." The narrative pits residents of a small rural township against a mysterious and devastating ground invasion, a summary that reads like a cross between local blockbuster Tomorrow When The War Began and such classic sci-fiers as Invaders from Mars and War of The Worlds.

Sparke reteams with his Red Billabong leading man Dan Ewing, who heads up a quality cast that includes Temuera Morrison, Izzy Stevens, Stephany Jacobsen and Rhiannon Fish; local character actor legends Bruce Spence, Felix Williamson and Roy Billing; and, AFI award winner Jacqueline McKenzie. Producer Carly Imrie also returns. (Pictured, right; teaser poster for Occupation, courtesy of Film Mode Entertainment)

The early sneak images have been presented in Cannes by sales agent Film Mode Entertainment (FME), who are spruiking Occupation to international territories, including the all-important North American market. President of FME, industry veteran Clay Epstein, has a passion for Australian-lensed genre works, having worked for leading Oz outfit Arclight Films and represented films such as The Spierig Brothers Predestination, with Ethan Hawke and Sarah Snook.

Epstein is particularly high on Occupation, stating, “We have incredible footage after only 2 weeks of production. Luke shoots action very well and is an extremely talented director.  This is a huge film and we are confident the market is going to embrace it.”

Occupation will be released in 2018 in Australia and New Zealand by specialist distribution outfit Pinnacle Films. (Pictured,below; from left, stars Izzy Stevens, Dan Ewing and Temuera Morrison, on location)