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 Pictures.