On Wednesday Alcon Mediegroup won a bid for $ 417.5 million to acquire the village’s roadshow film Library, which contains 108 titles and the rights to some major franchise films, including “The Matrix”, “Wonka”, “Mad Max: Fury Road”, “Ocean’s” films, “Sherlock Holmes” series, “Joker”, “Ready Player One” and more.
All these films and others were the product of a reliable and lucrative co -production and co -financing of by roadshow had with Warner Bros. Pictures that go back to 1997, all before Village Roadshow’s bankruptcy and an ugly legal struggle that continues over the decision to put “Matrix resourrections” on HBO MAX MAX DAY-AND DATE WITH THEATERS BACK 2021.
Maybe in an inexplicably won Warner Bros. Not the rights to that library themselves and put the studio in the unfortunate position to have to cooperate with a new company that is moving forward. So what happens to those franchise now?
Alcon is behind several Denis Villeneuve films such as “Blade Runner 2049”, “Prisoners” and “Arrival”, films like “Insomnia” and “The Blind Side”, and it also last did the “Garfield” movie for Sony and works with “” Insomnia “and” The Blind Side “Blade Runner 2099“Series for Amazon. With the addition of Village Roadshow Library, it gives Alcon one of the largest film libraries for an independent film company (Lionsgate excluded), about 150 titles.
Although Alcon is not today a partner with Warner Bros., it is possible that they will soon be. Alcon acquired Village Roadshow library, derivative rights and cash flow with its bid. It is still only 50 percentage, but a press release that announces the news says the library generates about $ 50 million a year. Not too bad. So to make any other follow -up or sequel based on one of these films in the library, both Warner Bros. And Alcon now agrees.
Why did Warner BroS. Not the Village Roadshow library itself? A source that told IndieWire Alcon is really just getting the participants and the naked copyright to these Village Roadshow films, and WB still owns the distribution rights to these franchisees, so it decided not to acquire the library.
However, another source says that WB made a bid – and was surpassed – by Alcon. It is obvious that WBD, with $ 37 billion still in debtCan’t afford to throw so much money, although it would be paid in the long term.
Alcon once had a rare division with Warner Bros., one that produced as many as three films a year for smaller films as “Dolphin Tale”, but it was the old Warner Bros., and this is David Zaslav-driven Warner Bros. Discovery. Times have changed, and WBD can still have something to say on the issue.
Puck noted Thursday that Warner Bros. could contest the derivative rights to Village Roadshow Library, and that a hearing could take place this summer (Warner Bros. had no comment on rumors of a hearing).
But about Warner Bros. Cannot win back the derivative rights in court, would you imagine it and Alcon would have to come to some kind of business if they ever wanted to do yet another “matrix” or “Ocean’s” movie, As both WB already has projects in work. Would Warner Bros ever turn the distribution rights into one of these great franchises into another studio if the right offer came along and Alcon wanted to force his hand? Who knows. But we will be surprised if this marriage lasts as long as the village’s road show one did.
