Tag Archives: mgm studios

Amazon nabs MGM for $8.45 Billion

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The rumors have become true as Amazon has bought MGM for $8.45 billion. The deal delivers a massive film and TV library to the digital platform and studio. MGM features a film catalog of 4,000 films and 17,000 television shows.

Amazon revealed in April that 175 Prime members have viewed movies and TV shows on the platform in the past year. In comparison, Netflix has 207 million global subscribers and Disney+ has 103 million subscribers.

To put the purchase in further perspective, Amazon spent $11 billion on video and music content for Prime Video and Amazon Music last year and $7.8 billion the year before. It spent $13.7 billion to acquire Whole Foods. Amazon is spending $465 million on one season of their Lord of the Rings series and has signed a deal with the NFL to broadcast Thursday Night Football starting in 2022.

The deal has to still pass regulatory approval.

Amazon Reportedly Has Made a $9 Billion Offer for MGM

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Earlier today it was announced that AT&T and Discovery have entered into a deal concerning WarnerMedia. Discovery will now manage the entertainment division in a new partnership with AT&T. Now, word has come that Amazon is “weeks into negotiations” in a deal to acquire MGM. The rumored price tag is about $9 billion. Prices have ranged between $7 billion and $10 billion. It’s been a rumor for quite some time that MGM was thinking about, our up, for sale, but this puts that in a whole other league.

The deal is reportedly being worked on by Mike Hopkins, senior VP of Amazon Studios and Prime Video. Hopkins is dealing directly with MGM board chairman Kevin Ulrich.

MGM has a “deep” library with 4,000 films including James Bond, Rocky, Creed, RoboCop, The Hobbit, and Pink Panther. That’s just the franchises. There are also classics like Silence of the Lambs and The Magnificent Seven. There are also 17,000 episodes of series like the various Stargate series. Fargo, The Handmaid’s Tale, Teen Wolf, In the Heat of the Night, and more. Unscripted shows include The Voice, Survivor, Shark Tank, The Real Housewives, and The Hills.

In 2020, Amazon spent $11 billion on TV shows, moves, and music for Prime services. That’s an increase of 40% from the previous year.

Hanna-Barbera, Looney Tunes and MGM on Video Subscription Service, Boomerang

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Time Warner’s Turner and Warner Bros. have announced they have partnered on a new standalone domestic premium video subscription service – Boomerang – that will launch in the Spring. This will be the first time the two companies have offered the massive Hanna-Barbera, Looney Tunes and MGM animation library of over 5,000 titles on a streaming platform. Boomerang will provide audiences instant and exclusive access to both brand-new original series and timeless franchises like Scooby Doo, Tom & Jerry, Bugs Bunny, The Jetsons and The Flintstones among many others. Launching with a vast number of episodes, new content will be added weekly for kids, families and animation lovers of all ages to enjoy.

Boomerang will be the exclusive home to a slate of new, original series, including Warner Bros. Animation’s Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz, an uplifting comedic fantasy series that transports audiences to the magical land of Oz and follows the ruby slipper adventures of its brave and feisty princess protagonist; and Wacky Races, a full-engine overhaul of the Hanna-Barbera classic series that takes viewers on a ride filled with zany slapstick comedy, high-octane thrills and exotic locales around the world.  Additionally, Boomerang will be the only place to catch new episodes of three fan-favorite series, Scooby-Doo, Looney Tunes and Tom & Jerry.

Boomerang will support its world-class content offering with a robust set of product features in the months following launch including: family profiles, personalized recommendations, download-to-go, Spanish audio and interactive features that will give users new and exciting ways to discover and share content. The Boomerang OTT service will be powered by applications and technology developed by DramaFever, a Warner Bros. Digital Networks company.

The service will be ad-free and launch domestically on Web, iOS and Android devices for $4.99 per month (with a 7-day Free Trial) or $39.99 annually (with a 30-day Free Trial).

The product will expand to several more platforms after launch, including Amazon, Roku and Apple TV. Turner and Warner Bros. is exploring additional distribution opportunities with both new and existing partners in the future.

All-New Special Edition James Bond Blu-ray and DVD Releases Arrive This September!

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Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (MGM) and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment are releasing special edition Blu-rays, DVDs and collectible box-sets on September 15th, ahead of the November 6th global release of SPECTRE, the 24th James Bond adventure.

Two new featurettes are included based on interviews with renowned Bond writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade. “The Shadow of SPECTRE” concentrates on the history of SPECTRE, the fictional global criminal syndicate and terrorist organization. The second featurette, “The Story So Far”, recaps and relives the significant moments from the previous three Daniel Craig Bond films.

Limited Edition Blu-ray Steelbooks headline the new home entertainment offering for Bond fans. The collectible set includes six films featuring the SPECTRE organization (From Russia With Love, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Diamonds Are Forever, For Your Eyes Only) and the three recent Daniel Craig titles (Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall) each featuring packaging inspired by the films’ iconic opening title sequences.

The Ultimate James Bond Collection features all 23 iconic Bond films together in one Blu-ray box-set, which includes a 24th space for SPECTRE and, for the first time, digital copies of the collection.  Also included is a new bonus disc exclusive featuring “Everything or Nothing”, a 90-minute documentary on the untold story of 007 and a pocket-sized James Bond 50 Years of Movie Posters book including the best posters from Dr No through to SPECTRE.  This collection will be exclusively available at Amazon.com.

Dedicated Actor Packs with new packaging will also be released on Blu-ray & DVD.

Special Edition James Bond Blu-ray and DVD

 

 

 

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Radical’s Hercules: The Thracian Wars Coming to the Big Screen

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Radical Studios announced today their original graphic novel Hercules: The Thracian Wars will be adapted as a motion picture to be co-produced by MGM Studios and Paramount Pictures. The graphic novel written by Steve Moore is an action-filled story based on the popular Ancient Greek mythology of Hercules. The film stars Dwayne Johnson and is directed by Brett Ratner. Hercules will be produced by Radical President Barry Levine, Beau Flynn and Brett Ratner. Peter Berg, Sarah Aubrey and Radical EVP Jesse Berger will executive produce. The screenplay was adapted by Ryan Condal with script revisions by Evan Spiliotopoulos. Production is scheduled to start in early 2013.