EXCLUSIVE: We are hearing from myriad sources that Amazon MGM Studios will be launching an international theatrical distribution arm for its feature slate moving forward.
The studio’s current foreign theatrical output deal with Warner Bros. ends at the end of this year.
This is a big step for Amazon, which has re-embraced the theatrical window since acquiring MGM. Their first big box office release was 2023’s Creed III, which had a franchise-record $58.3M opening and went on to gross $156.2M domestic and $276.1M worldwide.
With its own foreign distribution division, that puts Amazon MGM Studios in the pole position to handle international on its crown jewel franchise, that being Eon’s James Bond series. There were reports of late that 007 producer Barbara Broccoli was upset for myriad reasons with Amazon in regards to their approach to Bond. Perhaps Amazon MGM Studios having full hold on the global distribution of a future 007 movie would assuage some of Broccoli’s concerns. MGM Bond marketing vets remain in place Amazon MGM Studios that being Gerry Rich and Stephen Bruno. The last Daniel Craig 007 film, No Time to Die, was released before Amazon took over MGM; that pic’s foreign handled by Universal with $613.2M at the int’l box office and another $160M-plus U.S./Canada/
By scaling its theatrical distribution efforts globally, Amazon MGM Studios would be able to maximize the upside when it comes to each movie’s revenues and profits. During Amazon’s previous go-round with theatrical distribution in its early days under the Jason Ropell-Ted Hope-Bob Berney administration, many of its pics’ foreign rights were sold off. In addition, Amazon would hire domestic distribution partners; Lionsgate, for example, handled the theatrical releases of Oscar nominee The Big Sick while Roadside Attractions distributed Manchester by the Sea.
Amazon MGM Studios’ anticipated buildout of its infrastructure is a clear response to the studio’s growing theatrical slate, which includes such 2026 movies as the Timur Bekmambetov-directed Mercy, starring Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson (January 23); action comedy Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Movie with Hugh Jackman, Emma Thompson and Nicholas Braun (February 20); the Ryan Gosling sci-fi pic Project Hail Mary (March 20); and the Travis Knight-directed Mattel mega-movie Masters of the Universe (June 5) as well as future pics including Luca Guadagnino’s Julia Roberts starrer After the Hunt and others.
The studio, I understand, still has plans to produce franchises from the MGM library. Amazon MGM Studios will be at Cinemacon for the first time as a combined entity in April.
There is no set timeline, but the company is hoping to move quickly and is in the early stages of mapping out its plans. The hope is that this division is up at some point in 2026.
Warner Bros. has such Amazon MGM Studios titles abroad as Red One, Saltburn and Guadagnino’s Zendaya movie Challengers, among others.
Amazon MGM Studios didn’t respond to request for comment.