Legendary Splits from WB

[Liam_H]

Yes, the greater it doesn't bomb increases the chances of a sequel.

 

[BrollySupersj]

I'm surprised Paramount is being considered. Any reason for that?

 

[chamber-music]

Interesting to see if DC really does step up and show more faith in their DC properties now that they don't have Legendary to share the load with them.

I think Universal would be the most hungry. They lack enough franchises, besides Fast/Furious and Jurassic Park. Also, Del Toro has a relationship with Universal so that can help.

I agree Universal probably need a partner like Legendary more than the other studios listed.

 

[Hyde]

Deadline saying that Tull will have a meeting with Lionsgate later this week

I doubt they'll partner, although it would be pretty shocking. Lionsgate doesn't strike me as a company that wants to get into the mega-big blockbuster genre but that might have changed after Hunger Games

 

[Project862006]

they'd also be a studio tull can throw his weight around towards

 

[jmc]

Not sure quite what to make of this yet. Will wait with a keen eye over this.

 

[GENERAL RAAM582]

So I guess the Justice League is impossible?

 

[-JKR-]

So I guess the Justice League is impossible?

What does Legendary departing Warner Bros. have to do with that? There job on DC properties has been to co-finance the pictures, even though it seems like Thomas Tull has also had some minor creative input.

BUT - personally, I'd be a happy camper if they won't do Justice League. I don't really care about seeing Superman, Batman, Flash & Co. TOGETHER on the big screen. I think that individually they make for stronger and more diverse stories.

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

Deadline saying that Tull will have a meeting with Lionsgate later this week

I doubt they'll partner, although it would be pretty shocking. Lionsgate doesn't strike me as a company that wants to get into the mega-big blockbuster genre but that might have changed after Hunger Games

Lionsgate totally wants to get into mega blockbuster territory, especially after Hunger Games. They want to become part of the big six to make it the big seven. A partnership with Legendary if done right could do that.

 

[Hyde]

So I guess the Justice League is impossible?

No - WB are now looking to fully finance/reap the income DC movies themselves, and they own all the rights to the the company and characters and everything anyway. Legendary just co-financed a few

 

[Hyde]

Lionsgate totally wants to get into mega blockbuster territory, especially after Hunger Games. They want to become part of the big six to make it the big seven. A partnership with Legendary if done right could do that.

Have they said it anywhere or is it just an assumption? It wouldn't really be surprising, because then it would ensure they would be able to make ****loads from sequels to Pacific Rim, Godzilla, Seventh Son etc.

I think Lionsgate becoming a big studio would be interesting to see and they could bring something new to the table. IMO, the most likely studios to join with Legendary, other than LG, are Sony and Universal. Paramount's already got Skydance and Bad Robot, Fox just does their own stuff and Disney... Yeah lol

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

With the increasing budgets of their movies, I don't Lionsgate needs to come out and say it.

 

[-JKR-]

Thing is, I don't really think Lionsgate is that great of a company, creatively. They've put out some solid and good movies, but I don't think they really have bright or focused ideas about the kind of movies they want to put out; the creative talent they want to have with them, etc. They're very hit or miss, and feature too many different kind of projects, from bad borderline DTV flicks to wannabe blockbusters to arthouse flicks.

They are definitely no New Line Cinema or Carolco (R.I.P.)!

 

[Hyde]

With the increasing budgets of their movies, I don't Lionsgate needs to come out and say it.

What are their budgets?

I'm actually coming around more to the idea of Lionsgate/Legendary. Either that or partnering with Universal, as someone else here said they don't have many franchises atm and Battleship bombed hard

 

[-JKR-]

If I'm not mistaken, though, if there will be any sequels to Pacific Rim and Godzilla, they will still be a co-prod. between Legendary and Warner Bros. Pictures.

 

[Hyde]

I don't think so, because Legendary will be with Universal or Lionsgate or whoever, not WB... lol

 

[terry78]

WB is going to try and pull a Disney and just maintain all the DC films within their own thing as opposed to the other production company.

 

[redfirebird2008]

Speculation: ME thinks that the departure of Jeff Robinov, which is both good (he's apparently difficult and cold to talk to) and bad (he has good relationships with directors like Nolan) is a last ditch effort to keep Legendary at WB, since Robinov has been critical of Tull's practices, etc. That's why the new WB CEO was so cold towards Robinov, even in the light of 'Man of Steel's success.

Nah, I think the tension at WB has more to do with the ridiculous "bake-off" that three executives had to go through. Two of them have now been forced out and one of them ended up as an executive at Legendary. The bake-off competition for the CEO job was a disaster waiting to happen.

 

[mclay18]

So I guess the Justice League is impossible?

No, it's not. If WB restarts that, it'll develop as a co-financing pact between Village Roadshow Pictures (since the aborted Miller one was under that deal). Just because Legendary isn't involved with DC properties any more doesn't mean WB can't make sequels or whatnot without them. Pretty sure the MOS sequel will be a WB/Syncopy/Village Roadshow production...

Big question mark is Legendary's 100% financed films that WB merely distributed, like The Seventh Son. That could be a Narnia-like situation where WB can pick up the tab for P&A and distribution for possible sequels to that, plus Pacific Rim, or WB can let Legendary take the sequel(s) to their rival.

WB is going to try and pull a Disney and just maintain all the DC films within their own thing as opposed to the other production company.

WB already owns the rights to virtually every DC property... it's not like they're scattered throughout various studios like Marvel's is. The only DC property that's not owned by WB is Lionsgate/Summit's "Red" films, which WB passed on.

 

[Marvolo]

If I had to pick a studio to take up the Pacific Rim sequels it would be Universal. I feel they have a good report with Del Toro and would do him right. Fox's reputation has me wary and Sony is a studio I don't much about at all.

This being said, Pacific Rim is gonna have to work a miracle to make a profit if tracking numbers are anything to go by so sequels are a pipe dream yet.

 

[Zeus]

This is not good news for us

 

[-JKR-]

Who is us and what's so bad about this?

This news doesn't actually influence moviegoers in ANY way. The only ones noticing the change will be the guys at Legendary, who will eventually be collaborating with another studio, and Warner Bros., who'll either finance more of their pics on their own (as they plan with the DC movies), or will have another company (probably Village Roadshow being more active once again at Warners) co-financing.

 

[Zeus]

Who is us and what's so bad about this.

This news doesn't actually influence moviegoers in ANY way. The only ones noticing the change will be the guys at Legendary, who will eventually be collaborating with another studio, and Warner Bros., who'll either finance more of their pics on their own (as they plan with the DC movies), or will have another company (probably Village Roadshow being more active once again at Warners) co-financing.

Bigger projects between the two companies will now be on hold.

 

[-JKR-]

Bigger projects between the two companies will now be on hold.

Which are!!?

There's absolutely no project in jeopardy. The DC movies? Warner Bros. fully owns the rights, and can either co-finance them with another company, or finance them on their own; and Thomas Tull has absolutely no say in that.

Possible Pacific Rim and Godzilla sequels? Depending on how deals were made, they'll either still be Warner Bros./Legendary co-productions, or Legendary will have the right to bring them where they want.

There is no project which can be compromised because of this.

 

[Marvolo]

Yeah, this won't be a catastrophe for films like the writers strike was. This will go unnoticed pretty much.