AMC Launching Indie Distribution Company Leawood Films
The Hollywood Reporter • • entertainment
Key Points:
- AMC Entertainment is launching a new distribution company called Leawood Films to distribute and market small and medium-sized films directly to theaters, bypassing traditional distributors.
- Leawood Films will be genre-agnostic and aims to increase the number of mid-budget movies released theatrically, complementing rather than competing with major studios.
- The initiative responds to theater owners' concerns about a shortage of new films following the pandemic and 2023 labor strikes, with AMC emphasizing it will not interfere with studio film showings.
- Leawood Films plans to respect a theatrical window of at least 45 days before premium video on demand (PVOD) and 90 days or more before subscription video on demand (SVOD), allowing filmmakers to retain the majority of post-theatrical revenue.
- The company, headquartered in Los Angeles and Leawood, Kansas, has enlisted veteran industry executives for guidance and does not expect to release films until 2027 or 2028.
