In an interesting turn of events Legendary Entertainment has cut ties with Warner Bros and made a new partnership with Sony Pictures. Under the new partnership and agreement, Sony will market and distribute Legendary Entertainment’s upcoming theatrical motion picture titles. However, this will not include existing projects at Legendary Entertainment that are still in contract, meaning Warner Bros. Pictures is still backing 'Dune: Part Two', due for release on Nov. 3rd 2023.

In a press release, Sony Pictures and Legendary Entertainment confirmed that the companies are aligned in their “ongoing commitment to theatrical distribution as a driver for other ‘downstream’ windows and the theatrical window’s long-term value for films”.

Josh Greenstein and Sanford Panitch, presidents of Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group said “It’s a rare opportunity to partner in this mutually beneficial way with true pros, who are completely aligned in our theatrical commitment and vision for this business,” He continued with: “The creative brilliance and power of Legendary is huge and we look forward to bringing their work to theaters across the world.”

As part of the deal it was said that Legendary Entertainment East will continue to handle all marketing and distribution activities in China. Sony Pictures will also handle home entertainment and TV distribution for the titles it releases.  Legendary Entertainment will also retain the option to produce and distribute feature film content for the wide range of streaming platforms existing both today and for future incarnations. 

Legendary Entertainment CEO Joshua Grode said “As we continue to grow our content offerings, we are excited to forge this relationship with Tony, Tom, Sanford, Josh and the rest of the exceptional Sony team,” He continued with: “Sony’s commitment to theatrical distribution aligns with our vision of how to best derive the most value for Legendary’s movies. The incredible slate of movies that Mary Parent has amassed are built for the theatrical experience and we are excited about our partnership with Sony for this next phase of Legendary’s growth.”

Tom Rothman, chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group Said “Legendary is, well, legendary and we are excited and fortunate to add Josh and Mary’s strong slate to our ongoing commitment to big movies on the big screen”, He continued with: “We are also grateful to Warner Bros. Pictures who has been a valuable partner to Legendary over many years, and we look forward to continuing our work with the talented executives at Warner/Discovery”.