AMC Entertainment Launches Theatrical Distribution Company, Targeting Smaller, Medium-Sized Releases

AMC <a href="https://axiomcore.info/irish-entertainment-and-media-sector-forecast-to-reach-e8-2bn-by-2030/” title=”Irish entertainment and media sector forecast to reach €8.2bn by 2030″>Entertainment, the largest theatrical exhibitor in the United States and in the world, Aug. 31 announced the launch of a movie distribution company headquartered both in Los Angeles and AMC Theatres home base of Leawood, Kan.

Leawood Films will focus on bringing additional movies to theatrical audiences in the United States and across the globe, leveraging the exhibitor’s marketing ability and scale worldwide.

AMC’s previous theatrical distribution efforts include Taylor Swift / The Eras Tour,andRenaisance: A Film by Beyonce,andTaylor Swift / The Official Release. Leawood Films expects to partner and collaborate with a wide array of other theater circuits domestically and internationally.

Rather than financing productions, developing scripts, or assuming the traditional risks associated with film production, Leawood Films is conceived as a low-risk opportunity to work with established and emerging filmmakers who are able to secure full financing for their own films, or who already have completed films in hand.

Recent examples of small movies that made it big at the box office in 2026 include Focus Features’ Obsession, which was made for $1 million while generating more than $500 million at the global box office.

A24’s Backrooms was produced for $10 million and went on to generate $390 million globally, while The Drama turned a mid-sized production into a $134 million box office hit.

Oli million at the global box office, followed by Neon’s $5 million thriller Hokum, which generated $25 million at the worldwide box office

Leawood Films will aim to take advantage of AMC’s guaranteed placement in theaters globally, combined with marketing and exhibition expertise. The distributor will respect a 45-day or greater PVOD window and a 90-day or more SVOD window.

Leawood will focus primarily on small and medium-sized releases — movies that otherwise might have difficulty securing distribution backing, including movies’ downstream revenue after they leave theaters.

“Leawood is being created with a straightforward objective, given that substantial excess capacity exists in the movie theater industry: to bring more movies to theaters,” said AMC CEO Adam Aron. “If we can take steps to ensure that a few extra movies come to theaters each year, it is gravy for AMC in the United States and Odeon in Europe, as well as for our fellow exhibitors.”

AMC says Leawood is being created to augment the supply of movie content, rather than supplant the motion picture release slates in either priority or prominence of AMC’s traditional studio partners and other key distributors.

“With their longstandingships have been and overwhelmingly will continue to be AMC’s primary partnerships going forward,” said Aron

Leawood Films will be led by a team of entertainment industry veterans, including Toby Emmerich, former chairman, Warner Bros. Pictures Group; Ricky Strauss, former president of marketing, The Walt Disney Studios; and Kyle Davies, former president of domestic distribution, Paramount Pictures and former president of distribution, Bleecker Street.

The distributor will be legally represented by entertainment attorney Craig Jacobson. They all will continue to be based in Los Angeles, and collectively reporting to Aron.