AMC Entertainment is expanding its role in the film industry with the launch of Leawood Films, a new distribution company with offices in Los Angeles and Leawood, Kansas.
The goal is to bring more films to cinemas, particularly independent titles and small- and mid-budget productions that may face difficulties securing distribution through traditional channels.
Leawood Films will focus exclusively on films that have already been financed or completed, without becoming involved in the development or financing of productions. Under the model, filmmakers will retain ownership of the films’ intellectual property and the majority of revenues generated from exploitation following theatrical distribution.
The company will leverage AMC’s cinema network and marketing capabilities and may collaborate with other exhibition chains in the United States and globally. Variance Films will handle distribution in North America, while Piece of Magic Entertainment will provide support in international markets.
The initiative also responds to the significant distribution capacity still available in cinemas and aims to increase the theatrical offering without replacing or competing with the major studios and distributors already partnering with AMC.
Following its experience with Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour and Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé, AMC intends to turn its expertise in event film distribution into a more structured, lower-risk business.
The project will be supported by Toby Emmerich, former chairman of Warner Bros., Ricky Strauss, former president of marketing for Disney’s studios, and Kyle Davies, who has extensive distribution experience at Paramount Pictures and Bleecker Street. The first titles have not yet been announced, with the first releases expected between 2027 and 2028
