Multiple studios expressed major interest in creating a partnership with JJ Abrams‘ Bad Robot over the last year. With the production company’s feature film deal at Paramount expiring and up for renegotiation, Abrams, CEO Katie McGrath and others met with various studios to explore their options.
Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Comcast, and Sony all went hard, but it is WarnerMedia who have come out on top.
The studio is reportedly in final negotiations with Abrams and Bad Robot for a partnership that could be worth up to $500 million. Under this new deal, Bad Robot will develop and create new projects for WarnerMedia, as well as supervise other producers across film, TV, and digital platforms.
For Abrams, who has always taken a shine to the newer ways of distribution, that was probably the key. Apple and Sony reportedly came close, but WarnerMedia won out because of their existing relationship with Abrams through Bad Robot’s Warner Bros. TV deal, but more importantly, their extensive branding opportunities.
The studio collaborates with various theme parks and attractions, and has their own streaming service dropping in 2020. Abrams may have seen the chance to cultivate his own brand as the centrepiece of Warner’s new platform, rather than be lost in the shuffle at a place like Netflix.
It isn’t clear yet how long the duration of the contract lasts, but expect to see plenty of content developed by Bad Robot over the next few years. If WarnerMedia is serious in trying to carve out a market in the streaming wars, this is no doubt a good start.
#Peace.Love.BadRobot
