Amazon buying MGM for $8.45B

OU812

https://9to5mac.com/2021/05/26/amazon-buying-mgm/

silverharp

have they used the dreaded word "reimaginings" in relation to reboots?

Agent Coulson

Stephen Colbert did a piece on this and well you never know.



Colbert “Holy mother of DVD extras! The private footage of a TV billionaire is going to belong to an actual billionaire,”

The Apprentice is part of this deal and Trump went after Bezos a lot when President, Did Bezos buy this just the get the outtakes from The Apprentice that are long believed to show Trump at his racist worst.

AlmightyCushion

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Stephen Colbert did a piece on this and well you never know.

MGM owns Mark Burnett's production company.

Colbert “Holy mother of DVD extras! The private footage of a TV billionaire is going to belong to an actual billionaire,”

The Apprentice is part of this deal and Trump went after Bezos a lot when President, Did Bezos buy this just the get the outtakes from The Apprentice that are long believed to show Trump at his racist worst.

I think it's a lot more likely that they just want the back catalogues and IP.

Agent Coulson

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

I think it's a lot more likely that they just want the back catalogues and IP.

Don't go past petty Billionaires trying to one up each other it's human nature to get revenge along with making a lot of money from it.

It was Trumps men at The National Enquirer that tried to blackmail Bezos over his affair and he doubled down and went public with it himself.

Agent Coulson

“If you saw this morning’s announcement, we are looking forward to welcoming MGM to the Amazon fold,” Bezos told shareholders at the company’s previously scheduled annual meeting.

“We are really excited about MGM,” the founder and outgoing CEO said, touting the library of over 4,000 films and 7,000 television shows.

“The acquisition thesis here is really very simple. MGM has a vast, deep catalogue of much beloved intellectual property. And with the talent at Amazon and the talent at MGM Studio, we can reimagine and develop that IP for the 21st century. It will be a lot of fun work and people who love stories will be the big beneficiaries.”

Harry Palmr

I'm old enough to remember when MGM was a few Hotel/casino's in Las Vegas, having completely lost the plot making films. They were completely unprepared for the whole counter culture, youth movement and change in morals so had no product for the new market as the old one stayed at home watching McMillan and Wife. Kirk Kerkorian both killed it and saved it as he sold it, bought it, sold it again and bought it again before selling it and buying it! Every time he managed to buy back a better company as it had been made more valuable through sales of stuff not needed and acquisitions of various smaller studios and other entertainment companies. In the end though it was buying UA in 1981 that probably allowed MGM to survive as it meant they had the Bond series plus a high quality Oscar leaden back catalog.

OU812

Here's the top performing MGM movies

10 of the top 20 are Bond. They really need to get EON on board.

Of the initial top 10, in terms of spin off potential,
Maybe a "Gone With The Wind" mini series, big budget, huge scale, although racism will be tough to get around.
Rocky is pretty much done
Creed has one more movie in the series
Legally Blonde is getting a third one (actually a 4th but don't discuss the existing 3rd)
Stargate has a lot of potential in terms of TV spinoff & possibly a movie reboot, although it would be much better having old cast return & hand the reigns to a new TV cast in the process.

There's not a whole lot else there that they can work with. They do have a lot of TV though

pixelburp

Said in the off topic thread, but I'd put good money on RoboCop being top of the pile for a (another) reboot

brevity

You are all forgetting James Bond Jr.

Need a Username

OU812 wrote: »

Here's the top performing MGM movies

10 of the top 20 are Bond. They really need to get EON on board.

Of the initial top 10, in terms of spin off potential,
Maybe a "Gone With The Wind" mini series, big budget, huge scale, although racism will be tough to get around.
Rocky is pretty much done
Creed has one more movie in the series
Legally Blonde is getting a third one (actually a 4th but don't discuss the existing 3rd)
Stargate has a lot of potential in terms of TV spinoff & possibly a movie reboot, although it would be much better having old cast return & hand the reigns to a new TV cast in the process.

There's not a whole lot else there that they can work with. They do have a lot of TV though

get EON on board with what?

None the reports on this that I have read as that James Bond is not part of the deal.

Apple and Comcast were bidding too but obviously not willingly to go that high.

No studio left for Apple to take over.

touts

Given the utter sh1te they have on the Irish version versus the rest of the world we'll probably just get Casino Royale. The one with Woody Allen.....

And maybe a Bollywood remake of Rocky.

mikhail

touts wrote: »

Given the utter sh1te they have on the Irish version versus the rest of the world we'll probably just get Casino Royale. The one with Woody Allen.....

That's actually Sony.

And maybe a Bollywood remake of Rocky.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_(1981_film)

Agent Coulson

Sly already has plans for a Rocky series so that could happen.

Need a Username

I hope this leads to an overhaul of the Prime Video interface otherwise it won’t matter much as the MGM library will list in the mess.

Wrongway1985

Need a Username wrote: »

I hope this leads to an overhaul of the Prime Video interface otherwise it won’t matter much as the MGM library will list in the mess.

Well they made some adjustments recently they were utterly worthless they are having a laugh at this stage. Can't fathom a wealth of people vying for a watch it again section.

There's a film called Wasteland (which is also known as the Rise) which states Vanessa Kirby and Iwan Rheon in cast looked it up and decided to watch. What came on was not that movie but a low budget horror, I now can't clear from new continue watching section.

Full_Circle_81

Need a Username wrote: »

get EON on board with what?

None the reports on this that I have read as that James Bond is not part of the deal.

Apple and Comcast were bidding too but obviously not willingly to go that high.

No studio left for Apple to take over.

I think there was talk of Sony being in the mix at some point, since they don't have a streaming service themselves. But their recent deals with Netflix and Disney probably got rid of any chance of that happening....

Need a Username

Wrongway1985 wrote: »

Well they made some adjustments recently they were utterly worthless they are having a laugh at this stage. Can't fathom a wealth of people vying for a watch it again section.

There's a film called Wasteland (which is also known as the Rise) which states Vanessa Kirby and Iwan Rheon in cast looked it up and decided to watch. What came on was not that movie but a low budget horror, I now can't clear from new continue watching section.

It has the worst layout.

Episode of Vikings regularly become unplayable. Search for the walking Dead and you get college humour parodies first and the show itself comes up multiple times.

And whenever I sit down to watch Man in the High Castle it keeps defaulting to play season 4

Need a Username

Full_Circle_81 wrote: »

I think there was talk of Sony being in the mix at some point, since they don't have a streaming service themselves. But their recent deals with Netflix and Disney probably got rid of any chance of that happening....

I heard about the deal but haven’t thought to read about it

Was that Netflix gets a first run of every new release movie but that after that Disney+ will the permanent home for the Sony catalog ?

Full_Circle_81

Need a Username wrote: »

I heard about the deal but haven’t thought to read about it

Was that Netflix gets a first run of every new release movie but that after that Disney+ will the permanent home for the Sony catalog ?

Yep, its something mad like that!

head82

Interesting article from Forbes re the buyout:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/05/26/amazon-buys-mgm---but-heres-why-you-still-wont-find-wizard-of-oz-or-gone-with-the-wind-on-there/?sh=4477e666f4ca

It seems anything from the MGM archives pre 1986 is not included in the deal.

ShineOn7

head82 wrote: »

It seems anything from the MGM archives pre 1986 is not included in the deal.

That would include the first 4 Rocky films

odyssey06

ShineOn7 wrote: »

That would include the first 4 Rocky films

No the article says they've United Artists archive (rather than MGM) so included in the deal.

Media mogul Ted Turner bought MGM in 1985 and then subsequently sold the company’s production and distribution assets in 1986, along with United Artists—but kept control of MGM’s library of all its films from before May 1986, which includes more than 2,000 titles.

In addition to the Golden Age films, that gave Turner control over later classics like Fame and A Christmas Story as well—but not UA movies like the Rocky and James Bond franchises, which would now be part of the potential Amazon deal

Agent Coulson

Labor Union Coalition Lobbies FTC To Block Amazon-MGM Deal: Sees “Harmful Vertical Integration In Film Industry”

The Strategic Organizing Center (SOC), a federation of labor unions repping close to 4 million workers, Wednesday called on the Federal Trade Commission to reject Amazon’s proposed $8.45 billion acquisition of MGM as a newly vigilant FTC is in the process of scrutinizing the deal that was announced in May.

In a letter sent to the acting director of the FTC’s Competition Bureau, Holly Vedova, SOC Executive Director Michael Zucker claims that Amazon has already employed anti-competitive practices in the streaming video-on-demand market and the proposed deal would let it further leverage its power to the detriment of consumers, competitors and the film industry. SOC (formerly Change to Win) includes the Teamsters, Communications Workers of American (CWA), United Farmworkers of America and Service Employees International Union.........

https://deadline.com/2021/08/labor-union-coalition-soc-ftc-amazon-mgm-1234812754/

pixelburp

The deal has closed: Amazon own MGM now and its 4000 films. Wonder, other than Bond, what they're eyeing for remakes and whatnot.

https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/amazon-mgm-merger-close-1235207852/

Useless Lump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118798774#Comment_118798774

It would be nice if Amazon spent a little money fixing the app so that we can find and watch all MGM movies.

Slydice

Well.. lemme see if there are any hints I can pull outta the mgm wiki page..

It's got a film library section: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer#Film_library

Lemme see.. I imagine execs would look at the two (USA and International) top-20 highest grossing lists.

So.. money makers..

• James Bond
• Rocky (and Creed)
• GI Joe
• Legally Blonde .. I never watched these.. I.. I just can't muster the motivation
• The Pink Panther
• Robocop
• The Addams Family

Let me see if anything jumps out of the film list..

• Poltergeist .. Never really watched these but got the feeling they had a following
• All Dogs Go to Heaven .. no you shut up.. you're crying.. they are all Good Dogs OK!
• Stargate
• Tomb Raider

and the other full list of films pages (so many)..

• Gone with the Wind .. like.. it jumped out at me but.. I don't know if they could do anything with it
• Tarzan films
• Dunkirk .. from 1958.. lol didn't know the new one was a reboot 😁
• Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
• Ben Hur .. and a bunch of other Ancient times films
• Don Quixote .. ya what now? A 1957 Soviet version? That MGM owns?
• Aladdin
• 2001 A Space Odyssey .. though in the list for 2010 it says WB own the rights
• Captain Nemo
• Get Carter
• Logan's Run
• Network
• Clash of the Titans
• Red Sonja
• Spaceballs
• Rain Man
• Delta Force
• Lord of War
• The Brothers Grimm

United Artists list:

• Brewster's Millions
• 12 Angry Men
• The Black Stallion films
• Valkyrie

Orion list:

• Mississippi Burning
• Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
• Great Balls of Fire!

They have so many films, I scroll/skimmed really fast and I probably have skipped over some good ones that I just don't know/remember

Up front for what I know..

Creed is getting another film. It's already in progress.

Robocop .. I don't think there's any work being done on Robocop but I got excited by Sam Esmail (director) having a Robocop reference in one of the final Mr Robot episodes.. that's just me wishful thinking though.

At a guess I'd say Legally Blonde and Stargate to my mind feel like the money makers that have been untapped for a while.

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118802207#Comment_118802207

Stargate was my first thought when you listed those properties; the IP has been in weird limbo of late. Very popular and a mainstay of TV Sci-Fi throughout the 2000s yet has been fallow since that failed attempt at a BSG style show with SG Universe. Sci-Fi is back in vogue and could see runway for a canny reboot from Amazon.

There was a new RoboCop in gestation, headed IIRC by Neil Blomkamp but that has come to nothing. We already had a reboot attempt and can't see another any time soon.

OU812

Several of those movies lend themselves to tv dramas.

Gone with the wind could be a massive tv show set outside the house referencing the main characters but not seeing them (or recast).

007 lends itself to several tv spin offs focused on different characters.

pixelburp

Presumably, the Broccoli's are the ones who have the final say on what format James Bond exists as; they've been quite vocal it wouldn't be turned into a TV show - though maybe they'd soften on some spin-offs (but then that raises the question if the universe is remotely interesting enough to shoulder side stories), or indeed a suitably large dump-truck of Amazon money.

Tony EH

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118802207#Comment_118802207

The only film out of that list that I wouldn't mind seeing a reboot of would be 'Logan's Run'. I guess Villeneuve might do a decent job of it.

The rest are best left as they are and a number have already been subject to failed remakes/reboots.

Agent Coulson

A real life James Bond villain now owns the rights to James Bond if that doesn’t set up the next reboot of Bond then they are missing a trick.

S.M.B.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118802261#Comment_118802261

RoboCop Returns is still in development with Abe Forsythe attached to direct and a storyline that was originally proposed for Robocop 2 back in the day.

Who knows if/when it'll see the light of day though and whether the likelihood of it happening has now increased as a result of the acquisition.

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118819442#Comment_118819442

Interesting: I had kinda given up keeping track of that project as it had passed from rumour, to maybe-existing and so on. As to likelihood, that's funny as I'd have said the opposite. That a lot of projects previously supposed greenlit might suddenly find themselves under scrutiny by the new bosses; those new overlords keep to crack the whip, save some shackles and make their mark.

Agent Coulson

Might not be done yet.

IS AMGMAZON REALLY A DONE DEAL? DON’T BET ON IT

Amazon may have closed its $8.45 billion deal to acquire MGM, but the future of these companies is wide open.

The big question on Capitol Hill is whether the Federal Trade Commission, which could have challenged the transaction but elected to let the deadline expire, will still move to block the deal even after it closes.

This is not a matter of idle speculation; an FTC spokesperson made that abundantly clear in a statement issued last week after the expiration: “We reiterate that the Commission does not approve transactions and may challenge a deal at any time if it determines that it violates the law.”

It’s an option that must be under consideration by FTC chief Lina Khan, a notorious longtime critic of Amazon who was expected to be an aggressive antitrust opponent to the company. She hasn’t pounced yet in part because there’s currently a hold-up at the FTC regarding securing the confirmation of a fifth commissioner that would give her a left-leaning majority. It’s quite probable a Democrat comes in to break the 2-2 tie, giving Khan the green light she needs to block Amazon’s MGM bid even after the deadline..............

https://variety.com/vip/is-amgmazon-really-a-done-deal-dont-bet-on-it-1235209196/

Agent Coulson

More calls for Federal Trade Commissio to contest the deal

WGA, Teamsters & Other Unions Urge FTC to Contest Amazon-MGM’s Done Deal; Regulator Says It Can Challenge Mergers “Any Time”

The Writers Guild of America West and a coalition of unions launched another salvo against Amazon-MGM, urging antitrust watchdog, the Federal Trade Commission, to contest the deal even though it officially closed last week.

Their letter to the FTC today focused in part on Amazon’s acquiring MGM-owned Epix, taking out a producer and nascent streaming service, and it hit on previous arguments that the FTC must prevent Amazon from “consolidating power across the entertainment industry, reducing consumer choice and harming the creative workforce.”

“We strongly believe that this is an instance where the FTC must challenge a deal post-merger, because of the outsized role Amazon plays in our economy overall and how the merger would enhance Amazon’s ability to leverage its power against workers in the entertainment industry and across different platforms,” the groups said..........

https://deadline.com/2022/03/amazon-mgm-merger-ftc-wgaw-antitrust-1234984986/

OU812

First of the shows coming.

https://www.007.com/007s-road-to-a-million-to-begin-filming-later-this-year/

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118852497#Comment_118852497

Page not found?

Agent Coulson

James Bond Reality Series '007's Road to a Million' Announced at Prime Video

Do you have what it takes to be on the same level as the legendary spy?

https://collider.com/james-bond-reality-series-007-road-to-a-million-prime-video/