At a Q&A session at the South by Southwest festival, Amazon MGM’s Courtenay Valenti proclaimed her studio’s firm commitment to release films theatrically in the years ahead, with a slate of “12-14 films” in 2026 and as many as 16 in 2027.
Valenti’s colleague Jennifer Salke explained that the studio’s thinking is that while not every new feature is appropriate for theatrical release, a successful run in theatres increases a movie’s success when it hits streaming. This was the case for titles such as AIR, THE BEEKEEPER, and RED ONE, and is the rationale behind the studio’s commitment to theatrical releasing, both “financially and philosophically.”
Earlier in February, Deadline reported that Amazon/MGM was setting up both a domestic and international distribution arm for theatrical releases. Until now, the studio has leaned on Warner Bros. for its international releases, but seeing the success of theatrical releases and finally securing the rights to the James Bond franchise, which is a highly popular franchise internationally, Amazon/MGM is now investing to build its international division.
Exhibitors are cheering the studio’s move, as well as similar steps taken by Apple, A24, and NEON, as it may help buffer any decline in output from the traditional Hollywood studio giants.