The shockwaves from Warner Bros. decision to simultaneously release all of its 2021 movie slate on HBO Max can still be felt across the industry. As many of those movies gear up for this new release scenario, two films remain locked in heated talks to try and avert legal action.
Legendary Pictures, the force behind the current Godzilla franchise and the upcoming Dune remake, has been fiercely defending its two 2021 tentpoles to ensure what it sees as satisfactory reparation for the change in plans.
According to The Hollywood Reporter an agreement means the parties are close to averting a potential legal confrontation. Legendary was considered the likeliest of Warners’ financing partners to pursue litigation following the studio’s surprise decision. It financed 75 percent of Godzilla and was prepared to accept a $225 million-plus Netflix offer for the film. Warners blocked that deal.
It sounds as though the conversations around Denis Villenueve’s Dune are a little more complicated. According to THR, Denis Villeneuve has written passionately about his desire for an exclusive theatrical release and Legendary is backing him in that demand, according to a knowledgeable source. Given that Dune isn’t set to release until at least October that gives more chance for cinemas to be open.
But should Warner Bros. give Dune an exclusively theatrical release that could open the door for other filmmakers to argue to the toss for their movies too…
The sequel to 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters stars Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Shun Oguri, Eiza González, Jessica Henwick, Julian Dennison, Kyle Chandler, Demián Bichir, Zhang Ziyi, Van Marten and Lance Reddick.
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