Will MGM and Warner Bros. collaborate on MGM's 100th anniversary?

[Filmfanatic10]

Next year is 2024, which marks MGM's 100th anniversary, but MGM shouldn't celebrate it by themselves with just their hodge-podge library including United Artists and a bunch of low budget and independent film libraries like Orion, PolyGram and Cannon that Kirk Kerkorian and Giancarlo Parretti gobbled up in the past, like what they did when they celebrated their 90th anniversary back in 2014. I heard Warner Bros. (MGM's current home entertainment distribution partner and international theatrical distribution partner) has their own plans for that anniversary too, so can they and MGM collaborate on the 100th anniversary of MGM with not only MGM's current hodge-podge library, but also the legendary pre-1986 MGM library that Ted Turner bought from Kerkorian? I remember when both studios collaborated on MGM's 85th anniversary in late 2009.

[Blu Balls]

I could go for a 4K release of Leaving Las Vegas and Igby Goes Down.

[thebrid]

Originally Posted by Filmfanatic10

Next year is 2024, which marks MGM's 100th anniversary, but MGM shouldn't celebrate it by themselves with just their hodge-podge library including United Artists and a bunch of low budget and independent film libraries like Orion, PolyGram and Cannon that Kirk Kerkorian and Giancarlo Parretti gobbled up in the past, like what they did when they celebrated their 90th anniversary back in 2014. I heard Warner Bros. (MGM's current home entertainment distribution partner and international theatrical distribution partner) has their own plans for that anniversary too, so can they and MGM collaborate on the 100th anniversary of MGM with not only MGM's current hodge-podge library, but also the legendary pre-1986 MGM library that Ted Turner bought from Kerkorian? I remember when both studios collaborated on MGM's 85th anniversary in late 2009.

I'm hoping at least for UHDs of Ben Hur and North by Northwest. Both films turn 65 next year, as well as it being the MGM 100th.

[lemonski]

Surely UHDs of all the Bond films. Surely.

[LMFAObros]

Originally Posted by lemonski

Surely UHDs of all the Bond films. Surely.

If they do the Bond movies they will probably look terrible due to how Lowry cleaned the grain up and tried to make them look modern with DNR and Edge Enhancement

[ajabrams]

PLEASE Gone with the Wind on 4K. It's time.

[Nailwraps]

I can see them making a box set containing 100 of MGM's best films throughout the entirety of their library (pre/post-86, UA, Orion, etc.).

[Eurbane132]

I think so. MGM should have all it's pre-1986 back to it's rightful owner by next year.

[BobSimms]

Originally Posted by Eurbane132

I think so. MGM should have all it's pre-1986 back to it's rightful owner by next year.

Oh…? Can you explain more? I’m sort of unaware of the behind-the-scenes machinations and who owns what and for how long…

[Areyakiddin]

Originally Posted by BobSimms

Oh…? Can you explain more? I’m sort of unaware of the behind-the-scenes machinations and who owns what and for how long…

Might be misinterpreting them, but I think it's a jab at WBD's financial situation right now. Otherwise there's nothing pointing to WB being interested in selling the pre-1986 MGM movies or Bezos interested in buying a library comprised of films that are all decades old.

[Eurbane132]

Originally Posted by BobSimms

Oh…? Can you explain more? I’m sort of unaware of the behind-the-scenes machinations and who owns what and for how long…

Ted Turner owns all of MGM pre-1986 stuff since that year then in 1999 all of MGM's pre-1986 stuff was owned by Warner Bros.

[Infallible Presence]

Maybe we'll finally get "Forbidden Planet" on UHD. Hopefully, we don't have to wait for 3 years.

[steve_dave]

Warner Brothers handles physical distribution of MGM’s titles. Even when licensed to other boutiques, Warner is still given a credit.

So if Amazon decides to celebrate MGM’s 100th anniversary which would benefit them, then Warner will be along for the ride. Warner has to release what MGM dictates and unfortunately MGM has been stingy at allowing Warner to release many titles on 4K disc. There are only two partial franchise sets from Warner/MGM directly: The Rocky Collection which is just Rocky through Rocky IV/Rocky IV - The Director’s Cut and The Daniel Craig 007 Collection which is self-explanatory. The other 4K releases all have been from boutiques and no word if Amazon is changing that.

[BobSimms]

As long as they finally unleash North by Northwest, I’ll be content.

[romuald121]

Originally Posted by Eurbane132

I think so. MGM should have all it's pre-1986 back to it's rightful owner by next year.

You would sing a different tune if God forbid Disney acquired the MGM catalog. MGM on home video would have been buried 6 feet under and the catalog would have been streaming only exclusive.

WB and WAC are doing their best with the release of MGM back catalog while Disney have buried 20TH century Fox
back catalog with the exception of Avatar and its sequel (the money maker franchise)

[steve_dave]

Originally Posted by romuald121

You would sing a different tune if God forbid Disney acquired the MGM catalog. MGM on home video would have been buried 6 feet under and the catalog would have been streaming only exclusive.

WB and WAC are doing their best with the release of MGM back catalog while Disney have buried 20TH century Fox
back catalog with the exception of Avatar and its sequel (the money maker franchise)

Warner has not acquired MGM’s post 1986 film library. Read what I posted: Warner just has physical home media distribution rights. MGM still has control over their films and Warner can only release what MGM allows them.

Warner only owns via Turner MGM’s directly made pre-1986 films. Orion Pictures and United Artists are excluded from this deal. Previously, Sony then 20th Century had physical home media distribution to MGM’s library.

[romuald121]

Originally Posted by steve_dave

Warner has not acquired MGM’s post 1986 film library. Read what I posted: Warner just has physical home media distribution rights. MGM still has control over their films and Warner can only release what MGM allows them.

Warner only owns via Turner MGM’s directly made pre-1986 films. Orion Pictures and United Artists are excluded from this deal. Previously, Sony then 20th Century had physical home media distribution to MGM’s library.

I wasn't responding to you, I was responding to Eurbane132, and I was referring to the pre-1986 catalog.

[Areyakiddin]

Originally Posted by Bolty

Are West Side Story, Terminator and Logan's Run part of the pre 1986 WB deal?

The Pre-1986 movies they owned considered United Artists productions stayed with MGM instead of going with Turner. First two are owned by MGM, and third stayed with WB as it was a MGM production.

[say,baby]

"Will MGM and Warner Bros. collaborate on MGM's 100th anniversary?"

That's none of your business!

[Egbert Souse]

Here's a breakdown of who owns what...

Warner Bros. Discovery:
- Actual Warner Bros. Pictures films, obviously.
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer up to May 9, 1986
- New Line Cinema
- RKO Radio Pictures
- Allied Artists/Monogram
- Some Castle Rock
- Some Cannon
- Theatrical Popeye cartoons
- North American distribution of pre-1960 Samuel Goldwyn

MGM/Amazon:
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer starting on May 23, 1986
- United Artists (generally 1952 to present, though they own some pre-1952 titles)
- Orion Pictures
- American International Pictures
- Filmways Pictures
- Embassy Pictures (internationally owned by StudioCanal)
- Cannon (handful of titles owned by Warner)
- Some Castle Rock
- Bunch of smaller companies like Empire, Virgin, Island Alive, Sherwood, Gladden, Nelson, The Samuel Goldwyn Company (80s/90s incarnation)

Some of the split company situations like for Cannon and Castle Rock can get confusing. For example, MGM owns City Slickers, but Warner owns City Slickers 2. I think the only Cannon titles Warner still owns are Masters of the Universe, Barfly, Bloodsport, and Superman IV.

There's also titles that changed hands over the years as one-off purchases for remakes or other situations. Warner owns the 1956 Around the World in 80 Days (originally released by United Artists), but Universal owns Rope (1948) because Hitchcock personally purchased it from United Artists Television when they owned the pre-1950 Warner catalog that was later purchased by Turner.