Warner Bros. Prevails as Village Roadshow Fight Goes to Arbitration
28.05.2022 - 06:19
/ variety.com
Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterWarner Bros. won a significant victory Friday in its legal battle with its longtime financing partner, Village Roadshow, as a judge agreed to send the dispute to arbitration.Village Roadshow has teamed with the studio on numerous blockbusters over the last 25 years, including “Joker,” the “Ocean’s” series, and “American Sniper.” But the relationship foundered when Warner Bros. opted to release “The Matrix: Resurrections” simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max, along with the rest of its 2021 slate.Village Roadshow sued in February, alleging that Warner Bros.
had sabotaged the film’s box office revenue in order to boost the streaming service. Village Roadshow has also alleged that Warner Bros. was moving forward with projects — including “Wonka,” a TV series based on “Edge of Tomorrow,” and a sequel to “I Am Legend” with Will Smith and Michael B.
Jordan — without participation from Village Roadshow, in violation of their agreement. The company sought an injunction that would force Warner Bros. to abide by the agreement.
In his ruling on Friday, Judge David S. Cunningham held that the issues in the lawsuit are governed by the contract’s arbitration clause. He also denied Village Roadshow’s request for an injunction.In a statement on Friday afternoon, Village Roadshow said it would continue to fight in arbitration and expected to win significant damages.“This is a case important not only to Village Roadshow, but to all content owners abused by studios’ self dealing practices,” the company said.
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