J. J. Abrams Officially Closes Film & TV Partnership With WarnerMedia

J.J. Abrams Bad Robot WarnerMedia Star Wars The Force Awakens George Lucas The Rise of SkywalkerRey Kylo Ren

J. J. Abrams and Katie McGrath, his wife and co-CEO of Bad Robot, have officially signed a five-year overall deal with WarnerMedia.

After winning a months-long bidding war involving multiple media companies, WarnerMedia entered final negotiations for a new overall deal with J. J. Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions. Now, J. J. Abrams and Katie McGrath have officially closed an agreement that The Hollywood Reporter’s sources say is worth roughly $250 million and marks the first time the filmmaker’s TV and film deals are under the same roof.

The new deal between WarnerMedia and Bad Robot, which is described as “exclusive,” runs through 2024 and includes video games and digital content. Under the new deal, J. J. Abrams is expected to create original feature films for WarnerMedia, though it has yet to be determined if the filmmaker will be able to take directing jobs for different studios. However, THR sources say J. J. Abrams will honor pre-existing commitments to Paramount Pictures and his deal regarding the Star Wars franchise.

WarnerMedia CEO John Stankey, who reportedly made landing the deal with J. J. Abrams and Katie McGrath a top priority, made the following statement on the new partnership:

“WarnerMedia and AT&T are delighted to launch a long-term collaboration with our world-class partners and colleagues J.J. Abrams and Katie McGrath. We are extremely excited about the potential to deliver remarkable and memorable stories and characters across multiple platforms to audiences around the world. J.J., Katie and all of Bad Robot bring extraordinary vision, exquisite filmmaking, and exemplary industry leadership to this endeavor and our company. Across all forms of content, we are uniquely positioned to offer our creative partners a multitude of platforms to realize their artistic goals and ambitions, and to ensure that their stories have the best possible opportunity to connect with the right audience. I’d also like to recognize the leadership of Warner Bros. Television Group president and chief content officer Peter Roth who has known J.J. and Katie for many years and developed opportunities that turned into a longstanding, mutually beneficial partnership, which will now flourish for many years into the future across the entire WarnerMedia and AT&T family.”

J. J. Abrams made the following statement on the new deal, expressing his excitement over developing new projects for WarnerMedia under the leadership of John Stankey and Ann Sarnoff:

“It is a thrill for Katie, Brian [Weinstein] and me and the rest of our team at Bad Robot to call WarnerMedia our company’s new home. John Stankey has a powerful vision for the future of WarnerMedia and is committed to storytelling that connects people around the world. We are excited and gratified to be a part of this new chapter under his and Ann Sarnoff’s thoughtful leadership. I could go on for hours, and probably will, about the extraordinary Peter Roth and the entire Warner’s television group, with whom we’ve worked for over a decade, and I’ve wanted to collaborate with Toby Emmerich and his team for as long as I can remember. I am grateful for the chance to write, produce and direct work for this incredible company, and to help create films and series with a diverse and vast collection of inspiring storytellers. We can’t wait to get started.”

Are you excited to see what J. J. Abrams has in store for WarnerMedia? Let us know below and stay tuned to Heroic Hollywood for the latest news on J. J. Abrams and WarnerMedia as it develops.

J. J. Abrams’ next feature film, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, will be released in theaters this holiday season.

Lucasfilm and director J.J. Abrams join forces once again to take viewers on an epic journey to a galaxy far, far away with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the riveting conclusion of the seminal Skywalker saga, where new legends will be born and the final battle for freedom is yet to come. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker opens in U.S. theaters on December 20.

Directed by J. J. Abrams, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker stars Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, Billie Lourd, Naomi Ackie, Richard E. Grant, Keri Russell, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Ian McDiarmid, and Billy Dee Williams. Carrie Fisher will appear as General Leia Organa through the use of previously unreleased footage shot for Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. 

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will be released in theaters on December 19, 2019.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Sebastian Peris

Sebastian Peris

Canadian film buff, political junkie, comic book geek, and board game enthusiast.