AMC Theatres launches Leawood Films distribution label to boost small-budget movies
AMC Entertainment announced the creation of Leawood Films, a new distribution venture headquartered in Los Angeles and Leawood, Kansas, aimed at bringing fully financed independent movies to theaters worldwide.
On Aug. 31, 2026 AMC Entertainment disclosed the formation of Leawood Films, a distribution-only company that will focus on small and mid-budget titles that are fully financed by their creators or already completed, leveraging the chain’s extensive exhibition network and marketing reach. The venture will be based in Los Angeles as well as AMC’s corporate hub in Leawood, Kansas, and will operate alongside the exhibitor’s existing studio relationships rather than replace them.
The label’s launch follows AMC’s recent success with concert-film events such as Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour and Beyoncé’s Renaissance, which demonstrated the chain’s ability to draw large audiences for non-studio content. AMC CEO Adam Aron said the initiative is designed to fill excess screen capacity and provide “gravy” for both AMC and its European partner Odeon by adding a few extra movies each year.
Leawood Films will not finance productions, develop scripts, or assume traditional production risk; instead it will acquire theatrical rights to films that already have full financing, guaranteeing at least a 45-day premium-video-on-demand window and a 90-day streaming window while allowing filmmakers to retain ownership of their intellectual property.
Operational model and advisory team
The new label will act solely as a distributor, taking theatrical rights from filmmakers who have secured full funding or who have completed their projects. According to the AMC press release, the company can commit a significant number of its own screens and will also partner with other leading theater circuits domestically and internationally to maximize placement.
Leawood Films’ advisory board is composed of three veteran Hollywood executives: former Warner Bros. Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich, former Disney Studios marketing chief Ricky Strauss, and former Paramount and Bleecker Street distribution head Kyle Davies. The trio will consult on acquisitions, while Davies will serve as a full-time employee overseeing day-to-day operations. Legal representation will be provided by entertainment attorney Craig Jacobson of Hansen Jacobson, as noted by both the press release and The Wrap.
Distribution partnerships are already outlined. In North America, AMC will work with Variance Films, the independent distributor that helped launch the Taylor Swift concert film, while internationally it will collaborate with Piece of Magic Entertainment, which handled the European release of The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act. These relationships are intended to broaden Leawood’s reach without competing with AMC’s longstanding studio partners.
Industry backdrop and AMC’s strategic rationale
The launch arrives amid a broader shift in theatrical supply. Since the pandemic and the 2023 SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild strikes, major studios have reduced their release schedules, prompting exhibitors to lean on independent content, live sports, and concert films to fill gaps. Variety highlighted that the domestic box office is experiencing a revival, but the pipeline of new studio titles remains thin, creating “excess capacity” in theaters.
AMC’s recent financial results underscore the timing. The company reported its highest quarterly revenue and adjusted EBITDA in its 106-year history for Q2 2026, driven in part by premium formats and alternative programming. Leveraging that momentum, AMC sees Leawood Films as a modestly scaled way to add a steady flow of quality indie titles, which could help sustain audience attendance during slower periods.
While the label is poised to acquire its first film by 2027 at the earliest, AMC emphasizes that Leawood will remain genre-agnostic and will not target blockbuster tentpole releases. The focus on fully financed projects is meant to reduce financial risk for the exhibitor while offering filmmakers guaranteed screen access and attractive economics, a model that could reshape how independent movies reach Los Angeles audiences.
Leawood Films could give Los Angeles-based indie creators a reliable path to the big screen without the usual studio gatekeeping, reinforcing the city’s reputation as a launchpad for diverse voices. By tapping AMC’s 9,500 screens and its loyalty programs, the label may boost local box-office attendance and provide new revenue streams for neighborhood theaters that have struggled since the pandemic.