J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot Production Company Signs Exclusivity Deal With WarnerMedia For TV, Movies And Games

J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot Production Company Signs Exclusivity Deal With WarnerMedia For TV, Movies And Games

Bad Robot and WarnerMedia have signed a mega-deal that'll see J.J. Abrams' production company create original series, films, and games for all platforms across WarnerMedia-owned divisions and networks.

By MattIsForReal - Sep 12, 2019 08:09 PM EST
Filed Under: Sci-Fi
J.J. Abrams and his production company Bad Robot have signed a deal with AT&T-owned WarnerMedia that'll see the studio produce all sorts of original content across WarnerMedia and its various division, including HBO and Warner Bros. Pictures.

The press release calls for the "exclusive strategic relationship" — which runs through 2024 — to create "original projects for television, theatrical motion pictures, games and digital platforms." Specific financial terms were not disclosed, but multiple sources for The Hollywood Reporter claim the deal is worth upwards of $250 million.

Abrams has worked with Warner Bros. for 13 years when Bad Robot entered into an exclusive overall deal for telelvision with Warner Bros. Television Group back in 2006. This new deal marks the first time that Abrams will have both his film and TV deals under the same roof.

Under the new agreement, Abrams and Bad Robot will develop "original theatrical films for the divisions of the Warner Bros. Pictures Group." It's unclear if Abrams will still be able to pursue directing opportunities for studios other than Warner Bros., but the press release does confirm that Abrams and Bad Robot will honor existing obligations to Paramount Pictures. Abrams is also directing Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which hits theaters December 20.

Beyond that, it looks like the home of any future Bad Robot developed and produced television projects will be with WarnerMedia.

As part of the collaboration, Bad Robot will continue to develop and produce new television projects — including dramas and comedies, longform/event series, digital content and more — for all platforms, including premium/pay and basic cable networks, on-demand/streaming services, and the broadcast networks. These include WarnerMedia-affiliated networks and platforms such as HBO, HBO Max and more, as well as external outlets. Bad Robot’s series will continue to be produced in association with Warner Bros. Television, Warner Horizon Scripted Television or WBTVG’s digital studio Blue Ribbon Content, with Warner Bros. International Television Distribution distributing the shows around the globe.


The deal does allow for Bad Robot to sell projects to third-party suppliers, though it'll likely be series or films that WarnerMedia passes on.

“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," J.J. Abrams said. "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."

He continued: "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.”

The mega deal comes as WarnerMedia is gearing up to launch HBO Max, its own streaming competitor to Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+.
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MosquitoFarmer
MosquitoFarmer - 9/12/2019, 8:24 PM
But they didn't sign a deal for books, did they? What a bunch of squares...
mastakilla39
mastakilla39 - 9/13/2019, 3:33 AM
Damn i bet Netflix just lost those terrible Cloverfield sequels lol
LongMayHeReign
LongMayHeReign - 9/12/2019, 8:26 PM
JJ gonna bring his lense flares to DC?
ogrodafloresta
ogrodafloresta - 9/12/2019, 8:27 PM
@LongMayHeReign - No, the flares are a Paramount exclusive
ogrodafloresta
ogrodafloresta - 9/12/2019, 8:26 PM
SUPERMAN: FLYBY, WITH CAVILL ON A PLASTIC SUIT AND AN ALIEN LEX LUTHOR, COMING 2022!
Robby
Robby - 9/12/2019, 8:59 PM


BlackIceJoe
BlackIceJoe - 9/12/2019, 9:11 PM
There was a rumor WB was courting him to do Green Lantern and now I'd say that rumor most likely will be true. I personally don't want him for GL, so hopefully that won't happen.
Forthas
Forthas - 9/12/2019, 9:13 PM
I don't care who is making films for WarnerMedia...as long as they do the right thing and go back to the success they found just prior to Batman v Superman. If Abrams does that then he is worth every penny.
tmp3
tmp3 - 9/12/2019, 9:28 PM
JJ is such a boring film-maker
KnifeWasTooSlow
KnifeWasTooSlow - 9/12/2019, 10:12 PM
@tmp3 - Nah, Star Trek (2009) is one of the most awesome looking films of the 2000's, the man has style.
bobevanz
bobevanz - 9/12/2019, 11:20 PM
@tmp3 - that's definitely your opinion lol, I'd say his writing does suffer but the way he handles a set and makes a perfectly directed movie at the end of the day 🤷‍♂️
L0RDbuckethead
L0RDbuckethead - 9/12/2019, 9:40 PM
Didn't they sign this deal a few months ago?

Anyways, excited to see what Bad Robot has to offer. I've enjoyed most of their productions so far.
tmp3
tmp3 - 9/12/2019, 10:13 PM
@L0RDbuckethead - WarnerMedia was campaigning for the deal a few months ago, they didn't reach an agreement until now
KnifeWasTooSlow
KnifeWasTooSlow - 9/12/2019, 10:02 PM
bobevanz
bobevanz - 9/12/2019, 11:23 PM
JJ is definitely not a boring filmmaker, sure his writing isn't the best.. but his art style and direction has been and always will be top notch. Facts. JJ will save star wars!
TigerClaw
TigerClaw - 9/13/2019, 3:29 AM
I see the potential for some of the DC properties being produced by Bad Robot in the future.
DeathSeal
DeathSeal - 9/13/2019, 4:25 AM
After seen what he's done with Star Trek and Star Wars a WB exec looked up from his pile of coke long enough to sign the deal and scream "Let's burn this MF'r to the ground!"
Gjedi
Gjedi - 9/13/2019, 4:26 AM
And James Gunn also rumored to go there.
Dredd97
Dredd97 - 9/13/2019, 8:24 AM
@tmp3 I totally agree! He's a Spielberg wannabe. When Tarantino takes from his favorite films and filmmakers, he transcends them and does his own thing. Abrams is a copy/paster who comes up with "mystery box plots" so he doesn't have to write an ending. I'll also never forgive him for what he did to Star Trek.
billnye69
billnye69 - 9/13/2019, 9:58 AM
The deal is only worth 250mil, doesn't sound like much
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