In a move that could make it easier for the studio to split from Warner Bros., Legendary Pictures has signed a deal to create films with China Film, the largest film producer in China.
Legendary Pictures, which is run by producer Thomas Tull, already has a foothold in China with Legendary East. The deal with the state-run production company was announced Thursday. According to Reuters, the studios did not reveal terms of the agreement, but said it will last three years.
Tull will use Legendary Pictures to distribute the new films in the U.S. The studios did not announce any specific projects.
According to Businessweek, the new deal might make it easier for Legendary to leave Warner Bros. when its deal with that studio expires in December. A source for Businessweek said in February that Tull has already started negotiating with other studios and the China Film deal will only make his studio look better. It could alos make Warner Bros. work harder to renew their partnership.
Legendary is responsible for co-producing some of Warner Bros.’ biggest recent hits. Tull worked on Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy. Legendary has also worked on Man of Steel, Clash of the Titans and the Hangover films.
China is now the second-biggest film market in the world. The MPAA said that ticket sales in China jumped 36 percent to $2.7 billion in 2012.