Legendary Pictures, the co-producer of several Warner Bros. hits over the past eight years, is moving on to NBCUniversal and Universal Pictures, according to multiple reports. The studio, lead by producer Thomas Tull, is responsible for co-producing films like The Hangover, The Dark Knight and Man of Steel.
Variety first confirmed the news, reporting that Tull was also talking with 20th Century Fox, Sony and Lionsgate about deals for distribution and co-financing. But Universal stepped in and came up with the best offer.
Sources for The Wall Street Journal also confirmed the news. Financial terms haven’t been released and Legendary and Universal have yet to make an official statement.
Tull and Legendary made it pretty clear that its future did not lie with Warner Bros. as its eight-year contract with the studio neared its end. Early last month, Tull said that he was talking with everyone, but he noted, “It's about the company we want to build and who can be the best place for us to fulfill that vision.”
Any deal he was looking for would have to include more creative freedoms for his studio. Universal, owned by Comcast, could definitely give Legendary that opportunity, since it owns several cable networks under the NBCUniversal umbrella. Tull’s dream of producing original TV content is best served by Comcast.
The Wrap, which said in June that Universal was a front-runner, notes that Legendary’s new release - Guillermo Del Toro’s Pacific Rim - does come under the deal with Warner Bros. That film hits theaters this week. The two studios are also already committed to a 2014 Godzilla reboot.
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