Amblin Partners Announces New Multi-Year Film Distribution Partnership With Universal Filmed Entertainment Group
1.12.2020 00:00:00 EET | Business Wire | Press release
Amblin Partners today announced a new multi-year film distribution partnership with Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, as well as a series of new agreements that chart a clear course for the next phase of growth for one of the world’s leading independent film and television studios. The new deals were announced this morning by Steven Spielberg, Amblin’s Founder and Chairman.
Remarked Spielberg: “My decades-long relationship with Universal truly transcends any single business deal, and to once again renew our corporate vows reaffirms that Universal is Amblin’s home. In addition to Universal, we are blessed to continue forward with a global family of partners, including Alibaba, eOne and Reliance, each of which has supported us for many years and enabled our storytelling to touch the lives of millions of moviegoers around the world. I would also like to extend my deepest gratitude to my dear friends Jeff Skoll and David Linde for an incredible run as formal partners; and my congratulations on what I know will be a successful next chapter in Participant’s journey. While in a different form, we look forward to continuing our collaborations to create the type of culturally-impactful content that only Participant can deliver.”
Donna Langley, Chairman, Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, said: “Steven Spielberg and Amblin Partners have delivered award-winning critical and commercial hits that stand the test of time amongst films in the Universal canon. We’re proud to continue our partnership and reinvest in the future of Amblin Partners.”
Amblin’s continuing partnership with Universal Filmed Entertainment Group builds on a long history between the two companies, dating back to Spielberg’s arrival on the Universal lot as an intern in 1968. The new agreement further evolves the entities’ 2015 agreement that resulted in a number of critical and commercial hits, most recently Oscar Best Picture Winner Green Book, and 1917, which won three Oscars, two Golden Globes and grossed more than $385 million at the worldwide box office.
The new deal calls for multiple Amblin films to be marketed and distributed theatrically via Universal Pictures and Focus Features each year, while also providing Amblin with new opportunities in the streaming film marketplace. NBCUniversal has also agreed to re-invest in the Company, continuing its position as an equity holder and providing fresh capital to fund new production and development efforts across the Company’s film and television businesses.
Jeff Small, Amblin Partners CEO, commented: “Universal is simply the best in the business, and we are beyond fortunate to have Donna Langley and her team supporting our films. In addition, the evolution of our partnership provides flexibility for us to continue supplying the fast-growing streaming marketplace on an even greater scale, which will no doubt be a key growth driver for Amblin Partners in both film and TV in the years ahead.”
Alibaba Pictures, eOne and Reliance Entertainment will all continue as equity holders, with Alibaba releasing Amblin films in China; eOne releasing in the U.K., Spain, Australia, New Zealand and Benelux; and Reliance releasing in India.
Participant, which as a founding partner played a key role in the formation of Amblin Partners in 2015, will now exit its role as an equity holder of the Company. This transition will allow Participant flexibility with respect to distribution of its films, while still keeping open opportunities to work together with Amblin on future projects.
“We have enjoyed our relationship with Amblin Partners and are proud of the many notable films we have produced together,” stated Participant CEO David Linde. “Exiting our formal position will allow us the flexibility to evolve our business as our strategic goals and the marketplace dictates. Both Universal and Focus have been great distribution partners; and we have been incredibly fortunate to work closely with Steven, well pre-dating the formation of Amblin Partners, and look forward to finding new projects with him, Jeff Small and the entire Amblin team.”
Amblin also announced the close of an amended and restated syndicated revolving credit facility led by J.P. Morgan and Comerica. The facility continues longstanding relationships with a number of additional banking partners, and in total includes City National Bank, Union Bank, Wells Fargo Bank, Bank Hapoalim, CIT Bank, East West Bank, Fifth Third Bank, California Bank & Trust, Citizens Bank and Preferred Bank. The facility will fund ongoing corporate operations, as well as production and development activities for both film and television.
“For nearly three decades, J.P. Morgan has had the pleasure of working with Amblin through its many significant achievements and milestones,” said David Shaheen, Head of the West Region and Entertainment Industries Group for J.P. Morgan’s Corporate Client Banking business. “We are proud to support the ambitious and creative Amblin team as they write the next chapter of their impressive story.”
About Amblin Partners
Amblin Partners is a film and television production company, led by Steven Spielberg, that develops and produces films using the Amblin Entertainment and DreamWorks Pictures banners, and includes Amblin Television. The Company’s investment partners include Reliance Entertainment, Entertainment One (eOne), Alibaba Pictures and Universal Pictures.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201130005872/en/
Contact information
Dan Berger
+1 818-733-9645
dberger@amblinpartners.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Empire State Building Observation Deck to Debut ‘Olympus Awaits,’ An Immersive ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ Takeover in the Heart of NYC, On Display from Nov. 16 – Dec. 4*13.11.2026 00:07:00 EET | Press release
The Empire State Building (ESB) is the gateway to Mount Olympus in Percy Jackson’s world, and now fans can experience the magic like never before. On Nov. 16, the Empire State Building Observation Deck (ESBOD) will unveil “Olympus Awaits,” a multi-level “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” takeover, in partnership with Disney+. The immersive takeover – included with every Observation Deck ticket – will feature an epic Throne Room, interactive photo opportunities, surprise giveaways, ESB x “Percy Jackson” merch, and more, available through Dec. 4, 2026.* This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261112442266/en/ Empire State Building Observation Deck to Debut ‘Olympus Awaits,’ An Immersive ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ Takeover in the Heart of NYC, On Display from Nov. 16 – Dec. 4* “This immersive NYC experience brings Percy Jackson’s adventures off the screen and into the ‘World’s Most Famous Building,’ where guests ca
Clene Nanomedicine Partners with Veristat to Reduce Biostatistical Output Time by 80% for ALS New Drug Application12.11.2026 19:09:00 EET | Press release
VeristatTM, a global clinical research organization (CRO) and consultancy specializing in complex studies, announced that it has partnered with Clene Nanomedicine to cut the time to deliver biostatistical outputs for a pivotal ALS drug application submission by 80%. Veristat reduced the time from study data to validated tables, listings and figures (TLFs) from up to six weeks to just one week. Clene, a late-stage biotech company, leveraged Veristat’s recently launched InStat™ platform, the industry’s first zero-code, fully automated solution to accelerate clinical trial processes. Biostatistical TLFs sit on the critical path for submissions, yet most sponsors rely on antiquated processes that involve slow, manual workflows to produce them, making post-database lock one of the biggest bottlenecks to regulatory approval. To remove this barrier, Veristat uses its AI-enhanced platform to compress the timeline to submission-ready TLFs from weeks to days, with every output validated by stati
WHOOP Launches WHOOP Humans, the Most Verifiably Human Social Network12.11.2026 19:00:00 EET | Press release
WHOOP, the human performance brand, today launched WHOOP Humans, a new feature that lets members follow friends and family, share fitness, health, and performance data they choose, and support each other's progress. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261112176779/en/ WHOOP Launches WHOOP Humans, the Most Verifiably Human Social Network For more than a decade, WHOOP has helped members better understand their own health and performance. Now, WHOOP Humans extends that experience beyond the individual, making it easier to celebrate achievements, encourage progress, and look out for the people who matter most. "In a world that's becoming increasingly artificial, we're building something deeply human,” said Will Ahmed, Founder and CEO of WHOOP. “This is the most verifiably human network ever launched. Every account represents a real person with a verified heartbeat. They have real goals, challenges, and achievements. T
Integrated Hubs for Green Chemistry Research Aim to Transform How Chemicals and Materials Are Designed12.11.2026 18:00:00 EET | Press release
The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation today announced four Integrated Research Hubs to explore new frontiers in chemical design, from materials that respond to their surroundings to molecules designed for safety from the start. Bringing together global researchers across institutions and disciplines, the hubs will investigate fundamental principles that could enable new capabilities in chemicals and materials while improving performance and protecting human health and the environment. The research priorities emerged through extensive engagement with the scientific community to identify the questions that could transform what chemistry can achieve. Each hub will connect researchers across institutions around one of four green chemistry focus areas: Safer molecular design: Led by The George Washington University, this hub will combine artificial intelligence and quantum chemistry to embed safety into chemical design from the outset. Adaptive catalytic systems: Led by the Max Planck Insti
Roquette Highlights Scalable Excipient and Capsule Solutions for Regional and Global Pharmaceutical Markets at CPHI India 202612.11.2026 17:00:00 EET | Press release
Roquette, a global leader in plant-based ingredients and a leading provider of pharmaceutical excipients, will showcase its comprehensive portfolio of excipient and capsule solutions at CPHI India 2026, Hall 1, Booth 1I12 from November 23 to 25, 2026. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261112803410/en/ Meet Roquette at CPHI India 2026, Hall 1, Booth 1I12 At the event, Roquette will demonstrate how it helps pharmaceutical manufacturers accelerate the journey from formulation to market with confidence. By combining technical expertise, trusted quality, meaningful innovation and close collaboration, Roquette helps customers address formulation, scale-up and manufacturing challenges across a broad range of pharmaceutical applications. As India continues to play a critical role in supplying medicines to patients around the world, pharmaceutical manufacturers face increasing demands for quality, regulatory compliance,
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom