AMC Theatres, the world’s largest movie theater chain, announced on Monday, August 31, 2026, the launch of Leawood Films, a new distribution venture. This initiative aims to expand the supply of movies available to theater operators across the U.S. and internationally, including those in Aiken and the broader Central Savannah River Area (CSRA).
Leawood Films will concentrate on distributing films that are either fully financed by their creators or already completed. The new label will leverage AMC’s existing expertise in exhibition, marketing, and distribution. Veteran Hollywood executives Toby Emmerich, former Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group chairman; Ricky Strauss, a marketing specialist from Apple and Disney; and Kyle Davies, previously president of distribution at Bleecker Street, will advise the new venture. Davies will also serve as a full-time employee, while Emmerich and Strauss will act as consultants. All three will report to AMC Theatres CEO Adam Aron.
The company’s announcement highlighted that Leawood Films is designed to be additive to the industry and is not expected to compete with AMC’s established relationships with studios and other distributors. The name Leawood is derived from AMC’s Kansas headquarters. This development comes as the domestic box office is experiencing a resurgence, with recent films like Obsession, They Odyssey, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day drawing audiences at levels not seen since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aron stated that Leawood Films has a straightforward objective: to bring more movies to theaters, addressing the substantial excess capacity within the movie theater industry. He noted that if a few extra movies can be brought to theaters each year, it would benefit AMC in the United States, Odeon in Europe, and other exhibitors. AMC has previously undertaken direct distribution efforts, notably for concert films such as Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour and Beyoncé’s Renaissance. The company is represented by entertainment attorney Craig Jacobson, a founding partner of Hansen Jacobson.
