AMC Bets on Indies with Leawood Films to Expand Theatrical Releases

AMC Theatres announced Leawood Films, an indie distribution label advised by Toby Emmerich, Ricky Strauss, and Kyle Davies, designed to back films fully financed by their filmmakers or already completed works and bring them to theaters using AMC’s exhibition, marketing, and distribution strengths. Davies will pilot the label as a full-time employee, with Emmerich and Strauss serving as consultants. The venture, named after AMC’s Kansas headquarters, is meant to be additive rather than competitive with AMC’s existing studio/distribution relationships, and it will likely pursue titles at film festivals; Davies is exiting his post at Bleecker Street to join Leawood. The move comes as the domestic box office shows signs of revival, though it’s unclear whether AMC will fund its own marketing for Leawood titles.