AMC Launches Leawood Films to Bring More Independent Movies to Theaters

AMC Entertainment is moving beyond exhibiting movies and expanding its role in how they reach audiences. The company has announced Leawood Films, a new distribution label created to bring more independently financed, small and mid budget films to theaters across the United States and internationally. Unlike a traditional studio, Leawood Films will not finance, develop or produce movies. Its focus will be on films that have already been fully financed by their filmmakers or completed before being submitted for distribution.

The label will use AMC’s theatrical network, marketing platforms and distribution relationships to help independent films reach audiences inside and outside AMC theaters. According to the company, Leawood Films will also work with other theater operators rather than limiting its releases to AMC locations. The approach builds on AMC’s distribution of Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour and Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé, two projects that demonstrated the company’s ability to market and distribute films without relying on a traditional Hollywood studio.

What could make Leawood Films particularly significant for independent filmmakers is the ownership structure AMC is proposing. The company says filmmakers will retain ownership of their intellectual property, while the vast majority of revenue generated after a film leaves theaters is expected to remain with its creators. Leawood Films also plans to maintain a theatrical window of at least 45 days before a movie becomes available through premium video on demand and at least 90 days before it reaches subscription streaming services. These terms could provide filmmakers with access to a legitimate theatrical release without requiring them to surrender long term control of their work.

Still, Leawood Films does not eliminate one of the largest barriers facing independent filmmakers: financing. Creators will need to arrive with a fully funded or completed film before the company considers taking it to theaters. The opportunity is therefore aimed less at filmmakers searching for production money and more at those who have already completed the difficult process of financing a project but need the marketing power, theater access and distribution infrastructure necessary to reach a wider audience. AMC CEO Adam Aron described the initiative as a modestly scaled effort intended to increase the number of small and mid budget movies receiving theatrical releases, rather than compete with major studios and blockbuster franchises. Leawood Films has not selected its first slate, and AMC says its initial releases are unlikely to arrive before 2027 or 2028. Even at this early stage, the label represents a potentially meaningful new path for independent filmmakers whose work is complete but remains locked out of traditional theatrical distribution.

The larger question will be which filmmakers and stories Leawood Films ultimately chooses to support. Access to theaters has historically been one of the greatest challenges facing independent cinema, particularly for Black filmmakers and other creators whose projects are often considered too specific or financially uncertain by traditional studios. If Leawood Films follows through on its promise to preserve filmmaker ownership while opening more theater screens to independently produced work, it could help create a valuable bridge between completing a film and placing it before a national audience.