Sony Pictures Strikes Three-Year Theatrical Deal With Artists Equity

Sony Pictures has entered a three-year overall theatrical film agreement with Artists Equity, the independent studio founded by Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and RedBird Capital’s Gerry Cardinale. The deal, announced Thursday, designates Sony as the global distributor for all theater-bound titles developed and produced by Artists Equity during the term. Sony will finance each film and manage worldwide distribution and ancillary rights, while Artists Equity retains the option to co-finance individual projects. The partnership extends Sony’s strategy of courting star-driven productions and gives Artists Equity a dedicated theatrical pipeline after working project-by-project with multiple distributors. Founded in 2022 with at least $100 million in backing from RedBird, Artists Equity has assembled a slate that includes Joe Carnahan’s action feature “RIP,” Affleck’s thriller “Animals,” and Bill Condon’s musical adaptation “Kiss of the Spider Woman.” Earlier releases such as Affleck’s “Air” and Gavin O’Connor’s “The Accountant 2” grossed about $90 million and $102 million worldwide, respectively. Sony Motion Picture Group chief Tom Rothman said Artists Equity has proved “remarkably adept at developing high-quality commercial films.” Affleck called the agreement “an enormously meaningful landmark” that aligns with the studio’s aim to create movies “expressly meant to be seen in the cinema.”