‘Hunger Games,’ ‘Lord of the Rings’ Franchises to Stream on Prime Video in France Under Landmark Deal With Metropolitan FilmExport (EXCLUSIVE)
Amazon Prime Video France has signed a multi-year deal with leading French independent distributor Metropolitan FilmExport to bring over 100 movies to local subscribers.
Metropolitan FilmExport ranks as one of France’s top purveyors of U.S. franchise films, such as “Lord of the Rings,” “Hunger Games,” and “John Wick.” As such, this deal positions Prime Video in France as a home for premium content for wide audiences.
More from Variety
The streamer will also get access to new movies, which will land straight on the service in France without being released in local theaters and will be labeled Prime Video Exclusives. These include Gerard Butler title “Kandahar” directed by Ric Roman Waugh and “Kali,” Julien Seri’s (“Yamazaki”) action-packed revenge film starring Sabrina Ouazani. Prime Video also picked up “Kali” for Latin America, along with France.
The landmark deal will mark Prime Video’s most extensive pact signed with a French distribution company. Besides first-window rights for fresh movies, Prime Video is also accessing pay-TV rights to anticipated movies from Metropolitan FilmExport, including “Expendables 4” and “Ballerina,” 17 months after their release in French cinemas. Under France’s strict windowing schedule, streaming services have access to theatrical movies 17 months after their release date, with the exception of Netflix, which has a 15-month window through an agreement with local film guilds.
Prime Video will also stream “John Wick: Chapter 4” and “Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” in France.
The deal expands on Prime Video’s existing agreement with Metropolitan FilmExport, which covered library films, as well as a few new titles such as “Wrath of Man” and “Chaos Walking.”
Victor Hadida, Metropolitan FilmExport’s co-founder, said the company was “thrilled with this new arrangement that brings our premium films to Amazon Prime Video customers in France and establishes Prime Video as a home for our important franchises.”
Prime Video France previously signed deals with Warner Bros. and Sony to bolster its programming in France, with first-window rights to exclusive TV series from Warner Bros. Discovery including “Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin,” the first two seasons of “The Sex Lives of College Girls,” Ava DuVernay’s miniseries “DMZ” and “Peacemaker” Season 1.
Earlier this year, the service also launched the “Warner Pass” offer in France. It includes HBO programs, along with 12 channels, comprising Warner TV, Eurosport, Discovery Channel, Cartoon Network and CNN, as well as their associated on-demand services. Amazon Prime Video’s deal with Sony Pictures for second-window subscription rights includes flagship franchise films such as “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” and “Morbius.”
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
