Warner Music Group is reportedly in superior discussions with Netflix to develop a slate of movies and documentaries impressed by its legendary roster of artists and timeless songs, in accordance with a brand new report from Bloomberg.
The talks mark a serious inventive shift for Warner Music, which is trying to carry its deep music catalog to life by way of storytelling that connects previous and current generations. The potential deal comes months after Warner shuttered its in-house movie and tv division, signaling a brand new technique that prioritizes collaboration with established streaming companions reasonably than inside manufacturing.
Warner Music CEO Robert Kyncl hinted on the label’s ambitions in the course of the Bloomberg Screentime convention in Los Angeles. “The tales we’ve are unbelievable, and lots of of them have by no means been instructed,” Kyncl mentioned. “It makes loads of sense for us to work with an organization that may share them with audiences around the globe.” He emphasised that Warner’s catalog, spanning artists like Prince, Madonna, and Fleetwood Mac, represents a treasure trove of narratives able to be tailored for movie.
What the CEO of Warner Music didn’t point out is how the rights to Prince’s audio-visual works are owned and managed by Prince the property of Prince, together with the management over all of Prince’s movie rights primarily based on the late icon. So, the point out of legendary artists akin to Prince’s IP wouldn’t be so readily able to adapt into a movie challenge except the property’s administration workforce approves it. Not too long ago, Prince’s longtime lawyer and supervisor (who can be proprietor of The Supply) alongside together with his workforce pushed again on a documentary directed by Ezra Edelman who directed the OJ Simpson documentary. “No file or music label controls the rights to Prince’s title, picture, likeness or sound recordings. Prince owned all of his rights and we’re stewards of his legacy to develop the suitable content material and movie/television tasks to additional his iconic and sensible legacy.” Says L. Londell McMillan
The timing aligns with broader tendencies within the trade. Music-centered storytelling has change into one of the crucial bankable genres in streaming, with titles like Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman, and Netflix’s personal documentaries on Taylor Swift and Beyoncé exhibiting constant success. For Warner, partnering with Netflix might reintroduce its basic materials to youthful audiences whereas increasing the worldwide presence of its legacy acts.
The corporate’s pivot additionally follows a wave of restructuring. Earlier this yr, Warner introduced cost-cutting measures anticipated to save lots of roughly $300 million yearly, together with a $1.2 billion funding partnership with Bain Capital to amass and develop historic music catalogs. Strategic collaborations with main streamers now seem like a part of that bigger effort to reinvent how the label monetizes its cultural belongings.
With Netflix persevering with to speculate closely in music-related content material, a Warner partnership might mark the subsequent evolution of how music historical past is instructed by way of tales that mix artistry, nostalgia, and cinematic attraction for the streaming technology.
