Universal Pictures International & Majid Al Futtaim Enter Distribution Pact For Saudi Arabia & Select Middle East Markets
deadline.comEXCLUSIVE: Universal Pictures International is forming a new partnership with Emirates-based Majid Al Futtaim Distribution which will see the latter release Universal movies in Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, UAE) and Egypt.
In Lebanon and Cyprus, Uni will retain its longstanding distribution relationship with Four Star Films. The new deal, which takes effect from February 1, 2023, comes as Saudi and the Middle East region as a whole experience rapid growth with significant box office returns.
Majid Al Futtaim Distribution — which also handles Warner Bros titles in the region — is one of the largest groups in the area and is a subsidiary of Majid Al Futtaim Leisure Entertainment & Cinemas, which owns the Middle East’s largest exhibition chain, VOX Cinemas.The pact with Universal will kick off with M Night Shyamalan’s thriller Knock At The Cabin next February.
Other pics in the pipeline next year include Illumination’s Super Mario Bros movie, Nicolas Cage-starrer Renfield, blockbuster franchise entry Fast & Furious 10 and DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls 3, among others.Paul Higginson, Executive Vice President, EMEA for Universal Pictures International, said, “This is a very exciting time for cinema in the Middle East with the investment and audience interest at unprecedented levels.
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