The world of TV and movies continues to evolve as streaming services become more and more important.  With major companies like Disney, Comcast and Netflix are all trying to grab as much content as possible.

Following the delay of its flagship title James Bond’s “No Time To Die”, due to the Coronavirus closing cinemas around the world and the overall outlook for movie studios, according to the Wall Street Journal, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (MGM) is apparently up for sale and is currently looking for buyers.  The studio is currently valued at $5.5 billion, including its debts.    There are also reports of private equity firms looking to purchase MGM to take advantage of the demand for content.

MGM has a huge library of back catalogue content, with 4,000 titles such as “Rocky”, “Robocop”, “James Bond” and many more.  Plus it has over 17,000 hours of television programming, such as “Fargo”, “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Vikings.”

This back catalogue is extremely valuable to streaming services. It would instantly be a boost for Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Comcast, WarnerMedia or Disney to gain control over these titles and IP, which will undoubtedly start a bidding war between the companies over this valuable studio.

Disney might be interested in adding more studio capacity to boost Hulu and Disney+; however, the company has spent on acquiring 20th Century Fox and the huge dent in the books for the theme parks, cruise line and box office shut down.  Disney might not be the best position to purchase MGM.

The Walt Disney Company has made some major purchases including buying Marvel for $4 billion, Lucasfilm for $4 billion, Pixar for $7.4 billion and $71 billion for 20th Century Fox.  So $5 billion for MGM wouldn’t be out of the ordinary.

If Disney was to purchase MGM, it would be a huge boost to both Hulu and Disney+, but is Disney in the right place to take advantage?

Would you like to see Disney purchase MGM?

 

For the latest Disney+ news, follow us on TwitterFacebook, and Instagram.



Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

Related Article

175 Comments

  1. Dylan December 23, 2020

    After hearing this news i was thinking the same thing, and your right if Disney buys MGM it would be a huge boost to both Disney+ and Hulu but let's not forget Disney and MGM already have a history with each other. Lets go back to the year 1989, during that year Disney opened their Hollywood Studios Theme Park at Walt Disney World in Florida back then before it was renamed in 2008 it was named Disney-MGM Studios since they shared the name of the theme park before Disney took full control over it. If Disney were to buy MGM not only would they get their content for streaming for Disney+ and Hulu but this could lead to Disney possibly renaming Disney's Hollywood Studios back to its old name and move forward for both of the companies futures (if they were to buy them).

    1. James February 16, 2021

      Content I think this would be tremendous for Disney to purchase MGM, especially with the possibility of NBCUniversal (Peacock) and AT&TWarner (HBO Max) merging, and since ViacomCBS Paramount have already recombined into one entity. Sony and Columbia are still out in the cold, perhaps Netflix, Apple, could make a play for them.

      1. Clyde February 20, 2021

        That NBCUniversal and WarnerMedia merger would be just as bad if not worse than Disney buying 21st Century Fox. Which will mean more layoffs, more divisions being shut down or sold to other companies, less competition in the entertainment industry, and a potential monopoly. I would rather have WarnerMedia purchasing MGM than it merging with NBCUniversal. Yes that will mean that all of the Rankin Bass film and tv library will be under 1 roof (the pre-1974 Rankin-Bass library is owned by Universal Pictures via DreamWorks Animation's DreamWorks Classics subsidiary, while Warner Bros. owns the rights to the post-1974 library via Telepictures), but WarnerMedia owns the pre-May 1986 film and tv library, and it’s been making films with MGM for a long time.

        1. Ben Morrison February 22, 2021

          Although, Apple buys disney for Apple-Disney Merger since back in 2020, while Warnermedia would buy MGM.

  2. Paul December 23, 2020

    Hell no WarnerMedia/AT&T is far more deserving of MGM than Disney

  3. Orion Logan December 23, 2020

    Yes

  4. Paul December 23, 2020

    Hell no Warnermedia/ AT&T is a much better option for MGM than Disney for 5 reasons 1. Warnermedia’s Turner Entertainment owns every tv show, movie and cartoon MGM has made before May 1986 2. Warner Bros has worked with MGM multiple times on many films 3. Warner Bros owns every Pre October 1982 Orion Pictures films, while MGM owns every Orion Pictures film after that 4. Warnermedia owns Castle Rock and MGM owns every pre 1994 Castle Rock film 5. MGM's current Home Media distributor of catalog titles is Warner Bros Home Entertainment

    1. Clyde January 1, 2021

      Plus Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer owns the distribution rights to 3 Warner Bros. movies from smaller movie studios the company had acquired which are Moby Dick (1956) via the acquisition United Artists, Sayonara (1957) via The Samuel Goldwyn Company, and Zelig (1983) via the acquisition of Orion Pictures. Also to be fair not every Pre May 1986 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer tv show is owned by Warnermedia the 1960s Flipper tv Show created by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer television is owned by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer itself thanks to the acquisition of The Samuel Goldwyn Company

      1. David Brown January 2, 2021

        The most valuable MGM pieces are as follows. 1: James Bond ( including Warner’s Never Say Never Again). 2: Rocky/Creed. 3: Pink Panther ( including cartoon). 4: Late 50’s early 60’s UA films ( Man With No Name Trilogy, Magnificent 7, Hecht-Lancaster-Hill films, Stanley Kramer films etc). As far as Warner’s is concerned, , I am sure that Warner would like Zelig, Moby Dick and Sayonara back ( plus The Hobbit and Max which they both own), and I would also note they own the later Bowery Boys/East Side Kids films, and MGM owns the earlier Bowery Boys/East Side Kids pictures so I am sure they would like them, as well. I would also note Warners owns some of the better Cannon film library pieces ( Bloodsport, Cobra, Street Smart and Surrender to name a few), so I am sure they would like the rest of the good ones like Runaway Train, Missing In Action and Murphy’s Law to name a few. I could see Warner buying MGM and selling off the least desirable catalog pieces ( the non-Corman AIP films, B-Westerns, Orion/Nelson ( keeping Robocop and Bill and Ted), and the majority of the Cannon library).

        1. Clyde January 3, 2021

          Actually David Brown the reason I didn’t mention The Hobbit trilogy is because I believe Warner Bros. actually owns the distribution rights to those films not MGM

          1. Clyde January 3, 2021

            Same thing with Max although MGM owns the sequel

          2. David Brown January 6, 2021

            You are correct about The Hobbit and Max. I still think Warner will end up with at least a piece of MGM, The longer this goes on the more likely it will be Warner’s instead of say Apple or Amazon. Why? It I was a tech company, and I am paying billions for MGM I would certainly want the upcoming Bond film . Warner’s as is their history, wants the back catalogue more then anything. For example: They spent over half a century in pursuit of the Adventures of Superman TV series until they finally got ownership of it. They also acquired the Goldwyn films of the 30’s and 40’s primarily because most were distributed thru RKO ( like Ball Of Fire), and they own the RKO catalogue.

        2. Clyde January 24, 2021

          Oh and the Candyman franchise owned by MGM would also be perfect for Universal Pictures

  5. Jarod Thomas Mighty December 24, 2020

    Yes. and 2) here's the truth: it was 49 years ago back in 1971 January the 14th, It was announced that MGM was originally to merge with 20th Century Fox and then 46 years later disney would have both of them in 2017 to 2019. but unfortunately the plan never came to fruition and it was aborted. so fox decided to be acquired by disney alone. but thats why i need to see disney have MGM for Real!

    1. Ben Morrison February 10, 2021

      Wrong, Warnermedia/AT&T buys MGM, Because Warnermedia/AT&T is a much better option for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer than Disney

  6. David F December 24, 2020

    Yes. They have a history together, and 20th Century (Fox) Studios as well. They would be a perfect compliment to each other content wise. Hope they can do this!!

    1. Ben Morrison March 1, 2021

      Wrong, Warnermedia/AT&T buys MGM, Because Warnermedia/AT&T is a much better option for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer than Disney

  7. ScionStorm December 24, 2020

    Disney major shareholders are probably wetting themselves with frustration that the $71B on Fox and the Pandemic less than a year later leaves them strapped for cash as one of the juiciest companies worth of classic content puts up a For Sale sign.

  8. Paul December 24, 2020

    No Warnermedia/AT&T is a much better option for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer than Disney for 5 reasons 1. Warnermedia’s Turner Entertainment owns a majority of the pre-May 1986 tv shows, movies, and cartoons 2. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer has made films with Warner Bros 3. Warner Bros owns all the pre-October 1982 films while Metro-Goldwyn-Maher owns the company itself and it's post-October 1982 films 4. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer owns all the pre-1994 Castle Rock Entertainment films while Warner Bros owns the company itself and it's post-1994 films 5. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s home media catalogue is currently distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, which already owns and distributes the studio's pre-May 1986 library through their ownership of Turner Entertainment Co..

    1. Ben Morrison February 10, 2021

      Wrong, Warnermedia/AT&T buys MGM, Because Warnermedia/AT&T is a much better option for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer than Disney

    2. Ben Morrison February 10, 2021

      I don't care that Disney is richer than Warnermedia, But AT&T is more richer than disney.

      1. Jim Watson February 12, 2021

        Paul is basically on your side. He clearly stated that he doesn’t want Disney to buy MGM also he didn’t even mention how rich Disney.

        1. Ben Morrison February 15, 2021

          I reply the wrong person and thought I reply JAROD THOMAS MIGHTY since February 10, 2021, anyway, Warnermedia Buys MGM

  9. Ck December 24, 2020

    Absolutely they should!!

    1. Bob January 3, 2021

      Wow it’s like you hardcore Disney people want the company to become a monopoly

  10. Jamie December 24, 2020

    If MGM hadn’t already sold the rights to things like Wizard Of Oz and Tom and Jerry to Warner Brothers, I could see Disney going for this.

    1. Clyde January 3, 2021

      Actually Ted Turner bought the company itself, but only kept it for 74 days due to the enormous debt he had. Turner kept the pre-May 1986 film, tv show, and cartoon library (including Tom & Jerry, and The Wizard of Oz) which is currently distributed by Warner Bros.

  11. Dustin Pappalardo December 24, 2020

    I actually think it could be Comcast; they're already a distribution parter for MGM on the Bond films, they need content for Peacock, and could borrow the cash to pay for MGM and get it back when Disney buys them out of Hulu in 2024 for the minimum agreed to price of $5.8 billion. Netflix,Apple, or Amazon may be good fits too, or a reunion if sorts with Sony.

  12. Jim December 24, 2020

    My guess is Apple and Amazon will start a bidding war and one of those two services will pick up MGM.

  13. Ernesto Chacon December 25, 2020

    I don't know if Disney should buy MGM. After the 21st Century Fox acquisition and the changes, they made on the studio following it's acquisition from the project cancellations and shutting down some divisions I think Disney is satisfied with what they have. Plus, they are struggling from their theme parks, cruise line and box office shut down from the COVID-19 pandemic. I'd rather have Comcast/NBCUniversal or WarnerMedia making the acquisition on MGM.

    1. Alan Wilcox December 26, 2020

      so do I have been predicting Warner Media buying MGM since November 2015 the past 5 years and 1 month

      1. Clyde January 19, 2021

        Me three those 2 along with Netflix are the only companies I’m fine with buying MGM

        1. Clyde January 19, 2021

          Mainly WarnerMedia for a variety of reasons.

  14. Josh December 25, 2020

    It wouldn't pass monopolizion my guess is that ViacomCBS or Comcast will be the buyers as painful as those words are

  15. Paul December 25, 2020

    No Warnermedia should

  16. Alan Wilcox December 26, 2020

    NO, I would be totally pissed off if Disney bought MGM they are already too big for their britches and with their recently completed merger with 20th Century studios they cannot afford to make another acquisition so soon they are going to need to wait another decade to pay off their debts and refinancing from Fox before deciding to make another studio acquisition and the only movie studio that should buy MGM is Warner Media to reunite MGM with its entire film and tv library and fulfill Ted Turners wishes plus improve make MGM be Warner's studio sister as they were meant to be together and i have been predicting Warner Media buying MGM for the past 5 years and i have found lots of small subtle clues to provide evidence to indicate a potential eventual merger

    1. Clyde January 3, 2021

      I actually agree with you Alan. Disney is perfectly fine without MGM.

  17. NickD December 30, 2020

    The Sale Must Include Bond There is no way Disney will buy MGM. They won’t want Bond or want MGM without that. Universal and Paramount aren’t players in this drama. There are only two players: Apple and WB. WB’s owners are looking to cut costs so I think it only leaves apple. They will want to buy MGM completely and that will include Bond. The Bond owners have helped exacerbate this problem by refusing Bond to go to digital and to cut losses, losses that have been under estimated. The cost is roughly $1 million dollars a week and insiders reckon Bond will need approximately $100 million knocked off its box office haul. The film was estimated to need to make $400 million to break even. So knock $100 million off that Bond doesn’t look too healthy. The World has moved on from Bond, how much more so in a post pandemic world. The irony of Apple maybe owning Bond won’t be lost on film buffs or tech watchers. Sadly the major problem for MGM is they aren’t in control of their crown jewel that is Bond. Who will want to buy content without the most important part of that? Will the Bond owners realise that they’re not just in the 21st Century and in a post pandemic, digital age. Myself, I could see Netflix wanting to buy MGM for Bond or apple. Either way they’ll haggle the price right down and like WB with Wonder Woman ’84, they’ll wish they’d stuck to their original plans.

    1. Ben Morrison February 9, 2021

      Although, After Warnermedia Buys MGM, Will AT&T Buy Disney.

  18. Joseph W Brown December 30, 2020

    MGM doesn't really have a lot that Disney would want. I don't see the point of Disney buying all of MGM just to get the production rights to James Bond and the animated movies when they could simply buy the rights to the animated movies and to get James Bond they would have to buy Eon Productions anyway because they own that IP otherwise the production rights would be of limited value. Not only that, Disney is still in the process of integrating all the assets they just acquired in the 20th Century Fox deal. Additionally, Hasbro has a lot more to offer and if Disney waits a few years to integrate Fox, it will be in a better position to buy Hasbro. Plus, by waiting, Hasbro may make another acquisition which would add to their value.

  19. David Brown January 2, 2021

    If Apple or Amazon want MGM they could buy them easily, but that has not been their way of operating. So I will predict no to them. Who do I predict? Warner ( at a discount). Why? 1: Most of MGM’s movies ( United Artists, Orion, Cannon) are older and they can use them for TCM, because going forward they might lose the rights to show Fox and Universal movies ( including Pre-1948 Paramount titles which they own). 2: There is a clear interest ( based on Warner getting the home video rights). 3: it will allow them to make James Bond films, Remember they were the studio that did Never Say Never Again. 4: MGM owns Epix and they have rights to Paramount and Lionsgate films. They could easily shift those over to HBO and of course HBO Max. 5:,Warner and MGM work well together: Creed, Max and The Hobbit for example.

    1. Clyde January 7, 2021

      Although I also wouldn’t mind Comcast buying MGM, WarnerMedia should be their number one option because it’s like they’re just meant to be together, and also WarnerMedia acquiring more companies such as Turner, and Lorimar-Telepictures, as well as merging with Time Magazine before Time spun off in 2014 is why they have the most diverse film and tv catalog of any entertainment.

      1. Clyde January 7, 2021

        I forgot to type company but everyone should get the point

        1. Bob January 7, 2021

          Oh by the way Clyde and David Brown their parent company AT&T is currently in debt, so that might be a problem, but even I think it’s a better option because of the reasons you guys, and paul stated , as well as MGM having more mature content I mean think about it Disney is for the most part interested in not only family friendly content, but also franchises rather than originality

          1. David Brown January 9, 2021

            When it comes to Disney content is not really the issue (see Deadpool for example), What it really Is about is they have little room or desire for older films ( especially on Disney Plus ( notice you never see films like Moon Pilot or Island At The Top Of The Workd there)’, but even on Hulu), and since most of the MGM library is older, it has little appeal to Disney ( notice that they declined to keep the Fox distribution pact with MGM)).,By the way, even Universal has taken most of the classics off of Peacock. By process of elimination I go back to Warner Bros. They now control that distribution pact and they can use the films for TCM. One other possibility is MGM sells domestic Bond rights to Universal ( Universal has the international rights), and the non-Bond films to Warner.

          2. Clyde January 31, 2021

            That’s very interesting I was curious because Warner retained the MGM logo on every film before May 1986 despite being Warner’s films the WB logo doesn’t appear until the film is over. MGM does the same thing with the three Warner Bros. movies except the MGM logo appears first.

  20. Bob January 13, 2021

    By the way before everyone post a comment saying oh you hate Disney and you want them to fail, I just want say that no I don’t hate Disney In fact I like Disney and everything their doing recently, (except for the crappy live action remakes, the woke Star Wars episodes 8 and 9, and a few other awful Disney films) nor do I want the company to fail I just don’t want them to become a monopoly, and I don’t support monopolies. I’m also fully that Deadpool 3 will be rated R, (thank god for that) but aside from Deadpool 3 a majority their stuff will be Rated G, PG, or PG-13 because the last Rated R movie Disney made before buying most of 21st Century Fox’s assets was 2013s disastrous The Fifth Estate. The only MGM IPs Disney will care about is Bond, (which MGM does not own 100%) and maybe Pink Panther. By the way WarnerMedia is not even my number 1 option, as they don’t really need MGM, as well as their parent company AT&T being in debt, although their my 3rd option my main 2 options are Amazon, and Lionsgate they need the company more than the others.

    1. Bob January 13, 2021

      I’m not mentioning Apple as their streaming services suck and should just stick to selling phones, tablets, computers, etc.

      1. Bob January 13, 2021

        Also David Brown Disney Plus has a lot of classic films and a few classic tv shows from the golden age of hollywood, and is a good streaming service. I’m just saying Disney is 100% fine without MGM and has a ton of content from themselves and the other studios they own. Why add extra when you don’t really need it? Plus WarnerMedia has the most valuable part of the studio anyways which is their Pre-May 1986 films, and tv shows

        1. Clyde January 16, 2021

          I have 3 things to say to you Bob 1. You complain that Apple has bad streaming services and that they should stick to tech, but yet your perfectly fine with Amazon buying the company. I mean Amazon Prime is in my opinion the most overrated streaming service of all time. 2. Lionsgate is a fine choice but not a great one for three reasons 1. Lionsgate is more known for original or adapted movies, and not really franchises, (with Hunger Games and Rambo being the few exceptions) as well as Lionsgate only co producing movies with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer once in 2012 whereas Warner Bros. co produced movies with them many times since 1977. 3. Yes I’m aware AT&T is in debt, but so what if WarnerMedia has the stuff MGM made before May 1986 they should have all of MGM they’re like lost siblings that have great chemistry.

    2. David Brown January 14, 2021

      I could see Lionsgate as a possibility for buying MGM (programming for Encore and obviously Encore Westerns for stuff like the Magnificent 7 films). The problems are . 1: Most of the MGM library is junk. Almost no one wants to see beach movies, grade Z horror films and most of the Cannon Film library). 2: Most of the best movies from the MGM library ( Bond, Pink Panther, Rocky/Creed and Bronson films for example) have been run repeatedly, so they lose value. I still think Warner will find a way to get the films they want: Especially Rocky/Creed and Pink Panther. I could see a deal with Universal getting Bond and other films like Rocky going to Warner’s.

      1. David Brown January 17, 2021

        Clyde You are correct. if Amazon or for that matter Apple really wanted MGM they could buy it right now and not take the chance a competitor can get the library. A real possibility is Warner’s and Comcast/Universal split up MGM and take what they want. This would also help with anti-trust issues. Maybe Universal gets Epix where they can park their upcoming films after the HBO Contract ends, as well as Bond ( including Never Say Never Again), and maybe the TV library ( Stargate, Vikings etc) for Peacock. Warner’s gets Leo The Lion trademark and the lions share of the film library ( especially Rocky/Creed, the Warner three ( Moby Dick, Zelig and Sayonara), Cannon library, Pink Panther ( movie and cartoons), Robocop, and the older films for TCM).

        1. Bob January 18, 2021

          Wow you and Clyde are huge hypocrites. WarnerMedia is owned by AT&T which is a tech company, NBCUniversal is owned by Comcast which is also a tech company, and Columbia Pictures, Tristar Pictures, as well as Screen Gems are all owned by Sony which is once again a tech company. If all three of these tech companies can be part of the entertainment industry than so can Amazon since they already have a decent streaming service. Also I’m done wasting my time arguing with you two so I’m not commenting here anymore.

          1. Bob January 18, 2021

            Not only that Amazon also makes great films and tv shows. Bye

          2. David Brown January 18, 2021

            I am not complaining about a tech company buying MGM, I did not even hint at that. My point about Amazon and Apple is if they wanted MGM that badly they could meet MGM’s asking price and call it a wrap. This is especially true of Amazon because they were negotiating with MGM. We also know that Fox had the right to distribute MGM films and once Disney took over Fox, Warner’s took over the MGM distribution. What does that tell you? Warner is one company that likes MGM films. I mentioned Universal because they can use Epix ( Warner does not need that network due to HBO and a lesser extent Cinemax), they can also use Bond because they have the International distribution rights.

          3. Clyde January 19, 2021

            Well Bob you’re a hypocrite yourself considering you don’t want Apple (a tech company) to buy the company.

          4. Ben Morrison March 1, 2021

            What if Apple buys Disney instead?

  21. LegerPrim3 January 16, 2021

    My money's on Comcast buying MGM

    1. Clyde January 19, 2021

      I’m perfectly fine with Comcast, but in my opinion WarnerMedia is a better option for MGM.

      1. David Brown January 22, 2021

        MGM is in a lot of trouble. The latest Bond film is being delayed until November ( at best). The value of James Bond and of course, their asking price can only go down. Warner was condemned for taking their entire slate of movies to HBO Max but they are smart doing it to build up the network and taking the tax write off. I feel even more confident that MGM will have to sell at a price lower then they want and that means Warner gets the library at a discount. The only question is what happens to Bond ( and for that matter Epix)? I still think Universal ends up with both. It makes too much sense not to.

        1. Clyde January 22, 2021

          Actually it’s delayed until October, but yeah I’m disappointed that it’s delayed once again, and that MGM is losing more money than ever. The company desperately needs to be acquired, however the only 3 I’m fine with are Comcast, Netflix, and WarnerMedia. (Especially WarnerMedia)

          1. David Brown January 22, 2021

            I simply do not see Netflix ( unless it is Bond alone). Why? MGM films (on average) are older and really do not have much of a place on Netflix ( this does not even include Epix). One other factor is the anti- trust issue. There is no way I see Lionsgate which owns STARZ or Warner ( HBO and Cinemax) being allowed to own Epix. I also do not see the entire library making sense for Peacock ( I could also see that as an anti trust issue). A deal with Warner buying everything on condition it sells Epix, the TV shows, and maybe Bond is something that makes sense. It allows both Warner and Universal to get what they really want. Universal Epix and maybe Bond. Warner the library and Leo the Lion.

          2. Clyde January 22, 2021

            Now that I think about it you’re right about Netflix, but why do you want the James Bond films to go to NBCUniversal? MGM only co-owns the Bond film rights along with EON productions plus none of the bond films are on Peacock (at least Netflix has Casino Royale, and Quantum of Solace). I also think it’s more fair for to sell EPIX to Sony since their the only company that has a Major movie studio, but doesn’t have any streaming service. Comcast’s NBCUniversal has not only Peacock, but also a minority stake in Hulu.

          3. Clyde January 22, 2021

            If WarnerMedia actually does buy MGM I also don’t want any of it’s shows to NBCUniversal as well because WarnerMedia owns the Pre-May 1986 MGM tv shows via Turner Entertainment (with the 1960s Flipper tv show being the only exception).

          4. David Brown January 23, 2021

            Clyde: I am replying here because they did not let me reply below. I agree with you that it is certainly possible that instead of Universal Sony could get Epix, and Warner ( if they get MGM, can keep the entire library ( TV and Bond included)). I was guessing Universal because they hold international Bond rights, and no Bond deal can be completed without the okay of EON. As for the TV library, there is very little that actually makes sense for Warner. Take Vikings or the reality programming, it is not really a fit for HBO Max, TCM or other properties ( would work well on Peacock). The exceptions are the Pink Panther cartoon which would be nice for Boomerang, and can be remade for Cartoon Network, and Stargate which could go on TNT, TBS or HBO Max One thing I have noticed is increasingly UA programming is popping up on the Warner platforms: 10 To Midnight ( Charles Bronson/Cannon Films) HBO Max, Bobby Jo And The Outlaw ( AIP) and Hank Um High ( Clint Eastwood/UA) on TCM are examples of this. I would not be the least bit shocked if Warner already has a deal in place to not only distribute but actually acquire at least part of the library ( non Bond films and Pink Panther ( that cartoon is I would imagine is something that is high on their want list))

          5. Clyde January 23, 2021

            The reality shows I’ll admit are junk, but I’m fine with Vikings and it’s upcoming spinoff I mean think about it Warner not only having MGM’s pre-May 1986 shows such as The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Medical Center, and CHIPs, but also The Pink Panther cartoons, The Addams Family, Green Acres, both the 60s and 90s Flipper shows, In the Heat of the Night, the various Stargate shows, Vikings, and Fargo under one roof.

  22. LegerPrim3 January 17, 2021

    Didn't Comcast use to own a 20% equity stake in MGM Holdings, Inc.? What happened?

    1. Clyde January 23, 2021

      I don’t know?

      1. David Brown January 24, 2021

        Clyde I agree with you about the Addams Family, that is a good call. But many of the shows even the successful ones like Medical Center and Green Acres have not been seen in decades. Let’s be honest, is there a real demand for Flipper? I have found the most successful shows in syndication are the classics ( Star Trek, I Love Lucy etc), and action shows: Rockford Files, Hawaii Five-O etc. Most are from the Viacom family ( Rockford Files being an exception). The popularity of action is why much of the Cannon Film library is constantly shown ( Charles Bronson, Chuck Norris etc). I just wonder that with the AT&T debt load and anti-trust issues that the strategy will be for Warner to pick and choose what they want, and sell the rest ( maybe even James Bond). As far as TV is concerned, Obviously Pink Panther would be a keeper (based on their success with Scooby Doo and Tom and Jerry it is probably right at the top of their most desired list) . I am sure they would would also like Addams Family and ( probably Stargate). The rest? Not so much.

        1. Clyde January 24, 2021

          I understand the majority of the ones I mentioned are not relevant, but it’ll still be nice to at least have some of them under one roof (maybe on HBO Max for a change). Also It will probably be nice for the studio to revisit their classic IPS again with Turner Entertainment like Tom and Jerry for example

        2. Clyde January 24, 2021

          I don’t mind the Cannon library, American International Pictures, and now that I think of it some of the irrelevant MGM Tv shows sold to a different company, but the relevant ones like The Pink Panther cartoons, The Addams Family, Cagney & Lacey, Stargate, Vikings, Fargo, and even Green Acres should stay with Warner. I would also mention Gilligan’s Island since United Artists Television made the show, but Turner Entertainment owns the rights to the show.

          1. David Brown January 24, 2021

            We are in agreement ( although I suspect many films of the Cannon Library would remain at Warner). Keep in mind, Warner already owns some Cannon films. Bloodsport, Cobra, Street Smart and Masters Of The Universe to name a few. The Bronson, Norris, Martial Arts and one of my personal favorite Cannon Films, Runaway Train are the kind of films that are worth keeping. If it means holding on to the Alien From LA trash to keep those, it would be worth it. As for AIP, that is the exact opposite. While there are a few worth keeping: Vincent Price/ Roger Corman stuff for example, I would not hesitate, to give those up to dump the rest of the library on someone.

        3. Clyde January 24, 2021

          I also forgot to mention The Pink Panther spin offs, and the 60s and 90s The Outer Limits shows for Warner to keep everything else can just be sold to a different company.

          1. Clyde January 24, 2021

            Alright I guess the Cannon films can stay, but as much as I love Vincent Price AIP in my opinion isn’t really worth keeping

          2. Clyde January 24, 2021

            I mean I would be happy if the Vincent Price films stay, but most of the films, and the company itself can just be sold off to someone else besides Warner will have to many film studios, oh and Warner can merge MGM and Turner Entertainment and be renamed to MGM entertainment

          3. David Brown January 24, 2021

            Clyde, I would also mention Comcast co-owns the MGM Network. The logical deal is this: The other half of the MGM Network, Epix, Bond, Most of the TV shows ( excluding Addams Family, Stargate and the cartoons ( Excluding James Bond jr)), and AIP ( the Price films and remake possibilities are good for Peacock and Universal respectively) to Comcast. Warner gets the non-Bond UA library, post 1986 MGM films, Orion, Nelson and Cannon libraries, Addams Family, Stargate, cartoons ( except James Bond jr) and rights to Leo The Lion. Although I would be shocked if any MGM deal would work this way because it makes too much sense.

          4. Clyde January 24, 2021

            Couldn’t have said it better myself although I would also like Warner to keep the 60s and 90s The Outer Limits shows, Vikings, and Fargo. ViacomCBS can keep Green Acres considering they already have The Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction. If Comcast keeps MGM network they should rename it to Universal Network.

  23. Clyde January 24, 2021

    As for Bond I guess selling it to Universal Pictures would not be so bad, but for them to have complete ownership Comcast would have to acquire EON productions.

    1. Ben Morrison February 14, 2021

      Although, WarnerMedia and NBCUniversal Should Be Merged as WarnerUniversal before they take a chance to buy MGM.

      1. Clyde February 19, 2021

        Not gotta happen AT&T has WarnerMedia and Comcast has NBCUniversal.

        1. Ben Morrison February 19, 2021

          Here's the proof, Comcast and AT&T should merge their NBCUniversal and WarnerMedia media divisions and create one of the largest producers of television and movies, according to a report from media research firm LightShed Management Partners.

  24. Clyde January 24, 2021

    On second thought I changed my mind about the Fargo tv show since The 1996-1999 PolyGram Filmed Entertainment catalog is currently owned by Universal Pictures (part of Comcast). The pre-1996 PolyGram Filmed Entertainment catalog is currently owned by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (part of MGM Holdings), so the Fargo tv show, as well as The pre-1996 PolyGram Filmed Entertainment catalog should go to Comcast, but WarnerMedia should keep the 60s and 90s The Outer Limits shows, Vikings

    1. David Brown January 24, 2021

      Clyde, I do not think ownership of Outer Limits, Vikings or even Fargo will be a deal breaker one way or another ( although I do think Poly Gram will go to Comcast). For Warner the priorities are likely this order. 1: UA Library ( especially Pink Panther ( films and cartoons)). 2: Orion Library. 3: Cannon Library. For Comcast it is . 1: Bond future films 1a: Bond library ( including James Bond jr).. 2: Epix and MGM Network.

      1. Clyde January 24, 2021

        Alright I guess Vikings can go to Comcast as well (especially since Warner has Game of Thrones), but Warner should at least keep both the 60s original and the 90s remake of The Outer limits it’s basically United Artists’ The Twilight Zone, but with more Sci-fi.

        1. David Brown January 24, 2021

          I remember Outer Limits on Showtime it was pretty good. A new version would work well on HBO Max. I think of their Perry Mason reboot ( which I prefer to the Burr TV version). Whatever happens I expect it to be quick ( before the new Bond film gets released).

      2. Clyde January 24, 2021

        Those Outer Limits shows, The Addams Family, various Stargate shows, cartoons, and that awful Robocop show (hey if they can keep the Robocop films, and cartoon, might as well keep that as well). Every other tv show can just go to Comcast. Warner should also try to get the Pre-1994 Castle Rock Entertainment film library since they own the films made in 1994 and after

        1. Clyde January 24, 2021

          I forgot to put that the shows I mentioned can stay WarnerMedia

        2. Clyde January 24, 2021

          Pink Panther will be perfect for HBO Max as well considering it has a lot of great animated shows.

        3. Clyde January 24, 2021

          I really liked every MGM live action show + The Pink Panther cartoons which Warner can keep except the awful Robocop show and cartoon those were disgraces to the Robocop name

        4. Clyde January 24, 2021

          There are other MGM shows that I like that can go to Comcast as well like Vikings for example.

        5. Clyde January 24, 2021

          By I meant put that Warner can keep instead of which Warner can keep

          1. David Brown January 25, 2021

            Clyde, thank you for the Information I did not know that MGM had those films ( thank you for the information). There is no doubt that Warner would love to complete about 99% of the library like they did when they got the Goldwyn films to complete the RKO library, As for In The Line Of Fire, I know that film well ( big Eastwood fan), and I seem to remember that movie being part of an Eastwood boxed set put out a few years ago by Warner, so maybe they have that one as well ?

          2. Clyde January 26, 2021

            Yep Eastwood is and always will be heavily associated with Warner Bros. adding UA’s Man with No Name Trilogy will be perfect for WarnerMedia

        6. David Brown January 24, 2021

          Clyde I looked up the Castle Rock films and most of the early stuff like A Few Good Men are owned by Columbia. As for Robocop there is little doubt that Warner would be happy to take the films. As far as the TV series and cartoon is concerned, they would keep them if only to prevent a competitor from making a movie off of them.

          1. Clyde January 25, 2021

            Actually if you dig deeper most of the early Castle Rock Films are owned and released on DVD and Blu Ray by MGM such as When Harry Met Sally, City Slickers, and Misery they’re just originally distributed by Columbia (except A Few Good Men which remains at Sony).

          2. Clyde January 25, 2021

            Oh and also In the Line of Fire (a Clint Eastwood movie) also remains with Sony, but other than that and A Few Good Men most of Castle Rock’s early films are with MGM

          3. Clyde January 25, 2021

            And it’s not just the Nelson produced ones

  25. Clyde January 26, 2021

    Hang Em High is another good Clint Eastwood film released by United Artists that will be perfect for Warner

    1. David Brown January 27, 2021

      Clyde I would add Thunderbolt and Lightfoot to the UA list. I think it is interesting that the Vikings sequel is heading to Netflix ( with MGM still producing), coupled with making a new Tomb Raider movie and not selling the new Bond movie, makes you think they are not going out of business. I wonder if there is a possibility of just the non-Bond various film libraries being sold, which would almost certainly mean Warner ends up with most if not all, while MGM keeps the TV library (except Pink Panther Panther Cartoons)

      1. Clyde January 27, 2021

        I have to admit I never heard of Thunderbolt and Lightfoot. I don’t think MGM selling films and Pink Panther to Warner will make the company any better it’ll just be like the 1986 Turner situation all over again (the time they lost their library of films and shows to Ted Turner’s Turner Broadcasting) which was one of the reasons why the studio has gone vastly downhill I prefer AT&T/WarnerMedia buying the company and giving some assets to Comcast.

        1. Clyde January 27, 2021

          By Pink Panther I meant the cartoons and the films

        2. David Brown January 27, 2021

          Thunderbolt and Lightfoot is a “road” picture with Eastwood and Jeff Bridges. A very untypical Eastwood movie but as almost always with Clint very good. I agree with you that selling the library would be like 1986 again, but the fact they are producing films and TV shows, makes you think they are going in that direction. If you break down the libraries you will find lots of junk ( much of AIP and about half of Cannon), quite a few classics ( Orion and Hill/Lancaster), film series ( Bond and Rocky/Creed), westerns and action ( B Movies and Bronson UA films like Mr. Majestyk and The Mechanic), then you find films of no value to anyone except Warner: East Side Kids ( pre-Bowery Boys/Post/Dead End Kids with Leo Gorcey). In order to make money off the AIP, B-Movies Cannon and East Side Kids films, they might decide to package the good stuff. One obvious example is this: If they want to dump the East Side Kids and Cannon library on Warner, they sweeten the pot and throw in the Bronson UA Films, the five Eastwood films and the Warner three.

          1. David Brown January 27, 2021

            Adding to this. I would not be shocked if MGM could actually get $1b for the films I mentioned earlier, provided Rocky/Creed, Pink Panther their ownership stake in Max and say Addams Family and Robocop were included.

          2. Clyde January 28, 2021

            If they are going that route than they should only sell the Max sequel (which Warner does not own the distribution rights for), and the Pre-1994 Castle Rock film library. As for Castle Rock’s tv shows all of them except Seinfeld are owned by Warner.

        3. David Brown January 30, 2021

          Clyde: I was reading about MGM outbidding everyone for a new perfect with Jerod Leto. This after announcing a new Tomb Raider movie. It certainly sounds like they are not going out of business. I guess the only thing they are going to sell is the majority of the film library. Maybe when all is said and done, Warner buys the entire library ( except Bond and new movies), and puts everything back together.

  26. David Brown January 28, 2021

    I was reading how many subscribers HBO Max has ( they actually reached their subscriber goal two years early). It seems like their “Against the grain” strategy of putting Warner Bros films on HBO Max the same day is working ( despite what Christopher Nolan thinks). I have also been noticing that more and more MGM Films are popping up on the Warner Platforms. Yesterday,TCM ran The Crooked Way ( aJohn Payne film-noir from UA). This was a movie I never heard of until I saw it advertised, recorded and really enjoyed it. Maybe when all is said and done, Warner simply buys MGM ( keeps what they want), selling off Epix, MGM Network, and some other pieces Bond perhaps?

    1. Clyde January 30, 2021

      If MGM Holdings isn’t selling the film studio they should not sell any films, IPS, cartoon or tv show to anybody, if the film studio is sell some assets to Warner and some to Comcast. As for Christopher Nolan he is a talented director, but man is he’s a huge hypocrite he criticizes WarnerMedia’s nearly perfect streaming service yet not only are any of the films releasing this year on the streaming service his, but also his recent film called Tenet bombing at the box office was the reason why WarnerMedia did it in the first place.

      1. Clyde January 31, 2021

        In terms of quality Tenet was ok but a bit overrated

      2. David Brown January 31, 2021

        I agree with you about HBO Max ( it is better then Peacock and Hulu ( I am a big fan of their Perry Mason series which I consider superior to the Raymond Burr TV series or the Warren William films). As for MGM, I want to see Warner end up with the library, for one primary reason: They do not shove their films into the vault like Comcast and others do. I mentioned The Crooked Way before. This is the kind of movie that only Warner ( because of TCM) will ever show. As an example Comcast owns the the Paramount films of the 1930’s and 1940’s), and rarely show them. This includes The 1930 version of The Spoilers with Gary Cooper, which is my most want to see film.

        1. Clyde January 31, 2021

          Yeah Peacock is pretty underwhelming and I don’t have Hulu so I can’t share my opinion on that. Also I didn’t know that the 1930’s and 40s Paramount films are with Universal that’s pretty shocking do the films still retain the paramount logo kinda like how the pre-May 1986 MGM films still retain the MGM logo.

          1. David Brown January 31, 2021

            I have Hulu more as part of the bundle with ESPN Plus and Disney. As for the Paramount films, Universal has had them since the 1950’s. If you go to IMDB and read about a Paramount film ( This Gun For Hire for example) you will see on the bottom about being one of 700 films owned by Universal. As for the logo, they retain the Paramount logo, but you see the Universal logo first. MGM does things a bit differently: They put Leo at the end of for example a Cannon film. Warner is actually the most respectful of history. For example: When they acquired the Superman cartoons of the 1940’s, from AAP, they wanted to remaster them ( including putting back the Paramount logo that AAP took off). They went to Paramount to ask permission, and not only did Paramount say yes, but they asked if they can help Warner with this. So both companies actually worked together to remaster them ( although Warner owns them).

          2. Clyde January 31, 2021

            That’s very interesting because all The Pre-May 1986 MGM films are owned by Warner, but the WB logo does not appear until the film is over. MGM does the same thing with the 3 Warner Bros films although the MGM logo appears first

          3. Clyde January 31, 2021

            Did the two do the same thing with the John Wayne movie Hondo which retained the WB logo? And that’s weird, but nice because in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory the Paramount logo is gone and only the WB logo shows up.

        2. Clyde January 31, 2021

          Then again I’ve never seen any paramount films from that era so yeah

          1. David Brown January 31, 2021

            Paramount in that era, actually had the greatest list of stars of any studio except MGM. Gary Cooper, Claudette Colbert, Frederick March, Veronica Lake, Alan Ladd, Cary Grant and Carole Lombard to name a few. They also had stars like William Powell, Jean Arthur, George Raft, and Randolph Scott early in their careers.

          2. Clyde January 31, 2021

            Yeah a lot of talented actors and actresses worked in MGM during the Golden age, no one did it better in that them

          3. David Brown January 31, 2021

            Clyde you are correct about Hondo. I agree with you that MGM had more stars ( Myrna Loy along with Salma Hayak are my all time favorites), although on average I preferred Warner because I am a big Cagney, Robinson and Bogart fan, and the same for Paramount ( Cooper, Ladd and Lake)). I also thought James Stewart did his best work at Universal

  27. Clyde January 31, 2021

    Although by today’s standards Warner Bros is my favorite studio and it’s better than any other, yes Disney has been killing it at the box office with Star Wars, Pixar, and Marvel. Warner Bros. has not only the most diverse catalog of films and tv shows, but also they have more quality content than any other studio I can think of

    1. David Brown January 31, 2021

      I do not think there is any controversy that Warner has the best films out of any studio. Does it mean everything is good? No Harley Quinn was brutal. Paramount, Lionsgate and Columbia have had few good movies, Fox is dead, not a fan of Disney content ( especially musicals), and Universal had a few I liked like Hobbs and Shaw but certainly not enough. I am really looking forward to Kong versus Godzilla ( another Warner movie).

    2. David Brown February 1, 2021

      You are correct Warner is easily the best and most diverse studio. They even have stuff guys can enjoy ( not just Harley Quinn type trash). By comparison, Look at the competition. I cannot think of anything I have seen ( or wanted to see) from Lionsgate, Columbia it was just Miss Bala ( a beautiful woman coupled with action), Paramount it was just Sonic The Hedgehog which was not bad, Disney a couple of Marvel films and Universal just Hobbs and Shaw and a couple of others. In addition to Bond, the main film I want to see this year is Kong versus Godzilla, which naturally is from Warner. It shocks me how much stuff from Hollywood I have no interest in ( Cats, Charlie’s Angels remake etc).

      1. Clyde February 1, 2021

        Yeah if I rank the big 5 movie studios in terms of quality content not just from themselves, but from their subsidiaries as well in their entire history it will be like this 1. Warner Bros 2. Disney 3. Universal 4. Paramount Pictures 5. Sony Pictures

        1. David Brown February 1, 2021

          I would actually do different lists. First is actually making movies. If I went 21st Century I would go 1: Warner. 2: Disney. 3: Universal. 4: Sony ( I liked stuff like Resident Evil and Venom). 4a: Paramount.( same for Mission Impossible) so a tie. If I include 20th Century I would go 1: Warner. 2: Paramount ( besides the classics Universal owns they made movies like The Godfather, Trading Places, Stalag 17, Shane and Chinatown). 3: Sony ( Movies like Ghostbusters, Frank Capra classics and Lawrence Of Arabia). 4: Universal. 5: Disney. Ownership including film libraries I go: 1: Warner. 2: Universal. 3: Disney ( Fox library). 4: Paramount ( they have the Republic and Miramar library). 5: Sony.

          1. David Brown February 1, 2021

            Miramax not Mirimar.

        2. Clyde February 1, 2021

          Sony is last mainly cause although they make good movies in the past most of their films in the last 2 decades haven’t all that great and if it weren’t for the fox library Disney would be 3rd

          1. Clyde February 1, 2021

            As for Paramount being 4th although they brought a mountain filled with entertainment in the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and the 2000s. In the last decade they basically became a molehill selling off their Marvel films to Disney, and Dreamworks animation films to 20th Century Fox (which they now reside at Universal), as well as their many lackluster box office films with the occasional 1 or maybe 2 great films (The Big Short, Arrival, and Mission Impossible films). The 70s is when I think the studio really shines with movies like Chinatown, The Godfather 1 and 2, The Conversation, Death Wish, Charlotte’s Web, Grease, and more.

          2. Clyde February 1, 2021

            I will not post here anymore until there is more news relating to the MGM film studio. And by the way I meant to put lackluster films that did poorly in the box office for Paramount.

  28. Nathan February 9, 2021

    Oh great, that would make Elle Woods a Disney Princess ??

  29. Ben Morrison February 9, 2021

    The answer is No, Warnermedia/AT&T buys MGM, Because they already Have the pre-may 1986 MGM Library, And the pre-March 31, 1996 PolyGram Filmed Entertainment Library will be sold to NBCUniversal/Comcast.

    1. Ben Morrison February 9, 2021

      Anyway, is it possible that Verizon, AT&T, Apple, Or Amazon Buying Disney.

  30. Clyde February 12, 2021

    Hey David Brown I’m back and I saw a article that Disney is reportedly trying to buy MGM, but I really hope this does not happen plus they do not need the film studio at all.

    1. Clyde February 12, 2021

      Especially since I absolutely hated that Disney changed 20th Century Fox’s name to 20th Century Studios Disney could’ve made the Fox corporation’s name to the Murdoch Corporation since the studio was called 20th Century Fox long before Rupert Murdoch bought it in 1985 (I wouldn’t be surprised if William Fox is rolling in his grave when Disney changed the name to his studio), also I don’t want MGM’s Post May-1986 catalogue and MGM’s Pre May-1986 catalogue to be in different streaming services I would rather have all of them under HBO Max then that.

      1. Clyde February 12, 2021

        I forgot to put change between made and the

      2. Clyde February 12, 2021

        So yeah I will be pissed off if Disney buys MGM.

        1. David Brown February 21, 2021

          The part of Disney buying MGM was a rumor ( the writer did not even claim they were negotiating). I still go back to the fact that there is very little in the MGM library that would appeal to Disney (once again, why did Disney not keep the distribution rights to MGM films that Fox had?) At the same time there is a lot that Warner would like). I am still holding to the opinion that unless Universal and Warner merge ( which would give Warner the library they truly want), Warner will end up with MGM. The

          1. Clyde February 21, 2021

            Well even if it is a rumor I still hope Disney doesn’t end up with MGM.

          2. Ben Morrison February 23, 2021

            Warnermedia needs to announce the acquisition of MGM for $5 billion, because they already have pre-may 1986 mgm library through turner entertainment.

      3. Clyde February 21, 2021

        I’m not even sure if it’s a good idea for WarnerMedia and NBCUniversal to merge I would rather have WarnerMedia purchasing MGM than it merging with NBCUniversal. Yes that will mean that all of the Rankin Bass film and tv library will be under 1 roof (the pre-1974 Rankin-Bass library is owned by Universal Pictures via DreamWorks Animation's DreamWorks Classics subsidiary, while Warner Bros. owns the rights to the post-1974 library via Telepictures), but there will also be layoffs, more divisions being shut down or sold to other companies, less competition in the entertainment industry, and a potential monopoly (as if Disney’s 21st Century Fox acquisition wasn’t already bad enough).

        1. David Brown February 22, 2021

          Clyde, I happen to agree with you, but the merger possibility exists. Why? 1: we know that Universal and Warner merged their home distribution systems ( under Warner control) and we also know that Peacock is not exactly doing great ( fewer subscribers then $14:95 a month HBO Max ( not to mention most subscribers are taking the free option)) 2: We also know how well Disney and Netflix are doing and leaving the other Studios in the dust. I do think something involving MGM has to happen quickly because the new Bond film is sitting on the shelf gathering dust ( and losing value), but if Warner ( or for that matter Universal) does not end up with MGM, the merger idea becomes more and more possible.

          1. Clyde February 22, 2021

            Well I have 3 things to note David 1. I appreciate Warner and Universal for trying to keep physical media alive, but in all honesty physical media is unfortunately dying. I have not bought a Dvd since 2016, nor have I bought Blu-Rays since 2019. At that time the only streaming service I have is Netflix, but with the addition of Disney+ and HBO Max I lost interest in buying DVDs and Blu-Rays. 2. I agree that Peacock is not doing well whatsoever, so much so that I lost interest in it, and cancelled my subscription to Peacock because of how underwhelming it is. May I remind you that even HBO Max is way behind Disney+ in terms of the amount of subscribers despite having double the content of what Disney+ has. 3. I think NBCUniversal should either rebrand Peacock or just shut it down and just leave the streaming market all together just like Sony did when they failed to deliver a quality streaming service twice with PlayStation Vue being defunct last year and Sony giving up on Crackle by selling their Majority Stake to Chicken Soup for the Soul in 2019, and later the rest of their stake to the same company in 2020.

        2. David Brown February 22, 2021

          Clyde the single biggest problem that I have had with Universal down though the years is the fact that they have kept their vault shut. Last year, they finally allowed The Texan with Gary Cooper and Fay Wray to be shown on Encore Westerns. It was in the vault for 90 years. Another Cooper film ( The Spoilers) is another film stuck in the vault for 90 years. I have seen almost every Cooper western except that one, Wolf Song ( silent) and Arizona Bound ( lost) . This is just one example of this. If it meant the vault would be open, I could support a merger.

          1. Clyde February 22, 2021

            I get that Universal is very protective of their vault but it’s not just their classics like the Abbott and Costello films, Hitchcock films, their monster films, Spartacus, the Pre-1974 Rankin Bass films, Field of Dreams, Jurassic Park, Parenthood, and The Blues Brothers that left Peacock, but also their modern films as well such as the various Dreamworks animation films, Meet the Parents, Ray, A Beautiful Mind, and even the only good Fast and Furious movies which are Fast and Furious 6, and Fast 7. All of these are major Universal movies leaving the service. That along with none of their Peacock originals interesting me the way Netflix, HBO Max, and Disney+ does are why I cancelled my Peacock subscription.

      4. Ben Morrison February 23, 2021

        That's why disney didn't merge 20th Century Fox & Touchstone into 20th Century Touchstone.

  31. Clyde February 22, 2021

    Speaking of the vault even Disney puts 20th Century Fox movies in their own vault which sucks.

    1. David Brown February 22, 2021

      In fairness to Disney lots of non John Ford early Fox films are hard to find. It is not well known but Spencer Tracy started out at Fox and his Fox films are impossible to find ( including Goldie which is one of the few Jean Harlow films to have eluded me). The same applies to John Wayne. In fact with the exception of The Big Trail you cannot find Wayne’s 30’s films @ Fox. Even Marilyn Monroe films like Bus Stop are unavailable ( even on Fox Movie Channel).

      1. Clyde February 22, 2021

        I get that you hate companies don’t show availability for their films, but I don’t support the WarnerMedia and NBCUniversal merger Less competition less originality.

        1. Ben Morrison February 23, 2021

          WarnerMedia should buy MGM before WarnerMedia and NBCUniversal merger, not after, not without MGM.

          1. David Brown March 9, 2021

            Ben:,Warner controls distribution rights to the MGM library until 2029. It is important to note that years ago they signed a similar agreement for the Samuel Goldwyn library, and now they OWN distribution rights. When they get a hold of something they never let go. I will bet that this is one reason why MGM was not sold ( Apple, Amazon, Disney and anyone else not named Warner do not want to wait a decade in order to get the film library back from Warner). What does it mean? Warner sometime between now and 2029 will most certainly own the entire MGM library with the possible exception of James Bond. Besides Bond, the only thing that they are waiting for is for the various MGM contracts to end, then everything except new movies will be on their family of Networks (one example being the Encore contract). I suspect that if Warner gets Bond Epix will be sold soon enough as well.

        2. David Brown February 23, 2021

          There is a complete lack of originality coming out of Hollywood. Is it due to economics, politics, a lack of ideas or something else that i am not sure about but it is true. Look at Vin Dissel. Not only does he almost always play the same character, but he always has on a white tee shirt on. You would never see tough guys of the past like Cagney, Bogart, Wayne, Connery or even more recent stars like Stallone or Cruise do that. Look what Hollywood is doing rebooting Punky Brewster ( I never saw it when it originally came out), or Sex And The City ( I saw that show twice and it remains my most hated TV show in history). Neither of these shows I will watch. Does it mean all reboots are bad? No Perry Mason is excellent ( better then the Burr series), but on average not good., So instead of recycled junk, I want to see things that I have not seen before: Like the Cooper version of The Spoilers, Goldie or the 1931 version of Body and Soul ( a Fox picture with Bogart and Myrna Loy). Warner is the only studio that values their films and is willing to show them. That is why I want them to get as much content as they can because they will not hide it in the vault.

          1. Ben Morrison February 23, 2021

            SHUCKS!!!!!!! Warnermedia-NBCUniversal Merger deal should call off.

          2. Ben Morrison February 23, 2021

            Wait, What if Warnermedia and The Walt Disney Company merged instead.

  32. Clyde February 23, 2021

    Ben WarnerMedia should not merge period

    1. Clyde February 23, 2021

      Also David I agree with you Warner Bros is I think the only one of the big 5 film studios that isn’t afraid to release more obscure great films on blu-ray, and tv.

      1. Clyde February 23, 2021

        Also Sex and the City isn't that bad, and it’s pretty decent. I do hate Saved by the bell, and Full house both of which got rebooted.

        1. Clyde February 23, 2021

          I meant Sex and the city my bad.

      2. Clyde February 23, 2021

        But I do respect your opinion on Saved By the Bell David.

    2. Ben Morrison February 23, 2021

      Forget the merger, warnermedia should purchase mgm.

      1. David Brown February 23, 2021

        I certainly want Warner to buy MGM, but if they do not I am all for a merger with Universal. Disney buying Warner or Universal is the worst option. Disney who puts disclaimers on the Muppets and locks Song of the South in the vault for PC reasons. I can only imagine what they would do with Scarface ( Pacino) or Cagney precedes.?

        1. Clyde February 23, 2021

          I understand David oh and Disney removed Peter Pan and Dumbo from the kids section for being to ''racist" for kids which is absolutely ridiculous because they are both more kid friendly than Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith, etc. I also think there is no way Disney will ever get any of the other 4 of the big 5 movie studios anyway so don’t worry Scarface is safe.

        2. Clyde February 23, 2021

          I like Disney+, but Disney needs to stop giving their own classic content on there a bad rap.

          1. David Brown February 24, 2021

            I canceled my Disney Plus subscription , because they had nothing I ever want to see. On to MGM. One very interesting piece of programming popping up on TCM in March is Robocop and Robocop 2. It seems more and more that Warner is going full force with MGM ( even films with Hard R Ratings popping up on TCM). I really would not be shocked if a deal has already been completed to bring the entire MGM library to Warner control (not just licensing to their networks and DVD’s). They just need to settle the Bond issue ( EON Productions must approve any sale involving Bond) and also get government approval for AT&T to buy MGM. Unless the Government says no I expect the library portion ohms MGM to officially change hands very soon.

          2. David Brown February 25, 2021

            Clyde: Final post from me for now: If you do a search of Warner Bros film libraries you will see at the bottom of the list Warner Archive controls post 1986 MGM films, Pre 1986 and pre 1950 UA films. That UA distinction was made by them NOT by me. It is important to note that Bond was UA before 1986. What does it really mean? MGM already sold Warner the early films (unofficially of course). These include Our Gang/Little Rascals and East Side Kids and early Bowery Boys ( which completes the library for Warner). There is little doubt they will be getting the later films soon enough. The only question is Bond. If Warner gets Bond the overall price is higher, if EON says no to producing Bond with Warner the overall price is lower. It does mean Disney is not getting MGM.

        3. Ben Morrison February 23, 2021

          So what’s the better option. Was Apple-Disney merger the best option.

          1. Ben Morrison February 23, 2021

            Warnermedia needs to announce the acquisition of MGM Holdings for $5 billion.

          2. Ben Morrison February 23, 2021

            After the rumor Warnermedia needs to announce the acquisition of MGM Holdings for $5 billion, that means disney would never buy mgm.

          3. Ben Morrison February 24, 2021

            Wait a minute, if Disney's total assets was US$201.549 billion, AT&T's total assets was US$538.553 billion

          4. Clyde February 25, 2021

            Oh and David I want to tell you that all the first 5 Rocky movies + Rocky Balboa will be coming to HBO Max, so yeah WarnerMedia/AT&T is clearly the best option for MGM. I will not post here anymore until there is more official news relating to the film studio.

  33. Clyde March 9, 2021

    Hey David Brown the MGM film studio has updated it's logo and I have very mixed feelings about it.

    1. Clyde March 9, 2021

      What do you think of it David?

    2. David Brown March 10, 2021

      Clyde: It is not a big change, so it does not bother me. What is really interesting is they took the time and money to actually do it. It is just another clue that MGM is not being sold ( at least not the non library part of it). Warner now controls the library starting last year for 10 years so Disney or no one except Warner gets it until 2029. The most important part is under Warner Libraries you see MGM post 1986 and UA pre 1986 ( both expected), but pre 1950 is listed separately. Why? I have to assume Warner essentially owns or has an agreement to own those films. When all is said and done with the possible exception of Bond and recent films, Warner will own the entire library between now and 2029.

      1. Clyde March 10, 2021

        I will admit this I love the quality of the logo and that they gave the English translation for Ars Gratia Artis, but I’m somewhat bothered over Leo the Lion being completely cg eventually I’ll get used to it, and I really love the new Warner Bros logo, it shows a beautiful view of the Warner Bros studio, as well as the Warner Bros water tower, the Warner Bros logo having a nice blue makeover, while staying true to it’s original shield form, and I’m glad they kept the incredible 1999 WB fanfare.

        1. Clyde March 10, 2021

          As for the Pre-1950 United Artists film library aren’t a good chunk of them in the public domain?

          1. David Brown March 10, 2021

            You are correct that a number of them are in the public domain. But what is important from the Warner perspective are the rarities such as the East Side Kids/Early Bowery Boys films ( most have not been seen in decades). The series started out with the Dead End Kids in the movie Dead End ( Goldwyn now owned by Warner) then the Dead End kids @ Warner( Angels With Dirty Faces etc , then the Dead End Kids switched to the Bowery Boys ( Mr Muggs ( Leo Gorcey) became Slip Mahoney) early Monogram ( UA Owned). Last but not least later Monogram (Warner Owned). I would also mention the Little Rascals with the exception of the movie General Spanky ( Warner) are owned by MGM and the early stuff pre Spanky/ Jackie Cooper has not been seen in decades either. Just those two series have value to Warner.

          2. David Brown March 10, 2021

            Clyde the UA owbedyMonogram films of the 30’s are in the public domain. But those in the 4o’s are not ( like the East Side Kids/ first three Bowery Boys films). Nor are the Hal Roach Little Rascals films ( the most valuable part of that library). They are willing to pay for the Public Domain and ( or) Bomba The Jungle Boy type films, even if they are never shown again, just to get what they really want. I suspect the same thing applies to AIP ( Beach movies to get the 15 films Vincent Price made at AIP plus Roger Corman movies), same thing for Cannon ( take Alien In LA for Missing In Action). Their main goal is owning the good stuff: Bond, UA from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, Pink Panther, Rocky/Creed, and later Orion and MGM films. But they know they have to take garbage in order to accomplish this.pre 1950 UA is simply the first step.

  34. Clyde March 10, 2021

    Yep you said it David Disney may have been making money as usual from their content, but Warner Bros cares about quality content I mean look at IMDB’s top 100 movies most of these movies on the list are either made or owned by Warner Bros.

    1. David Brown March 10, 2021

      Clyde, The biggest surprise to me when it comes to MGM is why is there limited interest in the film library? I understand it is older, but The very reason why Netflix is doing well is they have plenty of content ( and having content means remake possibilities). .Disney is the same. If I was Amazon or Apple ( who have money to burn) I would have bought MGM before Warner got a hold of the library. Why is the MGM Library so important ( even more important then Bond)? Because it is one of the last opportunities to gain content on a large scale. I suspect companies will be kicking themselves five years from now for letting the library go to Warner).