Imagine Entertainment Chairman Brian Grazer and Warner Music Group (WMG) today announced a multi-year strategic partnership to co-produce and co-finance a slate of music-centered projects across multiple mediums, including film, television, documentary, and other short-form content. By marrying Imagine’s 30-year success in producing premium entertainment with WMG’s global artists, songwriters, and world-class catalog, the partnership will accelerate capabilities to bring to the screen outstanding storytelling that crosses genres and decades.
“I’ve always looked for new ways to bring a story to life. This is my passion. Our new partnership with WMG gives us a new dimension to do exactly that – ignite emotion in stories,” explains Brian Grazer. “The content that lives inside songs gives life to a fresh sonic and cinematic power. Len Blavatnik is a visionary in the space and everyone at Imagine is thrilled to partner with him and his team. Thanks again to WMG, particularly Steve, Max and Charlie.”
Warner Music Group CEO Steve Cooper said: “We’re excited to be partnering with Ron, Brian, and the stellar team at Imagine to bring to screens the captivating stories of our artists, our songwriters, and our labels. With a global roster of superstar talent and a rich musical history in our archives, we have great opportunities to marry music, narrative, and image through biopics, documentaries, and other visual platforms. I can’t wait to see what emerges from the collaboration between our team at Warner Music Entertainment, led by Charlie Cohen, and the inspired creativity of Imagine.”
Imagine and WMG first collaborated on “Genius: Aretha,” the Aretha Franklin biopic series set to premiere on National Geographic Channel this fall. The new partnership gives Imagine unprecedented access to a vast library of music and history across all of WMG’s record labels and its publishing arm, presenting a wealth of storytelling opportunities. Warner Music Entertainment, the TV & Film division of WMG, has been led since its inception in 2017, by Charlie Cohen, who was previously COO of MGM’s Motion Picture Group.
Imagine has long been recognized as one the most successful independent storytellers in the entertainment industry. The company has had a prolific history of creating timeless and culturally impactful films, television series and documentaries in the world of music, including the Academy Award-winning film “8 Mile,” the Grammy Award-winning documentary “The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years” and the Emmy-winning television drama “Empire.” The company also produced the film “Get On Up” about James Brown, the television series “Wu-Tang: An American Saga” and a number of documentaries, including “Jay Z’s Made in America,” “Katy Perry: Part of Me,” “Pavarotti,” and “Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band.” In addition to “Genius: Aretha,” Imagine is currently in production on a film version of the musical “tick, tick…Boom!,” with Lin-Manuel Miranda directing. The company is also developing a biopic on Gucci Mane, and documentaries on Louis Armstrong, Carlos Santana, and Tekashi 6ix9nine
