Village Roadshow Pictures, a partner on 2014’s highest grossing movie, is talking to investors about raising $400 million to expand its production slate to eight to 12 films in 2015 and fully participate in what analysts believe will be a record-breaking box office year, Bloomberg reports.
The company’s partnership with Warner Bros. on “American Sniper” paid off with the film taking in $337 million at the domestic box office last year. The companies also worked together on the year’s fifth-highest-grossing film, “The LEGO Movie,” which earned over $257 million globally.
Village Roadshow Pictures is 47 percent owned by Australian company Village Roadshow Ltd., and the Village Roadshow Entertainment Group holding company is raising the funds, according to Bloomberg.
The motion picture division in 2012 extended its Warner Bros. co-production and co-finance agreement to include global film rights; similarly, it has a global agreement with Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Village Roadshow’s pricey sci-fi saga “Jupiter Ascending” disappointed at the domestic box office in February, but still to come are “Mad Max: Fury Road” (May 15), “San Andreas” (May 29) and “In the Heart of the Sea” (Dec. 11).