WMG PARTNERS WITH GRAZER/HOWARD'S IMAGINE

Brian Grazer and Ron Howard's Imagine Entertainment and Warner Music Group have announced a strategic multi-year partnership to co-produce and co-finance a slate of music-centered projects, including television, film, documentary and other short form content.

"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 [Lousada] and Charlie [Cohen]."

WMG CEO Steve Cooper added: "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 recently closed deals for EPIX docu-series Laurel Canyon, David Byrne's film adaptation of American Utopia and Sia's upcoming film Music, starring Kate Hudson.