Just days after talks to acquire DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc.
stalled, Japanese conglomerate SoftBank Corp. has agreed to pay
$250 million for close to 10% of Hollywood production and finance
company Legendary Entertainment.
The agreement gives SoftBank the right to invest an additional
$750 million, in two equal installments, over the next several
years.
The two companies will form a joint venture to exploit
Legendary's movies and TV shows on digital and mobile platforms
with a particular focus on China and India. Legendary, which
focuses on superhero, science-fiction and fantasy films, has
produced "Godzilla" and "Pacific Rim," among others, and invested
in such movies as "The Dark Knight" and "300."
The company, which has a long-term movie partnership with
Comcast Corp.'s Universal Pictures, recently expanded into
television and digital entertainment.
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