United Artists Releasing

United Artists Releasing, LLC (UAR) was an American film distribution joint venture between Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Annapurna Pictures and the successor to United Artists which operated from 31 October 2017 to 31 December 2022.

Founded by former MGM CEO Gary Barber, businessman and Open Road Films founder Eric Hohl and Annapurna founder Megan Ellison on 31 October 2017, it operated within the offices of the headquarters of the respective companies in West Hollywood and Los Angeles in California and offered alternative services to the major film studios and streaming media companies with 10–14 films released annually. The venture rebranded as United Artists Releasing on 5 February 2019 to commemorate 100 years since the founding of United Artists.

On 26 May 2021, online shopping and technology company Amazon acquired MGM Holdings, the parent company of MGM, for $8.45 billion which closed on 17 March 2022 and consequentially placed United Artists Releasing under the control of Amazon Studios. Amazon then folded United Artists Releasing into MGM on 1 January 2023 in a push towards cinematic/theatrical film distribution alongside their staple media releases on their video on demand service Amazon Prime Video following the box-office success of Creed III.

History
American media companies Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Annapurna Pictures announced the formation of a local film distribution joint-venture and a film releasing entity under the name Mirror to release third-party films in cinemas/theaters. This marked the return of MGM to domestic distribution 7 years after its closure following the 2010 bankruptcy and subsequent reorganization, in which approximately 6 to 8 films would be released commencing on 2 March 2018 with the release of Death Wish. The initial staff of the joint venture composed of those of Annapurna's own distribution division. By 31 January 2019, the venture released eight titles in total, none of which were released under the touted Mirror banner.

The joint venture took on a name on 5 February 2019, United Artists Releasing, in commemoration of a century (100 years) of the creation of the original United Artists, with the rationale being to "better compete against the major studios, especially with respect to their tentpole films that dictate the release calendar". Former Screen Gems executive Pam Kunath was appointed to be its chief operating officer and one of MGM's subsidiaries, Orion Pictures, added its films and staff from its distribution division to the venture. A board of directors consisting of executives from the partner companies was created to oversee the three UAR executives; Kunath, David Kaminow and president of Annapurna's distribution and marketing, Erik Lomis. The inaugural film release post-rebrand was the 2019 stop-motion animated film Missing Link, which was also the only animated film released under United Artists Releasing won the company its inaugural and only Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film.

On 7 October 2020, MGM revived the American International Pictures label for the digital and limited theatrical release of acquired films with United Artists Releasing to local theaters, beginning with the 2021 film Breaking News in Yuba County.

On 17 May 2021, online shopping and technology company Amazon entered negotiations to acquire MGM's parent company, MGM Holdings, principally green-lighted by MGM board chairman Kevin Ulrich whose company, Anchorage Capital Group, is a major MGM shareholder. A week later, the proposed acquisition by Amazon was officially announced, pending local and global regulatory approvals, for $8.45 billion and completed on 17 March 2022. Later that same day, Mike Hopkins, senior vice president of Amazon Studios and Amazon Prime Video, emphasized at a town hall meeting that his company will continue to partner with its new division United Artists Releasing, which will remain in operation post-acquisition.

On 4 March 2023, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Amazon folded United Artists Releasing into MGM due to Amazon's optimism of the feasibility of theatrical distribution resulting from the box-office opening success of Creed III, which is also the first film released by MGM itself under Amazon ownership.