Clockwork, Warner Bros.’ contemporary film label led by Christian Parkes, is set to move into the new Paramount-Warner Bros. combination known as Skydance.
The specialty operation appeared on an internal roster of Warner Bros. labels presented at Paramount, placing it among the film businesses expected to continue under the merged company. People familiar with the plans also indicate that Warner Bros.’ label chiefs will remain in charge of their respective divisions.
That group includes James Gunn and Peter Safran at DC and Richard Brener at New Line. The film label heads will report to Paramount Pictures co-chairs Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein.
Paramount did not return a request for comment.
Clockwork’s Specialty-Film Ambitions
Clockwork was launched by former Warner Bros. Motion Picture bosses Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy alongside Parkes, the former chief marketing officer of NEON. The label was first announced in December, with the Clockwork name following at CinemaCon.
The operation was designed to give Warner Bros. an entry point for edgy filmmakers working with moderately budgeted movies, while bringing some A24-style energy to the studio. Its original plan called for an annual output of two to three films.
At the time of its unveiling, there were questions within the industry about whether the new independent-minded division would survive any Warner Bros. merger. Its inclusion in Paramount’s internal list now signals that Clockwork is part of the company’s plans, with Paramount viewing the still-young label as a growing asset.
Clockwork’s first theatrical release is scheduled for Oct. 16 with a 4K restoration of The Devils, the provocative 1971 Catholic taboo film directed by Ken Russell.
A Growing Clockwork Portfolio
Several additional projects are expected to make the move to Paramount with Clockwork. They include Ti Amo!, the FilmNation-financed next movie from Anora Oscar winner Sean Bailey.
The label also holds North American rights to Park Chan-Wook’s Western The Brigands of Rattlecreek. Clockwork made the acquisition at the Cannes market for a price in the mid-teen millions.
The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Austin Butler, Pedro Pascal and Chinese star Tang Wei, whose credits include Decision to Leave.
Another project in the Clockwork portfolio is an untitled feature directed by Sean Penn about the Jan. 6 Capitol riots.
How Clockwork Fits at Paramount
Clockwork is expected to operate alongside Paramount’s existing global acquisitions business and Republic Pictures rather than replace either operation. Republic is led by Lia Buman, a producer on Wicker.
Republic recently made a major Cannes purchase with Canal’s Midnight Library, paying $36 million for rights that include domestic distribution and a large portion of foreign territories. The label was also behind the 2024 Oscar-nominated Munich Olympics thriller September 5.
The arrangement gives the combined company multiple avenues for acquiring and releasing films, while allowing Clockwork to retain the filmmaker-focused identity behind its creation. With its first theatrical release set and a pipeline that includes projects from Park Chan-Wook and Sean Penn, the label will enter the new corporate structure with an active slate already in place.