Australia’s Rialto and the U.K’s Vertigo Releasing have joined forces to launch Galaxy Pictures, a new film distribution company in Australia and New Zealand. The company will focus on “broad-appeal, star-driven commercial pictures that cater to consumers attuned to an increasingly digital landscape.”
The two companies have already been cooperating for the past three years and handle 120 titles. The new company represents a formalization of that partnership which has seen them work together on titles including “Honest Thief,” “Boss Level,” “Ainbo: Amazon Princess,” “Dreambuilders,” “The Misfits” and “Cosmic Sin.”
Galaxy’s 2024 releasing slate includes “Land of Bad,” starring Australia’s Russell Crowe and Liam Hemsworth, “Long Legs,” starring Nicolas Cage, “Sleeping Dogs,” starring Russell Crowe and Karen Gillan, “Armoured,” starring Sylvester Stallone, “The Canterville Ghost,” starring Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, culinary romance “The Taste of Things” (aka “Pot Au Feu”) and “The Rule of Jenny,” starring John Lithgow and Australia’s Geoffrey Rush.
“We’ve released some cracking movies with Kelly and the team in the last 3 years and with our strongest slate yet it’s absolutely the right time to launch Galaxy. There are exciting times ahead,” said Rupert Preston, CEO of Vertigo Releasing.
“We are delighted to formalize what is an amazing relationship with the best guys imaginable, who share our passion for film, and excitement in meeting the needs of this ever-evolving industry,” Kelly Rogers, CEO of Rialto said.
The announcement is the second by a new distributor in the Australia-New Zealand market in just a few weeks and preceded the upcoming international Australian International Movie Convention. Earlier this month, Canada’s VVS Films said it will be launching operations Down Under – also with a Nicolas Cage title, “Dream Scenario.”
The Australian theatrical market has recovered fairly strongly since COVID, but like other parts of the Australian broadcast and streaming market it remains subject to potential major changes as traditional studio business wanes and even the country’s major pay-TV company Foxtel is reinventing itself as a streamer and aggregator.