Online Casino Game Developer Buys MGM Movie Rights
Freemantle Media, an international entertainment production and licensing company, agreed to a deal to lease the online casino rights to Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer movies. Freemantle will have the option to develop games using the movie themes, or to lease the rights to other software developers to create new Internet slots.Freemantle's license to such movies as the Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns, Robocop, "Stargate", and "Fame", applies only to players and Internet gambling sites outside the US.
Freemantle has already developed games based on "American Idol" and "The Price is Right," with a "Baywatch" game forthcoming.
Paul Kanareck said that MGM “has brands that people have grown up with, and which have strong themes such as Westerns, ancient Egypt and science fiction."
He added, "All translate well into games across a range of platforms.”
MGM was at several points still tied to MGM Mirage, the casino and hotel company, until majority partner Kirk Kerkorian sold the movie division for the third time in 2000, to Sony Pictures. Although the company retains the MGM name, the gambling company and the movie producer are now totally separate entities.
