Australia’s Rialto and the UK’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 films that appeal to consumers attuned to an increasingly digital landscape”.
The two companies have been working together for the past three years, handling 120 titles. The new company represents a formalisation of this partnership, which has seen them work together on titles such as Honest Thief, Boss Level, Ainbo: Amazon Princess, Dreambuilders, The Misfits and Cosmic Sin.
Galaxy’s 2024 release slate includes “Land of Bad” starring Australians Russell Crowe and Liam Hemsworth, “Long Legs” starring Nicolas Cage, “Sleeping Dogs” starring Russell Crowe and Karen Gillan, “Armoured, “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 Australian Geoffrey Rush.
“We’ve released some great films with Kelly and the team over the last three 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 formalise what has been an amazing relationship with the best people imaginable who share our passion for film and excitement about meeting the needs of this ever-evolving industry,” said Kelly Rogers, CEO of Rialto.
The announcement is the second from a new distributor in the Australia-New Zealand market in as many weeks and comes ahead of the upcoming Australian International Film Convention. Earlier this month, Canada’s VVS Films announced it was starting operations Down Under – also with a Nicolas Cage title, “Dream Scenario”.
The Australian theatrical market has rebounded fairly strongly since COVID, but like other parts of the Australian broadcast and streaming market, it remains subject to potentially major changes as the traditional studio business wanes and even the country’s major pay-TV company, Foxtel, reinvents itself as a streamer and aggregator.
