Amblin Partners
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment production |
| Founded | December 16, 2015 |
| Founder | Steven Spielberg, Jeff Skoll, Anil Ambani, Darren Throop |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Steven Spielberg, Jeff Skoll, Anil Ambani, Darren Throop |
| Products | Motion pictures, Television content |
Storyteller Distribution Co., LLC, operating under the trade name Amblin Partners, LLC., is a U.S.-based independent entertainment production firm established on December 16, 2015. It develops motion pictures through the Amblin Entertainment and DreamWorks Pictures labels, and produces television content via Amblin Television.
Its investment consortium includes Reliance Group's Reliance Entertainment, Lionsgate Studios, Alibaba Group's Alibaba Pictures, as well as NBCUniversal/Comcast's Universal Pictures. In North America and select international territories, Universal or its specialty division Focus Features primarily manages film distribution, while other regions rely on third-party distribution handled by Mister Smith Entertainment.
History
The inception of Amblin Partners was driven by Steven Spielberg, alongside Jeff Skoll from Participant Media, Anil Ambani representing Reliance Group, and Darren Throop of Entertainment One. Their goal was to produce and distribute films and television programs under the DreamWorks Pictures, Amblin Entertainment, and Participant Media banners. The DreamWorks label is reserved for adult-oriented films, Amblin focuses on family-friendly projects (with the exception of the R-rated Maestro), and Participant handles socially conscious initiatives while maintaining operational independence.
Upon formation, Amblin Partners secured a five-year distribution agreement with Universal Pictures, releasing films through Universal or Focus Features. The initial release under this deal was The Girl on the Train. Meanwhile, Mister Smith Entertainment continued managing international sales across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
On October 9, 2016, Amblin Partners allied with China's Alibaba Pictures, which took a minority equity position and assumed responsibilities including marketing, distribution support, merchandising within China, and global co-financing. In February 2017, Universal Pictures—owned by Comcast—acquired a minority share in Amblin Partners, strengthening their partnership and reuniting DreamWorks Pictures with its former animation unit now under Comcast's umbrella.
On December 18, 2017, Amblin Partners entered an exclusive agreement with BMG Rights Management to oversee its film and television music publishing catalog.
Transfer of eOne's stake
On August 22, 2019, Hasbro announced its intent to purchase Entertainment One for a minimum of $4 billion; the acquisition finalized on December 30, 2019. This transaction transferred Entertainment One’s ownership interest in Amblin Partners to Hasbro.
On November 30, 2020, Amblin Partners renewed its distribution contract with Universal, which remained an equity investor. Concurrently, Participant Media divested its ownership stake in Amblin Partners, ending its participation.
On June 21, 2021, Amblin Partners inked a multi-year deal to produce several feature films annually for Netflix.
On November 17, 2022, Hasbro revealed plans to divest segments of Entertainment One’s television and film operations that did not align with its Branded Entertainment focus—including its stake in Amblin Partners. By March 2023, potential purchasers for Entertainment One’s assets included Lionsgate, Fremantle, and Legendary Entertainment. Following Fremantle’s withdrawal in April 2023 due to escalating pricing demands, Lionsgate, Legendary, and GoDigital Media Group remained contenders. Simultaneously, Hasbro engaged in discussions with co-founder Throop—supported by CVC Capital Partners—regarding a possible reacquisition of the company.
On July 11, 2023, Amblin Partners announced a collaboration with Universal involving co-financing upcoming productions alongside a workforce reduction of approximately 20%. That same month Deadline reported Lionsgate as the leading bidder for Entertainment One’s acquisition; Legendary and GoDigital maintained interest while Throop prepared another bid following an earlier unsuccessful attempt.
On August 3, 2023, Lionsgate declared its plan to acquire Entertainment One from Hasbro for $500 million; this deal was completed on December 27, 2023.
Closure of Participant
Participant halted its activities on April 16, 2024, as a result of the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes.
Following its split from Starz, Lionsgate became a potential acquisition target for Legendary on July 11, 2025.
Distributed Titles
| Title | Premiere Date | Production Label | Collaborating Production Companies | Distribution Partner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The BFG | July 1, 2016 | Amblin Entertainment | Walt Disney Pictures, Walden Media, Reliance Entertainment | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| The Light Between Oceans | September 2, 2016 | DreamWorks Pictures | Touchstone Pictures, Reliance Entertainment, Participant Media, Heyday Films | |
| The Girl on the Train | October 7, 2016 | Reliance Entertainment, Marc Platt Productions | Universal Pictures | |
| Office Christmas Party | December 9, 2016 | Reliance Entertainment, Entertainment 360, Bluegrass Films | Paramount Pictures | |
| A Dog's Purpose | January 27, 2017 | Amblin Entertainment | Reliance Entertainment, Walden Media, Pariah Entertainment Group | Universal Pictures |
| Ghost in the Shell | March 31, 2017 | DreamWorks Pictures | Reliance Entertainment, Grosvenor Park Productions, Seaside Entertainment, Arad Productions | Paramount Pictures |
| Thank You for Your Service | October 27, 2017 | Reliance Entertainment, Rahway Road Productions | Universal Pictures | |
| The Post | December 22, 2017 | Amblin Entertainment, DreamWorks Pictures | Reliance Entertainment, Pascal Pictures, Star Thrower Entertainment | 20th Century Fox |
| 7 Days in Entebbe | March 16, 2018 | Participant Media | Working Title Films | Focus Features |
| The House with a Clock in Its Walls | September 21, 2018 | Amblin Entertainment | Reliance Entertainment, Mythology Entertainment | Universal Pictures |
| First Man | October 12, 2018 | DreamWorks Pictures | Temple Hill Entertainment, Phantasma Films, Perfect World Pictures | |
| Green Book | November 16, 2018 | DreamWorks Pictures, Participant Media | Innisfree Pictures, Cinetic Media | |
| Welcome to Marwen | December 21, 2018 | DreamWorks Pictures | ImageMovers, Perfect World Pictures | |
| On the Basis of Sex | December 25, 2018 | Participant Media | Robert Cort Productions | Focus Features |
| Captive State | March 15, 2019 | Lightfuse & Gettaway | ||
| A Dog's Journey | May 17, 2019 | Amblin Entertainment | Reliance Entertainment, Walden Media, Pariah Entertainment Group | Universal Pictures |
| Dark Waters | November 22, 2019 | Participant Media | Killer Films | Focus Features |
| 1917 | December 25, 2019 | DreamWorks Pictures | Reliance Entertainment, New Republic Pictures, Neal Street Productions, Mogambo | Universal Pictures |
| The Turning | January 24, 2020 | Vertigo Entertainment, Reliance Entertainment | ||
| Come Play | October 30, 2020 | Amblin Partners | The Picture Company, Reliance Entertainment | Focus Features |
| Stillwater | July 30, 2021 | Participant and DreamWorks Pictures | Slow Pony, Anonymous Content, Supernatural Pictures | |
| Finch | November 5, 2021 | Amblin Entertainment | Reliance Entertainment, ImageMovers, Misher Films, Walden Media | Apple TV+ |
| Easter Sunday | August 5, 2022 | DreamWorks Pictures | Reliance Entertainment, Rideback | Universal Pictures |
| The Good House | September 30, 2022 | Participant and DreamWorks Pictures | Roadside Attractions, Faliro House, Reliance Entertainment, FilmNation Entertainment | Lionsgate Studios |
| The Fabelmans | November 11, 2022 | Amblin Entertainment | Reliance Entertainment | Universal Pictures |
| The Last Voyage of the Demeter | August 11, 2023 | DreamWorks Pictures | Reliance Entertainment, Storyworks Productions, Studio Babelsberg, Phoenix Pictures, Wise Owl Media | |
| How to Train Your Dragon | June 13, 2025 | DreamWorks Pictures (uncredited) | DreamWorks Animation, Marc Platt Productions | |
| Long Distance | July 3, 2025 | DreamWorks Pictures | Reliance Entertainment, Automatik Entertainment |
Upcoming Projects
| Title | Scheduled Release | Studio | Collaborating Production Companies | Distribution Partner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focker In-Law | November 25, 2026 | DreamWorks Pictures (credited solely for copyright and studio) | Tribeca Enterprises, Red Hour Productions, Particular Pictures | Paramount Pictures Universal Pictures |
| How to Train Your Dragon 2 | June 11, 2027 | DreamWorks Pictures (uncredited) | DreamWorks Animation, Marc Platt Productions | Universal Pictures |
| You Should Be Dancing | To Be Announced | Amblin Entertainment | Scott Free Productions, GK Films, Sister Films | Paramount Pictures |
Projects in Development
| Title | Studio | Partner Production Companies | Distributor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arachnophobia | To Be Announced | Atomic Monster | To Be Announced |
| Apeirogon | To Be Announced | To Be Announced | To Be Announced |
| American Reaper | To Be Announced | Intrepid Pictures | To Be Announced |
| Assassins Anonymous | To Be Announced | To Be Announced | To Be Announced |
| Beautiful Ruins | To Be Announced | Neal Street Productions | To Be Announced |
| Carrier | To Be Announced | Automatik Entertainment, QCode | To Be Announced |
| Cheshire Crossing | To Be Announced | Michael De Luca Productions | To Be Announced |
| Confessions in B-Flat | To Be Announced | Orit Entertainment, Marcy Place Productions | To Be Announced |
| Homecoming Queen | To Be Announced | To Be Announced | To Be Announced |
| James | To Be Announced | Universal Pictures | Universal Pictures |
| Long Lost | To Be Announced | Genre Pictures, Ground Control Entertainment | Universal Pictures |
| Miss Macy | To Be Announced | To Be Announced | To Be Announced |
| Super in Love | To Be Announced | To Be Announced | To Be Announced |
| Stage 13 | To Be Announced | To Be Announced | To Be Announced |
| The Act | To Be Announced | To Be Announced | To Be Announced |
| The Bear | To Be Announced | Marc Platt Productions | To Be Announced |
| The Exchange | To Be Announced | Escape Artists | To Be Announced |
| The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August | To Be Announced | Blueprint Pictures, OddBall Entertainment | To Be Announced |
| The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara | To Be Announced | DreamWorks Pictures | Spielberg/Krieger |
| The Light of Days | To Be Announced | To Be Announced | To Be Announced |
| The Richest Black Girl in America | To Be Announced | To Be Announced | To Be Announced |
| The Switch | To Be Announced | To Be Announced | To Be Announced |
| Untitled biographical film on Jutta Kleinschmidt | To Be Announced | 87North Productions, Devonsheer Media | To Be Announced |
| Untitled film based on a true story about a show choir | To Be Announced | Safehouse Pictures | To Be Announced |
| Upgrade | To Be Announced | To Be Announced | To Be Announced |