Rogue Pictures, the genre unit for Universal Studios, has been bought by Relativity Media, according to Variety. Originally a division of Focus Features, the division became an independent unit in 2007.
Variety reported that the unit was bought for $150 million, a comparative bargain due to the lackluster economy. Universal, however, will retain distribution rights.
Relativity CEO Ryan Kavanaugh attributed the deal to Rogue’s “success in the horror space in particular, which is something we can expand upon.”
The first picture for the new deal is David S. Goyer’s “The Unborn,” which will be released on Friday. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Relativity will also release three more films by Rogue, including Wes Craven’s “25/8,” and will come out with at least two films a year under the Rogue umbrella.
Update: Troy Brownfield checked in with Hack/Slash creator Tim Seeley, as the film version of that comic was in development at Rogue. Seeley confirmed that his book is still in the Rogue pipeline. He also indicated that there may be more information in the offing. We’ll keep up with details and report them here.
