Gambling marketing rights outfit Skyrocket Entertainment has burnished its portfolio of Hollywood films via a new deal with Millennium Media.
On Wednesday, the Hollywood Reporter broke the story that Skyrocket had reached a deal with Millennium to market film-branded content to international online gambling operators (in regulated markets) for use in slots, bingo and instant win lottery products.
Millennium’s film vault includes such blockbusters as The Expendables and the Fallen franchise, Rambo 4, several Jason Statham vehicles (including The Mechanic), as well as the Hellboy reboot currently in cinemas around the world. The company has also produced more arty fare, including The Paperboy, Loving Pablo and the porn biopic Lovelace. Frankly, we’re really keen to see what types of game fare might emerge from that last one.
Skyrocket will oversee game-building, certification and distribution of products based on these titles. Production is expected to begin next month and the finished products will begin appearing on your friendly neighborhood gambling site sometime next year.
Skyrocket was formed one year ago by gaming industry veteran Richard Clarke (Ladbrokes, Gala Coral, Fortuna Entertainment, etc.) and film producer Sean O’Kelly. The pair announced their new venture at last year’s Cannes Film Festival and hired fellow gambling industry veteran Graham Martin as their chairman last September.
O’Kelly hailed the Millennium deal, saying Skyrocket had secured the “crown jewels of their library,” from which “fresh and immersive gaming experiences” will emerge. Skyrocket has built relationships with hundreds of gambling sites in markets spanning the globe, including the UK, Europe and Asia, all of which will now have the option of fresh treats with which to lure gambling customers.
When the company first launched, Skyrocket aimed to license up to 100 new games per year based on film titles both old and new. The company isn’t just focused on the real-money gambling sector but also targets the lucrative social gaming market. As of last September, the company said it had acquired the exclusive rights to 75 feature films and had inked output and distribution deals with several online platform providers.
