New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Leading British production company MARV and global music company Warner
Music Group (WMG) have announced a new joint venture. Through a multi-year, worldwide agreement, the newly formed MARV
Music label will work with new and established artists to create original music for films as well as standalone soundtrack and film-inspired album releases. With the launch of the label, Colin Barlow - former head of Polydor Records, RCA Records UK, and Geffen UK - has joined MARV
Music as President, overseeing development, production, and distribution.
MARV Music's first release will be a joint release with Parlophone entitled 'Measure of a Man,' performed by FKA twigs featuring
Central Cee and written by Ivor Novello winner Jamie Hartman, John Hill,
Amanda Ghost, Dominic Lewis, Jane Goldman, and Matthew Vaughn. The song will be released on 19th November 2021 and will be featured in the
20th Century Studios' film, The King's Man, by Matthew Vaughn. The prequel to the acclaimed Kingsman movies stars Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans, Matthew Goode, Tom Hollander, Harris Dickinson,
Daniel Brühl, Djimon Hounsou, and Charles Dance; and is slated for worldwide release on 22nd December 2021.
Another upcoming MARV film, Silent Night, will feature Michael Bublé's newly recorded original composition, 'The Christmas Sweater.' The track will make its debut later this month on the 10th Anniversary Super
Deluxe Box Set edition of Christmas, the Warner Records artist's multi-platinum, global chart-topper. Silent Night, set for release on 3rd December 2021, is directed by
Camille Griffin and stars
Keira Knightley and Lily-Rose Depp.
Matthew Vaughn said, "Music is an essential part of story-telling and film; and something I have always been passionate about. This partnership with Max, and one of the world's leading record companies, gives us the platform to expand creatively, as well as grow our overall media business."
Zygi Kamasa, CEO of MARV, said, "This joint venture marks the start of an ambitious musical journey with Warner
Music Group and we welcome an experienced music executive like Colin to the MARV family. Alongside our scaled-up production activity launching multiple franchise films, it signals our ambition to work with the best artists to create world-leading music for film and music fans to enjoy for years to come."
Max Lousada, CEO, Recorded Music, Warner
Music Group said, "Together, music and film create powerful cultural moments, with songs playing a huge role in propelling a narrative and amplifying its emotional impact. This partnership is a dynamic way for our artists to collaborate with other original storytellers, expand their creative universes, and reach massive new audiences. Matthew is a game-changing filmmaker and imaginative entrepreneur and we're happy to be joining forces with him, Zygi, Colin, and the team."
MARV films currently in post-production include Tetris, directed by Jon S. Baird and starring Taron Egerton, which MARV is producing for Apple; and action-comedy School Fight, directed by acclaimed stunt director
Damien Walters.
With a legacy extending back over 200 years, Warner
Music Group (WMG) today brings together artists, songwriters, and entrepreneurs that are moving entertainment culture across the globe.
Operating in more than 70 countries through a network of affiliates and licensees, WMG's Recorded
Music division includes renowned labels such as Asylum, Atlantic, Big Beat, Canvasback, Elektra, Erato, First Night, Fueled by Ramen, Nonesuch, Parlophone, Reprise, Rhino, Roadrunner, Sire, Spinnin', Warner Records, Warner Classics, and Warner
Music Nashville.
WMG's music publishing arm, Warner Chappell Music, has a catalog of over 1 million copyrights spanning every musical genre, from the standards of the Great American Songbook to the biggest hits of the 21st century.
Warner
Music Group is also home to ADA, the independent artist and label services company - as well as next gen artist services division WEA, which includes consumer brands such as Songkick, the live music app; EMP, the merchandise e-tailer; UPROXX, the youth culture destination; and HipHopDX, the hip-hop music news site. In addition, WMG counts storytelling powerhouse Warner
Music Entertainment and social media content creator IMGN among its many brands.
Follow WMG on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
MARV specialises in genre-redefining films and is owned by renowned British director Matthew Vaughn, with Zygi Kamasa recently announced as CEO. Vaughn's films have garnered over $2.6 billion at the global box office, making him one of Britain's most successful and critically acclaimed independent filmmakers.
Vaughn began his career as producer with Guy Ritchie's Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, which starred Brad Pitt. He debuted as a director with the crime thriller Layer Cake, starring
Daniel Craig. Vaughn then directed, produced and co-wrote
Stardust with his writing partner Jane Goldman, starring Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer. In 2009, he produced action-thriller Harry Brown, which starred Michael Caine.
2010 saw Vaughn producing and co-writing The Debt, which starred Helen Mirren and Sam Worthington, and directing, producing and co-writing Kick-Ass. In 2011 Vaughn co-wrote and directed the
20th Century Fox prequel X-Men: First Class, a box office and critical hit which re-invigorated the popular series. He continued his involvement in the series by co-writing 2014's X-Men: Days of
Future Past.
2014 also saw the debut of the hit global Kingsman series, beginning with Kingsman: The Secret Service and its follow-up Kingsman: The Golden Circle in
September 2017. Both films were co-written and directed by Vaughn and produced by MARV. In 2016, Vaughn produced Eddie the Eagle, directed by
Dexter Fletcher and starring Taron Egerton and Hugh Jackman. In 2019 MARV and Rocket
Pictures released Rocketman, directed by
Dexter Fletcher and starring Taron Egerton.
The prequel in the Kingsman franchise, The King's Man, releases worldwide in December 2021, again co-written and directed by Vaughn and produced by MARV.
The company's upcoming slate also includes Tetris starring Taron Egerton in post-production and the Christmas film Silent Night, directed by
Camille Griffin and starring two-time Oscar nominee
Keira Knightley and Lily-Rose Depp.
As part of the Kingsman universe, Vaughn created and oversees the ground-breaking luxury lifestyle brand KINGSMAN, with several global retail partnerships. These include the successful Kingsman menswear and accessories collection with Mr Porter, The Statesman and The Glendronach alcohol partnerships with Brown-Forman, and unique collaborations with watchmakers Jaeger LeCoultre, Montblanc, Cutler & Gross and many others.
