AMC Global Media Unveils Ambitious Programming Slate and New Partnerships at Upfront Presentation

At an upfront showcase in New York, AMC Global Media announced a slate of new scripted series, spin-offs, and distribution partnerships. The event, described as the company’s first under its new brand name, served as a platform to outline upcoming content and advertising initiatives.

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• “Caine” – a John Wick spin-off starring Donnie Yen, who also directs, executive-produces, and appears with Rina Sawayama as Akira. Production will take place in Europe and Hong Kong.

Caine Teaser Video Previews Donnie Yen’s John Wick Spin-off Movie

• “Thunder Road” – a NASCAR drama headlined by Dennis Quaid as racing legend Duane Whitlock, produced in partnership with NASCAR and slated for a 2027 launch on AMC and AMC+.

Deadline Hollywood

• Point Break series – a television adaptation slated for possible 2027 production in Australia.

Hollywood Reporter

• Bannerman series – an adaptation of John Maxim’s spy novels, with Shane Black attached as director and executive-producer.

Hollywood Reporter

• YAGA – a modern reimagining of the Baba Yaga myth, featuring Hudson Williams.

AV Club

• Meta Quest partnership – AMC+ will launch on Meta’s standalone VR headsets later this year.

Variety Magazine

• Sphere collaborations – expanded events for Halloween and the holidays, including a live “Vampire Lestat” performance at New York’s Beacon Theater.

Hollywood Reporter

Chief content officer Dan McDermott emphasized three pillars guiding AMC’s slate: iconic characters, immersive sub-cultures, and lasting thematic weight. He noted that “Thunder Road” embodies the first pillar with Dennis Quaid’s star power. President and chief commercial officer Kim Kelleher highlighted sports as a unifying force and described the Meta Quest rollout as a “global-facing” expansion. Executives also stressed that first-stream viewership drives advertising value in a fragmented market.

Hollywood Reporter

The announcements signal AMC’s shift from linear channels toward diversified streaming, niche-genre storytelling, and immersive distribution. By pairing high-profile talent with franchise extensions, AMC aims to attract both legacy fans and new audiences while offering advertisers premium first-stream inventory across multiple platforms.

Variety Magazine

No dissenting viewpoints or criticism were presented in the source material.

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The sources provide consistent information; no discrepancies or missing data were identified.

AV Club

• “They may seem a little bit disparate, but they’re all interconnected because they all service the three primary pillars of an AMC show, which is 1): A ‘lightning in a bottle’ character that you can put on a poster and everybody knows.” — Dan McDermott, chief content officer

Hollywood Reporter

• “ “Sports is the great uniter during big periods of divide.” — Kim Kelleher, president and chief commercial officer

Hollywood Reporter

• “The user’s, the viewer’s, attention and engagement in the program is at its highest when they first start watching it.” — Kim Kelleher

Hollywood Reporter

• “We will be launching a number of our streaming apps on Meta Quest, starting with AMC+ later this year,” — Kim Kelleher

Variety Magazine

Production on “Thunder Road” begins this summer, with a 2027 premiere. “Caine” has entered active filming, and its teaser has already been released. AMC+ will appear on Meta Quest later in 2026, and the Sphere partnership will host holiday-season events, extending AMC’s presence beyond traditional screens.

Variety Magazine