EXCLUSIVE: In a major deal, Concord Originals has acquired RKO, the legendary film studio behind such classic properties as King Kong, Citizen Kane, The Best Years of Our Lives, It’s a Wonderful Life, Suspicion and The Woman in the Window.
The purchase gives Concord Originals the derivative rights to over 5,000 titles, which include the remake, sequel, story, stage and copyrights (including unproduced screenplays) of the company’s storied film library. Concord acquired RKO from Ted Hartley, who served as the studio’s Chairman and CEO for 35 years.
Going forward, RKO will continue to operate as its own imprint under Concord Originals. Sophia Dilley and current RKO President Mary Beth O’Connor have been named Co-Presidents of RKO and will jointly run the company with the support of the Concord Originals team. Dilley will also maintain her current role as head of Concord Originals, considered one of the preeminent homes for adapting music and theatre IP, and will continue to oversee its current mandate: to develop and produce projects drawing from Concord’s vast library.
“Concord’s commitment to championing legacy is unmatched,” observed Hartley in a statement to Deadline. “We are confident that RKO has found its next big step into its future at Concord. They have committed to continuing and enhancing the rich history of the iconic studio. I am proud to build this with them and look forward to what this power team will bring to our industry.”
Hartley will remain as lead producer and Chief Storyteller on a slate of active RKO projects and will function as Chairman Emeritus at RKO. Alongside his partners, he’s concurrently launching Roseblood Pictures, which will focus on book pick-ups, original programming, and becoming a home for accomplished writers, storytellers, and independent producers.
Concord CEO Bob Valentine told us, “RKO is a treasure trove of filmed storytelling that has had a permanent and profound impact on global popular culture. We are honored that Ted Hartley has entrusted us as the next stewards to shepherd the studio and its storied catalogue alongside our constantly growing roster of important IP.
“As we continue to expand our catalogue and content capabilities,” he continued, “RKO makes sense as a strategic step in widening Concord’s foothold in film, television, and theatrical rights, providing our Originals and Theatricals divisions with an extraordinarily deep collection of titles to develop and reimagine.”
Known as one of the last privately held of the original eight big studios, RKO’s iconic tower and globe logo has lit movie and television screens for over 90 years. Owned at various times by Joseph P. Kennedy and billionaire Howard Hughes, the studio is home to many significant franchises, including the original Val Lewton library that launched the genre of horror in Hollywood, detective series The Falcon, eight titles in The Saint series, and over 92 film musicals, including such classics starring Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire as Top Hat, Flying Down to Rio, The Gay Divorcee and Swing Time. Over the course of its history, RKO has garnered 18 Best Picture Oscar nominations and two wins, for Cimarron and The Best Years of Our Lives.
RKO Co-President O’Connor joined the company under Hartley in 2015 and has ever since managed a diverse slate of films, TV shows and stage productions. Currently, there are seven projects in active development across RKO’s musical, film noir, western, horror, and thriller film genres. First up is multiple Olivier Award-winning stage musical, Top Hat — based on RKO’s classic 1935 film starring Astaire and Rogers, featuring music and lyrics by Irving Berlin — which will open in Chichester, England this summer and embark on a tour later this year. The production is adapted by Matthew White and Howard Jacques and directed and choreographed by three-time Tony winner Kathleen Marshall.
“Concord has embraced RKO and its proud legacy as a symbol of bold, imaginative storytelling. We are thrilled to be launching anew with Concord’s powerful platform and deep creative vision, anchored by the heart and spirit of our shared goals for RKO’s next chapter,” the exec told us. “Working alongside Sophia and the extensive Concord teams across divisions, I’m filled with gratitude and excitement to help carry RKO’s singular identity into a vibrant future.”
Dilley has been with Concord Originals since 2018 and has held the title of EVP since January 2024. Under her leadership, the company has completed eleven produced projects in the last five years including the Emmy-nominated and Peabody-winning Stax: Soulsville U.S.A., a multi-part docuseries about Stax Records for HBO. Their upcoming slate includes a TV series reimagining of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella with SkydanceTV and Nuyorican Productions and the recently announced co-production of The Untitled Robert Johnson Biopic, a narrative feature based on the life story of seminal blues musician Robert Johnson in partnership with Jesse Collins Entertainment.
Said Dilley: “Concord Originals takes pride in being a trusted partner for reinventing IP. This acquisition marks a thrilling new chapter for both companies. I am looking forward to working with Mary Beth and our teams to unite a prestigious history of storytelling with bold forward-looking creative ambition. The combined catalogues offer an extraordinary foundation for reimagining beloved classics and launching entirely new franchises across film, TV and theater. It’s a rare opportunity to honor the past while shaping the future.”
DLA Piper’s David Markman, Tom Ara, and Alex Meiseles negotiated the deal for Concord Originals. RKO was represented by Chris O’Brien at Venable.
