Warner Bros. is venturing into the cinematic realm of Sean Baker with the acquisition of his latest masterpiece, "Ti Amo!". This film marks Baker's first feature since his Oscar-winning film "Anora," and Warner Bros. plans to release it globally in 2027, securing worldwide rights except for France. The announcement was made at CinemaCon on April 14th, along with the unveiling of the studio's new specialty division - Clockwork.
Led by Christian Parkes, who reports to film bosses Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, Clockwork has quietly launched in December after hiring a trio of executives from Tom Quinn's indie powerhouse outfit, Neon. "Sean Baker is an artist who embodies everything we believe in at Clockwork," said Parkes. "Plus, his poster game is on point."
Baker will write, direct, edit, cast, and produce the feature, working alongside "Anora" producers Alex Coco and Samantha Quan. Cre Film and Rapt Film are producing with financing from FilmNation Entertainment. While no other details about the feature are available, it follows Baker's success in "Anora's" winning streak at the 2025 Oscar ceremony, where he won not only Best Picture but also Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing, and Best Director, while lead Mikey Madison won Best Actress.
Along with Parkes, his former Neon colleague Jason Wald, who played a key role in bringing in indie hit "Longlegs," is also now at Clockwork. Additionally, Neon alum Spencer Collantes has joined the team. Initially, De Luca and Abdy spoke with Quinn about joining Warner Bros., but he chose to remain at Neon, according to multiple sources.
These moves come at a time of transition for both the studio and the specialty market. No one can predict what the landscape will look like once David Ellison's Paramount-Skydance completes its acquisition of Warner Bros. Meanwhile, Paramount is also launching a new indie specialty label.
In just eight years, Quinn and his team have transformed Neon into an indie powerhouse that has amassed 39 Academy Award nominations and 11 wins - including Best Picture winners "Parasite" and "Anora" - after "I, Tonya" put the company on the map. Earlier on Tuesday, Neon presented its slate at CinemaCon in the coveted spot following the State of the Industry session.
