Paramount and MGM's history with the franchise
Paramount was the original distributor of the 1974 movie and they still own US rights to it today. International rights are owned by StudioCanal who owns the Dino de Laurentiis library.
MGM acquired the libraries of the various production companies that produced the sequels, notably Cannon Films and are thus the primary rightsholders to them. Cannon's library was originally distributed on US television by Viacom, and when they merged with Paramount US TV rights to the sequels transferred accordingly.
The Death Wish remake will be the first film in the franchise to be distributed on US TV by MGM since they are co-producing the movie.
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