Barry Reardon, who led theatrical distribution at Warner Bros. for nearly 20 years, has died. He was 92.
Barry Reardon, who led theatrical distribution at Warner Bros. for nearly 20 years starting in the late 1970s, died on May 27 at his home in Vero Beach, Fla. He was 92.
A respected 31-year industry veteran, Reardon was known as the “dean” of theatrical distribution and was credited with transforming the way that studio films are marketed and released. During his tenure, the industry began to place more of an emphasis on daily and weekend box office reports and expanded the scope of the all-important summer blockbuster season.
At the time of his retirement in 1999 — after 21 years at the studio and 17 as distribution chief — he exited with an enviable track record. Under his leadership, the studio had 22 films cross the $100 million mark domestically — an impressive milestone since movie tickets were much less expensive back then, and one that’s proven to be challenging to match again in these pandemic times. And Warner Bros. spent most of those years among the top three studios in terms of North American box office share.
In Variety’s announcement of his retirement, he was referred to as a “straight shooter who loves movies” and revered for his close relationships with longtime Warner Bros.
