Alliance Atlantis Communications and Artisan Entertainment have finalized a three-year output deal for distribution in the u.k.

As a result, aac will be exclusive distributor of Artisan properties throughout the territory. Properties include all Artisan Pictures-produced and acquired theatrical releases and Artisan Home Entertainment product (including direct-to-video titles).

Coming Artisan Pictures projects covered in the deal are Soul Survivors, Requiem For A Dream, the second installment of The Blair Witch Project and Way of the Gun, starring Benecio Del Toro, Ryan Phillippe and James Caan.

Although aac has acquired the tv rights to all Artisan product, the u.s. prodco does not own any tv product.

aac and Artisan already have an existing three-year, all-rights output deal in Canada, struck in the summer of 1998. And because of that established relationship, Artisan gave aac a first stab at negotiations, says Patrice Theroux, president of Alliance Atlantis Motion Picture Distribution.

Almost all the major u.s. prodcos are now tied up in u.k. output deals, except for USA Film, says Theroux, adding: ‘We’re currently talking to production companies to do another output deal in the u.k….and we’ll have one before the first part of next year.’

The u.k. promises to generate roughly 6% to 10% of a film’s revenue on the international distribution market.

aac says the latest agreement will make Alliance Atlantis U.K. Distribution, jointly owned by German distributor Kinowelt, one of the leaders among independent distributors in the u.k.