Related: EXCLUSIVE: Joel Silver Going Indie And Making 12-Film Distribution Deal With Universal For Post-Warner Bros Producing

LOS ANGELES, CA, June 7, 2012—Universal Pictures today announced a five-year domestic distribution deal with Silver Pictures Entertainment, a new division of Silver Pictures. The deal includes 12 motion pictures across multiple genres of which Universal will distribute two to three films per year. The announcement was made by Universal Pictures Chairman, Adam Fogelson and Co-Chairman, Donna Langley alongside Joel Silver.

The first project under the new deal will be Non-Stop, from director Jaume Collet-Serra and starring Liam Neeson. The project reunites Collet-Serra, Neeson and Silver who worked together on the worldwide box office hit Unknown. Silver Pictures executives Andrew Rona and Steve Richards will produce along with Silver. Richards and Rona negotiated the deal with Universal on behalf of Silver and Silver Pictures Entertainment.

Silver has produced more than 60 films which have earned more than $13 billion in worldwide revenue. His credits include the Academy Award®-winning The Matrix trilogy, the blockbuster Lethal Weapon franchise and seminal action films Die Hard and Predator. He more recently launched the Sherlock Holmes franchise for Warner Bros., the first two installments of which—Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows—have earned more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office in the last three years.