Village Roadshow Entertainment Group, the film producer and financier that has backed “The Matrix,” “Ocean’s Eleven,” “Joker” and “The Lego Movie” franchises, has filed for bankruptcy protection in the U.

The company attributed its red ink to its protracted battle with Warner Bros. over the release of "The Matrix Resurrections" and a push into independent production. Village Roadshow said a potential sale last year collapsed because of uncertainty surrounding the dispute.