United Artists Corporation
Subsidiary | |
ISIN | 🆔 |
Industry | Film Television |
Founded 📆 | February 5, 1919Hollywood, California, United States in |
Founders 👔 | |
Headquarters 🏙️ | Beverly Hills, California, United States |
Area served 🗺️ | |
Key people | Kevin Conroy (President of Digital & New Platforms at MGM)[1] |
Products 📟 | Motion pictures TV series |
Members | |
Number of employees | |
Parent | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (Amazon) |
🌐 Website | [Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 665: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). ] |
📇 Address | |
📞 telephone | |
United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the studio was premised on allowing actors to control their own interests, rather than being dependent upon commercial studios.[2] UA was repeatedly bought, sold, and restructured over the ensuing century. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquired the studio in 1981 for a reported $350 million ($Error when using {{Inflation}}: |index=US
(parameter 1) not a recognized index. billion today).[3]
On September 22, 2014, MGM acquired a controlling interest in entertainment companies One Three Media and Lightworkers Media, then merged them to revive United Artists' television production unit as United Artists Media Group (UAMG). However, on December 14 of the following year, MGM wholly acquired UAMG and folded it into MGM Television.[4]
United Artists was again revived in 2018 as United Artists Digital Studios. Mirror, the joint distribution venture between MGM and Annapurna Pictures, was subsequently rebranded as United Artists Releasing in early February 2019, in honor of its 100th anniversary.
History[edit]
Early years[edit]
In 1918, Charlie Chaplin could not get his parent company First National Pictures to increase his production budget despite being one of their top producers. Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks had their own contracts, with First National and Famous Players-Lasky respectively, but these were due to run out with no clear offers forthcoming. Sydney Chaplin, brother and business manager for Charlie, deduced something was going wrong, and contacted Pickford and Fairbanks. Together they hired a private detective, who discovered a plan to merge all production companies and to lock in "exhibition companies" to a series of five-year contracts.[5]
Chaplin, Pickford, Fairbanks, and D. W. Griffith incorporated United Artists as a joint venture company on February 5, 1919. Each held a 25 percent stake in the preferred shares and a 20 percent stake in the common shares of the joint venture, with the remaining 20 percent of common shares held by lawyer and advisor William Gibbs McAdoo.[6] The idea for the venture originated with Fairbanks, Chaplin, Pickford and cowboy star William S. Hart a year earlier. Already Hollywood veterans, the four stars talked of forming their own company to better control their own work.
They were spurred on by established Hollywood producers and distributors who were tightening their control over actor salaries and creative decisions, a process that evolved into the studio system. With the addition of Griffith, planning began, but Hart bowed out before anything was formalized. When he heard about their scheme, Richard A. Rowland, head of Metro Pictures, apparently said, "The inmates are taking over the asylum."[7] The four partners, with advice from McAdoo (son-in-law and former Treasury Secretary of then-President Woodrow Wilson), formed their distribution company. Hiram Abrams was its first managing director, and the company established its headquarters at 729 Seventh Avenue in New York City.[5]
The original terms called for each star to produce five pictures a year. By the time the company was operational in 1921, feature films were becoming more expensive and polished, and running times had settled at around ninety minutes (eight reels). The original goal was thus abandoned.
UA's first production, His Majesty, the American, written by and starring Fairbanks, was a success. Funding for movies was limited. Without selling stock to the public like other studios, all United had for finance was weekly prepayment installments from theater owners for upcoming movies. As a result, production was slow, and the company distributed an average of only five films a year in its first five years.[8][unreliable source?]
By 1924, Griffith had dropped out, and the company was facing a crisis.[citation needed] Veteran producer Joseph Schenck was hired as president.[8] He had produced pictures for a decade,[citation needed] and brought commitments for films starring his wife, Norma Talmadge,[8] his sister-in-law, Constance Talmadge,[citation needed] and his brother-in-law, Buster Keaton.[8] Contracts were signed with independent producers, including Samuel Goldwyn, and Howard Hughes.[8] In 1933, Schenck organized a new company with Darryl F. Zanuck, called Twentieth Century Pictures, which soon provided four pictures a year, forming half of UA's schedule.[8]
Schenck formed a separate partnership with Pickford and Chaplin to buy and build theaters under the United Artists name. They began international operations, first in Canada, and then in Mexico. By the end of the 1930s, United Artists was represented in over 40 countries.
When he was denied an ownership share in 1935, Schenck resigned. He set up 20th Century Pictures' merger with Fox Film Corporation to form 20th Century Fox.[9] Al Lichtman succeeded Schenck as company president. Other independent producers distributed through United Artists in the 1930s including Walt Disney Productions, Alexander Korda, Hal Roach, David O. Selznick, and Walter Wanger.[8] As the years passed, and the dynamics of the business changed, these "producing partners" drifted away. Samuel Goldwyn Productions and Disney went to RKO and Wanger to Universal Pictures.
In the late 1930s, UA turned a profit. Goldwyn was providing most of the output for distribution. He sued United several times for disputed compensation leading him to leave. MGM's 1939 hit Gone with the Wind was supposed to be a UA release except that Selznick wanted Clark Gable, who was under contract to MGM, to play Rhett Butler. Also that year, Fairbanks died.[8]
UA became embroiled in lawsuits with Selznick over his distribution of some films through RKO. Selznick considered UA's operation sloppy, and left to start his own distribution arm.[8]
In the 1940s, United Artists was losing money because of poorly received pictures.[citation needed] Cinema attendance continued to decline as television became more popular.[8] The company sold its Mexican releasing division to Crédito Cinematográfico Mexicano, a local company.
Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers (1940s and 1950s)[edit]
In 1941, Pickford, Chaplin, Disney, Orson Welles, Goldwyn, Selznick, Alexander Korda, and Wanger—many of whom were members of United Artists—formed the Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers (SIMPP). Later members included Hunt Stromberg, William Cagney, Sol Lesser, and Hal Roach.
The Society aimed to advance the interests of independent producers in an industry controlled by the studio system. SIMPP fought to end ostensibly anti-competitive practices by the seven major film studios—Loew's (MGM), Columbia Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures, RKO Radio Pictures, 20th Century Fox, and Warner Bros./First National—that controlled the production, distribution, and exhibition of motion pictures.
In 1942, SIMPP filed an antitrust suit against Paramount's United Detroit Theatres. The complaint accused Paramount of conspiracy to control first-and subsequent-run theaters in Detroit. This was the first antitrust suit brought by producers against exhibitors that alleged monopoly and restraint of trade. In 1948, the U.S. Supreme Court Paramount Decision ordered the major Hollywood movie studios to sell their theater chains and to end certain anti-competitive practices. This court ruling ended the studio system.
By 1958, SIMPP achieved many of the goals that led to its creation, and the group ceased operations.
Krim and Benjamin[edit]
Needing a turnaround, Pickford and Chaplin hired Paul V. McNutt in 1950,[10] a former governor of Indiana, as chairman and Frank L. McNamee as president. McNutt did not have the skill to solve UA's financial problems and the pair was replaced after only a few months.[8]
On February 15, 1951, lawyers-turned-producers Arthur B. Krim (of Eagle-Lion Films), Robert Benjamin and Matty Fox[10] approached Pickford and Chaplin with a wild idea: let them take over United Artists for ten years. If UA was profitable in one of the next three years, they would have the option to acquire half the company by the end of the ten years and take full control.[10] Fox Film Corporation president Spyros Skouras extended United Artists a $3 million loan through Krim and Benjamin's efforts.[8][11]
In taking over UA, Krim and Benjamin created the first studio without an actual "studio". Primarily acting as bankers, they offered money to independent producers. UA leased space at the Pickford/Fairbanks Studio but did not own a studio lot. Thus UA did not have the overhead, the maintenance, or the expensive production staff at other studios.
Among their first clients were Sam Spiegel and John Huston, whose Horizon Productions gave UA one major hit, The African Queen (1951) and a substantial success, Moulin Rouge (1952). As well as The African Queen UA also had success with High Noon in their first year, earning a profit of $313,000 compared to a loss of $871,000 the previous year.[10][8] Others clients followed, among them Stanley Kramer, Otto Preminger, Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions, and actors newly freed from studio contracts and seeking to produce or direct their own films.
With the instability in the film industry due to theater divestment, the business was considered risky. In 1955, movie attendance reached its lowest level since 1923. Chaplin sold his 25 percent share during this crisis to Krim and Benjamin for $1.1 million, followed a year later by Pickford who sold her share for $3 million.[8]
In the late 1950s, United Artists produced two modest films that became financial and critical successes for the company. The company made Marty which won 1955's Palme d'Or and best picture Oscar. 12 Angry Men (1957) which according to Krim before home video, was being seen on TV 24 hours a day, 365 days a year some place in the world.[11] By 1958, UA was making annual profits of $3 million a year.[10]
Public company[edit]
United Artists went public in 1957 with a $17 million stock and debenture offering. The company was averaging 50 films a year.[8] In 1958, UA acquired Ilya Lopert's Lopert Pictures Corporation, which released foreign films that attracted criticism or had censorship problems.[12]
In 1957, UA created United Artists Records Corporation and United Artists Music Corporation after an unsuccessful attempt to buy a record company.[13] In 1968, UA Records merged with Liberty Records, along with its many subsidiary labels such as Imperial Records and Dolton Records. In 1972, the group was consolidated into one entity as United Artists Records and in 1979, EMI acquired the division which included Blue Note Records.[14]
In 1959, after failing to sell several pilots, United Artists offered its first ever television series, The Troubleshooters,[15] and later released its first sitcom, The Dennis O'Keefe Show.
In the 1960s, mainstream studios fell into decline and some were acquired or diversified. UA prospered while winning 11 Academy Awards, including five for best picture,[8] adding relationships with the Mirisch brothers, Billy Wilder, Joseph E. Levine and others. In 1961, United Artists released West Side Story, which won a record ten Academy Awards (including Best Picture).
In 1960, UA purchased Ziv Television Programs. UA's television division was responsible for shows such as Gilligan's Island, The Fugitive, Outer Limits, and The Patty Duke Show. The television unit had begun to build up a profitable rental library, including Associated Artists Productions,[16] owners of Warner Bros. pre-1950[17][note 1] features, shorts and cartoons and 231 Popeye cartoon shorts purchased from Paramount Pictures in 1958, becoming United Artists Associated, its distribution division.
In 1963, UA released two Stanley Kramer films, It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and A Child Is Waiting. In 1964, UA introduced U.S. film audiences to the Beatles by releasing A Hard Day's Night (1964) and Help! (1965).
At the same time, it backed two expatriate North Americans in Britain, who had acquired screen rights to Ian Fleming's James Bond novels. For $1 million, UA backed Harry Saltzman and Albert Broccoli's Dr. No in 1963 and launched the James Bond franchise.[18] The franchise outlived UA's time as a major studio, continuing half a century later. Other successful projects backed in this period included the Pink Panther series, which began in 1964, and Spaghetti Westerns, which made a star of Clint Eastwood in the films of A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More and The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.
In 1964, the French subsidiary, Les Productions Artistes Associés, released its first production That Man from Rio.
In 1965, UA released the anticipated George Stevens' production of The Greatest Story Ever Told and was at the time, the most expensive film which was budgeted at $20 million. Max Von Sydow, in the role of Jesus Christ, led an all-star cast which included Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowell, Martin Landau, Dorothy McGuire, Sal Mineo, Ina Balin, Joanna Dunham, David McCallum, Nehemiah Persoff, Donald Pleasence, José Ferrer and Ed Wynn. The film did not make back its budget and was released to mixed critical receptions. But it has since been acclaimed as a classic by audiences around the world for being admirably inspired in its attempt to be faithful to the four books of the New Testament in the Holy Bible as well as the book of the same name by Fulton Oursler and the radio program which ran from 1947 to 1956. The Greatest Story Ever Told received five Academy Award nominations in 1965 and was also listed among the “Top 10 Films of the Year” by the National Board of Review.
Transamerica subsidiary[edit]
On the basis of its film and television hits, in 1967, Transamerica Corporation purchased 98 percent of UA's stock. Transamerica selected David and Arnold Picker to lead its studio.[8] UA debuted a new logo incorporating the parent company's striped T emblem and the tagline "Entertainment from Transamerica Corporation". This wording was later shortened to "A Transamerica Company". The following year, in 1968, United Artists Associated was reincorporated as United Artists Television Distribution.
UA released another Best Picture Oscar winner in 1967, In the Heat of the Night and a nominee for Best Picture, The Graduate, an Embassy production that UA distributed overseas.
In 1970, UA lost $35 million, and the Pickers were pushed aside for the return of Krim and Benjamin.[8]
Other successful pictures included the 1971 screen version of Fiddler on the Roof. However, the 1972 film version of Man of La Mancha was a failure. New talent was encouraged, including Woody Allen, Robert Altman, Sylvester Stallone, Saul Zaentz, Miloš Forman, and Brian De Palma.
In 1973, United Artists took over the sales and distribution of MGM's films in Anglo-America. Cinema International Corporation assumed international distribution rights for MGM's films and carried on to United International Pictures (made from CIC and UA's International assets being owned by partner MGM) in the 1980s. As part of the deal, UA acquired MGM's music publishing operation, Robbins, Feist, Miller.[19]
In 1975, Harry Saltzman sold UA his 50 percent stake in Danjaq, the holding-company for the Bond films.
UA released One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest in 1975, which won the Best Picture Academy Award and was UA's highest-grossing film, with a gross of $163 million.[20] UA followed with the next two years' Best Picture Oscar winners, Rocky and Annie Hall, becoming the first studio to win the award for three years running and also to become the studio with the most Best Picture winners at that time, with 11.[8][21]
However, Transamerica was not pleased with UA's releases such as Midnight Cowboy and Last Tango in Paris that were rated X by the Motion Picture Association of America. In these instances, Transamerica demanded the byline "A Transamerica Company" be removed on the prints and in all advertising. At one point, the parent company expressed its desire to phase out the UA name and replace it with Transamerica Films. Krim tried to convince Transamerica to spin off United Artists, but he and Transamerica's chairman could not come to an agreement.[22] Finally in 1978, following a dispute with Transamerica chief John R. Beckett[8] over administrative expenses,[citation needed] UA's top executives, including chairman Krim, president Eric Pleskow, Benjamin and other key officers walked out. Within days they announced the formation of Orion Pictures,[8] with backing from Warner Bros. The departures concerned several Hollywood figures enough that they took out an ad in a trade paper warning Transamerica that it had made a fatal mistake in letting them go.[citation needed]
Transamerica inserted Andy Albeck as UA's president. United had its most successful year with four hits in 1979: Rocky II, Manhattan, Moonraker, and The Black Stallion.[8]
The new leadership agreed to back Heaven's Gate, a project of director Michael Cimino, which vastly overran its budget and cost $44 million. This led to the resignation of Albeck who was replaced by Norbert Auerbach.[8] United Artists recorded a major loss for the year due almost entirely to the box-office failure of Heaven's Gate.[23] It destroyed UA's reputation with Transamerica and the greater Hollywood community. However, it may have saved the United Artists name, as UA's final head before the sale, Steven Bach, wrote in his book Final Cut that there was talk about renaming United Artists to Transamerica Pictures.
In 1980, Transamerica decided to exit the film making business, and put United Artists on the market. Kirk Kerkorian's Tracinda Corp. purchased the company in 1981.[24][25] Tracinda also owned Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.[26]
United Artists Classics[edit]
In 1981, United Artists Classics, which formerly re-released library titles, was turned into a first-run art film distributor by Nathaniel T. Kwit, Jr. Tom Bernard was hired as the division director, as well as handling theatrical sales, and Ira Deutchman[27][28] was hired as head of marketing. Later the division added Michael Barker and Donna Gigliotti. Deutchman left to form Cinecom, and Barker and Bernard formed Orion Classics and Sony Pictures Classics. The label mostly released foreign and independent films such as Ticket to Heaven and The Grey Fox, and occasional first-run reissues from the UA library, such as director's cuts of Head Over Heels and Cutter's Way. When Barker and Bernard left to form Orion Classics, the label was briefly rechristened in 1984 as MGM/UA Classics before it ceased operating in the late 1980s.[29]
MGM/UA Entertainment Company[edit]
The merged companies became MGM/UA Entertainment Company and in 1982 began launching new subsidiaries: the MGM/UA Home Entertainment Group, MGM/UA Classics and MGM/UA Television Group. Kerkorian also bid for the remaining, outstanding public stock, but dropped his bid, facing lawsuits and vocal opposition.[8]
In 1981, Fred Silverman and George Reeves via InterMedia Entertainment struck a deal with the studio to produce films and TV shows.[30][31]
After the purchase, David Begelman's duties were transferred from MGM to MGM/UA. Under Begelman, MGM/UA produced unsuccessful films and he was fired in July 1982. Of the 11 films he put into production, by the time of his termination only Poltergeist proved to be a hit.[32]
As part of the consolidation, in 1983, MGM closed United Artists' long time headquarters at 729 Seventh Avenue in New York City.[33] MGM/UA sold the former UA music publishing division to CBS Songs in 1983.[34]
On March 1, 1983, United Artists filed a lawsuit against EMI Films whereas EMI claimed they got financing and would receive international distribution rights to the film WarGames, and paid $4.5 million delivery to the film.[35]
WarGames and Octopussy made substantial profits for the new MGM/UA in 1983, but were not sufficient for Kerkorian. A 1985-restructuring led to independent MGM and UA production units with the combined studio leaders each placed in charge of a single unit. Speculation from analysts was that one of the studios, most likely UA, would be sold to fund the other's (MGM) stock buy-back to take that studio private. However, soon afterwards, one unit's chief was fired and the remaining executive, Alan Ladd, Jr., took charge of both.[8]
Turner[edit]
On August 7, 1985, Ted Turner announced that his Turner Broadcasting System would buy MGM/UA. As film licensing to television became more complicated, Turner saw the value of acquiring MGM's film library for his superstation WTBS.[36] Under the terms of the deal, Turner would immediately sell United Artists back to Kerkorian.[26]
In anticipation, Kerkorian installed film producer Jerry Weintraub as the chairman and chief executive of United Artists Corporation in November 1985.[37] Former American Broadcasting Company executive Anthony Thomopoulos was recruited as UA's president[38] Weintraub's tenure at UA was brief; he left the studio in April 1986, replaced by former Lorimar executive Lee Rich.[39] In anticipation, during the split, SLM moved its distribution deal to United Artists, after leaving MGM/UA for a brief period of year.[40]
On March 25, 1986, Turner finalized his acquisition of MGM/UA in a cash-stock deal for $1.5 billion and renamed it MGM Entertainment Co.[36][41][42][43][44][45] Kerkorian then repurchased most of United Artists' assets for roughly $480 million.[41][42] As a result of this transaction, the original United Artists ceased to exist. Kerkorian, for all intents and purposes, created an entirely new company implementing the inherited assets; thus, the present day UA is not the legal successor to the original incarnation, though it shares similar assets.[46] United Artists has plans to launch its new headquarters on Beverly Hills, which was set to take effect on November 1, 1985, shortly before the Turner deal was finalized.[47] On April 23, 1986, United Artists and Hoyts, the Australian cinema chain and distribution company, inked a three-picture deal in order to co-produce films, in order to serve as equal partners of the upcoming United Artists motion pictures.[48]
MGM/UA Communications Company[edit]
Due to financial community concerns over his debt load, Ted Turner was forced to sell MGM's production and distribution assets to United Artists for $300 million on August 26, 1986.[41][42][49][50] The MGM lot and lab facilities were sold to Lorimar-Telepictures.[49] Turner kept the pre-May 1986 MGM film and television library, along with the Associated Artists Productions library, and the RKO Pictures films that United Artists had previously purchased.[49] On August 21, 1986, United Artists announced its re-entry to film production; Baby Boom and Real Men were the first new films to commence production, with a slate of 26 films to follow in development.[51]
United Artists was renamed MGM/UA Communications Company and organized into three main units: one television production and two film units. David Gerber headed up the television unit with Anthony Thomopoulous at United Artists, and Alan Ladd, Jr. at MGM. Despite a resurgence at the box office in 1987 with Spaceballs, The Living Daylights, and Moonstruck, MGM/UA lost $88 million.[8] That November, Hoyts and United Artists decided to pull their co-production partnership, with a majority of the films will be now heralded directly to United Artists, which was confirmed by Hoyts executive Jonathan Chissick.[52]
In April 1988, Kerkorian's 82 percent of MGM/UA was up for sale; MGM and UA were split by July. Eventually, 25 percent of MGM was offered to Burt Sugarman, and producers Jon Peters and Peter Guber, but the plan later fell through. Rich, Ladd, Thomopoulous and other executives grew tired of Kerkorian's antics and began to leave.[8] By summer 1988, the mass exodus of executives started to affect productions, with many film cancellations. The 1989 sale of MGM/UA to the Australian company Qintex/Australian Television Network (owners of the Hal Roach library, which both MGM and United Artists had distributed in the 1930s) also fell through, due to the company's bankruptcy later that year. On November 29, 1989, Turner Broadcasting System (the owners of the pre-May 1986 MGM library) attempted to buy entertainment assets from Tracinda Corporation, including MGM/UA Communications Co. (which also included United Artists, MGM/UA Home Video, and MGM/UA Television Productions), but failed.[53] UA was essentially dormant after 1990 and released no films for several years.
The 1990s[edit]
Eventually, in 1990, Italian promoter Giancarlo Parretti purchased UA. He purchased a small company and renamed it Pathé Communications anticipating a successful purchase of Pathé, the original French company. But his attempt failed and instead he merged MGM/UA with his former company, resulting in MGM-Pathé Communications Co. During the transaction, Parretti overstated his own financial condition and within a year defaulted to his primary lender, Crédit Lyonnais, which foreclosed on the studio in 1992.[54][25] This resulted in the sale or closure of MGM/UA's string of US theaters. On July 2, 1992, MGM-Pathé Communications was again named Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. In an effort to make MGM/UA saleable, Credit Lyonnais ramped up production and convinced John Calley to run UA. Under his supervision, Calley revived the Pink Panther and James Bond franchises and highlighted UA's past by giving the widest release ever to a film with an NC-17 rating, Showgirls. Credit Lyonnais sold MGM in 1996, again to Kirk Kerkorian's Tracinda, leading to Calley's departure.[25]
In 1999, filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola attempted to buy UA from Kerkorian who rejected the offer. Coppola signed a production deal with the studio instead.[22]
The 2000s to present[edit]
In 1999, UA was re-positioned as a specialty studio. MGM had just acquired The Samuel Goldwyn Company, which had been a leading distributor of arthouse films. After that name was retired, MGM folded UA into Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures. G2 Films, the renamed Goldwyn Company and MGM's specialty London operations, was renamed United Artists International.[55] The distributorship, branding, and copyrights for two of UA's main franchises (Pink Panther, and Rocky) were moved to MGM, although select MGM releases (notably the James Bond franchise co-held with Danjaq, LLC and the Amityville Horror remake) carry a United Artists copyright. The first arthouse film to bear the UA name was Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her.
United Artists hired Bingham Ray to run the company on September 1, 2001.[25] Under his supervision, the company produced and distributed many art films, including Bowling for Columbine, 2002's Nicholas Nickleby, and the winner of that year's Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, No Man's Land; and 2004's Undertow, and Hotel Rwanda, a co-production of UA and Lions Gate Entertainment, and made deals with companies like American Zoetrope and Revolution Films.[56] Ray stepped down from the company in 2004.[57]
In 2005, a partnership of Comcast, Sony and several merchant banks bought United Artists and its parent, MGM, for $4.8 billion.[25] Though only a minority investor, Sony closed MGM's distribution system and folded most of its staff into its own studio. The movies UA had completed and planned for release—Capote, Art School Confidential, The Woods, and Romance and Cigarettes[citation needed]—were reassigned to Sony Pictures Classics.[25]
In March 2006, MGM announced that it would return again as a domestic distribution company. Striking distribution deals with The Weinstein Company, Lakeshore Entertainment, Bauer Martinez Entertainment, and other independent studios, MGM distributed films from these companies. MGM continued funding and co-producing projects released in conjunction with Sony's Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group on a limited basis and produced tent-poles for its own distribution company, MGM Distribution.
Sony had a minority stake in MGM, but otherwise MGM and UA operated under the direction of Stephen Cooper (CEO and minority owner of MGM).
United Artists Entertainment[edit]
On November 2, 2006, MGM announced that Tom Cruise and his long-time production partner Paula Wagner were resurrecting UA.[58][59] This announcement came after the duo were released from a fourteen-year production relationship at Viacom-owned Paramount Pictures. Cruise, Wagner and MGM Studios created United Artists Entertainment LLC and the producer/actor and his partner owned a 30 percent stake in the studio,[60] with the approval by MGM's consortium of owners. The deal gave them control over production and development. Wagner was named CEO, and was allotted an annual slate of four films with varying budget ranges, while Cruise served as a producer for the revamped studio and the occasional star.
UA became the first motion picture studio granted a Writers Guild of America, West (WGA) waiver in January 2008 during the Writers' Strike.[61]
On August 14, 2008, MGM announced that Wagner would leave UA to produce films independently.[62] Her output as head of UA was two films, both starring Cruise, Lions for Lambs[63] and Valkyrie.[64] Wagner's departure led to speculation that a UA overhaul was imminent.[62]
Since then, UA has served as a co-producer with MGM for two releases: the 2009 remake of Fame and Hot Tub Time Machine—these are the last original films to date to bear the UA banner.
A 2011 financial report revealed that MGM reacquired its 100 percent stake in United Artists.[60] MGM stated that it might continue to make new films under the UA brand.[60]
United Artists Media Group[edit]
On September 22, 2014, MGM acquired a 55 percent interest in One Three Media and Lightworkers Media, both operated by Mark Burnett and Roma Downey and partly owned by Hearst Entertainment. The two companies were consolidated into a new television company, United Artists Media Group (UAMG), a revival of the UA brand. Burnett became UAMG's CEO and Downey became president of Lightworkers Media, the UAMG family and faith division. UAMG became the distributing studio for Mark Burnett Productions programming such as Survivor. UAMG was to form an over-the-top faith-based channel.[25][65]
On December 14, 2015, MGM announced that it had acquired the remaining 45 percent stake of UAMG it did not already own and folded UAMG into MGM Television. Hearst, Downey, and Burnett received stakes in MGM collectively valued at $233 million. Additionally, Burnett was promoted to CEO of MGM Television, replacing the outgoing Roma Khanna. The planned over-the-top faith service (later to be branded as a combined OTT/digital subchannel service known as Light TV) became a separate entity owned by MGM, Burnett, Downey and Hearst.[66]
United Artists Digital Studios[edit]
By August 2018, MGM relaunched the United Artists brand as a digital production and distribution company aimed at creating original motion pictures, television programs, short-form content and digital series as well as building upon MGM's existing IP for distribution across digital platforms. Known as United Artists Digital Studios, the company's projects include mid-form original series Stargate Origins, interactive digital series #WarGames, and scripted series The Baxters (which is also the first for LightWorkers Media) and Weekend at Bernie's.[67] In early October 2018, MGM and Walmart agreed to a partnership for MGM Digital to create exclusive content for Walmart's Vudu and Movies On Us service to begin showing in the first quarter 2019.[68]
MGM's and Annapurna Pictures' Mirror distribution venture was rebranded as United Artists Releasing on February 5, 2019, 100 years to the day of United Artists' founding.[69]
Film library[edit]
A majority of UA's post-1952 library is now owned by MGM, while the pre-1952 films (with few exceptions) were either sold to other companies such as National Telefilm Associates (now a part of the Melange Pictures holdings owned by Paramount Global, with Paramount Pictures handling their distribution) or are in the public domain. However, throughout the studio's history, UA acted more as a distributor than a film studio, crediting the copyright to the production company responsible. This explains why certain UA releases, such as High Noon (1952) and The Final Countdown (1980), are still under copyright but not owned by MGM.[original research?] The MGM titles which UA distributed from 1973 to 1982 are now owned by Turner (under Warner Bros.).
UA films on video[edit]
UA originally leased the home video rights to its films to Magnetic Video, the first home video company. Fox purchased Magnetic in 1981 and renamed it 20th Century-Fox Video that year. In 1982, 20th Century-Fox Video merged with CBS Video Enterprises (which earlier split from MGM/CBS Home Video after MGM merged with UA) giving birth to CBS/Fox Video. Although MGM owned UA around this time, UA's licensing deal with CBS/Fox was still in effect. However, the newly renamed MGM/UA Home Video started releasing some UA product, including UA films originally released in the mid-80s. Prior to MGM's purchase, UA licensed foreign video rights to Warner Bros. through Warner Home Video, in a deal that was set to expire in 1991.[70] In 1986, the pre-1950 WB and the pre-May 1986 MGM film and television libraries were purchased by Ted Turner after his short-lived ownership of MGM/UA, and as a result CBS/Fox lost home video rights to the pre-1950 WB films to MGM/UA Home Video. When the deal with CBS/Fox (inherited from Magnetic Video) expired in 1989, the UA released films were released through MGM/UA Home Video.
Before the Magnetic Video and Warner Home Video deals in 1980, United Artists had exclusive rental contacts with a small video label called VidAmerica in the US, and another small label called Intervision Video in the UK.[71][72][73] for the home video release of 20 titles from the UA library (e.g. The Great Escape, Some Like It Hot, and Hair, along with a few pre-1950 WB titles).
United Artists Broadcasting[edit]
United Artists owned and operated two television stations under the "United Artists Broadcasting" name: WUAB in Cleveland, Ohio (nominally licensed to Lorain, Ohio) which the studio built and sign on in 1968,[74] WRIK-TV in San Juan, Puerto Rico, which was purchased in 1969,[75] and held a construction permit for a station in Houston, Texas.[76] In 1970, United Artists purchased radio station WWSH in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[77]
United Artists left the broadcasting business starting in 1977 by selling WUAB to the Gaylord Broadcasting Company[78] and WWSH to Cox Enterprises,[77] followed by WRIK-TV's sale to Tommy Muñiz in 1979.[79]
United Artists Releasing[edit]
Formerly | Mirror Releasing (2017-2019) |
---|---|
LLC joint venture | |
ISIN | 🆔 |
Industry | Motion pictures |
Founded 📆 | December 2017 |
Founder 👔 |
|
Headquarters 🏙️ | West Hollywood, California, United States |
Area served 🗺️ | Worldwide, with a focus in North America |
Key people | Pam Kunath (COO) |
Products 📟 | Motion pictures |
Services | Film distribution |
Owners | 50% each owned by: |
Members | |
Number of employees | |
🌐 Website | Lua error in Module:Official_website at line 90: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
📇 Address | |
📞 telephone | |
United Artists Releasing (UAR), formerly Mirror (commonly, given its former use as the third party label and legally, Mirror Releasing, LLC[80]), is a film distribution joint venture between Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Annapurna Pictures and MGM's Orion Pictures unit with offices in West Hollywood and Annapurna's offices in New York City's Soho neighborhood. The distributor also offers alternative services to the major studios and streaming companies[69][81] with 10–14 films to be released each year.[81]
Mirror was founded as a film distribution joint venture between Annapurna and MGM in December 2017.[69] This marks MGM's return to domestic distribution, in which they expect to have approximately six to eight releases per year starting in March 2018. Annapurna's existing distribution staff would be the initial staff of the joint venture. Films issued by MGM and Annapurna would be distributed respectively under their own names, while films released for third parties would use the Mirror releasing label. Death Wish was MGM's first release by the joint venture on March 2, 2018.[82] Under the initial agreement, the distribution unit reported to MGM and Annapurna on their movies. By the end of January 2019, the distributor released eight titles total.[69]
The venture was rebranded as United Artists Releasing on February 5, 2019, 100 years to the day of United Artists' founding.[69] The rationale for the move is to better compete against the major studios, especially with respect to their tentpole films that dictate the release calendar.[81] Orion Pictures, an MGM company, would add its distribution staff and films to the venture as part of the change.[81] Pam Kunath, a former Screen Gems executive, was appointed chief operating officer.[69] A board of directors consisting of executives from the partner firms would oversee the three executives running UAR; Kunath, David Kaminow and Erik Lomis, Annapurna's president of marketing and president of distribution, respectively. Missing Link would be the first release under the UAR banner, which also would win the company its first Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film.[83]
On October 7, 2020, it was announced that MGM relaunched American International Pictures as a label for films it will acquire for digital and limited theatrical releases. UAR will handle the U.S. theatrical distribution for those titles, beginning with Breaking News in Yuba County, which was released on February 12, 2021.[84]
On May 17, 2021, online retail and technology company Amazon entered negotiations to acquire MGM. The negotiations were made directly with MGM board chairman Kevin Ulrich, whose Anchorage Capital is a major MGM shareholder.[85][86] On May 26, 2021, it was officially announced that the studio would be acquired by Amazon, subject to regulatory approval, for $8.45 billion, and continue to operate as a label under the new parent company with the fate of UAR to be determined.[87] The merger was finalized on March 17, 2022.[88] Later that day, Amazon Studios and Prime Video SVP Mike Hopkins emphasized that Amazon will continue to partner with UAR, which will remain in operation post-merger.[89]
Releases[edit]
Mirror Releasing | |||
---|---|---|---|
Release date | Title | Production | Notes |
March 2, 2018 | Death Wish | MGM | co-production with Cave 76 Productions |
July 6, 2018 | Sorry to Bother You | Annapurna | co-production with Significant Productions, MNM Creative, MACRO, Cinereach and The Space Program[90] |
August 29, 2018 | Operation Finale | MGM | co-production with Automatik Entertainment; international distribution by Netflix[90] |
September 21, 2018 | The Sisters Brothers | Annapurna | co-production with Why Not Productions and Page 114 Productions |
November 21, 2018 | Creed II | MGM | co-production with New Line Cinema and Chartoff-Winkler Productions; international distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures |
December 14, 2018 | If Beale Street Could Talk | Annapurna | co-production with Plan B Entertainment and Pastel Productions |
December 25, 2018 | Vice | co-production with Plan B Entertainment and Gary Sanchez Productions | |
Destroyer | co-production with 30West and Automatik Entertainment | ||
February 14, 2019 | Fighting with My Family | MGM | co-production with Seven Bucks Productions, Misher Films, WWE Studios, Film4, The Ink Factory;[91] U.S. Distribution only. Released by Lionsgate in the United Kingdom and Ireland and Universal Pictures elsewhere |
United Artists Releasing | |||
April 12, 2019 | Missing Link | Annapurna | co-production with Laika[83] |
May 10, 2019 | The Hustle | MGM | co-production with Pin High Productions, Cave 76 Productions, and Camp Sugar Productions; international distribution by Universal Pictures |
May 24, 2019 | Booksmart | Annapurna | co-production with Gloria Sanchez Productions |
June 21, 2019 | Child's Play | Orion Pictures | co-production with Bron Creative[92] |
August 16, 2019 | Where'd You Go, Bernadette | Annapurna | co-production with Color Force and Detour Filmproduction[83] |
October 11, 2019 | The Addams Family | MGM | co-production with Bron Creative, The Jackal Group, Whalerock Industries, and Cinesite Studios;[93] U.S. Distribution only; international distribution by Universal Pictures |
January 31, 2020 | Gretel & Hansel | Orion Pictures | co-production with Bron Creative and Automatik Entertainment |
May 8, 2020 | Valley Girl | Orion Classics/MGM | co-production with Sneak Preview Productions |
August 28, 2020 | Bill & Ted Face the Music | Orion Pictures | co-production with Hammerstone Studios, Dial 9, Dungan Entertainment, TinRes Entertainment, & Endeavor Content[94] |
October 9, 2020 | The Wolf of Snow Hollow | Orion Classics | co-production with A New Form, Vanishing Angle and XYZ Films[95] |
February 12, 2021 | Breaking News in Yuba County | American International Pictures | co-production with Wyolah Films, AGC Studios and Nine Stories Productions |
March 26, 2021 | Bad Trip | Orion Pictures | co-production with Gorilla Flicks, The District, and Helo; distributed by Netflix[96] |
May 7, 2021 | Wrath of Man | MGM | co-production with Miramax and Ritchie/Wigram Productions;[97] US distribution only; Released by Lionsgate in the United Kingdom |
July 20, 2021 | How It Ends | American International Pictures | co-production with Mister Lister Films |
August 13, 2021 | Respect | MGM | co-production with Bron Creative, Glickmania and One Community; US distribution only; international distribution by Universal Pictures |
August 20, 2021 | Flag Day | co-production with Conqueror Productions, Olive Hill Media and Wonderful Films; US distribution only[98] | |
October 1, 2021 | The Addams Family 2 | co-production with Bron Creative, The Jackal Group, Whalerock Industries, and Cinesite Studios;[93] U.S. Distribution only; international distribution by Universal Pictures | |
October 8, 2021 | No Time to Die | U.S. distribution only; co-production with EON Productions; international distribution by Universal Pictures[83][99] | |
November 24, 2021 | House of Gucci | co-production with Bron Creative and Scott Free Productions;[100] U.S. distribution only; international distribution by Universal Pictures | |
November 26, 2021 | Licorice Pizza | produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Ghoulardi Film Company; international distribution by Universal Pictures[101] | |
February 18, 2022 | Dog | co-production with Free Association[102] | |
February 25, 2022 | Cyrano | co-production with Working Title Films[103] U.S. distribution only; international distribution by Universal Pictures | |
May 13, 2022 | On the Count of Three | Annapurna/Orion Pictures | U.S. distribution only; produced by Werner Entertainment and Valparaiso Pictures[104] |
July 22, 2022 | Anything's Possible | Orion Pictures | co-production with Andrew Lauren Productions and Killer Films[105] |
July 29, 2022 | Thirteen Lives | MGM | co-production with Imagine Entertainment, Magnolia Mae Films and Storyteller Productions; limited theatrical release only with streaming release by Amazon Studios through Amazon Prime Video[106] |
August 26, 2022 | Samaritan | co-production with Balboa Productions; limited theatrical release only with streaming release by Amazon Studios through Amazon Prime Video | |
Three Thousand Years of Longing | co-production with FilmNation Entertainment, Elevate Production Finance, Sunac Culture and Kennedy Miller Mitchell U.S distribution only; International distribution by FilmNation Entertainment[107][108] | ||
September 9, 2022 | About Fate | American International Pictures | co-production with Aldamisa Entertainment, Contentious Media and Vincent Newman Entertainment |
October 14, 2022 | Till | Orion Pictures | co-production with Frederick Zollo Productions and Eon Productions, International distribution by Universal Pictures [109][110] |
November 18, 2022 | Bones and All | MGM | co-production with Frenesy Film Company, Per Capita Productions, The Apartment Pictures, Memo Films and 3 Marys Entertainment; Released by Vision Distribution in Italy and international distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures[111] |
Upcoming[edit]
Release date | Title | Production | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
December 2, 2022 | Women Talking | Orion Pictures | co-production with Plan B Entertainment and Hear/Say Productions; International distribution by Universal Pictures |
March 3, 2023 | Creed III | MGM | co-production with Balboa Productions, Chartoff-Winkler Productions, New Line Cinema and Proximity Media; U.S. distribution only; international distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures |
March 24, 2023[112] | A Good Person | co-production with Killer Films and Elevation Films U.S. distribution only; international distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures[113] | |
April 5, 2023 | On a Wing and a Prayer | co-production with Lightworkers Media; U.S. Distribution only | |
August 11, 2023 | Challengers | co-production with Pascal Pictures |
Undated films[edit]
Release date | Title | Production | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
TBA | Legally Blonde 3 | MGM | co-production with Hello Sunshine, Bron Creative and Marc Platt Productions; U.S. Distribution; international distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures[114] |
Heroes & Villains | co-production with Good Fear Content; international distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures[115] | ||
Project Hail Mary | co-production with Lord Miller and Pascal Pictures; international distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures[116] | ||
Fiddler on the Roof | co-production with The Dan Jinks Company, Harbor Entertainment and Old 320 Sycamore; international distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures[117] | ||
Porgy and Bess | co-production with Winkler Films;international distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures[118] | ||
I Am Pilgrim | co-production with Marv Studios and Whalerock Industries; international distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures[119] | ||
Forever | co-production with Glickmania; international distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures[120] | ||
Untitled The Pink Panther Reboot | co-production with Geoffrey Productions and Rideback; international distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures[121] | ||
Fever | co-production with Marc Platt Productions, Hello Sunshine and Killer Films; international distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures[122] | ||
Wild Symphony | co-production with Weed Road Pictures[123] | ||
'68 | co-production with Participant, Bron Creative and MACRO. U.S. Distribution; international distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures[124] | ||
The Boys in the Boat | co-production with Spyglass Media Group, Smokehouse Pictures and Tempesta Films. U.S. distribution only[125] | ||
Animal | co-production with Plan B Entertainment[126] | ||
The Antisocial Network | co-production with Ryder Picture Company and Winklevoss Pictures[127][128] | ||
Landscape with Invisible Hand | MGM/Annapurna | co-production with Plan B Entertainment; U.S distribution only. [129] | |
Songs of the Damned | Orion Pictures | co-production with Anonymous Content[130] | |
Night of the Comet | [131] | ||
Casa | [132] | ||
Rift | co-production with Branded Pictures Entertainment[133] | ||
Svalta | co-production with Stolen Pictures[134] | ||
Momo | co-production with TEK Productions[135] | ||
Most Evil | co-production with Automatik Entertainment[136] | ||
10-31 | co-production with Bellevue Productions and The Arts District[137] | ||
Bond 26 | MGM | co- production with Eon Productions; international distribution by Universal Pictures[138] | |
Bond 27 | co- production with Eon Productions; international distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures[139] | ||
Dark Harvest | co-production with Matt Tolmach Productions streaming release by Amazon Studios through Amazon Prime Video[140] |
See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ↑ WB retained a pair of features from 1949 that they merely distributed, and all short subjects released on or after September 1, 1948, in addition to all cartoons released in August 1948.
References[edit]
- ↑ Petski, Denise (July 21, 2017). "MGM Revives 'Stargate' Franchise With 'Stargate Origins' Digital Series & SVOD Platform – Watch The Teaser". Deadline. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
- ↑ Woo, Elaine (September 29, 2011). "Mo Rothman dies at 92; found new audience for Chaplin". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2011-10-01.
- ↑ Cole, Robert J. (May 16, 1981). "M-G-M is Reported Purchasing United Artists for $350 Million". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-04-26.
- ↑ McNary, Dave (December 14, 2015). "Mark Burnett Named President of MGM Television". Variety. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Balio, Tino (March 2, 2009). United Artists, Volume 1, 1919–1950: The Company Built by the Stars, Volume 1 (2nd ed.). Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. p. 29. ISBN 9780299230036. Retrieved September 2, 2017. Search this book on
- ↑ Siklos, Richard (March 4, 2007). "Mission Improbable: Tom Cruise as Mogul". The New York Times. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
- ↑ james, devon (2016-06-02). "The inmates are taking over the asylum". devon james. Retrieved 2018-04-26.
- ↑ 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11 8.12 8.13 8.14 8.15 8.16 8.17 8.18 8.19 8.20 8.21 8.22 8.23 8.24 8.25 8.26 "History of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc". Funding Universe. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
- ↑ "The Formation of Twentieth Century-Fox (20th Century Fox)". www.cobbles.com. Retrieved 2018-04-26.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 Mayer, Arthur L (June 24, 1959). "UA at 40". Variety. p. 42. Retrieved August 31, 2019 – via Archive.org.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Plunkett, Paul (October 4, 2019). "United Artists Looks Back on 100 Years of Groundbreaking Films". Variety. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
- ↑ Balio, Tino (March 2, 2009). United Artists: The Company that Changed the Film Industry (1st ed.). Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 226–227. ISBN 9780299114404. Retrieved September 2, 2017. Search this book on
- ↑ "US Sets Up Own Diskery Label". Billboard. October 14, 1957. p. 20. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
- ↑ "About: 1970-1979". EMI Archive Trust. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
- ↑ McNeil, Alex (1996). Total television: the comprehensive guide to programming from 1948 to the present (4th ed.). New York: Penguin Books. p. 886. ISBN 9780140249163. Retrieved September 2, 2017. Search this book on
- ↑ "Movies from a.a.p.: Programs of quality from quality studios, Warner Bros. features and cartoons, Popeye cartoons". 1957. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
- ↑ Schickel, Richard; Perry, George (September 9, 2008). You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story. Philadelphia.: Running Press. p. 255. ISBN 9780762434183. Retrieved 2 September 2017. Search this book on
- ↑ Kamp, David (October 2012). "Fifty Years of Bond, James Bond: The Greatest Film Franchise's Biggest Birthday". Vanity Fair. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
In 1961, Broccoli worked his connections to secure a meeting in New York with Arthur Krim, the head of United Artists. Krim agreed to a budget of just over a million dollars for a James Bond movie.
- ↑ "Big 3 Sold to UA; Plus 1/2 Can. Co". Billboard Magazine. October 27, 1973. p. 3.
- ↑ "Hi-Flying 'Cuckoo' At $163,250,000; Best Ever of UA". Variety. November 17, 1976. p. 3.
- ↑ "UA: 11 Times With, Best Pic'". Variety. April 12, 1978. p. 31.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Medavoy, Mike; Young, Josh (June 25, 2013). You're Only as Good as Your Next One: 100 Great Films, 100 Good Films, and 100 for Which I Should Be Shot. New York: Simon and Schuster. pp. 85–86. ISBN 9781439118139. Retrieved October 1, 2017. Search this book on
- ↑ Welkos, Robert W. "'Heaven's Gate': The film flop that reshaped Hollywood". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 25 December 2018.
- ↑ Cole, Robert J. (May 16, 1981). "M-G-M is Reported Purchasing United Artists for $350 Million". The New York Times. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 25.5 25.6 Fleming, Mike Jr; Busch, Anita (September 22, 2014). "MGM Buys 55% Of Roma Downey And Mark Burnett's Empire; Relaunches United Artists". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Fabrikant, Geraldine (August 8, 1985). "Turner Acquiring MGM Movie Empire". The New York Times. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
- ↑ "Handle With Care". American Film. Winter 1980.
- ↑ Siskel, Gene (May 16, 1982). "Hellow, Sweet Art: Small Films Big Success in Chicago". Chicago Tribune. p. 141.
- ↑ "UA Classics Heads West, Alters Logo". Variety. 1984-02-22. p. 26.
- ↑ "Silverman strikes deal with UA-MGM" (PDF). Broadcasting. 1981-10-19. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
- ↑ "Monitor" (PDF). Broadcasting. 1981-11-02. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
- ↑ Harmetz, Aljean (July 13, 1982). "Begelman Removed as Chief of United Artists". The New York Times. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
- ↑ "700 Bankers Trust Workers To Be Shifted to Jersey City". The New York Times. March 31, 1983. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
- ↑ Irv Lichtman (1983-01-08). "CBS Songs Grows With MGM/UA Deal". Billboard.
- ↑ "EMI Sues UA Over 'War Games' Distrib Rights, Territories". Variety. 1983-03-02. p. 7.
- ↑ 36.0 36.1 Prince, Stephen (2000). A New Pot of Gold: Hollywood Under the Electronic Rainbow, 1980 1989 (Paperback ed.). Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 14–16. ISBN 9780520232662. Retrieved September 2, 2017. Search this book on
- ↑ Dellugach, Al (November 12, 1985). "Weintraub Is New Chief of United Artists". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
- ↑ "New Head For United Artists". The New York Times. November 20, 1985. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
- ↑ Harris, Kathryn (April 29, 1986). "Rich Resigns From Lorimar to Become Chairman of UA". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
- ↑ "SLM Distribution Pact Will Shift to UA After Split". Variety. 1986-01-22. p. 3.
- ↑ 41.0 41.1 41.2 Bart, Peter (May 1990). Fade Out: The Calamitous Final Days of MGM (1st ed.). New York: Morrow. pp. 236–238. ISBN 9780671710606. Retrieved September 2, 2017. Search this book on
- ↑ 42.0 42.1 42.2 Parsons, Patrick R. (April 5, 2008). Blue Skies: A History of Cable Television. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. p. 507. ISBN 9781592137060. Retrieved 1 October 2017. Search this book on
- ↑ Stefoff, Rebecca (1992). Ted Turner, Television's Triumphant Tiger. Ada, Oklahoma: Garrett Educational Corp. p. 55. ISBN 9781560740247. Retrieved October 1, 2017. Search this book on
- ↑ Storch, Charles (May 7, 1986). "Turner May Sell Equity In Company". Chicago Tribune. Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. Archived from the original on January 11, 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2011. Unknown parameter
|url-status=
ignored (help) - ↑ Gendel, Morgan (June 7, 1986). "Turner Sells The Studio, Holds on to the Dream". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
- ↑ Balio, Tino (March 2, 2009). United Artists, Volume 2, 1951–1978: The Company That Changed the Film Industry. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. p. 343. ISBN 9780299230135. Retrieved 2 September 2017. Search this book on
- ↑ "UA To Headquarter In Beverly Hills". Variety. 1985-10-16. p. 5.
- ↑ Galbraith, Jane (1986-04-23). "UA, Oz's Hoyts Ink Coproduction Accord". Variety. p. 7.
- ↑ 49.0 49.1 49.2 Fabrikant, Geraldine (June 7, 1986). "Turner To Sell Mgm Assets". The New York Times. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
- ↑ "Turner, United Artists Close Deal". Orlando Sentinel. United Press International. August 27, 1986. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved September 20, 2013. Unknown parameter
|url-status=
ignored (help) - ↑ Galbraith, Jane (1986-08-27). "Following A Year In Upheaval, UA Is Ready to Resume Production". Variety. p. 4.
- ↑ "Hoyts & United Artists Pull Plug On Deal To Coproduce Features". Variety. 1986-11-05. p. 29.
- ↑ Fabrikant, Geraldine (November 29, 1989). "Turner Buying MGM/UA". The New York Times. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
- ↑ Bart, Peter (April 10, 2013). "MGM: Sometimes a Roaring Silence Is Best". Variety. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
- ↑ "United Artists restructuring by MGM". CNNMoney. June 7, 1999. Retrieved 2015-01-26.
- ↑ "DAILY NEWS **UPDATE**: Bingham Ray and Chris McGurk on the New UA; Solondz and Lipsky Stir "Storytelling" Rating Buzz". IndieWire. August 6, 2001. Archived from the original on December 12, 2005. Retrieved April 7, 2019. Unknown parameter
|url-status=
ignored (help) - ↑ Hernandez, Eugene (January 9, 2001). "Shakeup at United Artists; Bingham Ray Exits Company". IndieWire. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
- ↑ "MGM Puts Cruise in Charge of New United Artists". USA Today. November 2, 2006. Archived from the original on May 22, 2011. Retrieved May 20, 2010. Unknown parameter
|url-status=
ignored (help) - ↑ Petrecca, Laura; Lieberman, David (November 2, 2006). "Tom Cruise, producing partner cut a deal with United Artists". Zap2it. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
- ↑ 60.0 60.1 60.2 Fritz, Ben (March 23, 2012). "MGM regains full control of United Artists". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
- ↑ "SHOCKER! WGA To Announce Side Deal With Tom Cruise's United Artists; Now Studio Moguls Mad at MGM's Sloan". Deadline Hollywood. January 4, 2008. Retrieved May 20, 2010.
- ↑ 62.0 62.1 Fleming, Michael (13 August 2008). "Paula Wagner leaves UA". Variety. Retrieved 14 August 2008.
- ↑ Cieply, Michael (April 23, 2008). "The Nazi Plot That's Haunting Tom Cruise and United Artists". The New York Times. Retrieved April 29, 2008.
- ↑ "Valkyrie (2008)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 13, 2009.
- ↑ Highfill, Samantha (17 January 2015). "MGM is launching the United Artists Media Group (again)". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
- ↑ McNary, Dave (December 14, 2015). "Mark Burnett Named President of MGM Television". Variety. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
- ↑ Bond, Paul (August 14, 2018). "MGM's Revenue on the Rise, But Net Income Struggles". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
- ↑ Spangler, Todd (October 8, 2018). "Walmart's Vudu Orders MGM Shows for Free, Ad-Supported Video Service". Variety. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
- ↑ 69.0 69.1 69.2 69.3 69.4 69.5 Donnelly, Matt (February 5, 2019). "Annapurna, MGM Joint Distribution Venture Rebrands as United Artists Releasing". Variety. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
- ↑ Fabrikant, Geraldine (May 31, 1988). "For MGM/UA, Bidders Are Scarce". The New York Times.
- ↑ Bins, Chuck (December 23, 1980). "VCR revolution to provide wide selection for TV viewers". New Castle News. p. 8.
- ↑ "This Month" (pdf). Panorama. October 8, 2013. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
- ↑ Kopp, George (October 4, 1980). "Europe Moves Forward in Copyright Levy Push". Billboard. p. 87. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
- ↑ Shippy, Dick (September 13, 1968). "WUAB (43) Joins The TV Family". Akron Beacon Journal. Akron, Ohio. p. D3. Archived from the original on September 27, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. Unknown parameter
|url-status=
ignored (help) - ↑ "UA to acquire WRIK-TV Ponce, P.R." (PDF). Broadcasting. July 28, 1969. p. 33. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
- ↑ "United Artists gets ch. 43 Lorain, Ohio" (PDF). Broadcasting. Vol. 70 no. 10. March 7, 1966. p. 61. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 8, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2022 – via World Radio History. Unknown parameter
|url-status=
ignored (help) - ↑ 77.0 77.1 FCC History Cards for WUMR
- ↑ Hart, Raymond P. (October 10, 1978). "Channel 61 plans a return". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 7-B. Archived from the original on September 19, 2022. Retrieved September 15, 2022 – via GenealogyBank. Unknown parameter
|url-status=
ignored (help) - ↑ FCC History Cards for WSTE-DT
- ↑ "Statement of Information: Mirror Releasing, LLC". California Business Search. California Secretary of State. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
- ↑ 81.0 81.1 81.2 81.3 Fleming, Mike Jr. (February 5, 2019). "MGM, Annapurna Set Joint Venture To Theatrically Distribute Under United Artists Releasing Banner". Deadline. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
- ↑ McNary, Dave (October 31, 2017). "MGM, Annapurna Form U.S. Distribution Partnership". Variety. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
- ↑ 83.0 83.1 83.2 83.3 Galuppo, Mia (February 5, 2019). "MGM, Annapurna Team for Distribution Label United Artists Releasing". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
- ↑ "Tate Taylor's 'Breaking News in Yuba County' Picked up by MGM". October 7, 2020.
- ↑ Spangler, Todd (May 17, 2021). "Amazon Said to Make $9 Billion Offer for MGM". Variety. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
- ↑ Toonkel, Jessica (May 17, 2021). "Amazon Pondering Deal to Buy MGM". The Information. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
- ↑ Spangler, Todd; Lang, Brent (May 26, 2021). "Amazon Buys MGM, Studio Behind James Bond, for $8.45 Billion". Variety. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
- ↑ Maas, Jennifer (2022-03-17). "Amazon Closes $8.5 Billion Acquisition of MGM". Variety. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
- ↑ "Amazon-MGM Town Hall Scheduled for Friday; Amazon's Mike Hopkins Presages Upcoming Mesh & MGM COO – Updated". March 17, 2022.
- ↑ 90.0 90.1 Busch, Anita (October 31, 2017). "MGM Ramps Up Theatrical Distribution & Pacts With Annapurna; Easy Set Up To Roll Out Next Bond Film".
- ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr.; Lodderhose, Diana (February 11, 2017). "MGM Headlocks World Rights To 'Fighting With My Family' In $17.5M Deal: Berlin". Deadline. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
- ↑ Ellingson, Annlee (February 5, 2019). "MGM, Annapurna revive United Artists for joint distribution venture". L.A. Biz. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
- ↑ 93.0 93.1 D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 13, 2019). "'Joker' $55M+ Scores 2nd Weekend October Record, 'Addams Family' $30M+ A MGM Success, 'Gemini Man' Still Not Dazzling $20M+ – Sunday B.O. Update". Deadline. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
- ↑ McNary, Dave (July 2, 2019). "Jillian Bell Joins 'Bill & Ted Face the Music'". Variety. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
- ↑ "Jim Cummings' Thriller 'The Wolf of Snow Hollow' Debuts First Trailer". September 17, 2020.
- ↑ Hipes, Patrick (January 29, 2019). "Hidden-Camera Prank Pic 'Bad Trip' Gets Release Date Via Orion Pictures". Deadline. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
- ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (March 4, 2020). "Jason Statham Exits WME After He Drops Out Of 'Man From Toronto' – Update".
- ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 15, 2021). "Sean Penn Feature 'Flag Day' Sets Summer Theatrical Release".
- ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (2019-02-15). "'Bond 25' Looks To Shake Up Easter 2020". Deadline. Retrieved 2019-02-16.
- ↑ McNary, Dave (November 1, 2019). "Lady Gaga to Star in Ridley Scott's Gucci Murder Movie".
- ↑ Kit, Borys (July 17, 2020). "Paul Thomas Anderson's 1970s High School Movie Moving From Focus to MGM". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 16, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2021. Unknown parameter
|url-status=
ignored (help) - ↑ Kroll, Justin (March 2, 2020). "Channing Tatum and Reid Carolin's 'Dog' Sells to MGM".
- ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (August 4, 2020). "MGM Lands 'Cyrano'; Joe Wright-Directed Working Title Stage Adaptation Stars Peter Dinklage, Haley Bennett, Brian Tyree Henry & Ben Mendelsohn".
- ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (February 12, 2021). "Annapurna Pictures Lands Jerrod Carmichael's Sundance Prize Winner 'On The Count Of Three'; Near $2M For NA Rights".
- ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Hipes, Patrick (November 18, 2020). "Billy Porter To Direct High School Coming-Of Age Pic 'What If?' In First Movie From Relaunched Orion Pictures".
- ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (May 4, 2020). "MGM Wins Auction For 'Thirteen Lives,' Ron Howard-Directed Thriller About Thai Cave Rescue".
- ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (May 14, 2020). "MGM Lands North American Rights On George Miller-Directed 'Three Thousand Years Of Longing' With Idris Elba & Tilda Swinton".
- ↑ O'Rourke, Ryan (August 5, 2022). "George Miller's 'Three Thousand Years of Longing' Release Date Moved Up". Collider. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
- ↑ "41 Movies We Can't Wait to See in 2022". January 4, 2022.
- ↑ "Chinonye Chukwu to Helm Film on How Mamie till Mobley Turned Son Emmett Till's Brutal Murder into Civil Rights Movement Catalyst; Barbara Broccoli, Whoopi Goldberg Producing". August 27, 2020.
- ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 22, 2022). "MGM Takes Global On Luca Guadagnino-Timothée Chalamet Feature Reteam 'Bones And All'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
- ↑ "A Good Person". June 15, 2022.
- ↑ Odman, Sydney (February 16, 2022). "Zach Braff and Donald Faison on Their Scrubs Reunion for T-Mobile's Super Bowl Ad". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
- ↑ "'Legally Blonde 3' Sets Valentine's Day 2020 Release Date". June 7, 2018. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
- ↑ "David Robert Mitchell Taking on Superhero Genre With 'Heroes & Villains' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. May 20, 2020.
- ↑ Kroll, Justin (May 15, 2020). "Phil Lord and Chris Miller to Direct Ryan Gosling Astronaut Film (EXCLUSIVE)".
- ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (May 28, 2020). "MGM Taps 'Hamilton' Director Thomas Kail For Movie Adaptation Of Iconic 'Fiddler On The Roof'".
- ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (February 11, 2020). "Dee Rees To Write & Direct New Movie Adaptation Of George Gershwin's 'Porgy And Bess' For MGM & Winkler Films".
- ↑ Raup, Jordan (April 17, 2018). "James Gray Replaces Matthew Vaughn as Director of Spy Thriller 'I Am Pilgrim'".
- ↑ McNary, Dave (February 20, 2020). "'Aeronauts' Filmmaker Tom Harper to Direct Romance 'Forever' for MGM (EXCLUSIVE)".
- ↑ Kroll, Justin (August 22, 2020). "'Pink Panther': MGM Developing Live-Action/CGI Hybrid Movie With 'Sonic The Hedgehog's Jeff Fowler Directing". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ↑ Kroll, Justin (February 4, 2021). "Michelle Williams To Play Peggy Lee In Todd Haynes Directed Biopic 'Fever'; MGM In Talks To Acquire, Billie Eilish In Early Discussions To Exec Produce". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
- ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 30, 2022). "MGM, Akiva Goldsman & Dan Brown Team For Animated Feature Take Of Kids Book 'Wild Symphony'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
- ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 31, 2022). "Rashaad Ernesto Green Set To Direct Olympians Feature 68' For MGM, Participant & Macro". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
- ↑ Kroll, Justin (November 1, 2021). "Callum Turner To Star In George Clooney And Grant Heslov's 'Boys In The Boat' Adaptation For MGM". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
- ↑ Kroll, Justin (August 16, 2021). "MGM Lands Rights To Lisa Taddeo's 'Animal' With Plan B Producing". Deadline.
- ↑ Kroll, Justin (January 31, 2021). "MGM Lands Rights To Ben Mezrich's Book Proposal 'The Antisocial Network'; Would Chronicle Recent Wall Street-GameStop Chaos". Deadline.
- ↑ Kroll, Justin (April 4, 2022). "Craig Gillespie To Direct Gamestop Stock Pic For MGM Based On Ben Mezrich's Book 'The Antisocial Network'". Deadline.
- ↑ Renner, Bria an D. "Everything You Need to Know About Landscape With Invisible Hand Movie (Pre-Production): Feb. 2, 2022 - added Brooklynn MacKinzie as actor to movie credits". Movie Insider. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
- ↑ Anita Busch; Mike Fleming Jr (6 June 2018). "'Songs Of The Damned' Prison Break Movie Set At Orion With Mark Ronson Composing Original Songs". Deadline. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
- ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (23 October 2018). "Orion Sets Roxanne Benjamin For Remake Of Cult Horror-Comedy 'Night Of The Comet'". Deadline. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
- ↑ Boucher, Geoff (19 November 2018). "Orion Pictures Acquires 'Casa' Horror Pitch From Miami's Meza Brothers". Deadline. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
- ↑ Kit, Borys (28 September 2018). "Gay Icelandic Horror Movie, 'Rift,' to Be Remade by Orion (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
- ↑ Boucher, Geoff (6 June 2019). "'Svalta': Simon Pegg & Nick Frost Sell Horror Pitch To Orion Pictures". Deadline. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
- ↑ Boucher, Geoff (10 July 2019). "Remember Momo? Orion Pictures Adapting Viral Hoax As A Horror Film". Deadline. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
- ↑ Boucher, Geoff; Hipes, Patrick (October 7, 2019). "Daniel Robbins To Direct Horror Pic 'Most Evil' For Orion Pictures".
- ↑ Kroll, Justin (October 1, 2019). "Eli Roth to Produce Horror Script '10-31′ for Orion Pictures (EXCLUSIVE)".
- ↑ "Warner Bros. To Release MGM Movies Internationally, Except for 'Bond 26'". August 14, 2022.
- ↑ "Warner Bros. to Release MGM Movies Overseas, Excluding Next Bond Pic". The Hollywood Reporter. August 14, 2022.
- ↑ N'Duka, Amanda (June 1, 2021). "'Dark Harvest': Casey Likes & E'myri Crutchfield Tapped To Star In MGM Horror Film". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
Further reading[edit]
- Bach, Steven. Final Cut. New York: Morrow, 1985.
- Balio, Tino. United Artists: The Company Built by the Stars. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1976.
- Balio, Tino. United Artists: The Company That Changed the Film Industry. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1987.
- Berg, A. Scott. Goldwyn. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1988.
- Gabler, Neal. An Empire of Their Own: How the Jews Invented Hollywood. New York: Crown Publishers, 1988.
- Schickel, Richard. D.W. Griffith: An American Life. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1983.
- Thomson, David. Showman: The Life of David O. Selznick. New York: Alfred A, Knopf, 1992.
External links[edit]
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- United Artists
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