Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group
The Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group (commonly known as the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, formerly known as the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group until 2013, and abbreviated as SPMPG) is a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment to manage its motion picture operations. It was launched in 1998 by integrating the businesses of Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. and TriStar Pictures, Inc.[1]
 | |
| Formerly | Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group (1998–2013) |
|---|---|
| Type | Division |
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Founded | 1998 Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Headquarters | 10202 West Washington Boulevard, Culver City, California, U.S. |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people |
|
| Products | Motion pictures |
| Services | Film production and distribution |
| Parent | Sony Pictures Entertainment |
| Divisions | |
| Website | sonypictures.com/movies |
History
The Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group was founded in 1998 as the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, as a current division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, owned by Sony. It has many of Sony Pictures' current motion picture divisions as part of it. Its divisions at that time were Columbia Pictures, TriStar Pictures, Triumph Films, Sony Pictures Classics, and Sony Pictures Releasing.
On December 8, 1998, SPE resurrected its former animation and television division Screen Gems as a film division of Sony Pictures Entertainment's Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group that has served several different purposes for its parent companies over the decades since its incorporation.[2]
In 2002, Columbia TriStar Television was renamed as Sony Pictures Television. The last three remaining companies, with the "Columbia TriStar" brand in its name, were Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, and Columbia TriStar Marketing Group. Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment and Columbia TriStar Film Distributors became Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and Sony Pictures Releasing International in 2004 and 2005 and Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group became the second-to-last subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment to use the "Columbia TriStar" brand name in its name.
In 2013, TriStar Productions was launched, as a joint venture of Sony Pictures Entertainment and former 20th Century Fox chairman Thomas Rothman.[3][4]
In October 2013, Sony Pictures rebranded its motion picture group under the monicker "Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group". Sony Pictures Animation and Sony Pictures Imageworks were moved from Sony Pictures Digital to its motion picture group.
On June 2, 2016, Doug Belgrad had announced he was to step down as president of the SPMPG and would transition his role to producer at the studio.[5] Belgrad was promoted as president of the SPMPG back in 2014.[5]
On July 15, 2019, former Fox 2000 Pictures president Elizabeth Gabler and the entire Fox 2000 staff joined Sony Pictures Entertainment and formed 3000 Pictures with the motion picture group. HarperCollins would be funding half of the division's overhead and development. 3000 Pictures would also pursue projects for TV and streaming.[6]
Film divisions
| Studio divisions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Production | Distribution | Other | ||
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Sony Pictures Releasing
 | |
| Formerly | Triumph Releasing Corporation (1982–1994) Columbia TriStar Pictures (1999-2005) |
|---|---|
| Type | Division |
| Industry | Motion pictures |
| Founded | November 23, 1994 |
| Headquarters | , |
| Services | Film distribution Marketing |
| Owner | Sony |
| Parent | Sony Pictures Entertainment |
| Divisions | Sony Pictures Releasing International |
| Website | sonypictures.com |
Sony Pictures Releasing is an American film distributor owned by Sony. Established in 1994[7] as a successor to Triumph Releasing Corporation, the company handles theatrical distribution, marketing and promotion for films produced and released by Sony Pictures Entertainment, including Columbia Pictures, TriStar Pictures (as well as TriStar Productions), Screen Gems, Sony Pictures Classics, Sony Pictures Animation, Crunchyroll, Stage 6 Films, Affirm Films, Destination Films, and Triumph Films. It is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group. It also has an international division called Sony Pictures Releasing International, which from 1991 until 2005 was known as Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International.
International arrangements
 | |
| Formerly | Columbia Tri-Star Film Distributors International (1988-1991) Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International (1991–2005) |
|---|---|
| Type | Division |
| Industry | Motion pictures |
| Founded | December 21, 1988 |
| Headquarters | , |
| Services | International Film distribution Marketing |
| Owner | Sony |
| Parent | Sony Pictures Releasing |
| Website | sonypictures.com |
From 1971 until the end of 1987, Columbia's international theatrical distribution operations were a joint venture with Warner Bros. named Columbia-Warner, and in some countries, this joint venture also distributed films from other companies like with EMI Films and Cannon Films in the UK under the names of Columbia-EMI-Warner in 1978 and later Columbia-Cannon-Warner in 1986. The UK venture was dissolved in 1988.
Except in Australia, which from 1975 to 1996, 20th Century-Fox and Columbia Pictures formed an alliance that they would distribute films for the Australian market, initially going under the name Fox Columbia Film Distributors, before Hoyts came to the venture, and it was renamed first to Hoyts Fox Columbia TriStar Films, then Fox Columbia TriStar Films.[8]
On February 6, 2014, Columbia TriStar Warner Filmes de Portugal Ltda., a joint venture with Warner Bros. which distributed films from both companies in Portugal, announced that they will close their offices on March 31.[9] Sony Pictures' films are distributed in Portugal by Big Picture Films since then, while NOS Audiovisuais took over the distribution duties for Warner Bros. films in the country.
From June 2014 until February 2020, Sony Pictures' Philippine releasing arm under the name of Columbia Pictures Philippines distributed films by United International Pictures' partner studios, Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures (including films by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer), after UIP ended its nine-year distribution agreement with the studio's local distributor Solar Entertainment Corporation and their Solar Films subsidiary. The Philippine distribution to films made by Universal lasted up until January 2020, when distribution reverted to Warner Bros. (UIP's former local distributor from the 1990s to 2000) in October 2021 while most Focus Features titles are instead released through a start-up online distribution company, UPSTREAM. Paramount later renewed their distribution agreements with Sony in October 2021.
The theatrical distribution of Sony Pictures' films in Italy was handled by Warner Bros. from 2011 to 2023. One notable example of this is Call Me By Your Name, where Warner Bros. handled Italian theatrical distribution (although the Sony label is still being used) while home video distribution went through Sony itself. In 2023, Eagle Pictures took over theatrical distribution of Sony's films in the country.
Sony Pictures and Walt Disney Studios formed a film distribution joint venture in Southeast Asia in 1997.[10] By December 2006, 14 joint distribution ventures between Sony Pictures Releasing International and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures were formed and exist in countries including Brazil, Mexico, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines. In January 2007, their 15th such partnership began operations in Russia and CIS.[11] In February 2017, Sony starting leaving the Southeast Asia venture with the Philippines. In August 2017, Sony terminated the joint venture agreement for their own operations.[10] On January 31, 2019, in anticipation of Disney's then-pending acquisition of most 21st Century Fox assets (including 20th Century Fox), it was agreed that Disney would sell its stake in the Mexican joint venture named Walt Disney Studios Sony Pictures Releasing de México to Sony Pictures Releasing.[12] As part of the global economic fluctuations caused by the Disney's acquisition, Sony Pictures Production and Release LLC and Disney Studios LLC parted amicably signing a formal demerger on 21 January 2020. The contract would allow Sony Pictures Releasing to operate autonomously.[13][14]
In Argentina and Poland, United International Pictures handles theatrical distribution of films released by Sony Pictures.
In the Netherlands, Universal Pictures International currently handles theatrical distribution of films released by Sony Pictures since 2013.
In the Netherlands and Sweden, Columbia TriStar Films (now known as Sony Pictures Releasing) formerly handled theatrical distribution of films released by 20th Century Fox from 1992 to 1997 in the former country and from 1994 to 1996 in the latter.
Film library
Film series
| Title | Release date | No. Films | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Three Stooges | 1934–70 | 2 | |
| Mr. Deeds | 1936–2002 | ||
| Blondie | 1938–50 | 28 | co-production with King Features Entertainment |
| Five Little Peppers | 1939–40 | 4 | |
| Boston Blackie | 1941–49 | 14 | |
| Cantinflas films | 1942–82 | 34 | (from Los tres mosqueteros to El barrendero) |
| Crime Doctor | 1943–49 | 10 | |
| The Whistler | 1944–48 | 8 | |
| Rusty | 1945–49 | 8 | |
| Jungle Jim | 1948–56 | 16 | |
| Frankenstein | 1958–94 | 4 | co-production with Hammer Film Productions (1958), Colgems Productions Ltd. (1985), Taft Entertainment Pictures (1987), The IndieProd Company and American Zoetrope (both 1994) |
| 13 Ghosts | 1960–2001 | 2 | |
| Matt Helm | 1966–68 | 4 | co-production with Meadway-Claude Productions Company |
| Guess Who | 1967–2005 | 2 | |
| Dracula | 1972–95 | 6 | co-production with Hammer Horror (1972-74 series only), American Zoetrope and Osiris Films (both 1992) |
| Death Wish | 1974–82 | 2 | International distributor; co-production with Paramount Pictures and Filmways Pictures |
| Fun with Dick and Jane | 1977–2005 | ||
| Spider-Man | 1977–present | 13 | co-production with Danchuck Productions (1977-81 series only), Marvel Entertainment, Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures Animation (including the MCU Spider-Man films) |
| When a Stranger Calls | 1979–2006 | 2 | |
| The Blue Lagoon | 1980–2012 | 3 | |
| Heavy Metal | 1981–2000 | 2 | co-production with CineGroupe |
| Annie | 1982–2021 | 7 | co-production with Rastar, Overbrook Entertainment, Village Roadshow Pictures, Storyline Entertainment, Chris Montan Productions and Walt Disney Television (1999 TV movie only) |
| Ghostbusters | 1984–present | 4 | co-production with Ghost Corps (since 2016) and Village Roadshow Pictures |
| The Karate Kid | 5 | co-production with JW Films and Overbrook Entertainment | |
| The Muppets | 1984, 1999–2002 | 3 | co-production with The Jim Henson Company and Jim Henson Pictures |
| Fright Night | 1985–89 | 2 | |
| Rambo | 1985–2008 | 3 | co-production with Carolco Pictures, Lionsgate, StudioCanal, and The Weinstein Company |
| Wild Orchid | 1989–91 | 2 | |
| Look Who's Talking | 1989–93 | 3 | |
| Total Recall | 1990–2012 | 2 | co-production with Carolco Pictures, Original Film, and Relativity Media |
| Flatliners | 1990–2017 | ||
| City Slickers | 1991–94 | co-production with Castle Rock Entertainment, Nelson Entertainment (1991 film only) and Face Productions | |
| My Girl | co-production with Imagine Entertainment | ||
| Terminator | 1991–2009 | 3 | co-production with Carolco Pictures, Intermedia, C2 Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, and The Halcyon Company |
| Universal Soldier | 1992–present | 4 | |
| Fortress | 1992–2000 | 2 | co-production with Dimension Films, Village Roadshow Pictures, Davis Entertainment, Gower Productions, The Carousel Picture Company, and John Flock Productions |
| Single White Female | 1992–2005 | ||
| Basic Instinct | 1992–2006 | co-production with Carolco Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and C2 Pictures | |
| 3 Ninjas | 1993–98 | 3 | co-production with Sheen Productions |
| Sniper | 1993–present | 8 | |
| El Mariachi | 1993–2003 | 3 | co-production with Dimension Films and Troublemaker Studios |
| RoboCop | 1993–2014 | 2 | co-production with Orion Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn Mayer |
| Little Women | 1994–2019 | co-production with DiNovi Pictures (1994), Pascal Pictures and Regency Enterprises (both 2019) | |
| The Swan Princess | 1994–present | 10 | |
| Bad Boys | 1995–present | 3 | co-production with Jerry Bruckheimer Films |
| Jumanji | 4 | ||
| The Net | 1995–2006 | 2 | |
| Screamers | 1995–2009 | ||
| The Craft | 1996–present | ||
| Matilda | 1996–2022 | ||
| Anaconda | 1997–present | 5 | Columbia/Screen Gems/Stage 6/Destination |
| Men in Black | 4 | co-production with Amblin Entertainment, Parker MacDonald, Imagenation Abu Dhabi, Overbrook Entertainment, and Relativity Media | |
| I Know What You Did Last Summer | 3 | co-production with Mandalay Entertainment | |
| Starship Troopers | 5 | co-production with Touchstone Pictures | |
| Zorro | 1998–2005 | 2 | co-production with Spyglass Entertainment, Amblin Entertainment and Parker MacDonald |
| 8mm | |||
| Wild Things | 1998–2010 | 4 | co-production with Mandalay Entertainment |
| Urban Legend | 1998–present | 3 | co-production with Phoenix Pictures |
| Cruel Intentions | 1999–2004 | co-production with Original Film and Newmarket Capital Group | |
| Baby Geniuses | 2 | co-production with Crystal Sky Pictures | |
| Stuart Little | 1999–2005 | 3 | co-production with Franklin/Waterman Productions and Red Wagon Entertainment |
| Bats | 1999–2007 | 2 | |
| Anatomy | 2000–03 | ||
| Hollow Man | 2000–06 | ||
| Charlie's Angels | 2000–19 | 3 | co-production with Leonard Goldberg Productions, Flower Films, Tall Trees Productions (all 2000–03), Wonderland Sound and Vision (2003), 2.0 Entertainment, Brownstone Productions and Cantillon Company (all 2019) |
| Final Fantasy | 2001–present | co-production with Square Enix | |
| Resident Evil | 2002–present | 7 | co-production with Constantin Film, Capcom, Davis Films, Impact Pictures and New Legacy Films (2002) |
| XXX | 2002–05 | 2 | co-production with Original Film, and Revolution Studios |
| Half Past Dead | 2002–07 | ||
| Daddy Day Care | 2003–07 | co-production with Revolution Studios | |
| S.W.A.T. | 2003–present | 3 | co-production with Original Film |
| Underworld | 2003–16 | 5 | co-production with Lakeshore Entertainment and Sketch Films (2009–16) |
| The Grudge | 2004–present | 4 | co-production with Ghost House Pictures |
| The Punisher | 2004–14 | co-production with Marvel Entertainment, Marvel Studios, and Lionsgate | |
| Boogeyman | 2005–08 | 3 | co-production with Ghost House Pictures |
| Into the Blue | 2005–09 | 2 | co-production with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Mandalay Pictures |
| Hostel | 2005–11 | 3 | co-production with Lionsgate Films |
| Jesse Stone | 2005–15 | 9 | co-production with Brandman Productions and TWS Productions II |
| The Pink Panther | 2006–09 | 2 | co-production with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| James Bond | 2006–15 | 4 | co-production with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (from Casino Royale to Spectre) |
| Open Season | co-production with Sony Pictures Animation | ||
| The Robert Langdon series | 2006–16 | 3 | co-production with Imagine Entertainment and Relativity Media |
| The Messengers | 2007–09 | 2 | |
| Stomp the Yard | 2007–10 | co-production with Rainforest Films | |
| Ghost Rider | 2007–11 | co-production with Marvel Entertainment, Crystal Sky Pictures, Hyde Park Entertainment, Saturn Films, Imagenation Abu Dhabi, and Relativity Media | |
| Surf's Up | 2007–17 | co-production with Sony Pictures Animation and WWE Studios | |
| Quarantine | 2008–11 | co-production with Vertigo Entertainment | |
| Paul Blart: Mall Cop | 2009–15 | co-production with Happy Madison Productions | |
| Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs | 2009–13 | co-production with Sony Pictures Animation | |
| Grown Ups | 2010–13 | co-production with Happy Madison Productions | |
| Insidious | 2011–present | 4 | co-production with Blumhouse Productions, Atomic Monster, and Universal Pictures |
| Dragon Tattoo Stories | 2 | co-production with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | |
| The Smurfs | 2011–17 | 3 | co-production with Sony Pictures Animation and The K Entertainment Company |
| Jump Street | 2012–14 | 2 | co-production with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Relativity Media, and Original Film |
| Hotel Transylvania | 2012–22 | 4 | co-production with Sony Pictures Animation |
| The Equalizer | 2014–present | 2 | co-production with Village Roadshow Pictures, Relativity Media, and Original Film |
| Goosebumps | 2015–present | co-production with Sony Pictures Animation, Scholastic Productions, Village Roadshow Pictures, and Original Film | |
| Angry Birds | 2016–present | co-production with Rovio Animation and Sony Pictures Animation (2019–present) | |
| Don't Breathe | co-production with Ghost House Pictures | ||
| The Marine | 2017–18 | co-production with WWE Studios | |
| Sword Art Online | 2017–present | 3 | Only licensed, produced by A-1 Pictures and Aniplex |
| Marvel Cinematic Universe | in association with Marvel Studios, Pascal Pictures and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures (licensed only) | ||
| Sony's Spider-Man Universe | 2018–present | co-production with Marvel and Pascal Pictures | |
| Venom | 2 | ||
| Peter Rabbit | co-production with Sony Pictures Animation (2018), Animal Logic, Olive Bridge Entertainment, 2.0 Entertainment, Screen Australia, and Screen NSW | ||
| Spider-Verse | co-production with Sony Pictures Animation, Marvel, and Pascal Pictures | ||
| My Hero Academia | 3 | Only licensed, produced by Bones and Toho | |
| Searching | 2018–23 | 2 | co-production with Bazelevs Company |
| Escape Room | 2019–present | co-production with Original Film | |
| Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba | 2021–present | Only licensed, produced by Ufotable and Aniplex |
Highest-grossing films
- † Indicates films playing in theatres in the week commencing 20 October 2023.
|
References
- "Sony Hitches TriStar to Col", Variety, March 31, 1998.
- "Los Angeles Times" Sony Forms New Movie Division articles.latimes.com December 8, 1998, Retrieved on April 4, 2016
- Abrams, Rachel (August 1, 2013). "Tom Rothman in Joint Venture With Sony to Run TriStar Productions". Variety. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
- CIEPLY, MICHAEL (August 1, 2013). "Sony Hires Rothman to Head Revived TriStar Unit". The New York Times. Retrieved August 2, 2013.
- Doug Belgrad exits as president of Sony Pictures' motion picture group latimes.com, Retrieved on June 3, 2016
- Masters, Kim. "Elizabeth Gabler Breaks Silence on Sony Move, Disney Exit, HarperCollins and Streaming Plans (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
- SONY PICTURES RELEASING CORPORATION businessprofiles.com, Retrieved on January 20, 2014
- "The Australian Film Industry - A Duopoly in Distribution in Exhibition". Cinema Papers. March 1975. p. 37.
- de Barros, Eurico (February 6, 2014). "Columbia Tristar Warner encerra escritórios em Portugal" [Columbia Tristar Warner closes offices in Portugal]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on September 30, 2017. Retrieved September 29, 2017.
- Frater, Patrick (August 14, 2017). "Sony Launches Its Own Theatrical Distributors in Southeast Asia". Variety. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
- Holdsworth, Nick (December 27, 2006). "Disney, Sony team up for Russian content". The Hollywood Reporter. AP. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
- "Clarification on Disney/Fox transaction" (PDF). Cofece. February 6, 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 9, 2019. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
- "Walt Disney to create a new distribution company in Russia". news.ru. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
- "Disney и Sony разделят экраны" [Disney and Sony to split screens]. Kommersant (in Russian). Retrieved April 13, 2021.