Fireworks Entertainment

Last updated
Fireworks Entertainment
FormerlySkyVision Entertainment (1991–1994)
SkyVision Partners (1994–1996)
Fireworks Pictures (1996–2005)
IndustryTelevision and film production and distribution
Founded1991;33 years ago (1991)
FounderBrian K. Ross
DefunctMarch 14, 2011
FateName changed to Content Television
SuccessorKew Media Group
Quiver Entertainment
HeadquartersCanada (1991-2005)
United Kingdom (2005-2011)
Key people
 Jay Firestone
Parent John Labatt Entertainment Group (1991–1996)
CanWest (1998–2005)
Content Media Corporation PLC (2005–2011)

Fireworks Entertainment (originally Skyvision Entertainment and Skyvision Partners) was an independent studio originally founded in 1991 by Brian K. Ross and later bought out by Jay Firestone in 1996 to produce, distribute and finance television shows and feature films.

Contents

History

Skyvision Entertainment was originally operating as a division of John Labatt Entertainment Group. [1]

In 1993, Orion Pictures inked an agreement with Skyvision Entertainment to handle series rights to the RoboCop franchise. [2] Also that year, it entered into an agreement with Rigel Entertainment for international distribution rights to RoboCop: The Series . [3] The company, known as Skyvision Partners by then, teamed up with Disney subsidiary Buena Vista Television to produce the first-run syndicated action hour Land's End . [4] [5]

In 1996, Skyvision Entertainment was purchased by Jay Firestone, former employee of Alliance Communications, and rebranded it to Fireworks Entertainment. [6] The first show under the new name was F/X: The Series , which they acquired from Orion Pictures in 1994. [7]

Fireworks was acquired by Canwest Global in May 1998, and was later sold to ContentFilm (production company of The Cooler ), [8] a British company, in April 2005. Over the years, Fireworks has amassed a significant catalogue of television shows and movies (under the Fireworks Pictures label). In 2000, Canwest Global had bought out Endemol Entertainment's international distribution arm and merged into Fireworks Entertainment. [9] Also that year, Canwest had acquired its assets of Western International Communications, and its WIC Entertainment unit, along with its library, would later be folded into Fireworks. [10]

In 1998, Peter Hoffman's Seven Arts Pictures formed an alliance with Fireworks to start out the Seven Arts International branding. [11] In 2000, CanWest Films merged with Seven Arts International, another Canwest subsidiary to start the Fireworks Pictures branding to produce theatrical motion pictures. [12] On October 2, 2001, Pliny Porter was hired as head of production and development for the Fireworks Pictures subsidiary, in order to make an effort to continue producing their own feature films. [13] In 2005, after ContentFilm had bought out Fireworks, the television library, through its subsidiary Fireworks Distributing Corp. to rival firm Alliance Atlantis. [14]

On March 14, 2011, Fireworks International was renamed as Content Television and its parent company, ContentFilm was also renamed as Content Media Corporation, which was later acquired by Canadian-based Kew Media Group in 2017 and after Kew Media's liquidation and collapse in 2020, its library was later acquired by Quiver Distribution via its Quiver Entertainment division and in 2023, the underlying rights to the Kew Media library was later acquired by West Side Pictures, with Abacus Media Rights and Magnolia Pictures both handling distribution . [15] [16] [17] [18]

Court cases

The original company was sued by Sony regarding Queen of Swords [19] and by 20th Century Fox regarding Mutant X . [20]

Television shows (as Fireworks Entertainment)

TV shows filmed in widescreen 16:9 from 1998 but generally broadcast in 4:3 pan and scan. The widescreen versions are available on DVD.

Films (as Fireworks Pictures)

Related Research Articles

Orion Releasing, LLC is an American film production and distribution company owned by the Amazon MGM Studios subsidiary of Amazon. In its original operating period, the company produced and released films from 1978 until 1999 and was also involved in television production and syndication throughout the 1980s until the early 1990s. It was formed in 1978 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and three former senior executives at United Artists. From its founding until its buyout by MGM in the late 1990s, Orion was considered one of the largest mini-major studios.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alliance Atlantis</span> Canadian-American media company

Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. was a Canadian media company that operated primarily as a specialty service operator in Canada. Alliance Atlantis also had offices in Halifax, Los Angeles, London, Dublin, Madrid, Barcelona, Shannon, and Sydney.

Revolution Studios Distribution Company, LLC, operating as Revolution Studios, is an American independent motion picture and television studio headed by Chief Executive Officer Scott Hemming, founded in 2000, and based in Los Angeles, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2929 Entertainment</span> American mass media company

2929 Entertainment, LLC. is an American integrated media and entertainment company co-founded by billionaire entrepreneurs Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban. 2929 maintains companies and interests across several industries including entertainment development and packaging, film and television production and distribution, digital and broadcast syndication, theatrical exhibition, and home entertainment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sony Pictures</span> American television and film studio

Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio conglomerate that produces, acquires, and distributes filmed entertainment through multiple platforms. Through an intermediate holding company called Sony Film Holding Inc., it is operated as a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment Inc., which is itself a subsidiary of the multinational technology and media conglomerate Sony Group Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Universal Television</span> Television production company

Universal Television LLC is an American television production company that is a subsidiary of Universal Studio Group, a division of NBCUniversal, which, in turn, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Comcast. It serves as the network television production arm of NBC; a predecessor of the company, NBC Studios, previously assumed such functions, and a substantial portion of the company's shows air on the network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worldvision Enterprises</span> American television program distributor

Worldvision Enterprises, Inc. was an American television program and home video distributor established in 1954 as ABC Film Syndication, the domestic and overseas program distribution arm of the ABC Television Network. They primarily licensed programs from independent producers, rather than producing their own content.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MGM Home Entertainment</span> Home video distribution arm of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

MGM Home Entertainment LLC is the home video distribution arm of the American media company Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). It is owned by the Amazon MGM Studios subsidiary of Amazon.

Tribune Entertainment was a television production and broadcast syndication company owned and operated by Tribune Broadcasting. It was started in 1964 as a subsidiary of WGN-TV in Chicago. Many programs offered from Tribune Entertainment have been broadcast on the company's television stations.

NBCUniversal Syndication Studios, formerly known as NBCUniversal Television Distribution, Universal Domestic Television, Studios USA Television Distribution and MCA TV, is the television syndication division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, in the United States. Its predecessors include NBC Enterprises, Universal Television Distribution, Multimedia Entertainment, PolyGram Television, and Sky Vision. At some point in its history, it was also known as "NBCUniversal Television & New Media Distribution" and "NBC Universal Television and New Media Distribution.” This unit is possibly the parent for the similarly named "NBCUniversal Domestic Television Distribution" unit.

RoboCop is a 1994 cyberpunk television series based on the RoboCop franchise. It stars Richard Eden as the title character. Made to appeal primarily to children and young teenagers, it lacks the graphic violence of the original film RoboCop and its sequel RoboCop 2 and is more in line with the tone of RoboCop 3.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paramount Television Studios</span> Television arm of Paramount Pictures

Paramount Television Studios, formerly the second iteration of Paramount Television, was the television arm of American film studio Paramount Pictures, a division of Paramount Global, founded on March 4, 2013, by its predecessor, Viacom, following an emerging vigorous business with the technological expansion of television via streaming services. Paramount also recognized that television could give them little to fall back on when films fail, except for studio stage rentals.

Sterling Entertainment Group was an American independent entertainment company founded in 1984 as a small local company originally located in Nashville, Tennessee, then, from late 1986, Charlotte, North Carolina. Its headquarters would later relocate to a new location found in Carolina's South in 1996: Fort Mill. UAV was the longtime competitor of GoodTimes Entertainment, Anchor Bay Entertainment and Celebrity Home Video and many other sell-through discount home entertainment companies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harvey Films</span> Animation production arm of comic book publisher Harvey Comics

The Harvey Entertainment Company was the production arm of comic book publisher Harvey Comics. It was founded in 1957.

CBS Media Ventures, Inc. is the television broadcast syndication arm of CBS Studios, a division of the CBS Entertainment Group, in turn a division of Paramount Global, founded on January 17, 2006 by CBS Corporation from a merger of CBS Paramount Domestic Television and KingWorld.

WildBrain Ltd. is a Canadian media, animation studio, production, and brand licensing company, mostly associated as an entertainment company. The company is known for owning the largest independent library of children's television programming, including the assets of acquisitions such as Cookie Jar Group, Epitome Pictures, and Wildbrain Entertainment among others, distribution rights to the Jay Ward Productions library, and a stake in the Peanuts franchise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jay Firestone</span> Canadian film and television producer

Jay Firestone is a Canadian film and television producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alliance Films</span> Canadian motion picture distribution/production company

Alliance Films was a Canadian motion picture distribution and production company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quiver Distribution</span> American-Canadian film company

Quiver Distribution is an American-Canadian film production and film distribution company founded in 2019 by Berry Meyerowitz and Jeff Sackman. The company, sometimes referred to as an indie film company, is best known for releasing films The Fanatic, Running with the Devil, and Becky. In addition to its headquarters in Los Angeles, the company has a facility in Toronto. The firm's customers have included Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Sony and Paramount.

References

  1. ↑ Chidley, Joe (October 31, 1994). "The $50-Million Man". Maclean's. Retrieved 2021-10-27.
  2. ↑ Ayscough, Suzan (1993-04-29). "Orion signs 'RoboCop' series deal". Variety. Retrieved 2021-10-27.
  3. ↑ "Rigel pacts for 'Robocop' series rights". Variety. 1993-08-31. Retrieved 2021-10-27.
  4. ↑ Benson, Jim (1995-04-03). "BVTV aims high with new strips". Variety. Retrieved 2023-07-04.
  5. ↑ Benson, Jim (1995-01-09). "Hours Lose Power In Syndie Market". Variety. Retrieved 2023-07-04.
  6. ↑ Taylor, Julia. "Further Reading" (PDF).
  7. ↑ Lowry, Brian (1994-04-04). "Rysher Ent. lands 'F/X,' will produce 2 web pilots". Variety. Retrieved 2021-11-07.
  8. ↑ "News : Selected Press Clippings". ContentFilm. 2006-01-24. Archived from the original on 2012-07-22. Retrieved 2012-12-29.
  9. ↑ Kelly, Brendan (2000-07-28). "CanWest bags Endemol unit". Variety. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
  10. ↑ Kelly, Brendan (2000-09-26). "Top Canuck webs up competish". Variety. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
  11. ↑ Carver, Benedict (1998-09-25). "Hoffman, Firestone form distribbery". Variety. Retrieved 2021-11-26.
  12. ↑ Harris, Dana (2000-07-25). "Seven Arts, CanWest explode as Fireworks". Variety. Retrieved 2021-11-26.
  13. ↑ Dunkley, Cathy (2001-10-02). "Exec a match for Fireworks". Variety. Retrieved 2021-11-26.
  14. ↑ Tillson, Tamsen (2005-10-04). "Fireworks blowout". Variety. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  15. ↑ "Content Media PLC retrieved 5 Nov 2011". Contentmediacorp.com. Retrieved 2012-12-29.
  16. ↑ "Kew Media Group Acquires Six Companies, Including Content Media, for $104M". Deadline Hollywood. February 3, 2017.
  17. ↑ Kanter, Jake (May 12, 2020). "Quiver Entertainment Swoops For Kew Media Distribution Library". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  18. ↑ "MEP Capital Bows West Side Pictures with 800-Title Library, Partnerships with Magnolia, Abacus". Variety. March 16, 2023. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  19. ↑ Mark Litwak (2001-11-01). "Retrieved November 15, 2009". Marklitwak.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2012-12-29.
  20. ↑ "Retrieved February 21, 2010". Openjurist.org. Retrieved 2012-12-29.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.