First Look Studios

Last updated
First Look Studios, Inc.
FormerlyOverseas Filmgroup, Inc. (1980-2001)
First Look Media, Inc. (2001-2024)
Company type Private (1980-1996)
Public (1996-2024)
Industry Film production
Home video
Founded1980;44 years ago (1980)
FoundersRobert Little
Ellen Little
Fate Dormitory
Headquarters Century City, California
https://firstlookstudiosinc.com/
Products DVD, Blu-ray
Total assets $25 million
Divisions First Look Pictures
First Look Home Entertainment
First Look Television

First Look Studios, Inc. was an American independent film and home video distributor based in Los Angeles, California. The company specialized in the acquisition and direct distribution of, and worldwide license and sale of distribution rights to, independently produced feature films and television series.

Contents

History

Overseas Filmgroup

In 1980, Robert and Ellen Little founded Overseas Filmgroup as a film sales company for foreign markets. Overseas Filmgroup expanded towards film financing to give the company greater control over its output. From the company's foundation, it competed with fellow, also-defunct film producers J&M Film Sales (later J&M Entertainment), Manson International and Producers Sales Organization as the most successful company with global film sales.

Overseas Filmgroup decided to pay $3 million in order to set up operations for different areas worldwide such as Spain, Arizona, Texas, Taiwan, Italy, southern California and Colorado in the mid-1980s, and by 1986, the company became active, setting up a number of domestic theatrical, home video and television syndication sales with New World Pictures and other distributors. [1]

In 1987, while other sales companies were gaining production outfits, the Littles stated that they would avoid production, so Overseas Filmgroup had set up a company policy stating that they would acquire new films via distribution advances, and the three new movies, namely those directed by Roland Emmerich, will be offered to various Mifed buyers. [2] The company was the original international home video distributor for the show Tales from the Darkside , until it was sold off to Lorimar-Telepictures in late November 1987 after Lorimar International president Jeff Schlesinger saw all episodes of the show that was well-suited and combined to become eight ninety-minute episodes from the show. [3]

Films ranged from genre titles such as Blue Tiger (starring Virginia Madsen) and No Way Back (starring New Zealand actor Russell Crowe) to art house films, including Antonia's Line , Mrs. Dalloway , The Secret of Roan Inish , Waking Ned Devine , and Titus . [4] In 1993, the company expanded towards North American distribution through its First Look Pictures subsidiary. [5]

In October 1996, Entertainment/Media Acquisition Corporation, a special-purpose acquisition company incorporated in the state of Delaware in December 1993 that had consummated its initial public offering in February 1995, acquired Overseas Filmgroup, and the company went public. [6] In 2000. EUE/Screen Gems acquired a minority interest in the company.

First Look Studios

In January 2001, as part of a restructuring and to reflect the company's expansion into domestic film and home video distribution, Internet content development and television commercial production, Overseas Filmgroup was renamed First Look Media (not to be confused with the news organization of the same name). [7] The Overseas Filmgroup name remained as the international distribution division of First Look Media. In 2003, founders Robert and Ellen Little left First Look, and Overseas Filmgroup was renamed First Look International. [8] [4]

On July 29, 2005, the company merged with Canadian businessman Henry Winterstern's Capital Entertainment, and in September, the company's name was changed to First Look Studios. Winterstern became CEO of First Look and shared the role as chairman with EUE/Screen Gems' Chris Cooney. [9] In November 2005, First Look acquired DEJ Productions from Blockbuster. [10]

In March 2006, First Look acquired Ventura Distribution, a Californian home video distribution company, [11] including its subsidiary UrbanWorks Entertainment, and the domestic television syndication rights to fifty six films from Pinnacle Entertainment. [12] In 2006, the company launched a television syndication division known as First Look Television. [13] By 2006, First Look's film library consisted of 700 films, and continued to add more with the financing of in house productions. [14]

In March 2007, Henry Winterstern resigned from the company but stayed on as an adviser. [15] The same month, Nu Image acquired a 52% stake in First Look. The deal was brokered by William Morris Independent. Following the acquisition, Nu Image and its production/distribution arm Millennium Films were given an outlet for home video and theatrical distribution [16]

In January 2008, First Look Studios started releasing titles on Blu-Ray.


Films

Distributed lines

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Artists</span> American film production company

United Artists (UA) is an American film production company owned by Amazon MGM Studios. In its original operating period, UA was founded in 1919 by Charlie Chaplin, D.W. Griffith, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks as a venture premised on allowing actors to control their own financial and artistic interests rather than being dependent upon commercial studios.

Lorimar Productions, Inc., later known as Lorimar Television and Lorimar Distribution, was an American production company that was later a subsidiary of Warner Bros., active from 1969 until 1993, when it was folded into Warner Bros. Television. It was founded by Irwin Molasky, Merv Adelson, and Lee Rich. The company's name was a portmanteau of the name of Adelson's then wife, Lori, and Palomar Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Republic Pictures</span> American movie and serial production company

Republic Pictures Corporation was an American film studio corporation that originally operated from 1935 to 1967, based in Los Angeles, California. It had production and distribution facilities in Studio City, as well as a movie ranch in Encino.

Artisan Entertainment was an American film studio and home video company. It was considered one of the largest mini-major film studios until it was purchased by later mini-major film studio Lions Gate Entertainment in 2003. At the time of its acquisition, Artisan had a library of thousands of films developed through acquisition, original production, and production and distribution agreements. Its headquarters and private screening room were located in Santa Monica, California. It also had an office in Tribeca in Manhattan, New York.

<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.

Studiocanal S.A.S., often stylized as StudioCanal and also known as StudioCanal International, is a French film production and distribution company. The company is a subsidiary of the Canal+ Group, owned by Vivendi. As of May 2024 the company has 14 production companies in Europe and the US, and holds around 9,000 titles in its extensive film library.

Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. is a Canadian-American entertainment company currently headquartered in Santa Monica, California. It was founded in Canada by Frank Giustra on July 10, 1997, and domiciled in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Fremantle Limited, formerly FremantleMedia, is a British multinational television production and distribution company based in London. The company was founded as Pearson Television in 1993 when publishing and education company Pearson acquired the former British ITV franchisee Thames Television. Fremantle takes its name from Fremantle International, which was acquired by predecessor company All American Television in 1994. Pearson Television and Bertelsmann's CLT-UFA merged in 2000 to form the RTL Group, with Pearson Television itself being renamed FremantleMedia on 20 August of the following year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures</span> American film distribution studio

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures is an American film distributor within the Disney Entertainment division of the Walt Disney Company. It handles theatrical and occasional digital distribution, marketing and promotion for films produced and released by the Walt Disney Studios, including Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Studios, and internationally Searchlight Pictures; which operates its own autonomous theatrical distribution and marketing unit in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">20th Century Home Entertainment</span> American home video distributor

20th Century Home Entertainment was a home video distribution arm that distributed films produced by 20th Century Studios, Searchlight Pictures, and 20th Century Animation and several third-party studios, as well as television series by 20th Television, Searchlight Television, 20th Television Animation, and FX Productions in home entertainment formats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sony Pictures Home Entertainment</span> Home video distribution division of Sony Pictures

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Inc. is the home entertainment distribution division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vestron Video</span> Defunct American home video company

Vestron Video was the main subsidiary of Vestron, Inc., a home video company based in Stamford, Connecticut, that was active from 1981 to 1993, and is considered to have been a pioneer in the home video market.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Universal Pictures Home Entertainment</span> Home video distribution division of Universal Pictures

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment LLC is the home video distribution division of Universal Pictures, an American film studio, owned by NBCUniversal, which is owned by Comcast.

De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG) was an entertainment production company and distribution studio founded by Italian producer Dino De Laurentiis. The company is notable for producing Manhunter, Blue Velvet, the horror films Near Dark and Evil Dead II, King Kong Lives, and Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, as well as distributing The Transformers: The Movie.

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

Vestron Pictures Inc. was an American film studio and distributor, a former division of Austin O. Furst, Jr.'s Vestron Inc., that is best known for their 1987 release of Dirty Dancing.

Roadshow Entertainment is an Australian home video, production and distribution company that is a division of Village Roadshow that distributes films in Australia and New Zealand. Their first release was Mad Max. Roadshow Entertainment is an independent video distributor in Australia and New Zealand.

Lionsgate Canada is a Canadian entertainment company and a subsidiary of Lionsgate Studios. Based in Toronto, Ontario, the company is primarily involved in the acquisition and production of films and television series.

DEJ Productions was an American independent film studio, distribution, production and home video company founded in 1998 by Dean Wilson, Ed Stead and John Antioco.

References

  1. ↑ "Overseas Filmgroup assembles pics shot all over the map". Variety . 1986-10-22. p. 51.
  2. ↑ "Overseas Filmgroup Avoids Production But Has 3 To Move". Variety . 1987-10-21. p. 56.
  3. ↑ "Lorimar Gets 'Darkside' For Offshore Homevid". Variety . 1987-12-02. p. 23.
  4. 1 2 "First Look Studios at 25".
  5. ↑ "First Look Pictures/Overseas Filmgroup - Independent Magazine". Independent Magazine. 1998-01-01. Retrieved 2016-10-14.
  6. ↑ "S-1".
  7. ↑ "Overseas Filmgroup Changes Name to First Look Media To Reflect the Widened Scope of Its Business and Adds Two Divisions". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  8. ↑ Indiewire (27 February 2004). "Relaunched First Look Media Bolsters Company In Advance of AFM | IndieWire". IndieWire. Retrieved 2016-10-14.
  9. ↑ First Look Studios. "Capital Entertainment Merges With First Look Media to Become First Look Studios". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 2016-10-13.
  10. ↑ Hettrick, Scott (November 8, 2005). "DEJ deal to First Look". Variety . Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  11. ↑ "First Look drives to Ventura for $20 mil". Variety. March 21, 2006. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  12. ↑ Dempsey, John (2006-06-14). "First Look pix it up". Variety. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
  13. ↑ Dempsey, John (2006-06-14). "First Look pix it up". Variety. Retrieved 2020-11-16.
  14. ↑ Waxman, Sharon (2007-03-08). "First Look Studios - Henry Winterstern - Movies". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2016-10-14.
  15. ↑ "First Look's Winterstern resigns". Variety. 2 March 2007. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  16. ↑ "First Look gets a Nu Image". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2016-10-14.
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.