Halcyon Studios

Last updated

Halcyon Studios, LLC.
Formerly
  • Robert Halmi, Inc. (1979–1988)
  • Qintex Entertainment (1988–1990)
  • RHI Entertainment (1990–1994, 2005–2012)
  • Hallmark Entertainment (1994–2005)
  • Sonar Entertainment (2012–2021)
Company type Subsidiary
Industry Entertainment
GenreMedia company
Founded1979;45 years ago (1979)
Founder Robert Halmi
Headquarters
Los Angeles, California
,
United States
Number of locations
5
Key people
  • David Ellender (CEO)
  • Scott Packman (EVP and CSO)
  • Matt Loze (EVP, development and production)
  • Andrea Gorfolova (family and factual entertainment president) [1]
Parent Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment
Website Official website

Halcyon Studios, LLC., formerly known as Sonar Entertainment, RHI Entertainment, Hallmark Entertainment, Qintex Entertainment, HRI Group and Robert Halmi Inc., is an American entertainment company specializing in the production and distribution of scripted television content, part of Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment. It was founded in 1979 by Robert Halmi Jr. and Robert Halmi Sr. (1924–2014) as Robert Halmi, Inc. The company uses the direct-to-series model for TV series. [2]

Contents

History

Robert Halmi Inc. was founded in 1979 by Robert Halmi Sr. [3] In July 1986, Robert Halmi Jr. took over as president and chief operating officer from Halmi Sr., who became the company's chairman and chief executive. [4]

From 1985 to 1988, RHI began a slowly-executed takeover of Hal Roach Studios, which gave the company North American rights to a majority of the Laurel & Hardy films and shorts, the home entertainment and theatrical rights to the portion of the Our Gang shorts that were not retained by MGM, and a majority of Hal Roach Studios’ feature films. Robert Halmi Inc. was then renamed as HRI Group. [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

Not too long after, HRI Group was taken over by the Australian financial services company Qintex (having joined the board of RHI when the merger with HRS was completed), and renamed Qintex Entertainment. However, Qintex quickly proved to be on the brink of financial collapse, with their bid for the assets of MGM/UA Entertainment Co. failing, and entered chapter 11 bankruptcy in November 1989; their American operations had previously failed to provide timely payments to MCA Television (which Qintex had partnered with to distribute The New Leave It to Beaver ) the month prior. [10] [11] [12] In 1990, Halmi re-purchased the assets of Qintex Entertainment for $40 million. [13]

In 1990, independent film studio New Line Cinema acquired a 52% stake in the studio, which was renamed as RHI Entertainment; for a time, RHI productions and New Line's films were distributed to television stations under the banner New Line Television Distribution.

In 1992, RHI Entertainment made a deal with Cabin Fever Entertainment to distribute its library on home video. [14]

Hallmark Cards agreed to purchase RHI in April 1994. [15] RHI had a 1,800 plus hours film library at that time. [16] Hallmark Entertainment was then formed with RHI and Signboard Hill Productions, another Hallmark Cards subsidiary, [17] becoming subsidiaries. [16] Hallmark sold the Filmation library and its rights to Entertainment Rights in March 2004. [18]

In December 2005, Hallmark Cards sold off Hallmark Entertainment to an investor group led by Robert Halmi Jr., it was renamed back to RHI Entertainment. [19] [20]

On December 10, 2010, RHI filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. [21] The company emerged from bankruptcy on March 29, 2011. [22]

In March 2012, the company was renamed Sonar Entertainment. The name change stemmed from the Halmis leaving the company. [23]

On April 9, 2021, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment signed a definitive agreement to acquire Sonar's assets, which currently includes most of the Hal Roach Studios library, and other material previously released and/or produced by predecessor companies Qintex, RHI, Cabin Fever, and Hallmark. [24]

On May 3, 2021, CSS announced it would launch Halcyon Television, a scripted television studio. [25] [26]

On April 23, 2024, its parent Chicken Soup for the Soul announced a $636.6 million loss in 2023, and warned that without any options to generate additional financing, the company may be forced to liquidate or pause operations, and seek a potential Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing. [27]

Notable works

As Qintex Entertainment, the company co-produced the miniseries Lonesome Dove for CBS. [28]

As of December 2017, Sonar Entertainment's scripted series on-air, in production or slated to commence production included Mr. Mercedes , written by David E. Kelley, based on the novel by Stephen King, with Audience Network for DIRECTV and AT&T U-Verse; Seasons 1 and 2 of The Son , starring Pierce Brosnan for AMC; Seasons 1 and 2 of The Shannara Chronicles , for Spike; and Das Boot, an eight-part series based on the film, for Sky. [29]

Related Research Articles

<i>Kids Incorporated</i> Television series

Kids Incorporated is an American children's television program that began production in the mid-1980s and continued airing well into the early 1990s. It was largely a youth-oriented program with musical performances as an integral part of every episode. The pilot episode was shot on September 1, 1983, and the series aired in syndication from September 1, 1984, to December 26, 1985, and on Disney Channel from November 3, 1986, to January 9, 1994. Reruns aired on Disney Channel until May 30, 1996.

Hallmark Media is an American media production company with corporate headquarters located in Studio City, California, and is a subsidiary of Hallmark Cards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicken Soup for the Soul</span> American self-help, consumer goods and media company

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, Inc. is an American self-help, consumer goods and media company based in Cos Cob, Connecticut. It is known for the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series. The first book, like most subsequent titles in the series, consisted of inspirational true stories about ordinary people's lives. The books are widely varied, each with a different theme. Today, Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing, LLC continues to publish about twelve new books per year.

Redbox Automated Retail, LLC is an American video on-demand streaming and video rental company specializing in DVD, Blu-ray, 4K UHD rentals and purchases and formerly video games via automated retail kiosks and TVOD, AVOD, and FAST services via its website, Android and iOS apps, and many consumer electronic devices. Redbox kiosks feature the company's signature red color and are located at convenience stores, fast food restaurants, grocery stores, mass retailers, and pharmacies.

The following is a complete list of the 220 Our Gang short films produced by Hal Roach Studios and/or Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer between 1922 and 1944, numbered by order of release along with production order.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hal Roach Studios</span> American film production studio

Hal Roach Studios was an American motion picture and television production studio. Known as The Laugh Factory to the World, it was founded by producer Hal Roach and business partners Dan Linthicum and I.H. Nance as the Rolin Film Company on July 23, 1914. The studio lot, at 8822 Washington Boulevard in Culver City, California, United States, was built in 1920, at which time Rolin was renamed to Hal E. Roach Studios. The first series in Hal Roach Studios were the Willie Work comedies, with first short being A Duke For A Day.

<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.

<i>Our Gang</i> American series of comedy short films

Our Gang is an American series of comedy short films chronicling a group of poor neighborhood children and their adventures. Created by film producer Hal Roach, also the producer of the Laurel and Hardy films, Our Gang shorts were produced from 1922 to 1944, spanning the silent film and early sound film periods of American cinema. Our Gang is noted for showing children behaving in a relatively natural way; Roach and original director Robert F. McGowan worked to film the unaffected, raw nuances apparent in regular children, rather than have them imitate adult acting styles. The series also broke new ground by portraying white and black children interacting as equals during the Jim Crow era of racial segregation in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Qintex</span>

Qintex Limited was an Australian financial services company founded in 1975 as Takeovers, Equities & Management Securities (TEAM). It was renamed Qintex Limited and came to prominence in 1986, collapsing five years later in 1991. Its main shareholder and Managing Director was Christopher Skase.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Line Television</span> Television production company and subsidiary of New Line Cinema

New Line Television was the television production arm of the film studio of the same name. It was active for about 20 years from 1988 to 2008.

T. and T. is a television series, in production from 1987 to 1990. It premiered in first-run syndication in January 1988, moving to new episodes on the Family Channel in 1990. It is a starring vehicle for Mr. T, after the cancellation of The A-Team in 1987. It was co-produced by Canadian animation firm Nelvana, alongside Hal Roach Studios and successor Qintex Entertainment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genius Products</span> Defunct entertainment company

Genius Products was a home entertainment company based in Santa Monica, California, United States.

Crackle, formerly named Grouper and Sony Crackle, is an American video streaming service founded in 2004. The service was purchased by Sony Pictures in 2006 and was renamed as Crackle. In 2018, the name was changed to Sony Crackle. Sony sold a majority stake to Chicken Soup for the Soul in March 2019, and the name was changed back to Crackle.

Screen Media Ventures, LLC is an American-Canadian distribution company founded in 2001 and owned by Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment since 2017 alongside its subsidiary Popcornflix. In 2008, Screen Media selected The Creative Coalition as its exclusive nonprofit partner in launching the Spotlight Initiative. The partnership permits the pursuit of active outreach efforts for issues showcased in Screen Media produced and distributed motion pictures. While the Spotlight Initiative serves as a strategic business component that will create unique marketing, branding, and advertising opportunities as well as value for mass marketers, it also enhances America's cultural connection to the stories and social agendas of our times.

Alchemy was an American independent global film distributor based in Los Angeles, California. The company acquired and distributed feature films, television series and specialty programming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Popcornflix</span> On-demand streaming service

Popcornflix LLC is a website and over-the-top (OTT) service offering free ad-supported streaming video of feature-length movies and webisodes owned by Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment.

Larry Levinson Productions (LLP) is the production company of Larry Levinson. Levinson is an American screenwriter, producer and the president of Levinson Productions. By 2016, the company had produced over 200 films.

MGM-Pathé Communications was an American film production company that operated in Los Angeles County, California from 1990 to 1992.

Robert Halmi (Sr.) was a Hungarian-born producer of movies and mini-series for television.

References

  1. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (August 1, 2019). "Sonar Entertainment Appoints New CEO (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  2. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (December 22, 2015). "'Florida Roadkill' TV Series Based On Tim Dorsey's Novels In Works At Sonar". Deadline. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  3. ↑ James, Meg (December 10, 2010). "Halmi's RHI Entertainment files for Chapter 11". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  4. ↑ "People: Nation". Los Angeles Times. July 23, 1986. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  5. ↑ Delugach, Al (October 28, 1986). "Roach Studios to Buy Ray Stark's Production Unit". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
  6. ↑ "People: Nation". Los Angeles Times. July 23, 1986. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Roach Studios Pacts To Buy Into Halmi". Variety . 1985-12-18. p. 4.
  8. ↑ "Roach Proposes Halmi Marriage". Variety . 1987-08-12. pp. 51, 80.
  9. ↑ "Halmi, Hal Roach Combo Companies Forming HRI Group". Variety . 1987-11-04. pp. 35, 62.
  10. ↑ Stevenson, Richard W.; Times, Special to The New York (1989-10-21). "Qintex Unit Files for Bankruptcy". New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2019-07-15.
  11. ↑ Bill, Richard. "Qintex Latest Failure of Major Australian Company With U.S. Operations". AP NEWS. Retrieved 2019-07-15.
  12. ↑ "TROUBLES IN US HURTING QINTEX". Australian Financial Review. 1989-10-23. Retrieved 2023-05-14.
  13. ↑ "In Brief" (PDF). World Radio History. 5 November 1990. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  14. ↑ "Cabin Fever Signs Distrib Deal With RHI" (PDF). Billboard . February 1, 1992. p. 52. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  15. ↑ Lippman, John (April 27, 1994). "Hallmark to Buy TV Movie Producer RHI Entertainment". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
  16. 1 2 "History of Crown Media Holdings, Inc.". International Directory of Company Histories. Volume 45. St. James Press. 2002. Retrieved December 27, 2017– via FundingUniverse.
  17. ↑ Carmody, John (July 28, 1994). "THE TV COLUMN". Washington Post. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
  18. ↑ Rick DeMott, Rick (March 26, 2004). "Entertainment Rights Acquires Filmation". Animation World Network. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  19. ↑ Sims, James (July 14, 2006). "Milestone: Hallmark Channel at 5". The Hollywood Reporter. AP. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  20. ↑ Gelsi, Steve (June 18, 2008). "RHI Entertainment returns as public company". MarketWatch. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
  21. ↑ Palank, Jacqueline (2010-12-10). "RHI Entertainment Files for Chapter 11". Wall Street Journal. ISSN   0099-9660 . Retrieved 2023-06-13.
  22. ↑ "RHI Entertainment Gets Greenlight to Emerge from Chapter 11". www.businesswire.com. 2011-03-29. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
  23. ↑ Pickard, Michael (March 3, 2012). "RHI becomes Sonar, new CEO". C21media. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  24. ↑ "Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire Sonar Entertainment Assets". Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment (Press release). April 9, 2021.
  25. ↑ "Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment Forms Halcyon Television Led by David Ellender". Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment (Press release). May 3, 2021.
  26. ↑ "Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment Closes on Acquisition of Sonar Entertainment Assets". Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment (Press release). May 24, 2021.
  27. ↑ "Chicken Soup Reports $637 Million Loss for 2023, Preps Investors for Bankruptcy". NextTV. April 23, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  28. ↑ Stevenson, Richard W. (1989-10-21). "Qintex Unit Files for Bankruptcy". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2017-09-07.
  29. ↑ Petski, Denise (2016-09-27). "'Das Boot': Sonar Acquires Rights To Event Series; Boards As Co-Producer". Deadline. Retrieved 2017-09-07.
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.