Lava Bear Films

Last updated
Lava Bear Films
Founded2011;13 years ago (2011)
Founder David Linde
Headquarters Los Angeles, California, U.S.

Lava Bear Films is a production and film financing company producing three to five projects annually that are specifically designed for the global marketplace. The company was founded in 2011 by David Linde who was CEO [1] until October, 2015 when Participant Media announced that Linde joined the company as its CEO. [2] Lava Bear’s development slate of over fifteen titles and upcoming productions will continue to be overseen by Tory Metzger, President and Partner of Lava Bear, with Linde’s support during his transition. [3]

Contents

The company's creative partners include David S. Goyer, David Michôd, Guillermo del Toro, Shawn Levy, Denis Villeneuve, Zhang Yimou, and Alfonso and Jonás Cuarón, among many others. [4]

With Reliance Entertainment as its primary equity investor, Lava Bear also maintains a network of direct output partnerships in several key territories around the globe with the following companies serving to complete its worldwide distribution and financing platform: [5]

Films in development & production

In November 2013, Jason Zada was signed by Lava Bear and David S. Goyer to helm the Goyer-produced film The Forest [6] starring Natalie Dormer and Michael Huisman. [7] Focus Features picked up the North American distribution rights to the film, [8] [9] which acts as Zada's feature film directorial debut and was released on January 8, 2016. [6] Lava Bear is also produced Shut In with EuropaCorp distributing worldwide and starring Naomi Watts; [10] and on director Sammo Hung’s The Bodyguard starring Sammo Hung and Chinese superstar Andy Lau. [11] Lava Bear is also a producer, with 21 Laps and FilmNation, on Denis Villeneuve's Arrival , starring Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker and distributed domestically by Paramount Pictures. [12] The company, with Esperanto Kino and Itaca Films, [13] premiered Jonás Cuarón’s Desierto as a Special Presentation at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David S. Goyer</span> American filmmaker, novelist, and comic book writer

David Samuel Goyer is an American filmmaker, novelist and comic book writer. He is best known for writing the screenplays for several superhero films, including Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (1998), the Blade trilogy (1998–2004), Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy (2005–2012), Man of Steel (2013) and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016). He has also directed four films: Zig Zag (2002), Blade: Trinity (2004), The Invisible (2007) and The Unborn (2009). He is the creator of the science fiction television series Foundation which is loosely based upon the Foundation series written by Isaac Asimov.

Spyglass Media Group, LLC is an independent film and television production and finance company founded by Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Simonds</span> American film producer

Robert Bruce Simonds Jr. is an American film producer, entrepreneur, and the founder & chairman of STX Entertainment, which creates, produces, distributes, finances, and markets film, television, digital media, and live events as well as virtual reality. According to The Wall Street Journal in its first four years, Simonds more than tripled the company's valuation to an estimated US$3.5 billion. In September 2017, it was reported that STX was close to an initial public offering on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (SEHK), and in April 2018, the company announced it had filed for an IPO. In October 2018, it was announced that STX would not go through with the IPO, as political and market conditions had changed. Prior to working at STX, Simonds was an independent film producer whose over 30 films have generated more than $6 billion in worldwide box office revenue. Simonds is reported to have a net worth of $800 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Participant (company)</span> Defunct American film production company

Participant Media, LLC was an American independent film and television production company founded in 2004 by Jeffrey Skoll, dedicated to entertainment intended to spur social change. The company financed and co-produced film and television content, as well as digital entertainment through its subsidiary SoulPancake, which the company acquired in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Codeblack Films</span> American entertainment company

Codeblack Films is an American entertainment company. Codeblack focuses on films targeting African-American audiences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natalie Dormer</span> British actress (born 1982)

Natalie Dormer is an English actress. Her accolades include winning an Empire Award, and receiving nominations for a Critics' Choice Award, two Gemini Awards, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reliance Entertainment</span> Indian media and entertainment company

Reliance Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. is an Indian media and entertainment company. It is a division of Reliance Group, handling its media and entertainment business, across content and distribution platforms. The company was founded on 15 February 2005, as two entities, namely Reliance Big Entertainment and BIG Pictures. Four years later the two companies were merged into Reliance BIG Pictures in 2009, and the company's name was changed to Reliance Entertainment the following year.

<i>Gravity</i> (2013 film) Science fiction thriller by Alfonso Cuarón

Gravity is a 2013 science fiction thriller film directed by Alfonso Cuarón, who also co-wrote, co-edited, and produced the film. It stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as American astronauts who attempt to return to Earth after the destruction of their Space Shuttle in orbit.

Open Road Films, LLC was an American independent film production and distribution company based in Los Angeles, California. It was founded by Tom Ortenberg on March 26, 2011, as a joint venture between the two largest American theatrical exhibitors, AMC Theatres and Regal Entertainment Group, which both owned the company until it was bought out by Tang Media Partners, a media company owned by Donald Tang, in August 2017.

DreamWorks Pictures is an American film studio and distribution label of Amblin Partners. It was originally founded on October 12, 1994, as a live-action film studio by Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen, of which they owned 72%. The studio formerly distributed its own and third-party films. It has produced or distributed more than ten films with box-office grosses of more than $100 million each.

David Linde has served as the CEO of Participant, chairman of Universal Pictures, co-founder of Focus Features, partner in the New York production company Good Machine, and owner of Lava Bear Films, where he produced the multi-Oscar nominated film Arrival. Films released during his tenures collectively earned more than $15 billion globally, with 204 Oscar nominations and 46 wins.

Jason Zada is an American film director, music video director, screenwriter and digital marketeer, best known for Elf Yourself, an interactive viral holiday season campaign for OfficeMax, and for Take This Lollipop, an interactive horror short film created to raise awareness of the danger of placing too much personal information online.

Worldview Entertainment was an American motion picture finance and production company. It had produced 23 films, including Birdman, which won four Oscars, including Best Picture, and grossed more than $103 million in global box office revenue.

Bron Studios is a Canadian motion picture company based in British Columbia and owned by Bron Media Corporation. Bron's notable productions include Joker, Bombshell, Queen & Slim, Greyhound, Judas and the Black Messiah, The Mule, Henchmen, Roman J. Israel, Esq., Rudderless, Welcome to Me, The Addams Family, The Willoughbys, and Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher Woodrow</span> American entrepreneur, financier, and movie producer

Christopher Woodrow is an American entrepreneur, financier, and movie producer. He is the founder and chairman at Media Capital Technologies, and was the founder and CEO of Worldview Entertainment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">QED International</span> American film production studio, financer and international distributor

QED International is a Los Angeles-based independent film production studio, financier and international distributor. It is best known for financing and producing District 9, Fury, and Dirty Grandpa.

<i>The Forest</i> (2016 American film) 2016 film by Jason Zada

The Forest is a 2016 American supernatural horror film directed by Jason Zada and written by Ben Ketai, Nick Antosca, and Sarah Cornwell. The film stars Natalie Dormer, Taylor Kinney, Yukiyoshi Ozawa, and Eoin Macken.

William Hunt Block is an American film producer who was CEO of Miramax from April 2017 to October 2023. His producing credits include W. (2008), District 9 (2009), Fury (2014), Bad Moms (2016), Dirty Grandpa (2016), Halloween (2018), and Halloween Kills (2021).

Amblin Partners American entertainment company

Storyteller Distribution Co., LLC, doing business as Amblin Partners, LLC., is an American independent entertainment production company. It develops and produces films under the Amblin Entertainment and DreamWorks Pictures banners, as well as television series through Amblin Television.

References

  1. Adler, Tim (16 February 2010). "David Linde Resurfaces With New Company". Deadline. Archived from the original on March 23, 2010.
  2. McClintock, Pamela (13 October 2015). "David Linde Named CEO of Participant Media". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  3. "David Linde Joins Participant Media as CEO". Participant Media. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  4. Linde, David. "Los Angeles Film Festival Board of Directors". Film Independent. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  5. Kilday, Gregg (24 May 2011). "David Linde Closes Funding, First Look Deal With India's Reliance". The Hollywood Reporter.
  6. 1 2 Fleming, Mike Jr. (November 5, 2013). "Lava Bear Sets Jason Zada To Helm David Goyer-Hatched 'The Forest': Video". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  7. McNary, Dave. "Berlin: Natalie Dormer, Michiel Huisman Drama 'The Forest' Sees Strong Sales". Variety . Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  8. Kit, Borys (May 22, 2014). "Focus Picks Up David Goyer Supernatural Thriller 'The Forest'". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  9. McNary, Dave (May 23, 2014). "David Goyer's 'The Forest' Gets North American Distribution". Variety . Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  10. Keslassy, Elsa. "EuropaCorp Rolls Into EFM With Kawasaki's Project, 'Shut In' And More". Variety . Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  11. Frater, Patrick. "Lava Bear Boards Andy Lau-Starring Chinese Actioner 'The Bodyguard'". Variety . Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  12. McClintock, Pamela. "Amy Adams' 'Story of Your Life' Goes to Paramount for $20 Million". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  13. Ford, Rebecca. "Cannes: Jonas Cuaron's 'Forsaken' Shopped by IM Global". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  14. Pond, Steve (28 July 2015). "Toronto Festival Lineup Includes Matt Damon, Eddie Redmayne, Dakota Johnson, Jake Gyllenhaal Films". The Wrap. Retrieved 28 July 2015.