Parasite went on to become Neon's highest-grossing film at the worldwide box office with $262 million and the first non-English-language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture in February 2020.[14] In 2024, Longlegs surpassed Parasite's domestic box office gross ($53.3 million), with a cume of $58.6 million in its third weekend, becoming the indie distributor's highest-grossing film ever in North America.[15]
During the 4th Annual Zurich Summit, Tom Quinn commented on Neon's intent to release titles that appeal to audiences who "skew under 45, that have no aversion to violence, no aversion to foreign language and to non-fiction".[22] Explaining the success of the company in 2024, Quinn said: "We were very much a startup, with everyone functioning as this sophisticated amoeba. We very quickly found ourselves that year in Toronto with a great slate ... That work enabled us to sit at the table in Toronto that year and buy I, Tonya. Before the ink was even dry on the deal, we were planning its Oscar campaign. It's a testament to how quickly we can make decisions because we're not this big studio. We've always used that to our advantage."[3]
In September 2017, the company partnered with Blumhouse Productions to manage BH Tilt.[23] In 2019, a majority stake of Neon was sold to 30West, the media venture arm of "The Friedkin Group".[4][24]
In February 2021, Bleecker Street partnered with Neon to launch the joint home entertainment distribution company Decal, which is a standalone full-service operation that handles distribution deals on the home entertainment rights to both Neon and Bleecker Street's features. The first film to be distributed through Decal was the Bleecker Street release Supernova in winter 2021.[5] Additionally, Decal acquired North American distribution rights to the South Africanhorror filmGaia for a summer theatrical release, marking their first ever acquisition.[25]
Andrew Brown (Co-President of Decal) oversaw the launch of Neon's home entertainment division. In 2022, Brown was promoted to "President of Digital Distribution". The exec, who has served as "SVP of Digital Strategy, Marketing, and Distribution" for Neon since 2017, also manages Neon's library, and oversees the annual FYC DVD Box Set and direct-to-consumer digital portal "Neon Cinema".[26] Prior to the joint-venture, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, as well as The Criterion Collection and Well Go USA Entertainment (for the film Possessor which Neon and Well Go co-distributed), distributed several Neon films on home video.[27][28][29]
In August 2023, Neon hired former A24 employees Alexandra Altschuler as "VP Media" and Don Wilcox as "VP Marketing".[30] That same month, Neon hired former Sierra/Affinity employee Kristen Figeroid as "President of International Sales and Distribution", Laurel Charnetsky as "VP International Acquisitions & Operations", and Dan Stadnicki as "Manager, International Sales & Distribution".[31]
In May 2024, Neon hired marketing and publicity veteran Joey Monteiro as "EVP, International Marketing" and Ashley Hirsch as "Manager of International Sales and Marketing".[35] That same month, Neon promoted Elissa Federoff from "President of Distribution" to "Chief Distribution Officer" and Ryan Friscia from "EVP, Finance and Business Development" to "Chief Financial Officer".[36] Additionally, Jeff Deutchman, who joined Neon when it was launched, serves as "President of Acquisitions and Production".[37]
Additionally, Neon has acquired the distribution rights to five Palme d'Or winners at the Cannes Film Festival: Parasite (2019), Titane (2021), Triangle of Sadness (2022), Anatomy of a Fall (2023), and Anora (2024); all five won consecutively.[37][38][39] The company's strategy to acquire such titles at Cannes is to eschew "the lazy approach", said Deutchman. "The only real way to do Cannes is to go see as many movies as you can, because you never know where the next Dogtooth or Border or Hunger or Force Majeure is going to come from", he added, citing several modern Cannes standouts championed by arthouse buyers.[37] After acquiring Parasite in 2018, Neon financed and distributed the film the following year in U.S. territories.[40] "From the very beginning, Tom Quinn saw Parasite as a universal film and refused to put it in a box as a foreign-language or international film", said Parasite director Bong Joon-ho. "He saw the heart of the film and understood that it was about all of us living in our modern class-based society. I was always grateful for that."[3] The film subsequently became Neon's highest-grossing film with more than $200 million at the worldwide box office and won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director; Anatomy of a Fall and Triangle of Sadness were also nominated for the two aforementioned Academy Awards.[14][41][42][43][44] As of January 2024, Neon has garnered 32 Academy Award nominations, winning six overall.[3][42][44]
In 2023, Quinn commented on the company's success at Cannes, saying: "We've seen over the years that each of these films, because of their credibility and success, the Palme d'Or has come to mean something quite impactful for a very young group of cinephiles. And the reason why we know this is we've tested all these movies and dating back to Parasite, probably I think, the fifth reason why people came to see the film, in its test screening in Sherman Oaks, was the fact that it won the Palme d'Or, and each subsequent year that went up. And this year, the number one reason why people came to see the film [Anatomy of a Fall], at a test screening in Burbank, was the fact that it had won the Palme d'Or."[45] In 2024, Quinn stated: "The award means a lot. To audiences here who are looking for the absolute most adventurous, forward-looking cinema available, that award represents it because these films have delivered, and they've been major Oscar contenders."[3]
In July 2024, Neon received its biggest opening weekend at the box office with the horror thriller film Longlegs, after scoring $22.6 million from 2,510 theaters (a figure that includes $2.5–3 million in Thursday previews) and only behind Universal/Illumination's second weekend of Despicable Me 4. Initially projected to gross $7–9 million, the opening marked the biggest total for an original horror film of 2024, one of the top 20 weekends for an independent film and the best opening ever for an independent horror film.[46][47][48] To promote the film, Neon utilized guerrilla marketing tactics similar to those that led to the box office success of The Blair Witch Project (1999).[49] Director Oz Perkins credited Neon for the film's marketing, stating the studio "really responded strongly to the movie, the raw materials of the movie really excited them, the way it looks, the way it feels, the way it sounds. They asked me early on, 'Do we have your permission to kind of go nuts?' And I said, 'What else are we doing here? Go for it. Do your thing.'"[50] The film's total marketing budget was under $10 million, focusing on digital content and not having television ads.[46] During its third weekend, Longlegs became the company's highest-grossing film at the domestic box office, earning $58.6 million, surpassing what Parasite earned with $53.3 million in 2020.[15][51][52] Additionally, it became the top grossing R-rated horror film of 2024 and the highest-grossing indie horror film of the last decade, topping A24's Talk to Me (2022), Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015) from Focus Features, and A24's Hereditary (2018).[15] Afterward, furthering their unique marketing campaign, from August 1 to 4, Neon (partnering with Atom Tickets) offered free tickets to anyone who has a birthday that falls on the 14th of any given month. To get the tickets, those who registered and purchased tickets through Atom Tickets received a special promo code after verifying their date of birth and were able to get one free ticket per customer, while supplies lasted.[53][54][55]
The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded to the director of the Best Feature Film of the Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film. In 1964, the Palme d'Or was replaced again by the Grand Prix, before being reintroduced in 1975.
Bong Joon-ho is a South Korean filmmaker. The recipient of three Academy Awards, his work is characterised by emphasis on social and class themes, genre-mixing, dark comedy, and sudden tone shifts.
Stage 6 Films, Inc. is an American film production label of Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions that acquires and produces feature films that are low budget and that are being released direct-to-disc, on demand, or through streaming services. Some of their films are also being released theatrically. Once a film is finished, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions will decide if the film will be released theatrically or on a different platform.
Worldview Entertainment was an American motion picture finance and production company focused on theatrical-quality feature films for worldwide distribution. The company produced 23 films, including Fox Searchlight's critically acclaimed hit Birdman, which was nominated for nine Academy Awards, won four Oscars, including Best Picture, and grossed more than $103 million in global box office revenue.
A24 Films LLC, commonly referred to as A24, is an American independent entertainment company that specializes in film and television production, as well as film distribution. The company is based in Manhattan.
The Killing Of A Sacred Deer is a 2017 absurdist psychological horror thriller film directed and co-produced by Yorgos Lanthimos, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Efthimis Filippou. It stars Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Barry Keoghan, Raffey Cassidy, Sunny Suljic, Alicia Silverstone, and Bill Camp. It follows a cardiac surgeon who introduces his family to a teenage boy with a connection to his past, after which they mysteriously begin to fall ill.
Parasite is a 2019 South Korean black comedy thriller film directed by Bong Joon-ho, who co-wrote the film with Han Jin-won. The film, starring Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-shik, Park So-dam, Jang Hye-jin, Park Myung-hoon, and Lee Jung-eun, follows a poor family who infiltrate the life of a wealthy family.
Shoplifters is a 2018 Japanese drama film written, directed and edited by Hirokazu Kore-eda. Starring Lily Franky and Sakura Ando, it is about a family that relies on shoplifting to cope with a life of poverty.
Ferrari is a 2023 American biographical sports drama film directed by Michael Mann and written by Troy Kennedy Martin. Based on the 1991 biography Enzo Ferrari: The Man, the Cars, the Races, the Machine by motorsport journalist Brock Yates, the film follows the personal and professional struggles of Enzo Ferrari, the Italian founder of the car manufacturer Ferrari, during the summer of 1957 as Scuderia Ferrari prepares to compete in the 1957 Mille Miglia. Adam Driver portrays the titular subject, and Penélope Cruz, Shailene Woodley, Sarah Gadon, Gabriel Leone, Jack O'Connell, and Patrick Dempsey co-star.
Triangle of Sadness is a 2022 satirical black comedy film written and directed by Ruben Östlund in his English-language feature debut. The film stars an ensemble cast led by Harris Dickinson, Charlbi Dean, Dolly de Leon, Zlatko Burić, Iris Berben, Vicki Berlin, Henrik Dorsin, Jean-Christophe Folly, Amanda Walker, Oliver Ford Davies, Sunnyi Melles, and Woody Harrelson. It follows a celebrity couple on a luxury cruise with wealthy guests that end up stranded on a desert island and fighting for survival.
Titane is a 2021 body horror psychological drama film written and directed by Julia Ducournau. The French-Belgian co-production stars Agathe Rousselle in her feature film debut as Alexia, a woman who, after being injured in a car crash as a child, has a titanium plate fitted into her head. In adulthood, Alexia becomes a murderous car model with an erotic fascination with automobiles, leading to a bizarre sexual encounter that sets off an increasingly outlandish series of events. Vincent Lindon, Garance Marillier and Laïs Salameh also star.
Crimes of the Future is a 2022 science fiction body horror drama film written and directed by David Cronenberg. The film stars Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux and Kristen Stewart. It follows a performance artist duo who perform surgery for audiences in a future where human evolution has accelerated for much of the population. Although the film shares its title with Cronenberg's 1970 film of the same name, it is not a remake as the story and concept are unrelated. The film marked Cronenberg's return to the science fiction and horror genres for the first time since Existenz (1999).
Decal Releasing, LLC, doing business as Decal, is an American independent film distribution company owned by Neon and Bleecker Street. It was launched in February 2021.
Benjamin Safdie is an American film director, screenwriter, actor, and film editor best known for working with his older brother Josh as a filmmaker. His directorial works include Heaven Knows What (2014), Good Time (2017), and Uncut Gems (2019). Transitioning towards acting, Safdie was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male for his role in Good Time and has since taken on roles in films such as Licorice Pizza (2021), Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. and Oppenheimer. He co-created, co-wrote and starred in the television show The Curse (2023).
Fly Me to the Moon is a 2024 American romantic comedy drama film directed by Greg Berlanti and written by Rose Gilroy, based on a story by Bill Kirstein and Keenan Flynn. The film stars Scarlett Johansson as Kelly Jones, a marketing specialist, and Channing Tatum as Cole Davis, a NASA launch director. Set against the backdrop of the Apollo 11 mission, the story follows Jones and Davis as they are tasked with creating a fake moon landing in case the actual mission fails.
Longlegs is a 2024 American horror-thriller film written and directed by Osgood Perkins and starring Maika Monroe, Nicolas Cage, Blair Underwood, and Alicia Witt. Set in the 1990s, it follows an FBI agent tasked with tracking down an occultist serial killer responsible for murdering multiple families throughout the state of Oregon. Cage served as a producer on the film through his Saturn Films production company.
Anora is a 2024 American romantic comedy-drama film written, directed, and edited by Sean Baker. The movie follows the beleaguered romance of a stripper from Brooklyn with the son of a Russian oligarch. It stars Mikey Madison as the stripper Anora Mikheeva and Mark Eydelshteyn as the son Ivan Zakharov, and features a supporting cast of Yura Borisov, Karren Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan, and Aleksei Serebryakov.
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