Phase 4 Films

Last updated
Phase 4 Films, Inc.
Type Subsidiary of Entertainment One
Industry Film
Animation
Predecessor
  • Peace Arch Home Entertainment
  • Telegenic
Founded1996;27 years ago (1996)
FounderBerry Meyerowitz
Defunct2016;7 years ago (2016)
FateDefunct
Successor
Headquarters
Toronto, Ontario
,
Canada
Area served
North America
Key people
Berry Meyerowitz
(President & CEO)
Services
Parent Entertainment One
Subsidiaries KaBoom! Entertainment Inc.

Phase 4 Films was a Canadian film distribution company based in Toronto. It had two branches in the United States: Los Angeles, California and Fort Mill, South Carolina. Its subsidiary kaboom! Entertainment markets children's entertainment.

Contents

History

Phase 4 Films traces its history to Telegenic, a family-oriented film distributor founded in 1996. Berry Meyerowitz purchased Telegenic in 2000 and renamed it Kaboom! Entertainment. In 2006, Peace Arch Entertainment Group, which later merged with ContentFilm, purchased Kaboom!. Berry Meyerowtiz founded Phase 4 Films in April 2009 when he bought back their North American distribution business. [1] In 2011, Phase 4 announced a new Canadian television venture alongside Take 5 Development. [2] In 2012, they partnered with Kevin Smith's SModcast Pictures to distribute those films in the United States and Canada. [3] In 2014, Phase 4 acquired ESI Distribution and signed distribution deals with The Criterion Collection and Shout! Factory. [4] On June 2, 2014, Phase 4 Films was acquired by Entertainment One. [5]

Trademark infringement lawsuit

In 2013, Phase 4 picked up the Canadian animated feature The Legend of Sarila for distribution in the United States, renaming the film Frozen Land and drastically changing the logo to mimic that of Disney's Frozen . In late December 2013, Disney filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Phase 4 in California federal court, seeking an injunction against the continued distribution of Frozen Land in the United States. [6] [7] Disney alleged that less than three weeks prior to the release of its animated feature film Frozen, Phase 4 Films theatrically released The Legend of Sarila, which garnered "minimal box office revenues and received no significant attention." To trade off the success of Disney's animated film and "[t]o enhance the commercial success of Sarila, the defendant redesigned the artwork, packaging, logo, and other promotional materials for its newly (and intentionally misleadingly) retitled film to mimic those used by [Disney] for Frozen and related merchandise." [8] While film titles cannot be trademarked by law, Disney cited a number of alleged similarities between the new Phase 4's Frozen Land logo and Disney's original one. [9] [10] By late January 2014, the two companies had settled the case; the settlement stated that the distribution and promotion of The Legend of Sarila and related merchandise must use its original title and Phase 4 must not use trademarks, logos or other designs confusingly similar to Disney's animated release. [10] [11] [12] Phase 4 was also required to pay Disney $100,000 before 27 January 2014, and make "all practicable efforts" to remove copies of Frozen Land from stores and online distributors before 3 March 2014. [10] [11]

Filmography

YearMovieUSCanada
2015 American Milkshake DVDDVD
2015DarkroomDVDDVD
2015 Miss Meadows DVDDVD
2015Not Human__DVD
2014 Alien Uprising DVD/Blu-rayDVD/Blu-ray
2014 Butcher Boys (2012 film) DVDDVD
2014 Some Girl(s) DVDDVD
2014 Legacy of Rage __DVD
2015A Country ChristmasDVDDVD
2014 A Merry Friggin' Christmas all mediaall media
2014 Saturday Morning Massacre __DVD
2014 Switchmas DVDDVD
2014 Brazilian Western __DVD/Blu-ray
2014 Fort Bliss __DVD
2014 Black Rock __DVD
2014 Palo Alto all mediaDVD
2014 Come Morning video-on-demandvideo-on-demand
2014 Jamesy Boy all mediaall media
2014 Agent F.O.X. all mediaall media
2014 The Culture High all mediaall media
2014 Bucksville all mediaall media
2013 Otto the Rhino DVDDVD
2013The Jungle Book: Return 2 The JungleDVDDVD
2013The Jungle BookDVDDVD
2013 I Declare War __all media
2013 The Crash Reel all mediaall media
2013 The Dirties DVDItunes and website
2013The Black Dahlia Hauntingvideo-on-demandall media
2013 Assault on Wall Street Direct-to-DVD Direct-to-DVD
2013EdenTheatrical__
2013An Easter Bunny PuppyDVD__
2013 A Talking Cat!?! DVD__
2013 Caroline and Jackie all mediaall media
2012A Christmas PuppyDVD__
2012 Extracted [13] all mediaall media
2012Backwards__all media
2012 My Awkward Sexual Adventure __all media
2012Heathens and Thievesall mediaall media
2012 Alter Egos __theatrical
2012 Sushi Girl theatricalall media
2012Parasitic__DVD
2012 Smitty DVD/TVDVD/TV
2012See Girl Run__TV
2012 Electrick Children theatricaltheatrical
2012 That's What She Said __theatrical
2012Barrio Talesall media__
2012Tetherballall media__
2012A Good Funeralall media__
2012 Bindlestiffs [14] __theatrical
2012House HuntingDVD__
2012A Little Bit of Faithall media__
2012 Ivan the Incredible]DVD__
2011The Voyages of Young Doctor DolittleDVD__
2011In the Name of the King: Two Worlds__DVD/Blu-ray
2011Chick Magnetall mediaall media
2011 Blubberella __all media
2011 Horrid Henry: The Movie __all media
2011Flesh Woundsall mediaall media
2011Hopelessly in June__all media
2011 Mayor Cupcake all mediaall media
2011Luckytheatrical__
2011Rid of Me__theatrical
2011The Legend of Hell's Gate: An American Conspiracyall media__
2011Knockouttheatrical__
2011AbsentiaDVD__
2011 Another Happy Day theatrical__
2011Red State__all media
2011Budz HouseDVDDVD
2011Doggie Btheatrical__
2011Kiss the Brideall mediaall media
2011Open Gateall media__
2011 Contract Killers __DVD
2011 Kill Katie Malone all media__
2011Sweet Karma__DVD
2011 Dear Lemon Lima theatrical__
2011 Stories USA DVDDVD
2011Lost Colony: The Legend of RoanokeDVD__
2011 The Wild Soccer Bunch 2  [ de ]DVD__
2011 Grizzly Park DVD__
2011 Freddy Frogface DVDDVD
2010 Looking for Jackie DVD__
2010God Send Me a Manall media__
2010 Veronika Decides to Die video__
2010The TombDVD__
2010Crushall media__
2010 Deadland DVD__
2010KikkerdrilDVD__
2010Ultimate HeistDVD__
2010 Finding Bliss theatrical__
2010 The Killing Room __DVD
2010 Bloodrayne: The Third Reich all mediaall media
2010Caged AnimalDVD__
2010 Terror Trap all mediaall media
2010Hanna's Goldall media__
2010 Love & Distrust all mediaall media
2010Supreme Championall mediaall media
2010Nic & Tristan Go Mega Degaall mediaall media
2010Road KillDVD__
2010The Dead Undeadall media__
2010Enemies Among Usall mediaall media
2010Harm's WayDVD__
2010 Vidal Sassoon: The Movie all media__
2010 The Final Storm DVD__
2010What Would Jesus Do?all mediaall media
2010Good Intentionsvideo__
2010Freestyletheatrical__
2010Order of ChaosDVD__
2010Let God Be the Judgeall media__
2010Machete Joeall mediaall media
2010The Freebietheatrical__
2010Dronesall mediaall media
2010American Maniacsvideo__
2010Gnomes and Trolls: The Forest Trialall mediaall media
2010 Journey to Promethea all mediaall media
2010Nexusall mediaall media
2010Perfect Lifevideo__
2010Scarall mediaall media
2010Wushu Warriorall mediaall media
2010Cornered!__DVD
2010Attack on Darfurtheatrical/DVD__
2010Don't You Forget About MeDVD__
2010 Dead Man Running all mediaall media
2010Brotherhoodall mediaDVD
2010 Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel all mediaDVD
2010Forget Me Notall mediaall media
2010 The Nutcrackers all media__
2010RampageDVDDVD
2010Outrage: Born in Terrortheatrical__
2010I Do & I Don'tDVD__
2010 Bob and Margaret DVD__
2010Among Dead Menall mediaall media
2010 Adventures of Power all media__
2009The No Sit Listall media__
2009 Luke and Lucy: The Texas Rangers all mediaall media
2009Poker Runall media__
2009 Booky's Crush all mediaall media
2009Adoptedall mediaall media
2009 All American Orgy all mediaall media
2009 Red Hook all mediaall media
2009 Fifty Dead Men Walking all media__
2009RiggedDVD__
2009 Baby Blues DVD__
2009FlingDVDDVD
2009 JCVD __DVD
2009Paraiso TraveltheatricalDVD
2009Rock the Paint__DVD
2009 Familiar Strangers DVD__
2008Disco WormsDVD__
2008A Christmas Proposalall mediaall media
2008Christmas Townall mediaall media
2008At Jesus' Sideall mediaall media
2008The Coverupall mediaall media
2008 Goat Story all mediaall media
2008 The Missing Lynx theatrical__
2008 XIII: The Conspiracy ____
2008 The Poker House all mediaall media
2008House of Fallenall mediaall media
2008Garrisonall mediaall media
2008Gunsall mediaall media
2008Sticks and Stonesall mediaall media
2007 Booky & the Secret Santa all media__
2007 Where Is Winky's Horse? all mediaall media
2007Hack!DVD__
2007Ten Inch Heroall mediaall media
2007The Big SliceDVD__
2006A CrimeDVD__
2006 Guilty Hearts all mediaall media
2005Buckaroo: The Movieall mediaall media
2005 Wheelmen all mediaall media
2003 The Wild Soccer Bunch  [ de ]all mediaall media
2001The Last Brickmaker in Americaall mediaall media

Related Research Articles

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

Walt Disney Pictures is an American film production company and subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, a division of Disney Entertainment, which is owned by The Walt Disney Company. The studio is the flagship producer of live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Studios unit, and is based at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. Animated films produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios are also released under the studio banner. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures distributes and markets the films produced by Walt Disney Pictures.

Marvel Studios, LLC is an American film and television production company that is a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, a division of Disney Entertainment, which is owned by the Walt Disney Company. Marvel Studios produces the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films and series, based on characters that appear in Marvel Comics publications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walt Disney Animation Studios</span> Walt Disney Company animation studio

Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS), sometimes shortened to Disney Animation, is an American animation studio that creates animated features and short films for The Walt Disney Company. The studio's current production logo features a scene from its first synchronized sound cartoon, Steamboat Willie (1928). Founded on October 16, 1923, by brothers Walt Disney and Roy O. Disney, it is the oldest-running animation studio in the world. It is currently organized as a division of Walt Disney Studios, a division of Disney Entertainment, and is headquartered at the Roy E. Disney Animation Building at the Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank, California. Since its foundation, the studio has produced 61 feature films, from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) to Strange World (2022), and hundreds of short films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DreamWorks Animation</span> American animation studio

DreamWorks Animation LLC is an American animation studio that produces animated films and television programs and is a subsidiary of Universal Pictures, a division of NBCUniversal, which is itself a division of Comcast. The studio has released 44 feature films as of December 2022, including several of the highest-grossing animated films of all time, with Shrek 2 (2004) having been the highest at the time of its release. The studio's first film, Antz, was released on October 2, 1998, and its latest film was Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, which was released on December 21, 2022; their upcoming slate of films includes Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kracken in the summer of 2023, Trolls Band Together on November 17, 2023, and Kung Fu Panda 4 on March 8, 2024. Additionally, two untitled films are scheduled to be released on February 9, 2024, and September 27, 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marvel Productions</span> Television and film studio

New World Animation Ltd., formerly known as Marvel Productions, was the television and film studio subsidiary of the Marvel Entertainment Group, based in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It later became a subsidiary of New World Entertainment and eventually of News Corporation.

<i>The Old Mill</i> 1937 American film

The Old Mill is a 1937 Silly Symphonies cartoon produced by Walt Disney Productions, directed by Wilfred Jackson, scored by Leigh Harline, and released theatrically to theatres by RKO Radio Pictures on November 5, 1937. The film depicts the natural community of animals populating an old abandoned windmill in the country, and how they deal with a severe summer thunderstorm that nearly destroys their habitat. It incorporates the song "One Day When We Were Young" from Johann Strauss II's operetta The Gypsy Baron.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment</span> The Walt Disney Companys home entertainment subsidiary

Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Inc., doing business as Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, is the home entertainment distribution arm of The Walt Disney Company. The division handles the distribution of Disney's films, television series, and other audiovisual content across several home media formats, such as Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray discs, DVDs, and digital media, under various brand labels around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marvel Entertainment</span> American entertainment company

Marvel Entertainment, LLC is an American entertainment company founded in June 1998 and based in New York City, New York, formed by the merger of Marvel Entertainment Group and Toy Biz. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company since 2009, and is mainly known for its comic books by Marvel Comics, as well as its forays into films and television/streaming shows, including those within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stan Lee Media</span>

Stan Lee Media (SLM) was an Internet-based creation, production and marketing company that was founded in 1998, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2000, and ultimately dismissed from bankruptcy in November 2006. In its early years, the company created Stan Lee branded super hero franchises for applications in all media. Its 165-man animation production studio was based in Los Angeles from 1998 to 2001. It won the 2000 Web Award for the best Entertainment Portal on the World Wide Web, but the company failed in the same year and the corporate shell has been involved in numerous lawsuits in the years since. The company has been characterized as "a sleazy Internet start-up that could function as the poster child for the excesses of the turn-of-the-century era." Stan Lee himself cut ties with the company long before his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">POW! Entertainment</span> American media production company

POW! Entertainment Inc. is an American media production company formed in 2001 by Gill Champion, Arthur Lieberman and former Marvel Comics editor and publisher Stan Lee. POW! is made up of two companies: POW! Entertainment, Inc., a holding corporation and its wholly owned subsidiary, POW! Entertainment, LLC and is currently owned by Camsing International Holding.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lightstorm Entertainment</span> American production company

Lightstorm Entertainment is an American independent production company founded in 1990 by filmmaker James Cameron and producer Lawrence Kasanoff. The majority of its films have been distributed and owned by 20th Century Studios. It has produced several films including Terminator 2: Judgment Day, True Lies, Titanic, Alita: Battle Angel and the Avatar film series; Cameron has employed other filmmakers to produce and direct films under the Lightstorm banner.

A mockbuster is a film created to exploit the publicity of another major motion picture with a similar title or subject. Mockbusters are often made with a low budget and quick production to maximize profits. "Mockbuster" is a portmanteau of the words "mock" and "blockbuster".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allspark (company)</span> American production and distribution company

Allspark, formerly known as Hasbro Studios, LLC, was an American production and distribution company located in Burbank, California. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of the American toy and multimedia company Hasbro. Originally just a TV production division, many of its TV shows were based on Hasbro properties and were broadcast on multiple media platforms, including Discovery Family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paramount Animation</span> Animated media production division of Paramount Pictures

Paramount Animation is an American animation studio, serving as the animation division and label of Paramount Pictures, a subsidiary of Paramount Global. The division was founded on July 6, 2011, following the box office success of Paramount's own Rango and the end of their distribution deal with DreamWorks Animation in 2012.

DreamWorks Pictures is an American film company 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.

<i>Frozen</i> (2013 film) Film by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee

Frozen is a 2013 American computer-animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 53rd Disney animated feature film, it is inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's 1844 fairy tale The Snow Queen. The film was directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee and produced by Peter Del Vecho, from a screenplay written by Lee, and a story by Buck, Lee, and Shane Morris. It stars the voices of Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad, Jonathan Groff and Santino Fontana. Frozen tells the story of Princess Anna as she teams up with an iceman, his reindeer, and a snowman to find her estranged sister Elsa, whose icy powers have inadvertently trapped their kingdom in eternal winter.

<i>The Legend of Sarila</i> 2013 Canadian film

The Legend of Sarila is a 2013 Canadian computer-animated adventure film and Canada's first 3-D animated feature film. The film draws heavily on Inuit culture and tradition. Set in northern Canada in 1910, it tells the story of three young Inuit, who set out for the legendary land of Sarila in search of food for their clan. One of them, Markussi, finds out during their adventures that he is really an Inuit shaman, while the clan's shaman at home repeatedly attempts to kill him and undermine their quest.

<i>Get a Horse!</i> 2013 Mickey Mouse cartoon

Get a Horse! is a 2013 American animated comedy short film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and directed by Lauren MacMullan. Combining black-and-white hand-drawn animation and color computer animation, the short features the characters of the late 1920s Mickey Mouse cartoons.

References

  1. Goldstein, Gary (July 16, 2011). "Distrib exec's latest Phase borders on rebirth". Variety . Retrieved March 21, 2014.
  2. Kilday, Gregg (September 5, 2011). "Take 5 Productions and Phase 4 Films Launch New TV Venture, Take 5 Development". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  3. McNary, Dave (January 23, 2012). "Phase 4, Kevin Smith partner". Variety . Retrieved March 21, 2014.
  4. Kay, Jeremy (January 27, 2014). "Phase 4 acquires ESI". Screen Daily . Retrieved March 21, 2014.
  5. "eOne acquires Phase 4 Films". Deadline Hollywood . June 2, 2014. Retrieved June 2, 2014.
  6. Koch, Dave (December 28, 2013). "Disney Acts To Freeze Out Competition". Big Cartoon News. Archived from the original on December 28, 2013. Retrieved December 28, 2013.
  7. Amidi, Amid (29 December 2013). "Disney Files Trademark Lawsuit Over "Frozen Land"". Cartoon Brew . Cartoon Brew, LLC. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  8. Gardner, Eriq (24 December 2013). "Disney Files Trademark Lawsuit Over 'Frozen Land' Film". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  9. Koch, Dave (28 December 2013). "Disney Acts To Freeze Out Competition". Big Cartoon News. Big Cartoon DataBase. Archived from the original on 28 December 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  10. 1 2 3 Burgin, Jack (18 January 2014). "Walt Disney Settles Trademark Lawsuit over "Frozen"". WDW Info. Werner Technologies, LLC. Archived from the original on 25 August 2014. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  11. 1 2 Gardner, Eriq (22 January 2014). "Disney Lawsuit Ices 'Frozen Land' Movie". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  12. Vlessing, Etan (27 January 2014). "Phase 4 Films settles Frozen Land lawsuit with Disney". Playback . Brunico Communications Ltd. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  13. Kit, Borys (May 5, 2012). "Sci-Fi Thriller 'Extracted' to be Distributed by Phase 4 Films". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  14. Sneider, Jeff (March 9, 2012). "Phase 4 Films snags rights to 'Bindlestiffs'". Variety . Retrieved March 21, 2014.