Type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | Motion picture |
Founded | 2011 |
Founder | Ben Nearn Tom Rice |
Headquarters | |
Key people | Ben Nearn Tom Rice |
Products | Film production |
Website | sycamorepictures.com |
Sycamore Pictures is an American production company founded by producers Ben Nearn and Tom Rice.
The company was formed in 2011 with a focus on producing films with a "more redemptive tone" [1] suitable for families. Nearn, formerly an investment banker who moved on to become COO and a minority investor in Cross Creek Pictures, maintains the company's Memphis offices; Rice, an independent film producer and writer, maintains the Los Angeles office. [1] The startup funds for Sycamore were raised by Nearn from investors both from the Memphis area and elsewhere, with a business model based on profit participation by actors, directors and creative personnel. [1]
The company's first production, The Way Way Back , had its debut at the Sundance Film Festival in 2013, where distribution rights were purchased for US$9.75 million, [2] reportedly the largest distribution deal made at the festival that year. [3]
Begin Again (2014) has been described as "an old-fashioned, let’s-put-on-a-show movie musical disguised as an indie relationship drama" and as "that real rarity, a feel-good story of friendship — not sexual love — between a man and woman." [4]
Merry Friggin' Christmas , scheduled for release in late 2014, features Robin Williams in the last movie he made before his death in 2014. [5]
Year | Film | Director | Other notes |
---|---|---|---|
2013 | The Way, Way Back | Nat Faxon and Jim Rash | co-production with The Walsh Company and OddLot Entertainment; distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures; Sycamore's first film |
Begin Again | John Carney | co-production with Exclusive Media, Black Label Media, Likely Story and Apatow Productions; distributed by The Weinstein Company | |
2014 | A Merry Friggin' Christmas | Tristram Shapeero | distributed by Phase 4 Films and Entertainment One Films |
2015 | Mississippi Grind | Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck | co-production with Electric City Entertainment; distributed by A24, DirecTV (United States) and Annapurna International (international) |
2016 | The Hollars | John Krasinski | co-production with Groundswell Productions and Sunday Night Productions; distributed by Sony Pictures Classics |
Collide | Eran Creevy | co-production with IM Global, DMG Entertainment, Silver Pictures, Hands-on Producers GmbH, 42 and Automatik Entertainment; distributed by Open Road Films (United States) and Universum Film (Germany) | |
2017 | Speech & Debate | Dan Harris | distributed by Vertical Entertainment |
Unicorn Store | Brie Larson | co-production with Rhea Films, The District, Rip Cord Productions, Hercules Film Fund and 51 Entertainment; distributed by Netflix | |
2020 | Greyhound | Aaron Schneider | co-production with Sony Pictures Entertainment, Stage 6 Films, FilmNation Entertainment, Bron Creative, Zhengfu Pictures and Playtone; distributed by Apple TV+ |
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