Worldview Entertainment

Last updated
Worldview Entertainment
Company type Private
Industry Film
Founded2007
Founder Christopher Woodrow
Defunct2015
SuccessorVendian Entertainment [1]
Headquarters
1384 Broadway
25th Floor
New York, NY 10018
Website worldviewent.com   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Worldview Entertainment was an American motion picture finance and production company based in New York City. It produced twenty-three films, including Birdman , which won four Oscars, including the Best Picture.

Contents

History

Worldview Entertainment was founded in 2007 by Christopher Woodrow. [2] Maria Cestone became a co-founding partner in the company and Molly Conners joined as chief operating officer (COO) in 2008. Sarah Johnson, daughter of Charles B. Johnson, former chairman and CEO of Franklin Templeton Investments, became an investor in the company in 2011. [3] [4]

In September 2011, Worldview premiered Killer Joe at the Venice Film Festival before the film made its North American debut at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it was sold domestically to LD Entertainment. [5] [6] The film was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead. [7] The company was represented by CAA and occupied the penthouse of the Lefcourt Normandie Building in Midtown Manhattan. [8]

In May 2013, Worldview premiered three films at the Cannes Film Festival, including Blood Ties , which was sold domestically to Lionsgate and released through its Roadside Attractions banner [9] [10] ; and The Immigrant , which was nominated for the Palme d'Or and sold domestically to The Weinstein Company. [11] [12] During the festival, the company announced the closing of $70 million in new capital, including a $30 million multi-year revolving credit facility with Comerica Bank to provide financing for its films. The funding nearly doubled its capital base. [13]

In August 2013, Worldview premiered two films at the Venice Film Festival, including Joe , which was sold domestically to Lionsgate and released by Roadside Attractions. [14] Worldview premiered another six films in September at the Toronto International Film Festival [15] , including Devil's Knot , which was sold domestically to Image Entertainment [16] [17] ; and The Green Inferno , which was sold domestically to Open Road Films and later released by BH Tilt and High Top Releasing. [18] [19] During the festival, Worldview announced plans to move into domestic film distribution. [20]

In January 2014, Worldview premiered two films at the Sundance Film Festival, including Wish I Was Here , which was sold domestically to Focus Features. [21] [22] The company announced a multi-year, multi-picture co-financing deal with The Weinstein Company and hired Clifford Werber as president of its motion picture group in May. At the Cannes Film Festival, it premiered The Search , which was nominated for the Palme d'Or. [23] During the festival, Worldview was a presenting sponsor of amfAR’s 21st annual Cinema Against AIDS Gala at the Hôtel du Cap. Woodrow departed Worldview in June 2014.

In August 2014, Worldview premiered two films at the Venice Film Festival, including Birdman , with Fox Searchlight and New Regency. The film made its North American debut in September at the Telluride Film Festival before screening in early October at the New York Film Festival. Worldview's most successful film, Birdman, was released on October 17, 2014, and grossed $103 million in global box-office revenue. Birdman received seven Golden Globe nominations and won two, including Best Actor in a Motion Picture and Best Screenplay, on January 11, 2015. The film went on to receive nine Academy Award nominations and won four—Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Cinematography—on February 22, 2015. [24]

In October 2014, Worldview filed a lawsuit against Woodrow. In response, Woodrow sued Worldview as well. The company ceased operations in March 2015. [25] Johnson also filed a lawsuit against Worldview in March 2015 [26] , which was dismissed in March 2017. [27]

Awards and recognition

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
2009 Handsome Harry ProducerDirected by Bette Gordon; written by Nicolas T. Proferes; starring Jamey Sheridan, Steve Buscemi, Mariann Mayberry, Aidan Quinn, John Savage, Campbell Scott, Titus Welliver, and Karen Young
2011 Killer Joe Executive ProducerDirected by William Friedkin; written by Tracy Letts; starring Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch, Juno Temple, Gina Gershon, and Thomas Haden Church; based on the 1993 play of the same name by Tracy Letts
2012 30 Beats ProducerDirected, written, and produced by Alexis Lloyd; starring Ingeborga Dapkunaite, Jason Day, Vahina Giocante, Paz de la Huerta, Justin Kirk, Ben Levin, Lee Pace, Condola Rashad, Thomas Sadoski, and Jennifer Tilly
2013 Ass Backwards ProducerDirected by Chris Nelson; written by June Diane Raphael and Casey Wilson; starring June Diane Raphael, Casey Wilson, Jon Cryer, Vincent D'Onofrio, Brian Geraghty, Bob Odenkirk, Paul Scheer, and Alicia Silverstone
2013 Blood Ties Financier – ProducerDirected by Guillaume Canet; written by Guillaume Canet and James Gray; a co-production with Wild Bunch; starring Clive Owen, Billy Crudup, Marion Cotillard, Mila Kunis, Zoe Saldana, Matthias Schoenaerts, and James Caan; a remake of the 2008 French thriller Les liens du sang based on the 1999 French book Deux frères: flic & truand by Bruno and Michel Papet
2013 Devil's Knot Financier – ProducerDirected by Atom Egoyan; written by Paul Harris Boardman and Scott Derrickson; starring Colin Firth and Reese Witherspoon; the story of the West Memphis Three based on the 2002 book of the same name by Mara Leveritt
2013 The Green Inferno Financier – ProducerDirected by Eli Roth; written by Eli Roth and Guillermo Amoedo; starring Lorenza Izzo, Ariel Levy, Daryl Sabara, Kirby Bliss Blanton, Sky Ferreira, Magda Apanowicz, Nicolás Martinez, Aaron Burns, Ignacia Allamand, Ramón Llao, and Richard Burgi; inspired by and serves as an homage to Italian cannibal films of the late 1970s and early 1980s "cannibal boom", particularly Cannibal Holocaust , which features a film-within-a-film titled The Green Inferno
2013 The Immigrant Financier – ProducerDirected by James Gray; written by James Gray and Richard Menello; a co-production with Wild Bunch; starring Marion Cotillard, Joaquin Phoenix, and Jeremy Renner; nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival
2013 Jimmy P. Financier – Distribution RightsDirected by Arnaud Desplechin; written by Arnaud Desplechin, Kent Jones, and Julie Peyr; a co-production with Wild Bunch; starring Benicio del Toro, Mathieu Amalric, and Misty Upham; primarily based on the 1951 book Reality and Dream: Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian by George Devereux; nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival [28] [29]
2013 Joe Financier – ProducerDirected by David Gordon Green; written by Gary Hawkins; starring Nicolas Cage, Tye Sheridan, and Gary Poulter; based on the 1991 book of the same name by Larry Brown
2013 The Sacrament Financier – ProducerDirected and written by Ti West; presented and produced by Eli Roth; starring Joe Swanberg, AJ Bowen, Kentucker Audley, Amy Seimetz, and Gene Jones; inspired by the real-life events of the 1978 Jonestown Massacre [30] [31]
2013 The Square Executive ProducerDirected by Jehane Noujaim; nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature; won three Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program, Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program, and Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program
2013 Welcome to the Punch Executive ProducerDirected and written by Eran Creevy; executive produced by Ridley Scott; starring James McAvoy, Mark Strong, and Andrea Riseborough [32] [33]
2014 Birdman Executive ProducerDirected by Alejandro G. Iñárritu; written by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr., and Armando Bó; starring Michael Keaton, Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Andrea Riseborough, Amy Ryan, Emma Stone, and Naomi Watts; won two Golden Globe Awards, including Best Actor in a Motion Picture and Best Screenplay; won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Cinematography
2014 Child 44 Executive ProducerDirected by Daniel Espinosa; written by Richard Price; produced by Ridley Scott; starring Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Noomi Rapace, Joel Kinnaman, Paddy Considine, Jason Clarke, and Vincent Cassel; based on the 2008 book of the same name by Tom Rob Smith [34]
2014 Manglehorn Financier – ProducerDirected by David Gordon Green; written by Paul Logan; starring Al Pacino, Holly Hunter, Harmony Korine, and Chris Messina [35] [36]
2014 The Search Financier – Distribution RightsDirected, written, and produced by Michel Hazanavicius; a co-production with Wild Bunch; starring Bérénice Bejo and Annette Bening; inspired by the Fred Zinnemann-directed post-Holocaust drama also called The Search , which won an Academy Award for Best Story; nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival
2014 Song One Financier – ProducerDirected and written by Kate Barker-Froyland; produced by Marc Platt and Jonathan Demme; starring Anne Hathaway, Johnny Flynn, Ben Rosenfield, and Mary Steenburgen [37] [38]
2014 Wish I Was Here Executive ProducerDirected by Zach Braff; written by Adam Braff and Zach Braff; starring Zach Braff, Donald Faison, Josh Gad, Pierce Gagnon, Ashley Greene, Kate Hudson, Joey King, Jim Parsons, and Mandy Patinkin
2015 Strangerland Executive ProducerDirected by Kim Farrant; written by Fiona Seres and Michael Kinirons; starring Nicole Kidman, Joseph Fiennes, Hugo Weaving, Lisa Flanagan, Meyne Wyatt, Maddison Brown, and Nicholas Hamilton [39]
2016 Rules Don't Apply Financier – ProducerDirected, written, and produced by Warren Beatty; starring Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Matthew Broderick, Lily Collins, and Alden Ehrenreich; based on the life of businessman and film producer Howard Hughes; nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture [40]
2016 Triple 9 Financier – ProducerDirected by John Hillcoat; written by Matt Cook; starring Casey Affleck, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Anthony Mackie, Aaron Paul, Clifton Collins Jr., Norman Reedus, Teresa Palmer, Michael K. Williams, Gal Gadot, Woody Harrelson, and Kate Winslet [41]
2017 Tulip Fever Executive ProducerDirected by Justin Chadwick; written by Deborah Moggach and Tom Stoppard; produced by Harvey Weinstein; starring Alicia Vikander, Dane DeHaan, Jack O'Connell, Holliday Grainger, Tom Hollander, Matthew Morrison, Kevin McKidd, Douglas Hodge, Joanna Scanlan, Zach Galifianakis, Judi Dench, and Christoph Waltz; adapted from the 1999 book of the same name by Deborah Moggach

References

  1. ↑ Kay, Jeremy (2015-05-12). "Christopher Woodrow launches Vendian Entertainment". Screen Daily. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  2. ↑ Blair, Iain (December 5, 2012). "Woodrow: Finance wiz ties up 'Knot'".
  3. ↑ McClintock, Pamela (June 11, 2014). "Worldview CEO's Exit Followed Cruel April Fools' Day Prank".
  4. ↑ McClintock, Pamela (April 12, 2013). "Meet Sarah Johnson Redlich and William D. Johnson: Hollywood's Other Billionaire's Kids".
  5. ↑ Kay, Jeremy. "Worldview joins Voltage as co-financier on dark comedy Killer Joe". Screen.
  6. ↑ Jr, Mike Fleming (September 13, 2011). "TORONTO TOLDJA! Mickey Liddell Acquires William Friedkin's 'Killer Joe'".
  7. ↑ Kilday, Gregg (November 27, 2012). "'Silver Linings Playbook,' 'Moonrise Kingdom' Dominate Independent Spirit Awards Nominations".
  8. ↑ Kamping-Carder, Leigh (March 20, 2012). "Film production company leases penthouse of Herald Square skyscraper".
  9. ↑ McNary, Dave (April 12, 2012). "Canet's 'Blood Ties' gets Worldview coin infusion".
  10. ↑ Vlessing, Etan (May 22, 2013). "Cannes: Lionsgate Takes U.S. Rights to 'Blood Ties'".
  11. ↑ Jr, Mike Fleming (June 15, 2012). "TWC Acquiring U.S. On James Gray Pic; Joaquin Phoenix, Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Renner Star".
  12. ↑ McNary, Dave (May 7, 2014). "CANNES: Weinstein Company Makes 5-Year Deal With Worldview".
  13. ↑ Abrams, Rachel (May 16, 2013). "Worldview Nears $70 Million in New Coin (EXCLUSIVE)".
  14. ↑ McNary, Dave (September 7, 2012). "Worldview on board 'Joe'".
  15. ↑ Kemp, Pamela McClintock,Stuart (September 15, 2013). "Toronto: Five Lessons From the 2013 Festival".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  16. ↑ McClintock, Pamela (May 16, 2012). "Cannes 2012: Colin Firth, Reese Witherspoon's West Memphis Three Pic Gets Financing (Exclusive)".
  17. ↑ Ford, Rebecca (October 7, 2013). "Image Picks Up West Memphis Three Pic 'Devil's Knot'".
  18. ↑ McClintock, Pamela (May 17, 2012). "Cannes 2012: Eli Roth Will Direct Horror-Thriller 'The Green Inferno'".
  19. ↑ Kilday, Gregg (June 1, 2015). "Eli Roth's 'The Green Inferno' to Get September Release Date".
  20. ↑ Kay, Jeremy. "Worldview plans US distribution move". Screen.
  21. ↑ McNary, Dave (May 24, 2013). "Zach Braff's Kickstarter Campaign Closes With $3.1 Million".
  22. ↑ Stewart, Andrew (January 19, 2014). "Sundance: Zach Braff's 'Wish I Was Here' Bought by Focus Features".
  23. ↑ Yamato, Jen (November 6, 2013). "AFM: Michel Hazanavicius's 'Artist' Follow-Up 'The Search' Sells To Worldview".
  24. ↑ Ford, Rebecca (January 14, 2015). "Oscar Nominations 2015: The Complete List".
  25. ↑ "Ex-Worldview CEO sues company". Screen.
  26. ↑ McNary, Dave (March 24, 2015). "'Birdman' Financier Worldview Hit with New Suit".
  27. ↑ Gardner, Eriq (March 29, 2017). "'Birdman' Exec Producer's $70 Million Lawsuit Gutted by Judge".
  28. ↑ Ford, Rebecca (2013-05-02). "Cannes: Worldview Entertainment Nabs U.S. Rights to 'Jimmy P.'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  29. ↑ McNary, Dave (2013-10-22). "Benicio Del Toro's 'Jimmy P.' Finds U.S. Home With IFC". Variety. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  30. ↑ Roxborough, Scott; McClintock, Pamela (2012-09-06). "Toronto 2012: Eli Roth to Produce Horror Film 'The Sacrament'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  31. ↑ McNary, Dave (2013-09-13). "Toronto: Ti West's 'The Sacrament' Gets U.S. Distribution". Variety. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  32. ↑ McNary, Dave (2011-06-15). "Worldview to finance McAvoy thriller". Variety. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  33. ↑ Kilday, Gregg (2012-07-18). "IFC Nabs James McAvoy's 'Welcome to the Punch'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  34. ↑ McClintock, Pamela (2013-03-13). "Tom Hardy's 'Child 44' Pushing Ahead With Summit, Worldview (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  35. ↑ Kilday, Gregg (2013-05-14). "Cannes: Al Pacino to Star in David Gordon Green's 'Mangelhorn'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  36. ↑ Kilday, Gregg (2014-10-21). "IFC Films Picks Up Al Pacino's 'Manglehorn'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  37. ↑ Tartaglione, Nancy (2013-05-15). "Cannes: Worldview Backing Anne Hathaway In 'Song One'". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  38. ↑ Khatchatourian, Maane (2014-05-17). "Cannes: Anne Hathaway's Musical-Romance 'Song One' Sells". Variety. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  39. ↑ Bulbeck, Pip (2014-03-27). "Nicole Kidman's 'Strangerland' Begins Shooting in Australia". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  40. ↑ Busch, Anita (2014-05-09). "Alec Baldwin Joins Warren Beatty's Untitled Howard Hughes Project". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  41. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (2014-02-05). "Open Road Acquires Domestic On 'Triple 9'; Michael B. Jordan, Aaron Paul, Gal Gadot, Michael Pena Join Killer Cast". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
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