Annapurna Pictures is an American independent media company founded by Megan Ellison on April 2, 2011, and based in Los Angeles, California.[2] It is active in film, television[3][4] and theatrical production, film distribution, and video game publishing.[5]
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | |
| Founded | April 2, 2011 |
| Founder | Megan Ellison |
| Headquarters | , U.S. |
Key people | Megan Ellison (chairwoman and CEO) |
| Services | |
| Owner | Megan Ellison[1] |
| Divisions |
|
| Website | annapurna |
History
Annapurna Pictures was founded in 2011 by Megan Ellison as a production and finance entity focusing on high-end auteur-driven cinema.[6] Ellison had attended University of Southern California’s film school for two semesters and then left in 2005 and traveled the world. Among her stops was Nepal, where she trekked on the Himalayan mountain Annapurna, for which her production company is named.[7]
By 2014 Annapurna had produced and/or financed the films Lawless, The Master, Killing Them Softly, Zero Dark Thirty, Spring Breakers, The Grandmaster, Her, Foxcatcher, and American Hustle, and was starting production on Joy, Sausage Party, Wiener-Dog, 20th Century Women, and Everybody Wants Some!!.
In December 2016, the company announced its new division, Annapurna Interactive, to produce, develop, and distribute video games. Annapurna Interactive has become a major publisher of independently made games.[8][9]
In January 2017, the company announced they would begin distributing films, with their first being Detroit directed by Kathryn Bigelow, set for release on August 4, 2017.[10] They later signed a multi-year distribution deal with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on March 27, in which MGM will distribute all of Annapurna's films in select international territories.[11][12][13] On April 6, the company also announced an exclusive, multi-year output licensing agreement with Hulu.[14][15][16]
In May 2017, Plan B Entertainment and Annapurna announced a three-year production deal to partner on at least three films a year, with Annapurna handling distribution and marketing. As part of the deal, Annapurna received the rights to Adam McKay's film Vice starring Christian Bale as Dick Cheney.[17] It was also announced Annapurna would co-distribute Brad's Status through their MGM joint venture Mirror alongside Amazon Studios.[18] In July, the company signed a multi-year U.S. home entertainment pact with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment to oversee its home releases.[19]
Since Sony Pictures' contract to co-produce the James Bond series with MGM and Eon Productions expired with the release of Spectre, Annapurna, along with five major studios – Warner Bros., Universal Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures and Sony itself – vied to win the rights to the next film as of April 2017. It was then announced that MGM had secured the domestic, digital and worldwide television rights to the film. Universal was announced as the international distributor of the film and holder of the rights for physical home entertainment distribution.[20]
In October 2017, Annapurna and MGM announced the formation of a US distribution joint venture in which each studio would release their films individually. This marked a return to domestic theatrical distribution for MGM and an expansion of Annapurna's distribution division, with MGM releasing approximately six to eight films per year on a limited basis and Annapurna releasing four to six films per year, in a combined slate of fourteen films. While the two companies are sharing costs for the joint venture's operations, Annapurna's distribution and marketing teams supported the MGM titles, which were distributed under the MGM banner while Annapurna-produced films continued to be distributed under its own banner. The two studios also launched Mirror, a releasing entity that pursues theatrical opportunities for additional third-party films. However, this partnership is not exclusive to all MGM films, as several of them continued to be released through existing studio partners, such as Warner Bros. and Paramount. The newly relaunched Orion Pictures and future worldwide distributor plans for the James Bond franchise, are also not included, which MGM announced on "a later date", May 24, 2018, to have been won by Universal Pictures.[21][22][23][24][25]
In October 2018, Annapurna signed a music publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music, which administered the studio's film and TV compositions and scores.[26]
In February 2019, Annapurna and MGM rebranded and expanded their US distribution joint venture to release both MGM and Annapurna films under United Artists Releasing, with the distribution teams of Annapurna and Orion Pictures (whose films are added as well) joining the venture and former Screen Gems executive Pam Kunath joining as COO in addition to the heads of MGM and Annapurna joining the board of directors. The decision was made to coincide with the United Artists brand's 100th anniversary, and has plans to release 10–14 films a year through the new label, including the domestic release of No Time to Die (which marks a reunion between the UA brand and the James Bond franchise after two decades).[27][28][29] After taking financial losses from distributing Vice, Detroit, and Destroyer, Annapurna had to leave Bombshell just two weeks before it would start production, and also unattached itself from Hustlers.[30]
In December 2022, Annapurna launched its animation division led by former Blue Sky Studios Robert Baird and Andrew Millstein. Nimona was its first release.[31]
On March 4, 2023, it was revealed by The Hollywood Reporter that Amazon had shut down the operations of United Artists Releasing and folded it into MGM.[32]
In August 2024 Annapurna announced a "strategic cooperation agreement" with video game developer Remedy Entertainment during which Annapurna will co-produce and co-finance Control 2, and will also develop film and television projects involving Remedy's Alan Wake and Control.[33]
On September 12th, 2024 news broke that the entire Annapurna Interactive Team of 25 resigned[34] following a dispute with its owner to spin off the video-game division as an independent entity.
Filmography
As production company
As distributor
The company expects to release "approximately four to six films per year".[55]
| Release date | Film title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| August 4, 2017 | Detroit | |
| September 15, 2017 | Brad's Status | Co-distribution with Amazon Studios[56] |
| October 13, 2017 | Professor Marston and the Wonder Women | Co-distribution with Stage 6 Films[57][58] |
| July 6, 2018 | Sorry to Bother You | [59][60] |
| September 21, 2018 | The Sisters Brothers | [61] |
| December 14, 2018 | If Beale Street Could Talk | [62] |
| December 25, 2018 | Vice | [63][60] |
| Destroyer | [64] | |
| April 12, 2019 | Missing Link[41] | US distribution through United Artists Releasing[28] |
| May 24, 2019 | Booksmart[65] | |
| August 16, 2019 | Where'd You Go, Bernadette | |
| May 13, 2022 | On the Count of Three | US co-distribution with Orion Pictures through United Artists Releasing[66] |
Reception
Some of the films produced by the company have received widespread critical acclaim. In 2013 alone, Her, American Hustle and The Grandmaster had a combined seventeen Academy Award nominations. Commercially, results have been mixed. Some films like The Master, Foxcatcher, Joy, Detroit and Vice, however, do not return their budget while ones such as Zero Dark Thirty, Sausage Party and American Hustle have grossed more than $100 million, the latter grossing more than $250 million worldwide.[67][68]
Annapurna Animation
 | |
| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Industry | Animation Motion pictures |
| Founded | December 1, 2022 |
| Founders | Robert L. Baird Andrew Millstein |
| Headquarters | , U.S. |
| Services | Animation production Animated films |
Number of employees | 11[70] (2024) |
| Parent | Annapurna Pictures |
Annapurna Animation is an American animation studio and division of Annapurna Pictures, founded by former Blue Sky Studios executives Robert L. Baird and Andrew Millstein on December 1, 2022 and based in North Stamford, Connecticut. The studio's first film Nimona was released on June 30, 2023 on Netflix.
Filmography
Released
| Release date | Film | Director(s) | Co-production | Animation services | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 30, 2023 | Nimona | Nick Bruno Troy Quane |
Vertigo Entertainment | DNEG Animation | Netflix |
In development
Annapurna Television
| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television production |
| Founded | September 27, 2016 |
| Founder | Sue Naegle |
| Headquarters | , United States |
Key people | Sue Naegle |
| Services | Television production |
| Parent | Annapurna Pictures |
| Website | www |
Annapurna Television is a television production company of Annapurna Pictures, launched on September 27, 2016, and was formerly headed by HBO executive Sue Naegle (with her label, Naegle Ink, now part of the division).[75] In January 2017, it was reported that Annapurna Television would produce the Coen brothers' first TV project, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.[76]
Television series
| Year | Title | Co-production | Network | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Search and Destroy | — | Hulu | TV pilot |
| Half-Empty | Amazon Prime Video | |||
| Soundtrack |
|
Netflix | Canceled after one season | |
| 2020 | The Plot Against America |
|
HBO | Miniseries |
| Monsterland |
|
Hulu | Canceled after one season | |
| 2021 | Hot Pink | — | Amazon Prime Video | TV pilot |
| 2022 | Pam & Tommy |
|
Hulu | Miniseries |
| The Staircase | Emipop What's Up Films |
HBO Max | ||
| I Love That for You |
|
Showtime | Canceled after one season[77] | |
| 2023 | Paul T. Goldman |
|
Peacock | Miniseries |
| Dead Ringers | Morgan Creek Entertainment Astral Projection Amazon Studios |
Amazon Prime Video | ||
| 2023–present | The Changeling | Apple Studios De La Revolución Films |
Apple TV+ | Ongoing series |
| 2024–present | Sausage Party: Foodtopia[78] |
|
Amazon Prime Video | Animated television series |
Video games
Annapurna Interactive published its first video game, What Remains of Edith Finch, on April 25, 2017. What Remains of Edith Finch received "universal acclaim" on PC and "generally positive" reviews on PS4, according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.[79] Since 2017, Annapurna Interactive has also been responsible for publishing games including Twelve Minutes, Donut County, Kentucky Route Zero, Outer Wilds, Sayonara Wild Hearts, Wattam, Telling Lies, Neon White and Stray. The publisher has also provided funding and publication support for The Artful Escape by Beethoven & Dinosaur,[80] Ashen by A44 and Gorogoa by Jason Roberts.
Theater
Annapurna Theatre produces plays and live shows on, and off-Broadway.
| Show date(s) | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2018–2019 | Nine Night | |
| Network | ||
| 2019 | Home I'm Darling | |
| 2019–ongoing | American Utopia | Also viewable in film format from HBO Max. |
| 2019 | The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time | Also viewable in film format from National Theatre Live. |
| Fleabag | ||
| 2019–ongoing | The Lehman Trilogy | |
| 2020 | Death of a Salesman | |
| Betrayal | ||
| 2021–ongoing | Company | |
| A Strange Loop |
International distributors
| Country | Distributor | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Asia | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | 2017–present |
| Australia and New Zealand | Theatrical: Universal Pictures[81] All Other Media: Entertainment One | |
| Benelux | Entertainment One | |
| Canada | ||
| Central Europe | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | |
| France | Mars Distribution[82] | |
| Germany | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | |
| Italy | Eagle Pictures/Leone Film Group[82] | |
| Japan | Longride[82] | |
| Middle East | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | |
| Scandinavia | ||
| Spain | Entertainment One | |
| United Kingdom |
See also
References
External links
Wikiwand in your browser!
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.
