A24 is an American
independent entertainment company that specializes in film and television production, as well as
film distribution. It is based in
New York City.
A24 was founded in 2012 by Daniel Katz, David Fenkel and John Hodges. Prior to A24, all had worked extensively in film and production before leaving their current positions to co-found the company, originally A24 Films, which specialized in film distribution. Starting off moderately in 2013 with ''
A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III
''A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III'' is a 2012 American comedy film written, directed, and produced by Roman Coppola. It stars Charlie Sheen, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Katheryn Winnick and Patricia Arquette.
It premiered at the ...
'', the company's growth started with the release of ''
Spring Breakers
''Spring Breakers'' is a 2012 American comedy crime film written and directed by Harmony Korine and starring James Franco, Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson and Rachel Korine. Gomez, Hudgens, Benson and Korine portray four coll ...
'' later that year. They became better known after picking up the U.S. rights to ''
Ex Machina'' and ''
Room'', and worldwide rights to ''
The Witch'', growing substantially since then. They entered into deals with
DirecTV Cinema
DirecTV Cinema (previously known as Direct Ticket, Blockbuster Ticket, Blockbuster Pay-Per-View Movies, and DirecTV Pay-Per-View) is DirecTV's video on demand and pay-per-view platform for film content. Films are released as is done on other pay- ...
and
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime is a paid subscription service from Amazon which is available in various countries and gives users access to additional services otherwise unavailable or available at a premium to other Amazon customers. Services include same, one- ...
in late 2013, with some films distributed through them, and the name was changed to A24 in 2016.
A24's television division has produced ''
The Carmichael Show
''The Carmichael Show'' is an American sitcom television series created by Nicholas Stoller, Jerrod Carmichael, Ari Katcher, and Willie Hunter that premiered on August 26, 2015, on NBC and concluded on August 9, 2017, after three seasons and 32 ...
'', ''
At Home with Amy Sedaris
''At Home with Amy Sedaris'' is an American surreal comedy television series that premiered on October 24, 2017, on truTV. Hosted by Amy Sedaris playing various characters, the show focuses on the comedian's love of entertaining, crafts, and cook ...
'', ''
Ramy'', ''
Euphoria
Euphoria ( ) is the experience (or affect) of pleasure or excitement and intense feelings of well-being and happiness. Certain natural rewards and social activities, such as aerobic exercise, laughter, listening to or making music and da ...
'' and ''
Mr. Corman
''Mr. Corman'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by, written by, directed by, and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The series premiered on August 6, 2021, on Apple TV+. In October 2021, the series was canceled after one season. ...
''.
Accolades
, the company's films had received a total of 25
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
nominations. In
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh c ...
, films distributed by A24 won Academy Awards for
Best Actress
Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress award ...
(
Brie Larson
Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers (born October 1, 1989), known professionally as Brie Larson, is an American actress. Known for her supporting roles in comedies as a teenager, she has since expanded to leading roles in independent films and blockb ...
in ''Room''),
Best Documentary Feature (''
Amy
Amy is a female given name, sometimes short for Amanda, Amelia, Amélie, or Amita. In French, the name is spelled ''" Aimée"''.
People A–E
* Amy Acker (born 1976), American actress
* Amy Vera Ackman, also known as Mother Giovanni (1886– ...
''), and
Best Visual Effects (''Ex Machina''). In
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a se ...
, ''
Moonlight
Moonlight consists of mostly sunlight (with little earthlight) reflected from the parts of the Moon's surface where the Sun's light strikes.
Illumination
The intensity of moonlight varies greatly depending on the lunar phase, but even the ful ...
'' won the
Academy Award for Best Picture
The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film and is the only category ...
(the first such award for the company),
Best Adapted Screenplay
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress# ...
, and
Best Supporting Actor (
Mahershala Ali). In
2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
, A24 won the Academy Award for
Best Supporting Actress (
Yuh-jung Youn
Youn Yuh-jung (, ; born June 19, 1947) is a South Korean actress, whose career in film and television spans over five decades. Her accolades include an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a British Academy Film Award, an Independent Spir ...
in
''Minari'', who became the first Korean actress to win an Oscar).
History
2012–2013: Founding and early years
A24 was founded on August 20, 2012, by film veterans Daniel Katz, David Fenkel, and John Hodges. Katz formerly led the film finance group at
Guggenheim Partners, Fenkel was the president, co-founder and partner at
Oscilloscope, and Hodges served as Head of Production and Development at
Big Beach.
The name "A24" was inspired by the Italian
A24 motorway Katz was driving on when he decided to found the company; coincidentally, the motorway is also renowned in Italian film history as the setting of many small Abruzzan towns and rural landscapes employed in the films of
neorealist and surrealist masters.
Guggenheim Partners provided the
seed money
Seed money, sometimes known as seed funding or seed capital, is a form of securities offering in which an investor invests capital in a startup company in exchange for an equity stake or convertible note stake in the company. The term ''seed'' ...
for A24. The company was started to share "movies from a distinctive point of view".
In October 2012, Nicolette Aizenberg joined as head of publicity from 42West where she was senior publicity executive.
The company began its distribution of films in 2013. The company's first theatrical release was
Roman Coppola's ''
A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III
''A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III'' is a 2012 American comedy film written, directed, and produced by Roman Coppola. It stars Charlie Sheen, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Katheryn Winnick and Patricia Arquette.
It premiered at the ...
'', which had a
limited release. Other 2013 theatrical releases included
Sally Potter
Charlotte Sally Potter (born 19 September 1949) is an English film director and screenwriter. She is known for directing ''Orlando'' (1992), which won the audience prize for Best Film at the Venice Film Festival.
Early life
Potter was born an ...
's ''
Ginger & Rosa
''Ginger & Rosa'' is a 2012 coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Sally Potter and distributed by Artificial Eye. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on 7 September 2012, and was released on 19 October 2012 ...
'',
Harmony Korine's ''
Spring Breakers
''Spring Breakers'' is a 2012 American comedy crime film written and directed by Harmony Korine and starring James Franco, Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson and Rachel Korine. Gomez, Hudgens, Benson and Korine portray four coll ...
'',
Sofia Coppola's ''
The Bling Ring
''The Bling Ring'' is a 2013 crime film written and directed by Sofia Coppola featuring an ensemble cast led by Katie Chang, Israel Broussard, Emma Watson, Taissa Farmiga, and Claire Julien. It is based on the 2010 '' Vanity Fair'' articl ...
'', and
James Ponsoldt
James Adam Ponsoldt (born 1978) is an American film director, actor and screenwriter. He directed the drama films '' Off the Black'' (2006) and '' Smashed'' (2012), the romantic comedy-drama ''The Spectacular Now'' (2013), and the dramas ''The End ...
's ''
The Spectacular Now''.
In September 2013, A24 entered a $40 million deal with
DirecTV Cinema
DirecTV Cinema (previously known as Direct Ticket, Blockbuster Ticket, Blockbuster Pay-Per-View Movies, and DirecTV Pay-Per-View) is DirecTV's video on demand and pay-per-view platform for film content. Films are released as is done on other pay- ...
, where DirecTV Cinema would offer day-and-date releases 30 days prior to a theatrical release by A24; ''
Enemy'' was the first film to be distributed under the deal. That same year, A24 entered a deal with
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime is a paid subscription service from Amazon which is available in various countries and gives users access to additional services otherwise unavailable or available at a premium to other Amazon customers. Services include same, one- ...
, where A24-distributed films would be available on
Amazon Instant Video
Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming and rental service of Amazon offered as a standalone service or as part of Amazon's Prime subscription. The service pr ...
after becoming available on DVD and Blu-ray.
2014–2017: Television and later productions
In May 2015, A24 announced that it would start a television division and began producing the
USA Network series ''
Playing House'', as well as working to develop a television series that would later become ''
Comrade Detective'', produced by
Channing Tatum
Channing Matthew Tatum (born April 26, 1980) is an American actor. Tatum made his film debut in the drama ''Coach Carter'' (2005), and had his breakthrough role in the 2006 dance film '' Step Up''. He gained wider attention for his leading rol ...
. The company also announced that they would also finance and develop pilots.
In January 2016, Sasha Lloyd joined the company to handle all film, television distribution and business development in the international marketplace. The company, with cooperation from
Bank of America,
J.P. Morgan & Co. and
SunTrust Banks
SunTrust Banks, Inc. was an American bank holding company with SunTrust Bank as its largest subsidiary and assets of US$199 billion as of March 31, 2018. The bank's most direct corporate parent was established in 1891 in Atlanta, where it was h ...
, also raised its
line of credit from $50 million to $125 million a month later to build upon its operations. In April, the company acquired all foreign rights to ''
Swiss Army Man
''Swiss Army Man'' is a 2016 American absurdist black comedy film written and directed by Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan (in their respective feature directorial debuts). The film stars Paul Dano, Daniel Radcliffe, and Mary Elizabeth Winste ...
'', distributing the film in all territories, and partnering with distributors who previously acquired rights to the film, a first for the company. In June, the company, along with Oscilloscope and distributor Honora, joined
BitTorrent Now to distribute the work of their portfolio across the ad-supported service.
In January 2017, the company acquired the United States and Chinese distribution rights for their first foreign language film, ''
''.
2018–present: Management changes, partnerships
On February 20, 2018, A24 launched a podcast titled ''The A24 Podcast.'' Episodes are based around a discussion between two members of the film industry. Notable guests on the show have included
Bo Burnham
Robert Pickering "Bo" Burnham (born 1990) is an American comedian, musician, songwriter, actor, and filmmaker. His comedy work often combines musical, sketch, and stand-up elements with filmmaking.
Following his success as one of the earliest ...
,
Paul Schrader,
Sofia Coppola,
Alia Shawkat
Alia Martine Shawkat ( ; ar, عليا مارتين شوكت; born April 18, 1989) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in '' The Old Man'', '' State of Grace'', Maeby Fünke in the Fox/Netflix television sitcom ''Arrested Develop ...
and
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of many major accolades, inclu ...
. Despite lacking any pre-defined structure, episodes generally contain discussions around recent works of the two guests, allowing for branching discussions to other areas. , twenty-seven episodes had been released.
On March 26, 2018, co-founder John Hodges announced that he was exiting the company.
On November 15, 2018, A24 and
Apple announced that they had entered into a multi-year partnership where A24 will produce a slate of original films for Apple. This was not a first-look deal, meaning that A24 can continue to produce and acquire films to release outside of the deal, and that it would not affect previous deals that A24 had signed with other companies. It is currently unknown if this slate of films will have a theatrical release or be exclusive to Apple's
Apple TV+
Apple TV+ is an American subscription streaming service owned and operated by Apple Inc. Launched on November 1, 2019, it offers a selection of original production film and television series called Apple Originals. The service was announced d ...
streaming service.
On November 13, 2019, A24 entered into a premium cable television broadcast deal with
Showtime Networks
Showtime Networks Inc. is an American entertainment company that oversees the company's premium cable television channels, including its flagship service Showtime. It is a subsidiary of media conglomerate Paramount Global under its networks uni ...
, covering all film releases through November 1, 2022. The deal excludes films that are already part of the Apple partnership.
In July 2021, A24 reportedly explored a possible buyout for between $2.5 billion to $3 billion.
Filmography
A24 distributes and produces around 18 to 20 films a year.
Its five highest grossing films are ''
Everything Everywhere All at Once
''Everything Everywhere All at Once'' is a 2022 American absurdist comedy-drama film written and directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (collectively known as "Daniels"), who produced it with Anthony and Joe Russo. The plot centers on a ...
'' ($103.4 million), ''
Hereditary'' ($80.2 million), ''
Lady Bird'' ($79 million),''
Moonlight
Moonlight consists of mostly sunlight (with little earthlight) reflected from the parts of the Moon's surface where the Sun's light strikes.
Illumination
The intensity of moonlight varies greatly depending on the lunar phase, but even the ful ...
'' ($65 million) and
''
Uncut Gems'' ($50 million).
See also
*
Amazon Studios
Amazon Studios is an American television and film producer and distributor that is a subsidiary of Amazon. It specializes in developing television series and distributing and producing films. It was started in late 2010. Content is distributed th ...
*
Annapurna Pictures
Annapurna Pictures is an independent American media company founded by Megan Ellison in 2011, that specializes in film production, live theatre production, television through its Annapurna Television division, and video game publishing throug ...
*
Bleecker Street
Bleecker Street is an east–west street in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is most famous today as a Greenwich Village nightclub district. The street connects a neighborhood today popular for music venues and comedy, but which was ...
*
Blumhouse Productions
Blumhouse Productions (; also known as BH Productions or simply BH) is an American film and television production company founded in 2000 by Jason Blum.
It is known mainly for producing horror films, such as ''Paranormal Activity'', '' Insidio ...
*
Drafthouse Films
Drafthouse Films is a film distribution company based in Austin, Texas which releases "provocative, visionary and artfully unusual films new and old from around the world". It was founded in 2010 by Tim League, who had previously founded the Alamo ...
*
IFC Films
*
Neon
Neon is a chemical element with the symbol Ne and atomic number 10. It is a noble gas. Neon is a colorless, odorless, inert monatomic gas under standard conditions, with about two-thirds the density of air. It was discovered (along with krypton ...
*
The Picture Company
The Picture Company is an entertainment company founded in 2014, by Andrew Rona and Alex Heineman. It specializes in film, starting off moderately in 2018 with Jaume Collet-Serra's '' The Commuter'' and Albert Hughes' ''Alpha''.
History Foundin ...
*
STX Entertainment
STX Entertainment is a mini-major American entertainment and media company. Founded in March 2014 by film producer Robert Simonds, the studio produces film, television, and digital media projects.
In April 2020, STX announced that it would merg ...
Notes
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Film production companies of the United States
Film distributors of the United States
Entertainment companies established in 2012
American companies established in 2012
Entertainment companies based in New York City
2012 establishments in New York City
American independent film studios