Savoy Pictures
Industry | Independent film studio,televisionstation holdings company |
---|---|
Founded | 1992 |
Founder | Victor Kaufman |
Defunct | 1997 |
Fate | Acquired byIAC/Interactive Corporation;IAC's entertainment assets acquired byVivendi Universalin 2002 |
Successor | Library: Universal Pictures (throughFocus Features) (with some exceptions) |
Headquarters | United States |
Key people | Victor A. Kaufman Lewis J. Korman |
Products | Motion Pictures |
Owner | IAC(1995–1997) |
Number of employees | 16 (1997) |
Subsidiaries | HBO Savoy Video Savoy Pictures Television SF Broadcasting |
Savoy Pictures Entertainment, Inc.was an American independent motion picture company that operated from 1992 to 1997. Among Savoy Pictures' noteworthy feature films wereNo Escape,andLast of the Dogmen.
History
[edit]FormerColumbia Pictures Entertainmentchairman andTriStar Picturesfounder Victor A. Kaufman became chairman and chief executive officer of Savoy Pictures in 1992 along with vice chairman executive, Lewis J. Korman. Kaufman has claimed that the name came from the Savoy Special batRobert Redford's character used inThe Natural.[1]Savoy intended to finance and distribute films in the $12–25 million range, investing in up to $15 million per film.[2]In June of that year, Savoy entered into a deal withHBOfor the home video, pay-TV, and pay-per-view rights to its films.[3]
Budgets for their films grew. However, with rather poor marketing, Savoy faced a major financial slump, only three years after being formed. For three years, Savoy then released box office failures includingExit to EdenandGetting Away with Murder.It also didn't help that two of its competitors in the independent film field,MiramaxandNew Line Cinema,were bought out by majors (The Walt Disney CompanyandTurner Broadcasting,respectively), giving them stability. As a result, Savoy focused on low-budget films and the occasional blockbuster, costing up to $80 million.[2]Executives hoped to lureSylvester Stallonewith a then-hefty $20 million paycheck to star in a studio project that was ultimately never made.[2]
In the meantime, Savoy expanded into broadcasting to help the investment of films. In March 1994, Savoy createdSF Broadcastingas a venture withFox Television Stations,with Kaufman and Korman owningcontrolling interest.[4]As a result of purchasing these stations, all of them would become affiliates of theFox network.Stations owned by SF Broadcasting wereWALA-TVinMobile,Alabama,WLUK-TVinGreen Bay,Wisconsin,WVUEinNew Orleans,andKHON-TVinHonolulu,Hawaii.Savoy also launched a television production division.[5]
In January 1995, Kaufman announced that he was hiringRobert N. Friedto run the motion picture studio. Fried brought in executivesAlan Sokol,Bob Levin,Cathy Schulman,Stan Brooks,Stan Wlodkowskiand filmmakersSam Raimi,andGeorge Tillman,Rob WeissandPeter Chelsom.In September 1995, Kaufman announced that he was cutting back on his interest in the motion picture business and was re-positioning the company as a television stationholding company.[6]
Shortly thereafter, Savoy announced the sale of 14 films in its roster, in varying stages of production, to potential buyers.[7]New Line Cinemapicked upMartin Lawrence's directorial debutA Thin Line Between Love and Hate,American History X,The Adventures of Pinocchio,Heaven's Prisoners,Faithful,andThe Stupids.[8][9][10]Paramount Picturespicked up the rights to produceA Simple Plan,and the distribution rights ofPrivate Parts.[11][12]Only a single film Savoy is planning on to release,Mariette in Ecstasy,has been left unreleased, until 2019, when the film's directorJohn Bailey,eventually saw a screening at the 2019Camerimage International Film Festival.[13][14]
Savoy Pictures announced in November 1995 thatBarry Diller'sSilver King Communicationswas going to acquire Savoy for $210 million.[15]The deal was finalized in 1997. Victor Kaufman was made vice chairman and sits on the board of directors of IAC. The SF stations were sold to Diller'sSilver King Broadcastingin 1997.
Cineplex Odeon Filmswas the Canadian distributor for Savoy films, thenAlliance Filmsbecame the Canadian distributor afterNew Line Cinemapicked up the later films from 1996.
Much of Savoy's library now lies withUniversal PicturesandFocus Features,with the exceptions of a few select titles, most likely as a result of Diller selling offUSA Networks' entertainment assets toVivendi Universalfor $10.3 billion.[16]Warner Bros. Discoveryowns the titles produced by New Line Cinema, whileParamount Globalowns the titles produced by Rysher Entertainment,Pathéowns the rights toNo EscapeviaAllied Filmmakers,rights toThe Bronx Talehave since reverted toRobert De Niro'sTribeca Productions,andJoel B. Michaelsowns the rights toLast of the Dogmen.
Films
[edit]Release Date | Title | Notes |
---|---|---|
September 29, 1993 | A Bronx Tale | First Savoy film, US distributor; co-production withTriBeCa Productions |
December 25, 1993 | Shadowlands | US distributor; co-production with Price Entertainment and Spelling Films International,Paramount Picturesdistributed in UK |
March 11, 1994 | Lightning Jack | US distributor only; co-production withVillage RoadshowandBuena Vista Pictures |
April 13, 1994 | Serial Mom | Co-production with Polar Entertainment Corporation |
April 29, 1994 | No Escape | USA/Canada and UK distributor; co-production withAllied Filmmakers,Pacific Western;Columbia Pictureshandled international distribution rights underEscape from Absolom |
October 14, 1994 | Exit to Eden | |
February 24, 1995 | The Walking Dead | |
March 15, 1995 | Circle of Friends | US distribution;Rank Organisationdistribution in UK andCineplex Odeon Filmsdistributed in Canada |
April 28, 1995 | Destiny Turns on the Radio | Distribution; co-production withRysher Entertainment |
May 24, 1995 | Tales from the Hood | Distribution only; co-production with40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks |
August 25, 1995 | Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde | US distributor; co-production with Rastar andRank Organisation |
August 25, 1995 | The Show | Co-production withRysher Entertainment |
September 8, 1995 | Last of the Dogmen | US distributor; co-production withCarolco Pictures.Pathédistributed internationally |
September 22, 1995 | Bleeding Hearts | Distribution; co-production with Peacock Films |
September 29, 1995 | Steal Big Steal Little | |
October 27, 1995 | Three Wishes | Co-production withRysher Entertainment |
November 17, 1995 | Let It Be Me | |
December 1, 1995 | White Man's Burden | Co-production withRysher EntertainmentandUGC |
April 3, 1996 | Faithful | Co-producer;New Line Cinema,Miramax FilmsandTriBeCa Productions |
April 5, 1996 | A Thin Line Between Love and Hate | Co-production with New Line Cinema |
April 12, 1996 | Getting Away with Murder | |
May 17, 1996 | Heaven's Prisoners | producer; distribution by New Line Cinema |
July 26, 1996 | The Adventures of Pinocchio | International distributor; co-production with New Line Cinema andThe Kushner-Locker Company |
August 30, 1996 | The Stupids | Co-production with New Line Cinema andRank Film distributors |
December 11, 1998 | A Simple Plan | Last Savoy Film. International distribution; co-production withMutual Film Company,Paramount Pictures,Tele-MünchenandBBC |
Unreleased | Mariette in Ecstasy | co-production with Price Entertainment andRastar |
References
[edit]- ^"Victor Kaufman – Savoy Pictures and Home Shopping Network".Vimeo.Retrieved2016-09-08.
- ^abcFabrikant, Geraldine.Savoy Pictures' High and Low Roads.The New York Times(January 18, 1995)
- ^Lippman, John (June 16, 1992)."Savoy Pictures and HBO Cut a Film Deal".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedOctober 15,2018.
- ^THE MEDIA BUSINESS; Savoy and Fox TV Venture.The New York Times(March 18, 1994)
- ^COMPANY TOWN: Savoy Pictures Names Stanley Brooks to Head Its Television Production Division.The Los Angeles Times(May 9, 1995)
- ^Savoy Pictures To Focus on TV.The Los Angeles Times(September 18, 1995)
- ^"Savoy leaves the spotlight".Entertainment Weekly.Retrieved2016-09-08.
- ^Abramovitch, Ingrid (1997-03-09)."Lost Without a Screen: the Fate of 'Orphan' Films".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2016-09-08.
- ^Goldstein, Patrick (1998-09-13)."Courting Trouble".Los Angeles Times.ISSN0458-3035.Retrieved2016-09-08.[dead link]
- ^BATES, JAMES (1995-11-21)."COMPANY TOWN: New Line Gains Domestic Rights to 4 Savoy Films".Los Angeles Times.ISSN0458-3035.Retrieved2016-09-08.
- ^"ILL-FATED 'SIMPLE PLAN' OFF AGAIN. - Free Online Library".www.thefreelibrary.com.Retrieved2016-09-08.
- ^Staff, Variety (1995-04-03)."FUTURE FILMS".Variety.Retrieved2024-09-06.
- ^By (1996-02-18)."HANSEN'S `ATTICUS' RETURNS TO FAMILIAR SPIRITUAL GROUND".Hartford Courant.Retrieved2024-09-06.
- ^"JOHN BAILEY WITH CAMERIMAGE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD! – EnergaCAMERIMAGE 2024".camerimage.pl.Retrieved2024-09-06.
- ^Peers, Martin (November 28, 1995). "Diller deal bails out Savoy stock".Daily Variety.p. 1.
- ^"Vivendi Completes USA Deal".Los Angeles Times.8 May 2002.Retrieved19 May2024.
- Defunct American film studios
- Defunct television broadcasting companies of the United States
- Defunct film and television production companies of the United States
- Film production companies of the United States
- Film distributors of the United States
- American companies established in 1992
- Entertainment companies established in 1992
- Entertainment companies disestablished in 1997
- Mass media companies established in 1992
- Mass media companies disestablished in 1997
- American independent film studios