Universal Pictures
 Logo used since 2012 | |
| Universal Pictures | |
| Formerly | List
|
| Company type | Division |
| Industry | Film |
| Predecessor | Independent Moving Pictures |
| Founded | April 30, 1912 |
| Founders |
|
| Headquarters | 10 Universal City Plaza,, U.S. |
Number of locations | 3 |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people |
|
| Products | Motion pictures |
| Revenue |  US$11.622 billion (2022) |
| Parent | Universal Studios |
| Divisions | |
| Subsidiaries | |
| Website | |
| Footnotes / references [1][2][3] | |
Universal City Studios LLC,doing business asUniversal Pictures(informally asUniversal Studiosor also known simply asUniversal) is an Americanfilm productionanddistributioncompany, a division ofUniversal Studios,which is owned byNBCUniversal,a division ofComcast.
Founded in 1912 byCarl Laemmle,Mark Dintenfass,Charles O. Baumann,Adam Kessel,Pat Powers,William Swanson,David Horsley,Robert H. Cochrane, andJules Brulatour,Universal is the oldest surviving film studio in theUnited Statesand the fifth oldest in the world afterGaumont,Pathé,Titanus,andNordisk Film,and is one of the"Big Five" film studios.
The most commercially successful film franchises from Universal includeFast & Furious,Jurassic Park,andDespicable Me.Additionally, the studio's library includes many individual films such asJawsandE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,both of which became thehighest-grossing films of all timeduring their initial releases. Universal Pictures is a member of theMotion Picture Association(MPA), and was one of the "Little Three" majors duringHollywood's golden age.[4]
History
 | This sectionneeds additional citations forverification.(June 2020) |
Early years
Universal was founded byCarl Laemmle,Mark Dintenfass,Charles O. Baumann,Adam Kessel,Pat Powers,William Swanson,David Horsley,Robert H. Cochrane[a]andJules Brulatour.One story has Laemmle watching a box office for hours, counting patrons, and calculating the day's takings. Within weeks of hisChicagotrip, Laemmle gave updry goodsto buy the first severalnickelodeons.For Laemmle and other such entrepreneurs, the creation in 1908 of the Edison-backedMotion Picture Patents Company(or the "Edison Trust" ) meant that exhibitors were expected to pay fees for Trust-produced films they showed. Based on theLatham Loopused in cameras and projectors, along with other patents, the Trust collected fees on all aspects of movie production and exhibition and attempted to enforce amonopolyon distribution.
Soon, Laemmle and other disgruntled nickelodeon owners decided to avoid paying Edison by producing their own pictures. In June 1909, Laemmle started the Yankee Film Company with his brothers-in-law[6]Abe SternandJulius Stern.[7]That company quickly evolved into theIndependent Moving Pictures Company(IMP), with studios inFort Lee, New Jersey,where many early films inAmerica's first motion picture industrywere produced in the early 20th century.[8][9][10][11]Laemmle broke with Edison's custom of refusing to givebillingandscreen creditsto performers. By naming the movie stars, he attracted many of the leading players of the time, contributing to the creation of thestar system.In 1910, he promotedFlorence Lawrence,formerly known as "The Biograph Girl",[12]and actorKing Baggot,in what may be the first instance of a studio using stars in its marketing.
The Universal Film Manufacturing Company was incorporated in New York City on April 30, 1912.[13]Laemmle, who emerged as president in July 1912, was the primary figure in the partnership with Dintenfass, Baumann, Kessel, Powers, Swanson, Horsley, and Brulatour. The company was established on June 8, 1912, formed in a merger of Independent Moving Pictures (IMP), thePowers Motion Picture Company,Rex Motion Picture Manufacturing Company,Champion Film Company,Nestor Film Company,and theNew York Motion Picture Company.[14]Eventually all would be bought out by Laemmle. The new Universal studio was avertically integrated company,with movie production, distribution, and exhibition venues all linked in the same corporate entity, the central element of theStudio systemera.
Following the westward trend of the industry, by the end of 1912, the company was focusing its production efforts in the Hollywood area.
Universal WeeklyandMoving Picture Weekly[15]were the alternating names of Universal's internal magazine that began publication in this era; the magazine was intended to market Universal's films to exhibitors.[16]Since much of Universal's early film output was destroyed in subsequent fires and nitrate degradation, the surviving issues of these magazines are a crucial source for film historians.[16]
On March 15, 1915,[18]: 8 Laemmle opened the world's largest motion picture production facility,Universal City Studios,on a 230-acre (0.9-km2) converted farm just over theCahuenga Passfrom Hollywood.[19]Studio management became the third facet of Universal's operations, with the studio incorporated as a distinct subsidiary organization. Unlike other movie moguls, Laemmle opened his studio to tourists. Universal became the largest studio in Hollywood and remained so for a decade. However, it sought an audience mostly in small towns, producing mostly inexpensivemelodramas,westerns,andserials.
In 1916,Universalformed a three-tier branding system for their releases. Unlike the top-tier studios, Universal did not own any theaters to market its feature films. Universal branding their product gave theater owners and audiences a quick reference guide. Branding would help theater owners judge films they were about to lease and help fans decide which movies they wanted to see. Universal released three different types of feature motion pictures:[20][21]
- Red Feather Photoplays – low-budget feature films
- Bluebird Photoplays – mainstream feature release and more ambitious productions
- Jewel – prestige motion pictures featuring high budgets using prominent actors
Directors of "Jewel" films includedJack Conway,John Ford,Rex Ingram,Robert Z. Leonard,George Marshall,andLois Weber,one of the few women directing films in Hollywood.[18]: 13
Starting in the mid-1920s, Universal branded its most expensive and heavily-promoted feature films as "Super-Jewel" productions. These included films such asErich von Stroheim'sFoolish Wives(1922),Clarence Brown'sThe Acquittal(1923),Hobart Henley'sA Lady of Quality(1924),Harry A. Pollard'sUncle Tom's Cabin(1927), andEdward Sloman'sSurrender(1928).
Despite Laemmle's role as an innovator, he was an extremely cautious studio chief. Unlike rivalsAdolph Zukor,William Fox,andMarcus Loew,Laemmle chose not to develop atheater chain.He also financed all of his own films, refusing to take on debt. This policy nearly bankrupted the studio when actor-directorErich von Stroheiminsisted on excessively lavish production values for his filmsBlind Husbands(1919) andFoolish Wives(1922), but Universal shrewdly gained a return on some of the expenditure by launching a sensationalad campaignthat attracted moviegoers.Character actorLon Chaneybecame a drawing card for Universal in the mid-1910s, appearing steadily in dramas. However, Chaney left Universal in 1917 because of a salary dispute, and his two biggest hits for Universal were made as isolated returns to the studio:The Hunchback of Notre Dame(1923) andThe Phantom of the Opera(1925).[22]
During the early 1920s Laemmle entrusted most of Universal's production policy decisions toIrving Thalberg.Thalberg had been Laemmle's personal secretary, and Laemmle was impressed by his cogent observations of how efficiently the studio could be operated. Promoted to studio chief in 1919, Thalberg made distinct improvements of quality and prestige in Universal's output in addition to dealing with star directorErich von Stroheim's increasing inability to control the expense and length of his films, eventually firing Stroheim on October 6, 1922, six weeks into the production ofMerry-Go-Round(1923) and replacing him withRupert Julian.Louis B. Mayerlured Thalberg away from Universal in late 1922 to his own growing studio,Louis B. Mayer Productions,as vice-president in charge of production, and whenMetro-Goldwyn-Mayerwas formed in 1924 Thalberg continued in the same position for the new company. Without Thalberg's guidance, Universal became a second-tier studio and would remain so for several decades.
In 1926, Universal opened a production unit in Germany, Deutsche Universal-Film AG, under the direction ofJoe Pasternak.This unit produced three to four films per year until 1936, migrating to Hungary and then Austria in the face ofHitler's increasing domination of central Europe. With the advent of sound, these productions were made in the German language or, occasionally, Hungarian or Polish. In the U.S., Universal Pictures did not distribute any of this subsidiary's films. Still, some of them were exhibited through other independent, foreign-language film distributors based in New York City without the benefit of English subtitles. Nazi persecution and a change in ownership for the parent Universal Pictures organization resulted in the dissolution of this subsidiary.
In the early years, Universal had a "clean picture" policy. However, by April 1927, Carl Laemmle considered this a mistake as "unclean pictures" from other studios generated more profit while Universal lost money.[23]
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit
In early 1927, Universal had been negotiating deals with cartoon producers since they wanted to get back into producing them. On March 4,Charles Mintzsigned a contract with Universal in the presence of its vice president, R. H. Cochrane. Mintz's company, Winkler Pictures, was to produce 26 "Oswald the Lucky Rabbit"cartoons for Universal.[24]Walt DisneyandUb Iwerkscreated the character and theWalt Disney Studioprovided the animation for the cartoons under Winkler's supervision.
The films enjoyed a successful theatrical run, and Mintz would sign a contract with Universal ensuring three more years of Oswald cartoons.[25]However, after Mintz had unsuccessfully demanded that Disney accept a lower fee for producing the films, Mintz took most of Walt'sanimatorsto work at his own studio. Disney and Iwerks would createMickey Mousein secret while they finished the remaining Oswald films they were contractually obligated to finish. Universal subsequently severed its link to Mintz and formed its own in-house animation studio to produce Oswald cartoons headed byWalter Lantz,which would later result in the creation ofWoody Woodpeckerin 1940.
In February 2006,NBCUniversalsold all the Disney-animated Oswald cartoons, along with the rights to the character himself, toThe Walt Disney Company.In return, Disney releasedABCsportscasterAl Michaelsfrom his contract so he could work on NBC's recently acquiredSunday night NFL football package.Universal retained ownership of the remaining Oswald cartoons.
Keeping leadership of the studio in the family
In 1928, Laemmle Sr. made his son,Carl Jr.,head of Universal Pictures, a 21st birthday present. Universal already had a reputation fornepotism—at one time, 70 of Carl Sr.'s relatives were supposedly on the payroll. Many of them were nephews, resulting in Carl Sr. being known around the studios as "Uncle Carl".Ogden Nashfamously quipped in rhyme, "Uncle Carl Laemmle/Has a very large faemmle". Among these relatives was future Academy Award-winning director/producerWilliam Wyler.
"Junior," Laemmle persuaded his father to bring Universal up to date. He bought and built theaters, converted the studio to sound production, and made several forays into high-quality production. His early efforts included the critically pannedpart-talkieversion ofEdna Ferber's novelShow Boat(1929), the lavish musicalBroadway(1929) which includedTechnicolorsequences; and the first all-color musical feature (for Universal),King of Jazz(1930). The more seriousAll Quiet on the Western Front(1930) won its year'sBest PictureOscar.
Laemmle Jr. created a niche for the studio, beginning a series ofhorror filmswhich extended into the 1940s, affectionately dubbedUniversal horror.Among them areDracula(1931),Frankenstein(1931),The Mummy(1932) andThe Invisible Man(1933). Other Laemmle productions of this period includeTay Garnett'sDestination Unknown(1933),John M. Stahl'sImitation of Life(1934) and William Wyler'sThe Good Fairy(1935).
The Laemmles lose control
Universal's forays into high-quality production spelled the end of the Laemmle era at the studio. Taking on the task of modernizing and upgrading a film conglomerate in the depths of theGreat Depressionwas risky, and for a time, Universal slipped intoreceivership.The theater chain wasscrapped,but Carl Jr. held fast to distribution, studio, and production operations.
The end for the Laemmles came with a lavish version ofShow Boat(1936), a remake of its earlier 1929part-talkieproduction, and produced as a high-quality, big-budget film rather than as aB-picture.The new film featured several stars from the Broadway stage version, which began production in late 1935, and unlike the 1929 film, was based on the Broadway musical rather than the novel. Carl Jr.'s spending habits alarmed company stockholders. They would not allow production to start onShow Boatunless the Laemmles obtained a loan. Universal was forced to seek a $750,000 production loan from the Standard Capital Corporation, pledging the Laemmle family's controlling interest in Universal ascollateral.It was the first time Universal had borrowed money for a production in its 26-year history. The production went $300,000 over budget; Standard called in the loan, cash-strapped Universal could not pay, and Standard foreclosed and seized control of the studio on April 2, 1936.
Although Universal's 1936Show Boat(released a little over a month later) became a critical and financial success, it was not enough to save the Laemmles' involvement with the studio. They were unceremoniously removed from the company they had founded. Because the Laemmles personally oversaw production,Show Boatwas released (despite the takeover) with Carl Laemmle and Carl Laemmle Jr.'s names on the credits and in the film's advertising campaign. Standard Capital'sJ. Cheever Cowdinhad taken over as president and chairman of the board of directors and instituted severe cuts in production budgets. Joining him were British entrepreneursC.M. WoolfandJ. Arthur Rank,who bought a significant stake in the studio.[26]Gone were the big ambitions, and though Universal had a few big names under contract, those it had been cultivating, like William Wyler andMargaret Sullavan,left.
Meanwhile, producer Joe Pasternak, who had been successfully producing light musicals with young sopranos for Universal's German subsidiary, repeated his formula in the United States. Teenage singerDeanna Durbinstarred in Pasternak's first American film,Three Smart Girls(1936). The film was a box-office hit and reputedly resolved the studio's financial problems. The film's success led Universal to offer her a contract, which for the first five years of her career, produced her most successful pictures.
When Pasternak stopped producing Durbin's pictures, and she outgrew her screen persona and pursued more dramatic roles, the studio signed 13-year-oldGloria Jeanfor her own series of Pasternak musicals from 1939; she went on to star withBing Crosby,W. C. Fields,andDonald O'Connor.A popular Universal film of the late 1930s wasDestry Rides Again(1939), starringJames Stewartas Destry andMarlene Dietrichin her comeback role after leavingParamount.
By the early 1940s, the company was concentrating on lower-budget productions that were the company's main staple: westerns, melodramas, serials, andsequelsto the studio's horror pictures, the latter now solely B pictures. The studio fostered many series:The Dead End KidsandLittle Tough Guysaction features and serials (1938–43); the comic adventures of infant Baby Sandy (1938–41); comedies withHugh Herbert(1938–42) andThe Ritz Brothers(1940–43); musicals withRobert Paige,Jane Frazee,The Andrews Sisters,andThe Merry Macs(1938–45); and westerns withTom Mix(1932–33),Buck Jones(1933–36),Bob Baker(1938–39),Johnny Mack Brown(1938–43);Rod Cameron(1944–45), andKirby Grant(1946–47).
Universal could seldom afford its own stable of stars and often borrowed talent from other studios or hired freelance actors. In addition to Stewart and Dietrich,Margaret SullavanandBing Crosbywere two of the major names that made a couple of pictures for Universal during this period. Some stars came from radio, includingEdgar Bergen,W. C. Fields,and the comedy team ofAbbott and Costello(Bud AbbottandLou Costello). Abbott and Costello's military comedyBuck Privates(1941) gave the formerburlesquecomediansa national and international profile.
During the war years, Universal did have a co-production arrangement with producerWalter Wangerand his partner, directorFritz Lang,lending the studio some amount of prestige productions. Universal's core audience base was still found in theneighborhood movie theaters,and the studio continued to please the public with low- to medium-budget films.Basil RathboneandNigel Brucein newSherlock Holmesmysteries (1942–46), teenage musicals withGloria Jean,Donald O'Connor,andPeggy Ryan(1942–43), and screenadaptationsof radio'sInner Sanctum MysterieswithLon Chaney Jr.(1943–45).Alfred Hitchcockwas also borrowed for two films fromSelznick International Pictures:Saboteur(1942) andShadow of a Doubt(1943).
As Universal's main product had always been lower-budgeted films, it was one of the last major studios to contract withTechnicolor.The studio did not make use of thethree-strip Technicolorprocess untilArabian Nights(1942), starringJon HallandMaria Montez.Technicolor was also used for the studio's remake of their 1925 horror melodrama,Phantom of the Opera(1943) withClaude RainsandNelson Eddy.With the success of their first two pictures, a regular schedule of high-budget Technicolor films followed.
Universal International and Decca Records
In 1945, J. Arthur Rank, who had already owned a stake in the studio almost a decade before, hoping to expand his American presence, bought into a four-way merger with Universal, the independent companyInternational Pictures,and producer Kenneth Young. The new combine, United World Pictures, was a failure and was dissolved within one year. However, Rank and International remained interested in Universal, culminating in the studio's reorganization as Universal-International; the merger was announced on July 30, 1946.[27]William Goetz,a founder of International along withLeo Spitz,was made head of production at the renamedUniversal International Pictures,a subsidiary ofUniversal Pictures Company, Inc.which also served as an import-export subsidiary, and copyright holder for the production arm's films. Goetz, a son-in-law ofLouis B. Mayer,decided to bring "prestige" to the new company. He stopped the studio's low-budget production ofB movies,serialsand curtailed Universal's horror and "Arabian Nights"cycles. He also reduced the studio's output from its wartime average of fifty films per year (nearly twice the major studio's output) to thirty-five films a year.[28]Distribution and copyright control remained under the name of Universal Pictures Company Inc.
Goetz set out an ambitious schedule. Universal-International became responsible for the American distribution of Rank's British productions, including such classics asDavid Lean'sGreat Expectations(1946) andLaurence Olivier'sHamlet(1948). Broadening its scope further, Universal-International branched out into the lucrative non-theatrical field, buying a majority stake in home-movie dealerCastle Filmsin 1947 and taking the company over entirely in 1951. For three decades, Castle would offer "highlights" reels from the Universal film library to home-movie enthusiasts and collectors. Goetz licensed Universal's pre–Universal-International film library to Jack Broeder'sRealart Picturesfor cinema re-release, but Realart was not allowed to show the films on television.
The production arm of the studio still struggled. While there were to be a few hits likeThe Killers(1946) andThe Naked City(1948), Universal-International's new theatrical films often met with disappointing response at the box office. By the late 1940s, Goetz was out. The studio returned to low-budget and series films such asMa and Pa Kettle(1949), a spin-off of the studio's 1947 hitThe Egg and Iand the inexpensiveFrancis(1950), the first film of a series about a talking mule, became mainstays of the company. Once again, the films of Abbott and Costello, includingAbbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein(1948), were among the studio's top-grossing productions. But at this point, Rank lost interest and sold his shares to the investorMilton Rackmil,whoseDecca Recordswould take full control of Universal in 1952. Besides Abbott and Costello, the studio retained theWalter Lantzcartoon studio, whose product was released with Universal-International's films.
In the 1950s, Universal-International resumed their series of Arabian Nights films, many starringTony Curtis.The studio also had success with monster andscience fictionfilms produced byWilliam Alland,with many directed byJack Arnoldand starringJohn Agar.Other successes were the melodramas directed byDouglas Sirkand produced byRoss Hunter,which were critically reassessed more positively years later. Among Universal-International's stable of stars wereRock Hudson,Tony Curtis,Jeff Chandler,Audie Murphy,andJohn Gavin.
Although Decca would continue to keep picture budgets lean, it was favored by changing circumstances in the film business, as other studios let their contract actors go in the wake of the 1948U.S. vs. Paramount Pictures, et al.decision. Leading actors were increasingly free to work where and when they chose, and in 1950MCAagentLew Wassermanmade a deal with Universal for his clientJames Stewartthat would change the rules of the business. Wasserman's deal gave Stewart a share in the profits of three pictures in lieu of a large salary. When one of those films,Winchester '73(1950), proved to be a hit, the arrangement would become the rule for many future productions at Universal and eventually at other studios as well.
MCA takes over
In the early 1950s, Universal set up its own distribution company inFrance.In the late 1960s, the company also started a production company inParis,Universal Productions France S.A.,although sometimes credited by the name of the distribution company,Universal Pictures France.Except for the two first films it produced,Claude Chabrol'sLe scandale(English titleThe Champagne Murders,1967) andRomain Gary'sLes oiseaux vont mourir au Pérou(English titleBirds in Peru), it was only involved in French or other European co-productions, includingLouis Malle'sLacombe, Lucien,Bertrand Blier'sLes Valseuses(English titleGoing Places,1974), andFred Zinnemann'sThe Day of the Jackal(1973). It was only involved in approximately 20 French film productions. In the early 1970s, the unit was incorporated into the FrenchCinema International Corporationarm.
By the late 1950s, the motion picture business was again changing. The combination of the studio/theater-chain breakup and the rise of television saw the reduced audience size for cinema productions. TheMusic Corporation of America(MCA), the world's largest talent agency, had also become a powerful television producer, renting space atRepublic Studiosfor itsRevue Productionssubsidiary. After a period of complete shutdown, a moribund Universal agreed to sell its 360-acre (1.5 km2) studio lot to MCA in 1958 for $11 million, renamedRevue Studios.MCA owned the studio lot, but not Universal Pictures, yet was increasingly influential on Universal's products. The studio lot was upgraded and modernized, while MCA clients likeDoris Day,Lana Turner,Cary Grant,and directorAlfred Hitchcockwere signed to Universal contracts.
The long-awaited takeover of Universal Pictures by MCA, Inc. happened in mid-1962 as part of the MCA-Decca Recordsmerger. The company reverted in name to Universal Pictures from Universal-International. As a final gesture before leaving the talent agency business, virtually every MCA client was signed to a Universal contract. In 1964, MCA formedUniversal City Studios, Inc., merging the motion pictures and television arms of Universal Pictures Company and Revue Productions (officially renamed asUniversal Televisionin 1966). And so, with MCA in charge, Universal became a full-blown, A-film movie studio, withleading actorsand directors under contract; offering slick, commercial films; and astudio toursubsidiary launched in 1964.
Television production made up much of the studio's output, with Universal heavily committed, in particular, to deals with NBC (which much later merged with Universal to form NBC Universal;see below) providing up to half of all prime time shows for several seasons. An innovation during this period championed by Universal was the made-for-television movie. In 1982, Universal became the studio base for many shows that were produced byNorman Lear'sTandem Productions/Embassy Television,includingDiff'rent Strokes,One Day at a Time,The Jeffersons,The Facts of Life,andSilver Spoonswhich premiered onNBCthat same fall.
At this time,Hal B. Wallis,who had recently worked as a major producer at Paramount, moved over to Universal, where he produced several films, among them a lavish version ofMaxwell Anderson'sAnne of the Thousand Days(1969) and the equally lavishMary, Queen of Scots(1971).[29]Although neither could claim to be a big financial hit, both films received Academy Award nominations, andAnnewas nominated forBest Picture,Best Actor(Richard Burton),Best Actress(Geneviève Bujold), andBest Supporting Actor(Anthony Quayle). Wallis retired from Universal after making the filmRooster Cogburn(1975), a sequel toTrue Grit(1969), which Wallis had produced at Paramount.Rooster Cogburnco-starredJohn Wayne,reprising his Oscar-winning role from the earlier film, andKatharine Hepburn,their only film together. The film was only a moderate success.
In 1983, Universal Pictures launched an independent film arm designed to release specialty films, Universal Classics, and the division has sights on separation.[30]In 1987, Universal Pictures,MGM/UA Communications Co.,andParamount Picturesteamed up to market feature film and television products to China. Consumer reach was measured in terms of the 25 billion admission tickets that were clocked in China in 1986, and Worldwide Media Sales, a division of the New York-based Worldwide Media Group, had been placed in charge of the undertaking.[31]
In the early 1980s, the company had its own pay television arm Universal Pay Television (a.k.a. Universal Pay TV Programming, Inc.), which spawned in 1987, an 11-picture cable television agreement with then-independent film studioNew Line Cinema.[32]
In the early 1970s, Universal teamed up withParamountto formCinema International Corporation,which distributed films by Paramount and Universal outside of the US and Canada. Although Universal did produce occasional hits, among themAirport(1970),The Sting(1973),American Graffiti(also 1973),Earthquake(1974), and a big box-office success which restored the company's fortunes:Jaws(1975), Universal during the decade was primarily a television studio. WhenMetro-Goldwyn-MayerpurchasedUnited Artistsin 1981, MGM could not drop out of the CIC venture to merge with United Artists overseas operations. However, with future film productions from both names being released through the MGM/UA Entertainment plate, CIC decided to merge UA's international units with MGM and reformed asUnited International Pictures.There would be other film hits likeSmokey and the Bandit(1977),Animal House(1978),The Jerk(1979),The Blues Brothers(1980),The Four Seasons(1981),E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial(1982),The Breakfast Club(1985),Back to the Future(also 1985),An American Tail(1986),The Land Before Time(1988),Field of Dreams(1989),Jurassic Park(1993) andCasper(1995), but the film business was financially unpredictable with some films likeScarface(1983),Dune(1984) orWaterworld(1995), which turned out to be big box office disappointments despite their high budget. UIP began distributing films by start-up studioDreamWorksin 1997 due to the founders' connections with Paramount, Universal, and Amblin Entertainment. In 2001, MGM dropped out of the UIP venture and went with20th Century Fox's international arm to handle the distribution of their titles, an ongoing arrangement. UIP nearly lost its connection with Universal Pictures in 1999 when Universal started Universal Pictures International to take over the assets ofPolyGram Filmed Entertainmentand wanted UPI to distribute their films starting in 2001.[33]Only a small handful of films were released theatrically by Universal Pictures International, up until the release of the filmMickey Blue Eyes.UIP then took over the theatrical distribution inventory of future films planned to be released by Universal Pictures International, such asThe Green MileandAngela's Ashes.[34]On October 4, 1999, Universal renewed its commitments to United International Pictures to release its films internationally through 2006.[35][36]
Matsushita, Seagram and Vivendi
Anxious to expand the company's broadcast and cable presence, longtime MCA headLew Wassermansought a rich partner. He locatedJapaneseelectronics manufacturer Matsushita Electric (now known asPanasonic), which agreed to acquire MCA for $6.6 billion in 1990.
On December 9, 1996, the new owners dropped the MCA name; the company became Universal Studios, Inc.[37]and become the parent company of Universal Pictures, while Universal Pictures become a division. MCA's music division, MCA Music Entertainment Group, was renamedUniversal Music Group.MCA Records continued to live on as a label within the Universal Music Group. The following year, G. P. Putnam's Sons was sold to thePenguin Groupsubsidiary ofPearson PLC.
Afterward, Universal Pictures acquired the United States distribution rights of several of StudioCanal's films, such asDavid Lynch'sMulholland Drive(2001) andBrotherhood of the Wolf(2001) which became the sixth-highest-grossingFrench-languagefilm of all time in the United States.[38][39]Universal Pictures and StudioCanal also co-produced several films, such asLove Actually(2003); a $40 million-budgeted film that eventually grossed $246 million worldwide.[40]In late 2000, theNew York Film Academywas permitted to use the Universal Studios backlot for student film projects in an unofficial partnership.[41]
Expansions
In September 2013, Adam Fogelson was ousted as co-chairman of Universal Pictures, promoting Donna Langley to the sole chairperson. In addition, NBCUniversal International chairmanJeff Shellwould be appointed as chairman of the newly created Filmed Entertainment Group. Longtime studio headRon Meyerwould give up oversight of the film studio and appointed vice chairman of NBCUniversal, providing consultation to CEO Steve Burke on all of the company's operations. Meyer retained oversight of Universal Parks and Resorts.[42]
Universal's multi-year film financing deal withElliott Managementexpired in 2013.[43]In summer 2013, Universal made an agreement withThomas Tull'sLegendary Picturesto distribute their films for five years starting in 2014 (the year that Legendary's similar agreement withWarner Bros. Picturesended).[44]
In June 2014, Universal Partnerships took over licensing consumer products forNBCandSproutwith the expectation that all licensing would eventually be centralized within NBCUniversal.[45] In May 2015,Gramercy Pictureswas revived by Focus Features as a genre label concentrating on action, sci-fi, and horror films.[46]
On December 16, 2015,Amblin Partnersannounced that it entered into a five-year distribution deal with Universal Pictures by which the films will be distributed and marketed by either Universal orFocus Features.[47][48]
In early 2016,Perfect World Picturesannounced a long-term co-financing deal with Universal, representing the first time a Chinese company directly invests in a multi-year slate deal with a major U.S. studio.[49]
On April 28, 2016, Universal's parent company, NBCUniversal, announced a $3.8 billion deal to buyDreamWorks Animation.[50]On August 22, 2016, the deal was completed.[51]Universal took over the distribution deal with DreamWorks Animation starting in 2019 with the release ofHow to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World,after DreamWorks Animation's distribution deal with20th Century Foxended.
On February 15, 2017, Universal Pictures acquired a minority stake in Amblin Partners, strengthening the relationship between Universal and Amblin.[52]
In December 2019, Universal Pictures entered early negotiations to distribute upcoming feature film properties based on theLegotoys. Although the originalLego Moviecharacters are still owned byWarner Bros. Pictures,Universal Pictures will serve as a distributor of future releases and will develop additionalLegofilms. The future of the already in-development films is believed to remain the same.[53]
In June, it was announced longtime Universal International Distribution President Duncan Clark would be stepping down. He would transition to a consulting role with the studio in August and would be replaced by Veronika Kwan Vandenberg.[54]
Units
- Universal Pictures International
- Universal International Distribution
- Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
- Universal Home Entertainment Productions
- Universal 1440 Entertainment
- DreamWorks Animation Home Entertainment
- Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Australia (joint venture withSony Pictures Home Entertainment)
- Universal Playback
- Studio Distribution Services (joint venture withWarner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment)
- Focus Features
- Universal Pictures International Entertainment
- Working Title Films
- WT2Productions
- Working Title Television
- Carnival Films
- Rede Telecine(12.5%, joint venture withCanais Globo,Walt Disney Studios,Paramount PicturesandMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
- Illumination
- Illumination Studios Paris
- Illumination Labs
- Moonlight
- DreamWorks Animation
- DreamWorks Animation Television
- DreamWorks Classics
- Big Idea Entertainment(in-name-only unit of DreamWorks Animation)
- Bullwinkle Studios(JV)
- Harvey Entertainment(in-name-only unit of DreamWorks Animation)
- DreamWorks Theatricals
- DreamWorks New Media
- DreamWorks Press
- OTL Releasing
- Back Lot Music
- Universal Products & Experiences
- United International Pictures(50%, joint venture withParamount Global'sParamount Pictures)
- Amblin Partners(minor stake)[47][48](JV)[52]
- Amblin Entertainment
- Amblin Television
- DreamWorks Pictures
- Storyteller Distribution[55]
- Blumhouse Holdings, LLC (minority stake withJason BlumandJames Wan)[56]
- Blumhouse Productions
- Atomic Monster
- BH Tilt(withNeon)
- BlumHansonAllen Films
- Blumhouse Books
- Blumhouse Games
- Blumhouse International
- Blumhouse Television (55%)
- Haunted Movies
- Blumhouse Productions
Film library
Main article:Lists of Universal Pictures films
In addition to its own library, Universal releases theEMKA, Ltd.catalog of 1929–1949Paramount Pictures,owned by sister companyUniversal Television.
Film series
| Title | Release date | No. Films | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Monsters | 1931–56 | 31 | |
| The Mummy | 1932–2017; TBA | 11 | coproduction withRelativity Media,Sommers Company,Alphaville,K/O Paper Products,andPerfect World Pictures |
| Abbott and Costello | 1940–55 | 3 | |
| Woody Woodpecker | 1940–present | 2 | coproduction withWalter Lantz StudiosandUniversal Animation Studios |
| Sherlock Holmes | 1942–46 | 12 | |
| Ma and Pa Kettle | 1947–57 | 10 | |
| Francis the Talking Mule | 1950–56 | 7 | |
| Cape Fear | 1962–91 | 2 | |
| The Birds | 1963–94 | ||
| McHale's Navy | 1964–97 | 3 | |
| Airport | 1970–79 | 4 | |
| American Graffiti | 1973–79 | 2 | coproduction withLucasfilm, Ltd. |
| The Jackal | 1973–97 | coproductionWarwick Films,Alphaville, andMutual Film Company | |
| Jaws | 1975–87 | 4 | |
| Smokey and the Bandit | 1977–83 | 3 | Coproduction withRastar(1-2) |
| The Car | 1977–2019 | 2 | |
| The Blues Brothers | 1980–98 | coproduction withSNL Studios | |
| Halloween | 1981–82, 2018–present | 5 | coproduction withCompass International,De Laurentiis Entertainment Group,Miramax,andBlumhouse Productions |
| Endless Love | 1981–2014 | 2 | |
| Conan the Barbarian | 1982–84; TBA | ||
| The Thing | 1982–2011; TBA | coproduction with the Turman-Foster Company,Morgan Creek Productions,andStrike Entertainment | |
| Psycho | 1983–98 | 5 | |
| Firestarter | 1984–2022 | 2 | |
| Back to the Future | 1985–90 | 3 | coproduction withAmblin Entertainment |
| An American Tail | 1986–99 | 4 | coproduction with Amblin Entertainment,Amblimation,andSullivan Bluth Studios |
| The Land Before Time | 1988–2016 | 14 | coproduction with Amblin Entertainment,Lucasfilm,and Sullivan Bluth Studios |
| K-9 | 1989–2002 | 3 | |
| Tremors | 1990–present | 7 | |
| Problem Child | 1990–95 | 3 | |
| Darkman | 1990–96 | coproduction with Renaissance Pictures | |
| Buried Alive | 1990–97 | 2 | |
| Child's Play / Chucky | 1990–98; 2013–present | 5 | |
| Kindergarten Cop | 1990–2016 | 2 | Coproduction withImagine Entertainment |
| Knight Rider | 1991–2008 | 3 | |
| The Little Engine That Could | 1991–2011 | 2 | |
| Backdraft | 1991–2019 | coproduction with Imagine Entertainment and Trilogy Entertainment Group | |
| Beethoven | 1992–2014 | 8 | |
| Jurassic Park | 1993–2001; 2015–present | 6 | coproduction with Amblin Entertainment,Legendary Entertainment,andThe Kennedy/Marshall Company |
| Carlito's Way | 1993–2005 | 2 | |
| Hard Target | 1993–2016 | ||
| The Flintstones | 1994–2000 | coproduction withHanna-Barberaand Amblin Entertainment | |
| Timecop | 1994–2003 | coproduction with Renaissance Pictures | |
| The Little Rascals | 1994–2014 | coproduction with Amblin Entertainment | |
| Babe | 1995–98 | ||
| Casper | 1995–2000 | coproduction with Amblin Entertainment,Harvey Films,andSaban Ltd. | |
| Balto | 1995–2005 | 3 | coproduction with Amblin Entertainment andAmblimation |
| Apollofilms | 1995–2019 | coproduction withImagine Entertainment,Statement Pictures,CNN Films,andNeon | |
| Sudden Death | 1995–2020 | 2 | |
| Dragonheart | 1996–present | 5 | |
| Twister | 1 | coproduction withAmblin EntertainmentandWarner Bros.(both 1996) | |
| Mr. Bean | 1997–2007 | 2 | coproduction withPolyGram Films,Gramercy Pictures,Working Title Films,StudioCanal,andTiger Aspect Productions |
| Alvin and the Chipmunks | 1999–2000 | ||
| Jay Wardfilms | FromDudley Do-RighttoThe Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle | ||
| The Best Man | 1999–2013 | ||
| American Pie | 1999–2020 | 9 | (including thespin-off series) |
| Meet the Parents | 2000–10 | 3 | coproduction with DreamWorks Pictures, Paramount Pictures, andTriBeCa Productions |
| The Chronicles of Riddick | 2000–13 | coproduction withGramercy Pictures,USA Films,Original Film,andRelativity Media | |
| Dr. Seussfilms | 2000–18 | 4 | FromHow the Grinch Stole ChristmastoThe Grinch;coproduction withImagine Entertainment,DreamWorks Pictures, andIllumination |
| Bring It On | 2000–22 | 6 | coproduction withStrike Entertainment |
| Hannibal Lecter | 2001–02 | 2 | coproduction with theWeinstein CompanyandDe Laurentiis Entertainment Group |
| Fast & Furious | 2001–present | 10 | coproduction withOriginal Film,Relativity Media, andOne Race Films |
| Bourne | 2002–present | 5 | coproduction with theKennedy/Marshall Companyand Relativity Media |
| The Scorpion King | coproduction with Alphaville andWWE Studios | ||
| Blue Crush | 2002–11 | 2 | coproduction with Imagine Entertainment |
| Undercover Brother | 2002–19 | ||
| Almighty | 2003–07 | coproduction withSpyglass Entertainment,Shady Acres Entertainment,and Original Film | |
| Hulk | 2003–08; TBA | includingMCU'sThe Incredible Hulk(distribution only), right of first refusal holders (distribution only) of any futureMCUsoloHulkfilms; coproduction withMarvel Studios | |
| Johnny English | 2003–18 | 3 | coproduction withStudioCanalandWorking Title Films |
| Honey | 4 | ||
| ...of the Dead | 2004–05 | 2 | coproduction withAtmosphere Entertainment,Romero/GrunwaldFilms,Cruel and Unusual Films,andStrike Entertainment |
| Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy | 2004–13 | 3 | coproduction with Rogue Pictures,Relativity Media,Focus Features,Working Title Films,andStudioCanal |
| White Noise | 2005–07 | 2 | coproduction withGold Circle Films |
| Nanny McPhee | 2005–10 | coproduction with Working Title Films | |
| Doom | 2005–19 | coproduction withDi Bonaventura Pictures,Bethesda Softworks,andid Software | |
| Smokin' Aces | 2006–10 | coproduction with Relativity Media | |
| Step Up | 2006–14 | 5 | select international distribution only; produced byWalt Disney Studios Motion Pictures(1–2)andLionsgate(3-5) |
| Curious George | 2006–21 | 6 | coproduction withImagine Entertainment |
| Battlestar Galactica | 2007–09 | 2 | |
| Mamma Mia! | 2008–18 | coproduction withRelativity Media,Playtone,LittleStar,Legendary Entertainment,andPerfect World Pictures | |
| Death Race | 5 | coproduction withNew Horizons,Cruise/Wagner Productions,andRelativity Media | |
| Hit-Girl & Kick-Ass | 2010–13 | 2 | coproduction withLionsgateandMarv Films |
| Despicable Me | 2010–present | 5 | coproduction withIllumination |
| Ted | 2012–15 | 2 | coproduction withMedia Rights Capital,Bluegrass Films,andFuzzy Door Productions |
| The Man with... | coproduction withStrike EntertainmentandBluegrass Films | ||
| Pitch Perfect | 2012–17 | 3 | coproduction withGold Circle FilmsandBrownstone Productions |
| The Purge | 2013–present | 5 | coproduction withBlumhouse ProductionsandPlatinum Dunes |
| R.I.P.D. | 2013–22 | 2 | |
| Ouija | 2014–16 | coproduction with Blumhouse Productions,Hasbro Studios,Genre Films,and Platinum Dunes | |
| Neighbors | coproduction withPoint Grey,Relativity Media, andGood Universe | ||
| Ride Along | coproduction withRelativity MediaandPerfect World Pictures | ||
| Insidious | 2015–18 | coproduction withFilmDistrict,Focus Features,Gramercy Pictures,IM Global,Alliance Films,Stage 6 Films,Entertainment One,andBlumhouse Productions | |
| Fifty Shades | 3 | coproduction with Focus Features,Michael De Luca Productions,andTrigger Street Productions | |
| The Secret Life of Pets | 2016–present | 2 | coproduction withIllumination |
| Sing | |||
| Unbreakable | 2016–19 | coproduction withTouchstone Pictures,Blinding Edge Pictures,andBlumhouse Productions | |
| My Big Fat Greek Wedding | 2016–23 | coproduction withHBO Films,Playtone Films,Gold Circle Films,and Focus Features | |
| Happy Death Day | 2017–present | coproduction withBlumhouse Productions | |
| The Addams Family | 2019–21 | International distributor; coproduction withMetro-Goldwyn-MayerandBron Creative | |
| How to Train Your Dragon | 2019–present | 1 | coproduction withDreamWorks Animation(2019)andMarc Platt Productions |
| Trolls | 2020–23 | 2 | coproduction with DreamWorks Animation |
| Nobody | 2021–present | 1 | |
| Shrek | 2022–present | coproduction with DreamWorks Animation | |
| The Bad Guys | |||
| M3GAN | coproduction with Blumhouse Productions andAtomic Monster | ||
| The Super Mario Bros. Movie | 2023–present | coproduction withIlluminationandNintendo | |
| Five Nights at Freddy's | coproduction withBlumhouse ProductionsandScott Cawthon Productions | ||
| Kung Fu Panda | 2024–present | co-production with DreamWorks Animation |
Highest-grossing films
Universal was the first studio to have released three billion-dollar films in one year; this distinction was achieved in2015withFurious 7,Jurassic World,andMinions.[57]
| Rank | Title | Year | Box office gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jurassic World | 2015 | $652,270,625 |
| 2 | The Super Mario Bros. Movie | 2023 | $574,939,710 |
| 3 | E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial‡ | 1982 | $439,251,124 |
| 4 | Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom | 2018 | $417,719,760 |
| 5 | Jurassic Park‡ | 1993 | $415,248,873 |
| 6 | Jurassic World Dominion | 2022 | $376,851,080 |
| 7 | Minions: The Rise of Gru | $369,695,210 | |
| 8 | The Secret Life of Pets | 2016 | $368,384,330 |
| 9 | Despicable Me 2 | 2013 | $368,061,265 |
| 10 | Furious 7 | 2015 | $353,007,020 |
| 11 | Minions | $336,045,770 | |
| 12 | Oppenheimer | 2023 | $329,862,540 |
| 13 | Meet the Fockers | 2004 | $279,261,160 |
| 14 | The Grinch | 2018 | $270,620,950 |
| 15 | Sing | 2016 | $270,329,045 |
| 16 | Despicable Me 3 | 2017 | $264,624,300 |
| 17 | Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas | 2000 | $260,044,825 |
| 18 | Jaws | 1975 | $260,000,000 |
| 19 | Despicable Me | 2010 | $251,513,985 |
| 20 | Bruce Almighty | 2003 | $242,829,261 |
| 21 | Fast & Furious 6 | 2013 | $238,679,850 |
| 22 | The Lost World: Jurassic Park | 1997 | $229,086,679 |
| 23 | The Bourne Ultimatum | 2007 | $227,471,070 |
| 24 | The Fate of the Furious | 2017 | $226,008,385 |
| 25 | Ted | 2012 | $218,815,487 |
| Rank | Title | Year | Box office gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jurassic World | 2015 | $1,670,400,637 |
| 2 | Furious 7 | $1,516,045,911 | |
| 3 | The Super Mario Bros. Movie | 2023 | $1,361,767,338 |
| 4 | Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom | 2018 | $1,308,534,046 |
| 5 | The Fate of the Furious | 2017 | $1,238,764,765 |
| 6 | Minions | 2015 | $1,159,398,397 |
| 7 | Jurassic Park‡ | 1993 | $1,058,298,560 |
| 8 | Despicable Me 3 | 2017 | $1,034,800,131 |
| 9 | Jurassic World Dominion | 2022 | $1,003,700,664 |
| 10 | Oppenheimer | 2023 | $976,120,348 |
| 11 | Despicable Me 2 | 2013 | $970,761,885 |
| 12 | Minions: The Rise of Gru | 2022 | $939,628,210 |
| 13 | The Secret Life of Pets | 2016 | $875,457,937 |
| 14 | E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial‡ | 1982 | $797,103,542 |
| 15 | Fast & Furious 6 | 2013 | $788,679,850 |
| 16 | No Time to Die | 2021 | $774,153,007 |
| 17 | F9 | $726,229,501 | |
| 18 | Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw | 2019 | $721,040,050 |
| 19 | Fast X | 2023 | $720,165,774 |
| 20 | Mamma Mia! | 2008 | $694,476,782 |
| 21 | Sing | 2016 | $631,214,341 |
| 22 | Fast Five | 2011 | $626,137,675 |
| 23 | The Lost World: Jurassic Park | 1997 | $618,638,999 |
| 24 | Fifty Shades of Grey | 2015 | $571,006,128 |
| 25 | King Kong | 2005 | $550,517,357 |
‡Includes theatrical reissue(s).
See also
Notes
- ^Robert H. Cochrane (1879–1973) formed the Cochrane Advertising Agency in Chicago in 1904. He joined the Laemmle Film Service as advertising manager in 1906 and, for the next 30 years, devoted himself to promoting Carl Laemmle as the "star" of various motion picture enterprises. In 1912 Cochrane was elected vice-president of the Universal Film Manufacturing Company and served as president of Universal in 1936–37 after Laemmle sold his interests.[5]
- ^International distribution only. Released byWarner Bros.domestically in North America.
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External links
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
- Universal Pictures
- 1912 establishments in California
- American companies established in 1912
- Entertainment companies established in 1912
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- Film studios in Southern California
- Companies based in Los Angeles County, California
- Entertainment companies based in California
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