Annapurna Pictures
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | |
| Founded | April 2, 2011 |
| Founder | Megan Ellison |
| Headquarters | , U.S. |
Key people | Megan Ellison (chairwoman and CEO) |
| Services | |
| Divisions |
|
| Website | annapurna |
Annapurna Pictures is a privately held American media firm established by Megan Ellison in 2011, with headquarters located in Los Angeles, California. Its operations span film and television production, theatrical endeavors, film distribution, and video game publishing.[1][2]
History
Originating as a production and financing entity dedicated to filmmaker-driven projects, Annapurna swiftly gained recognition for producing films of notable quality.[3] The company's name was inspired by the Himalayan peak Megan Ellison encountered during one of her journeys.[4]
By 2014, Annapurna had either produced or financed several critically praised movies including Lawless, The Master, Zero Dark Thirty, Her, and American Hustle. Concurrently, the company was developing films such as Joy and 20th Century Women.
In December 2016, Annapurna branched into the video game industry by launching Annapurna Interactive, establishing itself as a prominent publisher within the indie gaming sector.[5]
The year 2017 marked Annapurna’s entry into film distribution with releases like Detroit. Additionally, it secured a multi-year output licensing agreement with Hulu to enhance its streaming footprint.[6] That same year, a collaboration with Plan B Entertainment was formed through a three-year production contract that involved distributing and marketing at least three films annually.[7]
Annapurna outbid major studios to acquire domestic distribution rights for the James Bond franchise.[8]
In October 2017, the company joined forces with MGM to create a U.S. distribution joint venture. While both entities maintained their individual labels, they combined marketing efforts.[9] This alliance evolved into United Artists Releasing in 2019 to streamline their distribution activities.[10]
Despite its early achievements, financial setbacks from distributing films such as Vice and Detroit compelled Annapurna to step away from projects including Bombshell and Hustlers.[11]
In December 2022, the company unveiled its animation division led by former Blue Sky Studios executives Robert Baird and Andrew Millstein; their inaugural release was the film Nimona.[12]
March 2023 saw Amazon integrate United Artists Releasing into MGM, effectively concluding the joint distribution partnership.[13]
In August 2024, Annapurna announced a strategic partnership with Remedy Entertainment to co-finance and co-produce Control 2, alongside developing film and television adaptations of Remedy’s franchises such as Alan Wake.[14]
However, in September 2024, the entire Annapurna Interactive team resigned following disagreements regarding plans to spin off the video game division as an independent company.[15]
As a production company
| Year | Film Title | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Passion Play | Released by Image Entertainment |
| Waking Madison | Released by Entertainment One | |
| Main Street | Released through Magnolia Pictures | |
| Catch .44 | Released by Anchor Bay Films | |
| 2012 | Lawless | Joint production with The Weinstein Company, FilmNation Entertainment, Benaroya Pictures, and Red Wagon Entertainment |
| The Master | Collaborated with The Weinstein Company, JoAnne Sellar Productions, and Ghoulardi Film Company Received nominations for Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Picture and Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Feature | |
| Killing Them Softly | Produced alongside Plan B Entertainment, Chockstone Pictures, and Inferno Entertainment; released by The Weinstein Company | |
| Zero Dark Thirty | Co-produced with Columbia Pictures and First Light Productions Garnered numerous nominations including Academy Award for Best Picture, BAFTA Award for Best Film, and Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama | |
| 2013 | Spring Breakers | Produced in partnership with Hero Entertainment and Muse Productions; released by A24 Nominated for the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival |
| The Grandmaster | Joint venture with Block 2 Pictures, Jet Tone Films, Sil-Metropole Organization, and Bona International Film Group; distributed by The Weinstein Company Honors: Hong Kong Film Award for Best Film, Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award; Nominated for Golden Horse Award for Best Feature Film | |
| Her | Co-produced with Warner Bros. Pictures Awards: National Board of Review Best Film, Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film; Nominations include Academy Award for Best Picture and Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | |
| American Hustle | Collaboration with Columbia Pictures and Atlas Entertainment Accolades include Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Cast; multiple Academy Award nominations including Best Picture | |
| 2014 | Foxcatcher | Partnered with Sony Pictures Classics and Likely Story Nominated for Cannes Palme d'Or and Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Drama |
| 2015 | Terminator Genisys | Joint production with Skydance Media; released by Paramount Pictures |
| Joy | Produced alongside 20th Century Fox and Davis Entertainment Nominations include Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Comedy and Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | |
| The Click Effect | Produced in collaboration with Vrse | |
| 2016 | Everybody Wants Some!! | Co-produced with Paramount Pictures Nominated for Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Feature |
| Wiener-Dog | Partnered with Killer Films; distributed by Amazon Studios and IFC Films | |
| Sausage Party | Joint production involving Columbia Pictures, Point Grey Pictures, and Nitrogen Studios | |
| 20th Century Women | Produced independently; distributed by A24 Received nominations from Critics' Choice Movie Awards for Best Acting Ensemble and Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | |
| 2017 | The Bad Batch | Co-production with VICE Films and Human Stew Factory; released by Neon Won Special Jury Prize at Venice Film Festival |
| Detroit | Produced in partnership with First Light Productions and Page 1 Honored with NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Independent Motion Picture; also nominated for NAACP Image Award Outstanding Motion Picture | |
| Phantom Thread | Joint effort with Focus Features and Ghoulardi Film Company Recognized as National Board of Review Top Ten Films; nominated for Academy Award for Best Picture | |
| 2018 | The Sisters Brothers | Co-produced alongside Michael De Luca Productions, Why Not Productions, Page 114 Productions, and Apache Films Nominations include César Award for Best Film and Venice Film Festival Golden Lion |
| If Beale Street Could Talk | Worked jointly with Plan B Entertainment and Pastel Productions Awards include Independent Spirit Award for Best Film, Satellite Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama; multiple nominations from Golden Globe and Critics' Choice Movie Awards | |
| The Ballad of Buster Scruggs | Collaborative production with Netflix and Mike Zoss Productions | |
| Vice | Co-produced with Plan B Entertainment and Gary Sanchez Productions Received multiple nominations including Academy Award for Best Picture, Golden Globe, and Producers Guild of America Award | |
| 2019 | Missing Link | Partnership with Laika Won Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature Film; nominated for Academy Award in same category |
| Booksmart | Co-produced with Gloria Sanchez Productions Awards include GLAAD Media Award Outstanding Wide Release and Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature | |
| Where'd You Go, Bernadette | Co-produced alongside Color Force | |
| Hustlers | Credited only; produced by Gloria Sanchez Productions, Nuyorican Productions, STX Entertainment Nominated for Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Feature | |
| Wounds | Produced by Two & Two Pictures and AZA Film; released via Hulu | |
| Bombshell | Credited only; produced by Bron Studios, Denver and Delilah Productions; distributed by Lionsgate Nominated for GLAAD Media Award Outstanding Wide Release | |
| 2020 | Kajillionaire | Joint production with Plan B Entertainment; distributed through Focus Features |
| 2022 | She Said | Co-produced alongside Plan B Entertainment; released by Universal Pictures |
| 2023 | Nimona | Annapurna Animation project co-produced with Vertigo Entertainment and DNEG Animation; distributed on Netflix Nominated for Academy Award in Best Animated Feature category |
| Landscape with Invisible Hand | Produced in collaboration with Plan B Entertainment; distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
|- | rowspan="2" | TBA || The Invite || Collaborative production with FilmNation Entertainment and Permut Presentations |} |- | I Love Boosters || Produced jointly with Ryder Picture Company, Savage Rose Films, Waypoint Entertainment; released via Neon |}
As a distributor
The company intends to launch roughly four to six movies annually.
| Release date | Film title | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| August 4, 2017 | Detroit | |
| September 15, 2017 | Brad's Status | Joint distribution with Amazon Studios |
| October 13, 2017 | Professor Marston and the Wonder Women | Shared distribution with Stage 6 Films |
| July 6, 2018 | Sorry to Bother You | |
| September 21, 2018 | The Sisters Brothers | |
| December 14, 2018 | If Beale Street Could Talk | |
| December 25, 2018 | Vice | |
| Destroyer | ||
| April 12, 2019 | Missing Link | US distribution managed through United Artists Releasing |
| May 24, 2019 | Booksmart | |
| August 16, 2019 | Where'd You Go, Bernadette | |
| May 13, 2022 | On the Count of Three | US co-distribution alongside Orion Pictures via United Artists Releasing |
Reception
Several productions by the company have achieved significant critical praise. In 2013, the films Her, American Hustle, and The Grandmaster together garnered seventeen nominations for the Academy Awards. From a financial standpoint, results have been mixed: movies such as The Master, Foxcatcher, Joy, Detroit, and Vice did not meet box office expectations. Conversely, titles like Zero Dark Thirty, Sausage Party, and American Hustle each surpassed $100 million in revenue, with American Hustle exceeding $250 million globally.
Annapurna Animation
Annapurna Animation represents the animation branch of Annapurna Pictures and was founded on December 1, 2022, by former executives from Blue Sky Studios, Robert L. Baird and Andrew Millstein. Located in North Stamford, Connecticut, the studio specializes in producing animated content and feature films. Their inaugural release, Nimona, premiered on June 30, 2023, via Netflix. As of 2024, the animation division employs a team of eleven professionals.
Released
| Release date | Film | Directors | Co-production | Animation services | Distribution | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Nimona | Nick Bruno Troy Quane |
Vertigo Entertainment | DNEG Animation | Netflix |
In development
| Film | Director | Notes | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foo | Chris Wedge | Template:N/A | [16][17][18][19] |
| Untitled film | Nick Bruno | ||
| Stray | Template:TBA | Adapted from BlueTwelve Studio's video game |
Annapurna Television
Annapurna Television serves as the television production arm of Annapurna Pictures and was launched on September 27, 2016. The division was initiated by former HBO executive Sue Naegle, whose company Naegle Ink was integrated into this unit. Its primary focus lies in developing high-caliber television programming. Annapurna Television notably produced the Coen brothers' inaugural TV venture, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, marking a significant step into prestigious television projects.
Television
| Year | Title | Co-production | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Search and Destroy | Template:N/A | Hulu | TV pilot |
| Half-Empty | Amazon Prime Video | |||
| Soundtrack |
|
Netflix | Ended after one season | |
| 2020 | The Plot Against America |
|
HBO | Miniseries format |
| Monsterland |
|
Hulu | Discontinued after first season | |
| 2021 | Hot Pink | Template:N/A | Amazon Prime Video | TV pilot episode |
| 2022 | Pam & Tommy |
|
Hulu | Miniseries |
| The Staircase | Emipop What's Up Films |
HBO Max | ||
| I Love That for You |
|
Showtime | Cancelled following one season | |
| 2023 | Paul T. Goldman |
|
Peacock | Miniseries |
| Dead Ringers | Morgan Creek Entertainment Astral Projection Amazon Studios |
Amazon Prime Video | ||
| The Changeling | Apple Studios De La Revolución Films |
Apple TV+ | Ended after one season | |
| 2024–present | Sausage Party: Foodtopia |
|
Amazon Prime Video | Animated series format |
Video Games
Annapurna Interactive debuted with the release of What Remains of Edith Finch in April 2017, which received widespread critical praise on PC and favorable feedback on the PS4 platform. Following this launch, the publisher has brought to market several other titles, including Twelve Minutes, Donut County, Kentucky Route Zero, Outer Wilds, Sayonara Wild Hearts, Wattam, Telling Lies, Neon White, and Stray. Additionally, Annapurna Interactive has supported and released prominent indie games such as The Artful Escape, Ashen, and Gorogoa.
Theater
Annapurna Theatre is involved in producing theatrical performances both on Broadway and off-Broadway.
| Performance Period | Production Title | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|
| 2018–2019 | Nine Night | |
| Network | ||
| 2019 | Home I'm Darling | |
| 2019–present | American Utopia | Also accessible as a film on HBO Max. |
| 2019 | The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time | Available as a film via National Theatre Live. |
| Fleabag | ||
| 2019–present | The Lehman Trilogy | |
| 2020 | Death of a Salesman | |
| Betrayal | ||
| 2021–present | Company | |
| A Strange Loop |
International Distributors
| Region | Distributor | Distribution Period |
|---|---|---|
| Asia | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | 2017–2022 |
| Australia and New Zealand | Theatrical: Universal Pictures; Other Media: Entertainment One | |
| Benelux | Entertainment One | |
| Canada | ||
| Central Europe | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | |
| France | Mars Distribution | |
| Germany | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | |
| Italy | Eagle Pictures/Leone Film Group | |
| Japan | Longride | |
| Latin America | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | |
| Middle East | ||
| Scandinavia | ||
| Spain | Entertainment One | |
| United Kingdom |
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