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Motion Picture Corporation of America

From Alfawiki
Motion Picture Corporation of America
Company typeIndependent
IndustryFilm production
Founded1986
FounderBrad Krevoy, Steve Stabler
ProductsLow-budget films, made-for-television holiday films

Motion Picture Corporation of America (MPCA) is an independent American film production company founded in 1986 by Brad Krevoy and Steve Stabler. The company concentrates on producing, acquiring, and distributing low-budget films.

History

The company was launched by longtime collaborators Brad Krevoy and Steve Stabler. Among its initial projects were Purple People Eater (1988), Back to Back (1989), and the comedic film Miracle Beach (1992).

Dumb and Dumber

Following rejection from major studios, the Farrelly brothers brought Dumb and Dumber to MPCA, which released it in 1994. The movie led the U.S. box office for a month, earning $247 million globally on a $16 million budget, ranking as one of the decade’s top-grossing comedies. When including ancillary markets, total revenues surpassed $500 million.

The triumph of Dumb and Dumber paved the way for the Farrellys' subsequent film, Kingpin, released in 1996 with a $25 million budget. Although it received favorable critical reviews, it made $27 million domestically and later achieved cult classic status through home video distribution.

MPCA maintained its focus on studio comedies, producing titles such as Beverly Hills Ninja starring Chris Farley and Jungle 2 Jungle featuring Tim Allen. Additionally, they produced the autobiographical comedy Threesome, which earned nearly $15 million at the U.S. box office and was well-received for its character-driven narrative.

Acquisition by Orion

Prior to its acquisition by Metromedia International Group, MPCA secured first-look production agreements with Paramount Pictures in 1995 and later with Sony Pictures, resulting in over ten films.

In 1996, John Kluge's Metromedia International Group acquired MPCA; this group had also purchased independent production company Orion Pictures following bankruptcy proceedings. After this consolidation, Krevoy and Stabler were appointed co-presidents of Orion Pictures under a six-picture contract.

At Orion, they oversaw motion picture and television production, acquisition, and distribution. Significant releases included Academy Award-winning work from Tom Schulman (Dead Poets Society), the critically acclaimed Ulee's Gold—which garnered Peter Fonda both a Golden Globe and Oscar nomination—and the foreign-language nominee Prisoner of the Mountains.

After two years, Metromedia divested Orion to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), enabling Krevoy to reclaim the MPCA brand as stipulated in his original agreement.

Independent company

MPCA returned to independent operations in 1998, producing films such as Joe and Max, Bookies, and Boat Trip, featuring actors like Cuba Gooding Jr., Vivica A. Fox, and Roger Moore, distributed by Artisan Entertainment and Lionsgate.

The 2004 drama A Love Song for Bobby Long, starring John Travolta alongside Scarlett Johansson, received critical praise and earned Johansson a Golden Globe nomination.

In 2009, MPCA produced the war drama Taking Chance, based on the true experiences of Lt. Colonel Michael Strobl. Directed by Ross Katz with Kevin Bacon in the lead role, it premiered on HBO following a Sundance Film Festival screening. The project accumulated 27 nominations across various awards ceremonies, winning six including a Humanitas Prize and a Best Actor accolade for Bacon.

MPCA expanded its portfolio into direct-to-DVD action movies starring Cuba Gooding Jr., Val Kilmer, Dolph Lundgren, Samuel L. Jackson, and Jean-Claude Van Damme. Notable titles include Linewatch (2008), Hardwired (2009), Ticking Clock (2011), One in the Chamber (2012), Arena (2011), Meeting Evil (2012), Assassination Games (2011), and Six Bullets (2012).

In 2011, MPCA produced Disney's Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2, which generated over $30 million through home video sales.

Since 2013, MPCA has concentrated on producing made-for-television holiday films for Netflix and the Hallmark Channel, strengthening its foothold within specialized market segments.

Academy Awards

Year Film Category Nominee(s) Outcome
1997 Prisoner of the Mountains Best Foreign Language Film Sergey Bodrov, Carolyn Cavallero, Boris Giller, Eduard Krapivsky Template:Nom
1998 Ulee's Gold Best Actor in a Leading Role Peter Fonda Template:Nom

Golden Globes

Year Film Category Nominee(s) Outcome
2000 Annie Best Supporting Actress – TV Kathy Bates Template:Nom
2010 Taking Chance Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film Kevin Bacon Template:Won
Best Limited or Anthology Series or Television Film Fred Berger, Lori Keith Douglas, Ross Katz, Brad Krevoy, Frank Schaeffer, William Teitler, Cathy Wischner-Sola Template:Nom

Primetime Emmy Awards

Year Film Category Nominee(s) Outcome
2009 Taking Chance Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries or Movie Lee Percy, Brian A. Kates Template:Won
Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries or Movie Ross Katz Template:Nom
Outstanding Main Title Design Michael Riley, Dan Meehan, Bob Swensen Template:Nom
Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or Special Marcelo Zarvos Template:Nom
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Kevin Bacon Template:Nom
Outstanding Television Movie Brad Krevoy, Cathy Wischner-Sola, Ross Katz, William Teitler, Lori Keith Douglas Template:Nom
rowspan=12 | 2000 rowspan=12 | Annie Outstanding Choreography Rob Marshall Outstanding Music Direction Paul Bogaev Outstanding Art Direction for a Miniseries or Movie Stephen Hendrickson, Edward L. Rubin, Archie D'Amico Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special Marcia Turner, Rosalie Joseph, Valorie Massalas Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie Ralf D. Bode Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special Shay Cunliffe, Patricia McLaughlin Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries or Movie Rob Marshall Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries or Movie Scott Vickrey Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries or Movie Matthew Kasten, Mishell Chandler, Natasha Ladek Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie Kathy Bates Outstanding Television Movie Craig Zadan, Neil Meron, Chris Montan, Marykay Powell, John Whitman Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or Movie Edward L. Moskowitz, Terry O'Bright, Keith Rogers }

Films

*'The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star'
*'A Castle for Christmas'
*'Falling for Christmas'
*'Irish Wish'
*'Mother of the Bride'
*'The Image of You'
*'Winter Spring Summer or Fall'


Television films

  • Sketch Artist (1992)
  • Ring of the Musketeers (1992)
  • Love, Cheat & Steal (1993)
  • Sketch Artist II: Hands That See (1995)
  • Johnny & Clyde (1995)
  • Breakfast with Einstein (1998)
  • Route 9 (1998)
  • Absence of God (1999)
  • Annie (1999)
  • A Family in Crisis: The Elian Gonzales Story (2000)
  • Joe and Max (2002)
  • Borderline (2002)
  • Pavement (2002)
  • Bugs (2003)
  • Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes (2006)
  • Pumpkinhead: Blood Feud (2007)
  • Taking Chance (2009)
  • Mothman (2010)
  • Witchville (2010)
  • William & Catherine: A Royal Romance (2011)
  • A Princess for Christmas (2011)
  • TalhotBlond (2012)
  • The Sweeter Side of Life (2012)
  • Heebie Jeebies (2012)
  • Flying Monkeys (2012)
  • When Calls the Heart (2012, TV Movie; 2014–Present, TV Series)
  • The Christmas Spirit (2012)
  • A Royal Christmas (2014)
  • Murder, She Baked: A Chocolate Chip Cookie Mystery (2015)
  • Murder, She Baked: A Plum Pudding Murder Mystery (2015)
  • Crown for Christmas (2015)
  • A Christmas Detour (2015)
  • A Christmas Melody (2015)
  • Mariah Carey's Merriest Christmas (2015, TV Special)
  • Murder, She Baked: A Peach Cobbler Mystery (2016)
  • Flower Shop Mystery: Mum's the Word; Snipped in the Bud; Dearly Depotted (2016)
  • Murder, She Baked: A Deadly Recipe (2016)
  • The Wedding March (2016)
  • For Love & Honor (2016)
  • A Wish for Christmas (2016)
  • Various Christmas specials including The National Christmas Tree Lighting event (2016)
  • Productions from 2017 to 2021 feature titles such as Love on Ice, A Royal Winter, and Campfire Kiss, along with numerous sequels from the Murder, She Baked and The Wedding March franchises. Seasonal films like Christmas in Angel Falls, as well as ongoing series including When Hope Calls (2019–Present), are also part of this lineup.

External links

Year Film Category Nominee(s) Outcome
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