QED International
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film production, film financing, film distribution |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Founder | Bill Block |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles , United States |
Key people | Bill Block (founder, former CEO), Paul Hanson (former COO), John Friedberg (former VP of International Sales) |
| Products | Film production, financing, and distribution |
QED International is an independent film production company, financier, and global distributor headquartered in Los Angeles, noted for its involvement in films such as District 9, Fury, and Dirty Grandpa.
History
Established in 2002 by Bill Block, who took on the role of CEO, QED International is based in Los Angeles. Prior to founding QED, Block held executive positions at Artisan Entertainment and ICM Partners. At the company's launch, Paul Hanson served as COO, managing financing, production, and distribution operations. John Friedberg joined the team in 2006 as Vice President of International Sales. With this leadership team, QED transitioned from a small independent outfit to a prominent slate partner throughout the 2010s, producing notable projects including Neill Blomkamp's District 9, Oliver Stone's W., and John Turturro's Fading Gigolo.
The 2009 release of District 9 represented a pivotal achievement for QED. The company recognized the promise of an unpublished graphic novel from 2006, which was adapted by Weta Workshop into a screenplay. QED produced the film, which secured a groundbreaking mid-eight-figure distribution agreement with Sony Pictures across various territories. Directed by Neill Blomkamp in his first feature film role, it was filmed in South Africa on a $30 million budget and went on to earn $211 million globally, solidifying QED’s presence in the industry. Additionally, QED co-produced the 2011 thriller Texas Killing Fields alongside Michael Mann’s Forward Pass production company.
In May 2012, Media Content Capital (MCC), led by Anton Lessine and Sasha Shapiro, acquired a controlling stake in QED through an investment valued in the eight-figure range. MCC is a private equity firm specializing in media financing. This capital infusion allowed QED to expand its operational capacity to produce and finance between four and seven films annually while managing financial risk effectively.
QED worked closely with Arnold Schwarzenegger to finance his Hollywood comeback with the 2011 film Cry Macho. Schwarzenegger also starred in the 2014 action movie Sabotage, which was produced by QED. In 2013, the company secured Brad Pitt’s participation in David Ayer’s World War II drama Fury, with Columbia Pictures obtaining worldwide distribution rights. Released in October 2014, Fury achieved significant box office success.
On February 24, 2015, Bill Block stepped down as CEO of QED to join Merced Media, a production company focused on wide-release films that later partnered with QED on two co-productions. Around this period, John Friedberg departed for STX Entertainment; his contributions had been vital in shaping QED’s international sales strategy. Paul Hanson also left to create Covert Media, an independent production and financing firm that continued to maintain connections with QED’s content portfolio.
Financier/Producer
- The Hunting Party (2007)
- The Mysteries of Pittsburgh (2008)
- Smart People (2008)
- The Lucky Ones (2008)
- The Echo (2008)
- W. (2008)
- A Perfect Getaway (2009)
- District 9 (2009)
- Texas Killing Fields (2011)
- Alex Cross (2012)
- Elysium (2013) – also financier
- Haunt (2013)
- Sabotage (2014) – also financier
- Breathe In (2014)
- Fury (2014) – also financier
- Time Out of Mind (2014) – also financier
- Rock the Kasbah (2015) – also financier
- The Family Fang (2015) – also financier
- Dirty Grandpa (2016)
- Secret Magic Control Agency (2021)
International Distribution
- Smart People (2008)
- The Echo (2008)
- District 9 (2009)
- New York, I Love You (2009)
- Soul Surfer (2011) – exclusive to Europe, Russia, and Japan
- Texas Killing Fields (2011)
- The Kings of Summer (2013)
- Fading Gigolo (2013)
- That Awkward Moment (2014)
- Sabotage (2014)
- Fury (2014) – distributed solely in Italy, CIS countries, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia except South Korea