Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group
Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group (SPMPG), previously known as Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group until 2013, functions as a division under Sony Pictures Entertainment responsible for managing its film-related activities. Formed in 1998 through the consolidation of Columbia Pictures and TriStar Pictures, it oversees principal film production and distribution operations.
History
The division was created in 1998 under the name Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, incorporating Columbia Pictures, TriStar Pictures, Triumph Films, Sony Pictures Classics, and Sony Pictures Releasing. On December 8, 1998, SPE revived Screen Gems as a film label within this group.
By 2002, Columbia TriStar Television was renamed Sony Pictures Television. In 2005, Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment and Film Distributors transitioned to Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and Sony Pictures Releasing International, respectively. The motion picture group was among the final divisions to retire the "Columbia TriStar" branding.
In 2013, Sony introduced TriStar Productions as a partnership with former 20th Century Fox chairman and current SPMPG CEO Tom Rothman. That year also saw the motion picture group rebrand itself as Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, integrating Sony Pictures Animation and Sony Pictures Imageworks from Sony Pictures Digital.
On June 2, 2016, Doug Belgrad, who had been serving as president since 2014, announced his exit from SPMPG to focus on producing projects.
Film divisions
| Studio divisions | ||||
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| Production | Distribution | Other | ||
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3000 Pictures
| Industry | Motion pictures |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2019 |
Key people | Elizabeth Gabler (president) |
| Parent | Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group |
On July 15, 2019, Elizabeth Gabler, former president of Fox 2000 Pictures, along with her team, joined Sony Pictures Entertainment to establish 3000 Pictures within the motion picture group. HarperCollins agreed to finance half of the division’s overhead and development expenditures. The entity concentrates on producing films as well as television and streaming content, supporting Sony’s expansion strategy in digital media.
Sony Pictures Releasing
Sony Pictures Releasing Corporation serves as the principal film distribution division for Sony in the United States. Founded in 1994 to succeed Triumph Releasing Corporation, it oversees the theatrical release, marketing, and promotion of films produced by Sony Pictures Entertainment’s prominent labels. These include Columbia Pictures, TriStar Pictures (and TriStar Productions), Screen Gems, Sony Pictures Classics, Sony Pictures Animation, Crunchyroll, Stage 6 Films, Affirm Films, Destination Films, and Triumph Films. The company operates within the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group and maintains an international division known as Sony Pictures Releasing International, which was formerly Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International until its rebranding in 2005.
International arrangements
Sony Pictures Releasing International Corporation is a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment focused on global film distribution and marketing. Established in 1988 and headquartered at 10202 West Washington Boulevard in Culver City, California, it was originally named Columbia Tri-Star Film Distributors International until 1991 and then Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International until 2005.
Between 1971 and 1987, Columbia collaborated with Warner Bros. in a joint venture to distribute films internationally. This partnership also included distributing titles from companies such as EMI Films and The Cannon Group in the United Kingdom under the Columbia-EMI-Warner and Columbia-Cannon-Warner banners. This UK arrangement concluded in 1988.
In Australia, from 1975 through 1996, Columbia Pictures partnered with 20th Century Studios for film distribution. This alliance evolved through collaborations with Hoyts and was known under various names including Fox Columbia TriStar Films.
On February 6, 2014, the joint venture Columbia TriStar Warner Filmes de Portugal Ltda. ceased operations. Since that time, Big Picture Films has managed the distribution of Sony Pictures’ releases in Portugal, while Warner Bros. titles are distributed by NOS Audiovisuais.
From June 2014 until February 2020, Sony Pictures Philippines handled the distribution of films from United International Pictures partners such as Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures. Universal’s Philippine distribution rights reverted to Warner Bros. in October 2021; however, Paramount extended its agreement with Sony during the same year. Additionally, some Focus Features titles are released via UPSTREAM, an online distribution platform.
Between 2011 and 2023, theatrical distribution of Sony Pictures films in Italy was managed by Warner Bros., while home video distribution remained with Sony. In 2023, Eagle Pictures assumed responsibility for both theatrical and home video distribution in Italy.
Sony Pictures joined forces with Walt Disney Studios in 1997 to create a film distribution joint venture across Southeast Asia. By 2006, this collaboration encompassed fourteen ventures across countries including Brazil, Mexico, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines; a fifteenth was launched in Russia and the CIS region in 2007. Sony withdrew from the Southeast Asian partnership by August 2017. In January 2019, Disney sold its share of the Mexican joint venture to Sony ahead of acquiring assets from 21st Century Fox. The joint venture was formally dissolved in January 2020, enabling Sony Pictures Releasing to operate independently.
On June 27, 2025, Sony Pictures entered into a multi-year agreement with Amazon MGM Studios granting Sony international theatrical distribution rights for MGM titles after MGM’s contract with Warner Bros. expired. MGM Home Entertainment’s home media distribution will continue to be managed by Warner Bros.
In Argentina and Poland, theatrical releases of Sony Pictures films are distributed by United International Pictures. Since 2013 in the Netherlands, Universal Pictures has overseen Sony’s theatrical releases.
Historically, Columbia TriStar Films (now known as Sony Pictures Releasing) handled theatrical distribution of 20th Century Fox films in the Netherlands from 1992 to 1997 and in Sweden between 1994 and 1996.
In South Africa, Ster-Kinekor is responsible for both theatrical and home video distribution of films from Sony Pictures and Columbia Pictures.
Film series
[Additional entries truncated for brevity]| Title | Release period | Number of Films | Studio(s) | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Three Stooges | 1934–1965 | 10 | Columbia | |
| Mr. Deeds | 1936–2002 | |||
| Blondie | 1938–1950 | 28 | joint production with King Features Entertainment | |
| Five Little Peppers | 1939–1940 | 4 | ||
| Boston Blackie | 1941–1949 | 14 | ||
| Cantinflas films | 1942–1982 | 34 | spanning from Los tres mosqueteros through El barrendero | |
| Crime Doctor | 1943–1949 | |||
| The Whistler | 1944–1948 | 8 | ||
| Rusty | 1945–1949 | 8 | ||
| Jungle Jim | 1948–1956 | 16 | ||
| Superman | 1948–1987 | 7 | Columbia/TriStar | Distributed internationally by Columbia/TriStar; US releases handled by Warner Bros. Pictures, with production involving companies such as Dovemead Ltd., The Cannon Group, and Golan-Globus Productions |
| Frankenstein | 1958–1994 | 4 | co-produced alongside Hammer Film Productions, Colgems Productions Ltd., Taft Entertainment, The IndieProd Company, and American Zoetrope | |
| 13 Ghosts | 1960–2001 | 2 | Columbia | |
| Matt Helm | 1966–1968 | 4 | collaboration with Meadway-Claude Productions Company | |
| The Trouble with Angels |
2 | |||
| ''Guess Who' | '1967-2005' | |||
| 'James Bond' | '1967-2015' | '5' | 'produced in partnership with Famous Artists Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and Eon Productions from "Casino Royale" through "Spectre"' | |
| 'Dracula' | '1972-1995' | '6' | 'Columbia/TriStar; co-produced with Hammer Horror, American Zoetrope, and Osiris Films' | |
| 'Death Wish' | '1974-1982' | '2' | 'Columbia served as international distributor; co-production with Paramount Pictures and Filmways Pictures' | |
| 'Fun with Dick and Jane' | '1977-2005' | |||
| 'Spider-Man' | '1977-present' | '14' | 'Columbia; co-produced with Marvel Entertainment, Marvel Studios, Sony Pictures Animation; includes Spider-Man films within the MCU' | |
| 'Ice Castles' | '1978-2010' | '2' | 'Columbia/Stage 6 Films' | |
| 'When a Stranger Calls' | '1979-2006' | 'Columbia/Screen Gems' | ||
| 'The Blue Lagoon' | '1980-2012' | '3' | 'Columbia/Sony Pictures Television' | |
| 'Gloria' | '1980-1999' | '2' | 'Columbia' | |
| 'Heavy Metal' | '1981-2000' | 'Columbia/Sony Pictures Home Entertainment; co-produced with CinéGroupe (2000)' | ||
| 'Annie' | '1982-2021' | '7' | 'Columbia/TriStar/Sony Pictures Television; joint ventures include Rastar, Overbrook Entertainment, Village Roadshow Pictures, Walt Disney Television (1999 TV movie)' | |
| 'Ghostbusters' | '1984-present' | '5' | 'Columbia; partnerships include Village Roadshow Pictures and Ghost Corps from 2016 onward' | |
| 'The Karate Kid' | '1984-present' | '6' | 'Co-productions involving Overbrook Entertainment, China Film Group, Westbrook Studios, Sunswept Entertainment for upcoming releases.' | |
| 'The Muppets' | '1984,1999-2002' | '3' | 'TriStar/Columbia/Sony Pictures Home Entertainment/Sony Pictures Television; co-produced with The Jim Henson Company and Jim Henson Pictures.' | |
| 'Fright Night' | '1985-1989' | '2' | 'Columbia/TriStar.' |
Top-grossing Films
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External links |
- American companies established in 1998
- Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group
- Film distributors of the United States
- Film production companies of the United States
- Entertainment companies based in California
- Sony Pictures Entertainment
- Companies based in Culver City, California
- Entertainment companies established in 1998
- Mass media companies established in 1998
- 1998 establishments in California
- Multinational companies
- Sony subsidiaries
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- Companies of the United States by year of establishment