Sony Pictures Releasing
| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film production |
| Predecessor | Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Founder | Sony Pictures Entertainment |
| Fate | Renamed from Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group in 2013 |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Doug Belgrad (former president, 2014–2016), Elizabeth Gabler (founder of 3000 Pictures) |
| Products | Films, film production, film distribution |
| Owner | Sony Corporation |
| Parent | Sony Pictures Entertainment |
Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group (previously known as Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group until 2013 and abbreviated as SPMPG) functions as a segment of Sony Pictures Entertainment responsible for managing its film production activities. Established in 1998 through the merger of Columbia Pictures and TriStar Pictures, it supervises several film-related subdivisions.
History
The entity originated in 1998 under the name Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, encompassing Columbia Pictures, TriStar Pictures, Triumph Films, Sony Pictures Classics, and Sony Pictures Releasing. On December 8, 1998, SPE revived Screen Gems as a film division within Columbia TriStar.
In 2002, Columbia TriStar Television was renamed Sony Pictures Television. Between 2004 and 2005, Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment and its film distribution branches were rebranded as Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and Sony Pictures Releasing International, respectively. The Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group was among the final Sony Pictures divisions to maintain the "Columbia TriStar" branding.
The year 2013 saw the creation of TriStar Productions, a collaborative venture between Sony Pictures and former 20th Century Fox chairman Thomas Rothman. Later that year, the group adopted the "Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group" title, with Sony Pictures Animation and Sony Pictures Imageworks transitioning from Sony Pictures Digital to this division.
On June 2, 2016, Doug Belgrad stepped down from his role as SPMPG president to pursue producing; he had been appointed president in 2014.
Film divisions
| Studio divisions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Production | Distribution | Other | ||
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3000 Pictures
On July 15, 2019, Elizabeth Gabler, formerly 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 expenses. This unit concentrates on film projects while also branching into television and streaming content.
Sony Pictures Releasing
Sony Pictures Releasing Corporation is a film distribution company based in the United States and owned by Sony. Founded in 1994 as the successor to Triumph Releasing Corporation, it handles theatrical distribution, marketing, and promotion for Sony Pictures Entertainment’s portfolio, including 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. Operating under the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group umbrella, it also includes an international branch known as Sony Pictures Releasing International, which was formerly Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International until 2005.
International operations
In 1929, Columbia Pictures launched its UK theatrical division under the name Columbia Pictures Corporation Limited. From 1971 until 1987, Columbia collaborated with Warner Bros. through a joint venture known as Columbia-Warner Distributors, which also handled distribution for other studios such as EMI Films and Cannon Films in the UK, operating under various joint venture titles. This theatrical partnership concluded in 1988, shifting focus to non-theatrical licensing via Filmbank Distributors, while Columbia Pictures Corporation Limited continued as the exclusive UK distributor.
Columbia Pictures Pty Ltd has overseen theatrical releases in Australia since 1935. Between 1975 and 1996, a distribution partnership existed between 20th Century Fox and Columbia, operating under names including Fox Columbia Film Distributors and later Fox Columbia TriStar Films. Distribution responsibilities were eventually assumed directly by Sony Pictures Releasing Pty Limited.
On February 6, 2014, the Portuguese joint venture Columbia TriStar Warner Filmes de Portugal Ltda., which distributed films from both Sony and Warner Bros., announced the closure of its offices. Since that time, Sony Pictures titles have been distributed by Big Picture Films, while Warner Bros. releases are managed by NOS Audiovisuais in Portugal.
Between June 2014 and February 2020, Columbia Pictures Philippines, Sony Pictures’ local branch, handled distribution for United International Pictures partner studios Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures. In October 2021, Universal’s distribution reverted to Warner Bros., with most Focus Features films moving to the digital platform UPSTREAM before also returning to Warner Bros. Paramount renewed its distribution agreements with Sony during October 2021.
In Italy, from 2011 through 2023, Warner Bros. was responsible for theatrical distribution of Sony Pictures films—including titles like Call Me By Your Name. In 2023, theatrical distribution duties were transferred to Eagle Pictures, which already managed Sony’s home video releases in Italy.
Sony Pictures and Walt Disney Studios established a film distribution joint venture across Southeast Asia in 1997. By December 2006, they operated fourteen joint ventures in countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines; a fifteenth was launched in Russia and the CIS in January 2007. Sony began withdrawing from this Southeast Asian partnership starting with the Philippines in February 2017 and fully exited by August of that year. In January 2019, preceding Disney’s acquisition of major 21st Century Fox assets, Disney sold its share in the Mexican joint venture Walt Disney Studios Sony Pictures Releasing de México back to Sony. Following global changes linked to Disney’s acquisition, the two companies amicably dissolved their partnership on January 21, 2020, enabling Sony to operate independently.
On June 27, 2025, Sony Pictures entered into a multi-year agreement with Amazon MGM Studios, assuming international theatrical distribution for MGM films after MGM’s previous deal with Warner Bros. Pictures expired. MGM Home Entertainment continues to manage home media distribution through Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
In Argentina and Poland, theatrical distribution of Sony films is overseen by United International Pictures, while in the Netherlands this responsibility has been held by Universal Pictures since 2013.
Within Nordic markets, from 1992 to 1997 Columbia TriStar Films (now Sony Pictures Releasing) was responsible for Sweden’s theatrical releases of 20th Century Fox titles. After ending a longstanding collaboration with Nordisk Film in 2007, Sony partnered with local distributor AB Svensk Filmindustri, covering both theatrical and home entertainment sectors.
In South Africa, both theatrical and home video distribution for Sony Pictures are managed by Ster-Kinekor.
Sony maintains a long-established theatrical distribution alliance with Feelgood Entertainment in Greece. The Middle East market is served by Empire International; meanwhile, an agreement with Forum Films governs distribution within Israel.
Film series
...' continued in full list format ... |}Top-grossing Films
| Title | Release date | Number of Films | Studio(s) | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Three Stooges | 1934–1965 | 10 | Columbia | ||
| Mr. Deeds | 1936–2002 | ||||
| Blondie | 1938–1950 | 28 | In partnership with King Features Entertainment | ||
| Five Little Peppers | 1939–1940 | 4 | |||
| Boston Blackie | 1941–1949 | 14 | |||
| Cantinflas films | 1942–1982 | 34 | From Los tres mosqueteros through to 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 theatrically worldwide, with US releases handled by Warner Bros. Pictures; produced by Dovemead Ltd., International Film Production, Pueblo Film AG, The Cannon Group, Inc., and Golan-Globus Productions | |
| Frankenstein | 1958–1994 | 4 | Produced jointly with Hammer Film Productions, Colgems Productions Ltd., Taft Entertainment Pictures, The IndieProd Company, and American Zoetrope | ||
| 13 Ghosts | 1960–2001 | 2 | Columbia | ||
| Matt Helm | 1966–1968 | 4 | Produced in collaboration with Meadway-Claude Productions Company | ||
| The Trouble with Angels | 2 | ||||
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1967–2005 | |||||
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1967–2015 |
5 |
Produced alongside Famous Artists Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and Eon Productions | |||
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1972–1995 |
6 |
Columbia/TriStar; co-produced with Hammer Horror, American Zoetrope, and Osiris Films | |||
|
1974–1982 |
2 |
Columbia served as international distributor; co-produced with Paramount Pictures and Filmways Pictures | |||
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1977–2005 |- |
1977–present |
14 |
Produced jointly with Danchuck Productions, Marvel Entertainment, Marvel Studios, and Sony Pictures Animation | ||
|
1978–2010 |
2 |
Columbia/Stage 6 Films | |||
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1979–2006 |
Columbia/Screen Gems | ||||
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1980–2012 |
3 |
Columbia/Sony Pictures Television | |||
|
1980–1999 |
2 |
Columbia | |||
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1981–2000 |
Columbia/Sony Pictures Home Entertainment; produced in partnership with CinéGroupe | ||||
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1982–2021 |
7 |
Columbia/TriStar/Sony Pictures Television; co-productions include Rastar, Overbrook Entertainment, Village Roadshow Pictures, Storyline Entertainment, Chris Montan Productions, and Walt Disney Television (1999 TV movie) | |||
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1984–present |
5 |
Columbia; co-produced with Village Roadshow Pictures and Ghost Corps from 2016 onward | |||
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1984–present |
6 |
Co-productions involve Overbrook Entertainment, China Film Group Corporation, JW Productions, Westbrook Studios, and Sunswept Entertainment (upcoming) | |||
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1984–2002 |
TriStar/Columbia/Sony Pictures Home Entertainment/Sony Pictures Television; collaborations include The Jim Henson Company, Lucasfilm, Jim Henson Pictures, American Zoetrope, and Sesame Workshop | ||||
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1985–1989 |
2 |
Columbia/TriStar | |||
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1985–2019 |
3 |
TriStar/Sony Pictures Releasing International; co-productions with Carolco Pictures, Lionsgate Studios, StudioCanal, and The Weinstein Company | |||
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1986–1988 |
2 |
TriStar; co-produced alongside Carolco Pictures, Alliance Films, Producers Sales Organization, and The Turman Foster Company | |||
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1988–1997 |
Columbia/Columbia TriStar Film Distributors Intl.; partnerships include Longstocking Productions, Svensk Filmindustri, Nelvana Limited, IdunaFilm, and TFC Trickompany | ||||
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1989–1991 |
Triumph Films | ||||
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1989–1993 |
3 |
TriStar | |||
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1990–2017 |
2 |
TriStar/Columbia; co-productions involving Carolco Pictures, Original Film, Relativity Media, Stonebridge Entertainment, Cross Creek Pictures, Further Films, Laurence Mark Productions and The Safran Company | |||
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1991–1994 |
2 |
Co-productions with Castle Rock Entertainment, Nelson Entertainment and Imagine Entertainment | |||
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1991–2009 |
3 |
TriStar/Columbia; co-productions including Carolco Pictures, Intermedia, C2 Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures and The Halcyon Company | |||
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1992–2003 |
2 & 3 respectively |
Co-productions that include Dimension Films and Troublemaker Studios | |||
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1992–2006 |
2 |
Columbia/Destination & TriStar/Sony Pictures Releasing; partnerships with Carolco Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | |||
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1992–2012 |
4 |
TriStar/Sony Pictures Home Entertainment |
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External links |
- Articles with short description
- American corporations founded in 1998
- Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group
- United States film distributors
- Film production firms in the United States
- California-based entertainment companies
- Sony Pictures Entertainment
- Companies located in Culver City, California
- Entertainment firms established in 1998
- Mass media enterprises founded in 1998
- 1998 California establishments
- Global corporations
- Subsidiaries of Sony
- American companies established in 1994