United Artists

United Artists

Company type	Private (subsidiary)
Industry	Film production and distribution
Founded	February 5, 1919 (1919-02-05) in United States
Founder	Charlie Chaplin, D. W. Griffith, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks
Headquarters	New York City , United States
Owner	Amazon MGM Studios

United Artists (UA) is a U.S.-based film production and distribution firm currently owned by Amazon MGM Studios. It was established in February 1919 by Charlie Chaplin, D. W. Griffith, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks with the goal of granting performers autonomy over their financial and creative endeavors, independent of the prevailing commercial studios.

Following several changes in ownership, United Artists was purchased by media giant Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) in 1981 for $350 million. On September 22, 2014, MGM gained a controlling stake in One Three Media and Lightworkers Media, combining them to relaunch United Artists' television production branch as United Artists Media Group (UAMG). By December 2015, MGM had fully acquired UAMG and incorporated it into its TV division.

MGM briefly revived the United Artists name as United Artists Digital Studios for the web series Stargate Origins, but discontinued the brand after 2019, opting to use MGM's own label for later projects.

A collaborative distribution venture between MGM and Annapurna Pictures, initiated on October 31, 2017, was renamed United Artists Releasing on February 5, 2019, coinciding with UA's centennial celebration. Nevertheless, Amazon merged UAR into MGM on March 4, 2023, citing increased theatrical release prospects following the success of Creed III.

In July 2024, Amazon MGM Studios announced the revival of United Artists through a multi-year first-look agreement with producer Scott Stuber, who will oversee all productions under the rejuvenated company.

Early years

In 1918, despite being a leading producer at First National Pictures, Charlie Chaplin encountered budget limitations. Simultaneously, contracts for Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks were nearing expiration without renewal offers. Sydney Chaplin, acting as Charlie’s business manager, discovered that major studios planned to consolidate production companies and enforce restrictive five-year contracts on exhibitors.

As a response to this environment, Chaplin joined forces with Pickford, Fairbanks, and D. W. Griffith to establish United Artists on February 5, 1919. Each founder held 25% of the preferred shares and 20% of common shares; lawyer William Gibbs McAdoo owned the remaining 20% of common stock. The objective was to secure greater control over their projects amid increasing studio dominance over salaries and creative decisions—a trend that entrenched the studio system. Initially conceived by Fairbanks, Chaplin, Pickford, and cowboy actor William S. Hart, the plan advanced after Hart withdrew. The company’s headquarters were located at 729 Seventh Avenue in New York City.

The original intention was for each star to produce five films annually; however, by 1921 escalating production expenses and longer feature lengths resulted in abandoning this approach.

UA’s debut production, His Majesty, the American, starring Fairbanks, achieved commercial success. Without offering public stock sales, financing depended on weekly prepayments from theater owners, which limited initial output to approximately five films per year.

By 1924, following Griffith’s exit and emerging financial difficulties, seasoned producer Joseph Schenck was appointed president. Schenck brought contracts from his wife Norma Talmadge, sister-in-law Constance Talmadge, and brother-in-law Buster Keaton, while also signing deals with independent producers such as Samuel Goldwyn and Howard Hughes. In 1933, Schenck co-founded Twentieth Century Pictures alongside Darryl F. Zanuck, which supplied half of UA’s film slate.

Schenck collaborated with Pickford and Chaplin to expand theater ownership under United Artists and initiated international operations in Canada and Mexico. By the late 1930s, UA maintained a presence in over 40 countries.

After being denied ownership in 1935, Schenck resigned to merge Twentieth Century Pictures with Fox Film Corporation, creating 20th Century-Fox. He was succeeded by Al Lichtman. Other independent producers distributing through UA included Walt Disney Productions, Alexander Korda, Hal Roach, David O. Selznick, and Walter Wanger. Over time, these partners transitioned to other studios: Goldwyn and Disney moved to RKO, while Wanger joined Universal.

UA returned to profitability in the late 1930s mainly due to Goldwyn’s productions but became embroiled in legal disputes with him over remuneration. The planned UA release of MGM’s Gone with the Wind collapsed due to casting disagreements involving Clark Gable.

Conflicts with Selznick led him to establish his own distribution operation after criticizing UA’s management.

During the 1940s, UA suffered financial setbacks attributed in part to declining movie attendance caused by television’s rise. During this period, the company sold its Mexican distribution division to Crédito Cinematográfico Mexicano.

Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers (1940s and 1950s)

In 1941, a group including Pickford, Chaplin, Disney, Orson Welles, Goldwyn, Selznick, Korda, and Wanger—many affiliated with United Artists—established the Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers (SIMPP). Subsequent members encompassed Hunt Stromberg, William Cagney, Sol Lesser, and Hal Roach.

SIMPP's mission was to protect the interests of independent filmmakers in opposition to the studio system controlled by seven dominant studios—Loew's (MGM), Columbia Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures, RKO, 20th Century-Fox, and Warner Bros./First National—which monopolized production, distribution, and exhibition.

In 1942, SIMPP initiated an antitrust lawsuit targeting Paramount's United Detroit Theatres over monopolistic behavior. The 1948 U.S. Supreme Court ruling known as the Paramount Decision compelled major studios to divest their theater holdings and cease anti-competitive practices, effectively breaking up the studio system. By 1958, SIMPP had largely fulfilled its objectives and disbanded.

Krim and Benjamin

Due to financial difficulties, Pickford and Chaplin appointed former Indiana governor Paul V. McNutt as chairman in 1950; however, he was soon replaced because of inadequate leadership.

On February 15, 1951, producers-turned-executives Arthur B. Krim (formerly of Eagle-Lion Films), Robert Benjamin, and Matty Fox proposed a decade-long takeover of United Artists. They negotiated terms allowing them to acquire half the company by the end of ten years if profitability was achieved within three. With backing from 20th Century-Fox president Spyros Skouras, UA secured a $3 million loan facilitated by Krim and Benjamin.

Under their guidance, UA evolved into the first "studio without a studio," functioning as financiers for independent producers without owning physical facilities or incurring traditional overhead. Early collaborators included Sam Spiegel and John Huston's Horizon Productions, which produced successes like The African Queen (1951) and Moulin Rouge (1952). UA also turned around High Noon, converting an $871,000 loss into a $313,000 profit in its inaugural year. Other partners comprised Stanley Kramer, Otto Preminger, and Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions.

Despite industry upheaval caused by theater divestitures and declining attendance—reaching a nadir in 1955—Chaplin sold his 25% share to Krim and Benjamin for $1.1 million; Pickford followed with a $3 million sale the subsequent year.

During the late 1950s, UA produced acclaimed films such as Marty, winner of both the Palme d'Or and Best Picture Oscar in 1955, along with 12 Angry Men (1957), which attained widespread international television distribution. By 1958, UA was reporting annual earnings of $3 million.

Public company

United Artists went public in 1957 through a $17 million offering of stock and debentures, producing approximately fifty films each year. In 1958, UA acquired Lopert Pictures Corporation from Ilya Lopert, a company specializing in foreign films facing censorship issues.

That same year saw the creation of United Artists Records and United Artists Music Corporation following an unsuccessful acquisition attempt. By 1968, UA Records merged with Liberty Records and its subsidiaries including Imperial and Dolton Records. The label consolidated as United Artists Records in 1972 before being purchased by EMI in 1979, which included Blue Note Records.

UA ventured into television in 1959 with its debut series The Troubleshooters, followed by sitcoms like The Dennis O'Keefe Show. Amid the decline of traditional studios during the 1960s, UA prospered, earning eleven Academy Awards including five for Best Picture. Key collaborations involved the Mirisch brothers, Billy Wilder, and Joseph E. Levine. Notably, West Side Story (1961) garnered ten Academy Awards.

In 1960, UA expanded its TV division by acquiring Ziv Television Programs. Its television slate featured popular shows such as Gilligan's Island, The Fugitive, Outer Limits, and The Patty Duke Show. Through Associated Artists Productions—which owned Warner Bros.' pre-1950 films and cartoons plus 231 Popeye shorts from Paramount—UA developed a valuable rental library. The distribution was managed by United Artists Associated.

Early 1960s releases included Stanley Kramer’s It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and A Child Is Waiting. UA introduced American audiences to the Beatles with A Hard Day's Night (1964) and Help! (1965).

UA financed the James Bond series by backing producers Harry Saltzman and Albert Broccoli’s production of Dr. No (1963) with a $1 million investment, initiating a globally successful franchise that remains influential today. Other significant franchises included The Pink Panther starting in 1964 and Spaghetti Westerns starring Clint Eastwood such as A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

In 1964, UA’s French branch Les Productions Artistes Associés released its inaugural film titled That Man from Rio.

UA made a substantial investment in George Stevens' epic The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), then the most costly film ever made at $20 million. Although it received mixed critical reception and underperformed commercially, it earned five Academy Award nominations and later gained recognition for its ambitious New Testament adaptation.

Transamerica subsidiary

In 1967, Transamerica Corporation purchased a 98% stake in UA, installing David and Arnold Picker as the studio's new leaders. UA unveiled a redesigned logo that incorporated Transamerica’s striped T symbol along with the slogan "Entertainment from Transamerica Corporation," which was later shortened to "A Transamerica Company." By 1968, United Artists Associated was renamed United Artists Television Distribution. Following a $35 million deficit in 1970, control reverted to Krim and Benjamin.

UA was responsible for releasing the Best Picture Oscar-winning film In the Heat of the Night (1967) and handled international distribution of The Graduate. Other notable releases included the 1971 film adaptation of Fiddler on the Roof, although Man of La Mancha (1972) did not meet expectations. The studio supported emerging filmmakers such as Woody Allen, Robert Altman, Sylvester Stallone, Saul Zaentz, Miloš Forman, and Brian De Palma. UA distributed early Woody Allen projects like Bananas (1971) and maintained prominent franchises including James Bond and Pink Panther throughout the 1970s.

In 1973, UA assumed responsibility for MGM's film sales and distribution across Anglo-American territories, acquiring MGM’s music publishing arm Robbins, Feist, Miller. Two years later, Harry Saltzman sold his 50% ownership in Danjaq, the company holding Bond film rights, to UA.

After other studios declined to produce it, UA agreed to distribute One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), which became UA’s top-grossing release with $163 million in revenue. Subsequently, UA achieved consecutive Best Picture Oscars with Rocky and Annie Hall, marking the first time a studio won three years in a row and accumulating a record total of 11 Best Picture awards.

Transamerica disapproved of UA’s involvement with adult-themed films such as Midnight Cowboy and Last Tango in Paris, insisting that its name be removed from all related promotional materials. The parent company explored renaming UA as Transamerica Films but negotiations were unsuccessful. In 1978, following disagreements over expenditures with Transamerica chairman John R. Beckett, top executives including Krim and president Eric Pleskow departed to establish Orion Pictures, which was financed by Warner Bros. That same year, UA entered into a partnership with Lorimar Productions, distributing Lorimar’s films while Lorimar planned television adaptations based on UA’s catalog.

Andy Albeck was appointed as president of UA; in 1979, the studio released successful titles such as Rocky II, Manhattan, Moonraker, and The Black Stallion.

UA financed director Michael Cimino’s Heaven's Gate, which exceeded its $44 million budget and failed at the box office, resulting in substantial financial losses and prompting Albeck’s resignation. He was succeeded by Norbert Auerbach. This setback harmed UA’s standing with both Transamerica and Hollywood but may have helped preserve the UA brand itself; discussions about rebranding it as Transamerica Pictures took place.

In 1980, Transamerica withdrew from film production, selling United Artists to Kirk Kerkorian’s Tracinda Corporation in 1981, which also held ownership of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

United Artists Classics

In 1981, United Artists Classics shifted its focus from reissuing library films to distributing original art house releases, overseen by Nathaniel T. Kwit, Jr. Tom Bernard took on the role of division director, managing theatrical sales, while marketing was directed by Ira Deutchman. Michael Barker and Donna Gigliotti joined the team subsequently. After Deutchman departed to establish Cinecom, Barker and Bernard went on to create Orion Classics and Sony Pictures Classics. The label specialized in foreign and independent cinema, featuring titles like Cutter's Way, Ticket to Heaven, and The Grey Fox, alongside select re-releases from the UA library, including director’s cuts such as Head Over Heels. Following Barker and Bernard’s exit, the imprint briefly operated as MGM/UA Classics in 1984 before ultimately shutting down in the late 1980s.

MGM/UA Entertainment Company

Post-merger, the entity was renamed MGM/UA Entertainment Company and launched several divisions in 1982, including MGM/UA Home Entertainment Group, MGM/UA Classics, and MGM/UA Television Group. Kirk Kerkorian also attempted to acquire the remaining public shares but withdrew due to legal challenges and resistance.

In 1981, InterMedia Entertainment, led by Fred Silverman and George Reeves, secured a production agreement with MGM/UA for both motion pictures and television content. Following the merger, David Begelman’s duties transitioned to MGM/UA; however, after a string of box office disappointments—except for the commercially successful Poltergeist—he was dismissed in July 1982.

As part of streamlining efforts, MGM closed United Artists’ long-standing New York offices in 1983 and divested UA’s music publishing arm to CBS Songs that same year.

Although films such as WarGames and Octopussy delivered substantial earnings in 1983, they fell short of Kerkorian’s financial targets. Additionally, WarGames became embroiled in legal disputes concerning financing and international distribution rights with EMI Films. A restructuring in 1985 resulted in separate production divisions for MGM and UA, each led by distinct executives. This development fueled speculation that UA might be sold to support MGM's privatization efforts. However, after one division head was removed, Alan Ladd, Jr. assumed leadership over both studios.

Turner

On August 7, 1985, Ted Turner revealed plans for his Turner Broadcasting System to acquire MGM/UA, primarily aiming to secure access to MGM’s film catalog for his superstation WTBS amid complex licensing arrangements. As part of this transaction, Turner intended to immediately resell United Artists back to Kerkorian.

Prior to this deal’s completion, Kerkorian appointed producer Jerry Weintraub as chairman and CEO of United Artists Corporation in November 1985, with former ABC executive Anthony Thomopoulos serving as UA president. Weintraub’s tenure was short-lived; he departed in April 1986 and was replaced by former Lorimar executive Lee Rich. During this interval, SLM Production Group transferred its distribution agreement from MGM/UA to United Artists.

On March 25, 1986, Turner finalized the $1.5 billion cash-and-stock purchase of MGM/UA, renaming it MGM Entertainment Co. Subsequently, Kerkorian reacquired most of United Artists’ assets for around $480 million. This series of transactions effectively dissolved the original United Artists; the present-day UA operates as a new entity with inherited properties but does not legally succeed the original company.

United Artists planned to open new headquarters in Beverly Hills starting November 1, 1985, shortly before Turner’s acquisition closed. On April 23, 1986, UA entered into a three-film co-production agreement with Australian exhibitor and distributor Hoyts, broadening its international reach.

This period represented a pivotal transformation in corporate governance and strategic direction for both UA and MGM under Turner's ownership, influencing their competitive stance within the entertainment sector.

MGM/UA Communications Company

Confronted with mounting financial obligations, Ted Turner divested MGM's production and distribution divisions to United Artists for $300 million on August 26, 1986. The MGM studio lot and laboratory facilities were sold separately to Lorimar-Telepictures. Turner maintained ownership of the MGM film and television catalog produced before May 1986, along with the Associated Artists Productions and RKO Pictures libraries previously acquired through United Artists. On August 21, 1986, United Artists declared its reentry into film production with titles such as Baby Boom and Real Men, followed by plans for a development slate of 26 films.

United Artists was rebranded as MGM/UA Communications Company and organized into three primary divisions: a television production division overseen by David Gerber, alongside two film divisions managed by Anthony Thomopoulous at United Artists and Alan Ladd, Jr. at MGM. Despite commercial hits in 1987 including Spaceballs, The Living Daylights, and Moonstruck, MGM/UA reported losses amounting to $88 million. The co-production alliance between Hoyts and United Artists concluded in November 1986.

By April 1988, Kirk Kerkorian sought to sell his controlling 82 percent interest in MGM/UA; by July, the companies MGM and UA had separated. A proposed transaction granting Burt Sugarman, Jon Peters, and Peter Guber a 25 percent stake in MGM did not materialize. Executive turnover intensified due to Kerkorian’s management approach, resulting in numerous project cancellations by mid-1988. A planned acquisition of MGM/UA by Australian firm Qintex/Seven Network failed when Qintex filed for bankruptcy in 1989. Ted Turner’s effort to repurchase MGM/UA was also unsuccessful. Subsequently, United Artists became largely dormant after 1990, ceasing new film releases for several years.

The 1990s

In November 1990, Italian financier Giancarlo Parretti purchased MGM/UA and merged it with his previous enterprise to create MGM-Pathé Communications. Parretti exaggerated his financial standing and secured loans through fraudulent means, resulting in unpaid debts, postponed film launches, and internal instability. Crédit Lyonnais, the studio’s main creditor, foreclosed on the company in 1992 following Parretti’s mismanagement and conviction for securities fraud. On July 2, 1992, the entity reverted to the name Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc.. To restore stability and improve market position, Crédit Lyonnais expanded production efforts and appointed John Calley to oversee United Artists. Under Calley’s direction, franchises such as Pink Panther and James Bond experienced revitalization, alongside notable releases like Showgirls. In 1996, Crédit Lyonnais sold MGM back to Kirk Kerkorian’s Tracinda Corporation, leading to Calley’s exit. In 1999, filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola attempted to acquire United Artists but ultimately agreed on a production partnership.

The 2000s to the 2020s

Following MGM’s acquisition of The Samuel Goldwyn Company in 1999, United Artists was repositioned as a specialty label. After retiring the Goldwyn brand, MGM folded UA into Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures; its specialty operations based in London were renamed United Artists International. Established franchises including Pink Panther and Rocky transitioned fully to MGM ownership, while select properties like the James Bond series retained UA copyrights. The first arthouse release under the UA banner was Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her.

Bingham Ray assumed leadership of UA on September 1, 2001. During his tenure, UA produced and distributed critically acclaimed independent films such as Bowling for Columbine, Nicholas Nickleby, Oscar-winning No Man's Land, Undertow, and Hotel Rwanda, collaborating with entities like American Zoetrope and Revolution Films. Ray departed from his role in 2004.

In 2005, a consortium comprising Comcast, Sony, and merchant banks acquired both MGM and UA for $4.8 billion. Sony subsequently shut down MGM’s distribution network, absorbing much of its personnel. Completed and upcoming UA projects—including Capote, Art School Confidential, The Woods, and Romance and Cigarettes—were reassigned to Sony Pictures Classics.

By March 2006, MGM resumed domestic distribution through partnerships with The Weinstein Company, Lakeshore Entertainment, Bauer Martinez Entertainment, among other independents. Although Sony retained a minority interest in MGM, both companies operated under the strategic leadership of CEO Stephen Cooper. MGM continued co-producing select films alongside Sony’s Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group while developing major releases for its own distribution division.

United Artists Entertainment

On November 2, 2006, MGM revealed that Tom Cruise and his longtime producing collaborator Paula Wagner were relaunching United Artists (UA) after concluding their fourteen-year partnership with Paramount Pictures, then under Viacom. Together with MGM, Cruise and Wagner established United Artists Entertainment LLC, where the pair held a 30% ownership and had control over production and development activities. Wagner assumed the role of CEO, managing an annual lineup of four films with diverse budgets, while Cruise served as producer and occasional lead actor.

In January 2008, during the Writers' Strike, UA became the first film studio to receive a Writers Guild of America (WGA) waiver, underscoring its distinctive standing within the industry.

Wagner departed from UA on August 14, 2008, to pursue independent production ventures. During her leadership, UA released two Cruise-led movies: Lions for Lambs and Valkyrie. Her exit prompted discussions about possible organizational changes at UA.

Following this period, UA co-produced only two films alongside MGM: the 2009 Fame remake and Hot Tub Time Machine, which represent the last original projects released under the UA banner.

A financial disclosure in 2011 confirmed that MGM had regained full ownership of United Artists. Although MGM indicated intentions to continue producing films under the UA name, the label currently functions mainly as a brand for reissues managed by MGM rather than an active production company.

United Artists Media Group and United Artists Digital Studios

On September 22, 2014, MGM acquired a majority 55% stake in One Three Media and Lightworkers Media—companies operated by Mark Burnett and Roma Downey and partially owned by Hearst Entertainment. These entities were merged to form United Artists Media Group (UAMG), revitalizing the UA brand. Mark Burnett was appointed CEO, while Roma Downey took on the presidency of Lightworkers Media, UAMG’s division focused on family and faith content. UAMG distributed programming from Mark Burnett Productions such as Survivor and planned an over-the-top (OTT) channel dedicated to faith-based programming.

On December 14, 2015, MGM acquired the remaining 45% interest in UAMG, folding it into its television division. Hearst, Downey, and Burnett received MGM equity stakes valued at $233 million as part of the deal. Burnett advanced to president of MGM Television, succeeding Roma Khanna. The anticipated OTT faith channel (which evolved into Light TV and later TheGrio) was structured as a separate venture owned by MGM alongside Burnett, Downey, and Hearst.

On August 14, 2018, MGM resurrected United Artists Digital Studios to produce the web series Stargate Origins, marking a relaunch of its Stargate franchise. This initiative included launching Stargate Command, a streaming platform modeled after services like Paramount Global’s CBS All Access (now Paramount+).

2024–present: Revival

In July 2024, Scott Stuber approached finalizing an agreement to revive United Artists under Amazon MGM Studios after more than ten years. Amazon announced Stuber’s multi-year first-look arrangement to develop films for the revitalized label with distribution through theaters or Amazon Prime Video. Stuber will oversee all productions released under the United Artists imprint.

Film library

The majority of United Artists’ film catalog postdating 1952 is currently held by MGM. Titles produced before 1952—except for a few exceptions—were sold to other entities such as National Telefilm Associates (now part of Melange/Republic Pictures under Paramount Global), with Paramount Pictures managing their distribution; some older titles have entered the public domain. Since UA primarily operated as a distributor rather than a production house, copyrights belong to the original studios responsible for each film. This explains why certain UA releases like High Noon (1952) and The Final Countdown (1980) remain under copyright but are not owned by MGM. Additionally, films distributed by UA from MGM between 1973 and 1982 are now controlled by Turner through Warner Bros.

UA films on video

United Artists initially granted home video rights to Magnetic Video, the pioneering company in the home video market. After Fox purchased Magnetic in 1981 and rebranded it as 20th Century-Fox Video, it merged with CBS Video Enterprises in 1982, forming CBS/Fox Video. Although MGM owned UA at that time, the licensing agreement between UA and CBS/Fox (including its sublabels Key Video and Playhouse Video) continued uninterrupted. From the mid-1980s onward, MGM/UA Home Video began distributing select UA titles. Prior to MGM's takeover, Warner Bros., through Warner Home Video, held the foreign video rights to UA films until 1991.

In 1986, Ted Turner acquired the pre-1950 Warner Bros. and pre-May 1986 MGM film libraries following a brief ownership of MGM/UA. As a result, CBS/Fox lost the home video distribution rights for pre-1950 Warner Bros. movies, which were then licensed by MGM/UA Home Video from Turner. When the CBS/Fox agreement ended in 1989, UA titles were distributed through MGM/UA Home Video.

Before these arrangements, United Artists had exclusive rental agreements with smaller labels VidAmerica in the United States and Intervision Video in the United Kingdom for home video releases of selected UA films such as The Great Escape, Some Like It Hot, and Hair, along with certain pre-1950 Warner Bros. titles.

United Artists Broadcasting

United Artists managed two television stations under the name "United Artists Broadcasting": WUAB in Cleveland, Ohio (licensed to Lorain, Ohio) launched in 1968, and WRIK-TV in San Juan, Puerto Rico, which was acquired in 1969. Additionally, it held a construction permit for a station in Houston, Texas. In 1970, United Artists expanded into radio by purchasing Philadelphia's WWSH.

Beginning in 1977, United Artists began divesting its broadcasting assets by selling WUAB to Gaylord Broadcasting Company, WWSH to Cox Enterprises, and WRIK-TV to Tommy Muñiz in 1979. This marked a deliberate move away from owning media stations.

United Artists Releasing

United Artists Releasing, LLC (UAR) was established as a film distribution partnership between MGM and Annapurna Pictures on October 31, 2017. The venture was co-founded by former MGM CEO Gary Barber, businessman and founder of Open Road Films Eric Hohl, and Annapurna founder Megan Ellison. On February 5, 2019, it adopted the name United Artists Releasing to commemorate the centennial of the original United Artists founding. Operating out of offices shared by MGM and Annapurna in West Hollywood and Los Angeles, California, UAR provided an alternative distribution platform to major studios and streaming services, releasing approximately 10 to 14 films each year.

Amazon acquired MGM Holdings, UAR's parent company, on May 26, 2021, for $8.45 billion, with the transaction finalizing on March 17, 2022. This acquisition brought United Artists Releasing under Amazon Studios' oversight. Subsequently, on March 4, 2023, Amazon folded UAR into MGM to enhance its theatrical distribution capabilities alongside its streaming service Amazon Prime Video, capitalizing on the commercial success of Creed III.

See also

• List of United Artists films

Further reading

• Bach, Steven. Final Cut. New York: Morrow, 1985.
• Balio, Tino. United Artists: The Company Built by the Stars. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1976.
• Balio, Tino. United Artists: The Company That Changed the Film Industry. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1987.
• Berg, A. Scott. Goldwyn. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1988.
• Gabler, Neal. An Empire of Their Own: How the Jews Invented Hollywood. New York: Crown Publishers, 1988.
• Schickel, Richard. D.W. Griffith: An American Life. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1983.
• Thomson, David. Showman: The Life of David O. Selznick. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1992.

External links

• (archived)
• United Artists Corporation Records 1919–1965 — housed at the Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research.