 Logo used from 2019 to 2023 | |
| Formerly | MGM/Annapurna Pictures (2017–2019) |
|---|---|
| Company type | Joint venture |
| Industry | Film |
| Predecessor | United Artists Corporation |
| Founded | October 31, 2017; 8 years ago (2017-10-31) |
| Founder | |
| Defunct | March 4, 2023; 2 years ago (2023-03-04) |
| Fate | Folded intoMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer[1] |
| Successor | |
| Headquarters | West Hollywood andLos Angeles, California, United States |
Number of locations | 2 |
Area served | United States |
Key people | |
| Products | Motion pictures |
| Services | Film distribution andpromotion |
| Owners | |
Number of employees | 230 (2022) |
| Website | Official website (archived) |
United Artists Releasing, LLC (UAR) was an Americanfilm distributionjoint venture betweenMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer andAnnapurna Pictures and the successor toUnited Artists (UA) that operated from October 31, 2017 to March 4, 2023.
Founded by former MGM CEOGary Barber and Annapurna founderMegan Ellison on October 31, 2017,[2] it operated within the offices of the headquarters of the respective companies inWest Hollywood andLos Angeles inCalifornia and offered alternative services to themajor film studios andstreaming media companies[3] with 10–14 films released annually. The venture rebranded asUnited Artists Releasing on February 5, 2019, to commemorate 100 years since the founding of United Artists.[3][4]
On May 26, 2021,online shopping andtechnology companyAmazon acquiredMGM Holdings, the former parent company of MGM, for $8.45 billion[5] which closed on March 17, 2022,[6] and consequentially placed United Artists Releasing under the control ofAmazon Studios. Amazon then folded United Artists Releasing into MGM on March 4, 2023, in a push towards theatrical distribution alongside streaming releases on their streaming serviceAmazon Prime Video.[1]
American media companiesMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM) andAnnapurna Pictures announced the formation of a local film distribution joint-venture and a film releasing entity under the name Mirror to release third-party films in theatres.[2] This marked the return of MGM to domestic distribution seven years after its closure following the 2010 bankruptcy andsubsequent reorganization, in which approximately six to eight films would be released commencing on March 2, 2018 with the release ofDeath Wish.
The initial staff of the joint venture composed of those of Annapurna's own distribution division. By January 31, 2019, the venture released eight titles in total, none of which were credited under the toutedMirror Releasing banner.[3]
The joint venture was rebranded on February 5, 2019 toUnited Artists Releasing, in commemoration of a century (100 years) of the creation of the originalUnited Artists,[3] with the rationale being to "better compete against the major studios, especially with respect to their tentpole films that dictate the release calendar".[4]
FormerScreen Gems executive Pam Kunath was appointed to be its chief operating officer and one of MGM's subsidiaries,Orion Pictures, added its films and staff from its distribution division to the venture.[3][4] A board of directors consisting of executives from the partner companies was created to oversee the three UAR executives; Kunath, David Kaminow and president of Annapurna's distribution and marketing, Erik Lomis.
The inaugural film release post-rebrand was the 2019stop-motion animated filmMissing Link, which won the company its inaugural and onlyGolden Globe Award forBest Animated Feature Film.[7]
On October 7, 2020, MGM revived theAmerican International Pictures label for digital and limited theatrical releases of acquired films with United Artists Releasing, beginning with the 2021 filmBreaking News in Yuba County.[8]
On May 17, 2021, online shopping and technology companyAmazon entered negotiations to acquire MGM's former parent company,MGM Holdings, principally green-lighted by MGM board chairman Kevin Ulrich whose company,Anchorage Capital Group, was a major MGM shareholder.[9][10] A week later, the proposed acquisition by Amazon was officially announced, pending local and global regulatory approvals, for $8.45 billion[5] and completed on March 17, 2022.[6] Later that same day, Mike Hopkins, senior vice president ofAmazon Studios andAmazon Prime Video, emphasized at atown hall meeting that his company would continue to partner with its new division United Artists Releasing, which would remain in operation post-acquisition.[11]
On March 4, 2023,The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Amazon folded United Artists Releasing into MGM due to Amazon's optimism of the feasibility of theatrical distribution. The announcement was a day afterCreed III was released, which was also the first film distributed by MGM itself under Amazon's ownership.[1]
| MGM/Annapurna joint-venture | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Release date | Title | Company | Co-producer(s) | International distributor |
| March 2, 2018 | Death Wish | MGM | Cave 76 Productions | |
| July 6, 2018 | Sorry to Bother You | Annapurna |
| |
| August 29, 2018 | Operation Finale | MGM | Automatik Entertainment | Netflix[12] |
| September 21, 2018 | The Sisters Brothers | Annapurna |
| IMR International |
| December 14, 2018 | If Beale Street Could Talk | Annapurna |
| |
| December 25, 2018 | Vice |
| ||
| Destroyer |
| Rocket Science | ||
| United Artists Releasing | ||||
| February 15, 2019 | Fighting with My Family | MGM |
|
|
| April 12, 2019 | Missing Link | Annapurna | Laika[7] | AGC International |
| May 10, 2019 | The Hustle | MGM |
| Universal Pictures |
| May 24, 2019 | Booksmart | Annapurna | Gloria Sanchez Productions | |
| June 21, 2019 | Child's Play | Orion Pictures | Bron Studios[14] | |
| August 16, 2019 | Where'd You Go, Bernadette | Annapurna |
| |
| October 11, 2019 | The Addams Family | MGM |
| Universal Pictures |
| January 31, 2020 | Gretel & Hansel | Orion Pictures |
| |
| May 8, 2020 | Valley Girl | Sneak Preview Productions | ||
| August 28, 2020 | Bill & Ted Face the Music | Orion Pictures |
| |
| October 9, 2020 | The Wolf of Snow Hollow | Orion Classics |
| |
| February 12, 2021 | Breaking News in Yuba County | American International Pictures |
| AGC International |
| March 26, 2021 | Bad Trip | Orion Pictures |
| Netflix |
| May 7, 2021 | Wrath of Man | MGM |
| Miramax International |
| July 20, 2021 | How It Ends | American International Pictures | Mister Lister Films | |
| August 13, 2021 | Respect | MGM |
| Universal Pictures |
| August 20, 2021 | Flag Day |
|
| |
| October 1, 2021 | The Addams Family 2 |
| Universal Pictures | |
| October 8, 2021 | No Time to Die | [12][21] | ||
| November 24, 2021 | House of Gucci |
| Universal Pictures | |
| November 26, 2021 | Licorice Pizza |
| ||
| February 18, 2022 | Dog | [24] | FilmNation Entertainment | |
| February 25, 2022 | Cyrano |
| Universal Pictures | |
| May 13, 2022 | On the Count of Three |
|
| |
| July 22, 2022 | Anything's Possible | Orion Pictures |
| |
| July 29, 2022 | Thirteen Lives | MGM |
| Limited theatrical release only with streaming release byAmazon Studios onAmazon Prime Video |
| August 26, 2022 | Samaritan | Balboa Productions | ||
| Three Thousand Years of Longing |
| FilmNation Entertainment | ||
| September 9, 2022 | About Fate | American International Pictures |
| |
| October 28, 2022 | Till | Orion Pictures |
| Universal Pictures |
| November 23, 2022 | Bones and All | MGM |
| Warner Bros. Pictures |
| December 23, 2022 | Women Talking | Orion Pictures |
| Universal Pictures |
| April 7, 2023 | On a Wing and a Prayer | MGM Amazon Studios | ||
| October 13, 2023 | Dark Harvest | MGM |
| |
Amazon protected its newfound theatrical apparatus by folding United Artists Releasing into MGM.
As part of the agreement, MGM and Annapurna also announced that they have formed a Mirror releasing entity to pursue theatrical releasing opportunities for third-party films.
...and the studio (MGM) will release the film under the newly relaunched banner American International Pictures.
Official website (archived)