Picturehouse is an American independent entertainment company owned by CEOBob Berney and COO Jeanne R. Berney. Based inLos Angeles, the company specializes in film marketing anddistribution, both in the U.S. and internationally. Its releases have includedLa Vie en Rose (2007), which earned anAcademy Award for Best Actress forMarion Cotillard,Metallica Through the Never (2013), andAdam Wingard'sSundance Film Festival selectionThe Guest (2014), anIndependent Spirit Award nominee starringDan Stevens.
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Founded |
|
| Founders | Bob Berney |
| Defunct | 2008; 17 years ago (2008) (original company) |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Key people | Bob Berney (CEO) Jeanne R. Berney (COO) |
| Parent | Time Warner (2005–2008) |
| Website | picturehouse |
Company History
editFormed byBob Berney in 2005, Picturehouse was a joint venture created byTime Warner subsidiaries,New Line Cinema andHBO Films to acquire, produce and distribute independent films.[1] Berney, who guided the acquisition, marketing and distribution ofMy Big Fat Greek Wedding andThe Passion of the Christ, among other notable releases, ran the company from its inception.[2]
Over the next two years, Picturehouse released features such asRobert Altman'sA Prairie Home Companion, starringMeryl Streep andLily Tomlin;Guillermo del Toro'sPan's Labyrinth, which was acquired at script stage and went on to earn sixAcademy Award nominations and wins in three categories;La Vie en Rose, which garneredMarion Cotillard anAcademy Award for Best Actress;[3] andSergei Bodrov'sGenghis Khan biopicMongol, a nominee forBest Foreign Language Film.[4]
In 2008, Time Warner's consolidation resulted inWarner Bros. exiting the independent business to concentrate on big-budget "tentpole" releases. This prompted the closure of marketing and distribution operations at both New Line Cinema and Picturehouse, costing 70 employees their jobs.[5]
In 2013, Berney and his wife Jeanne acquired the Picturehouse logo and trademark from Warner Bros. and relaunched the label as an independent theatrical distribution company.[6] Initial releases includedAdriana Trigiani'sBig Stone Gap, starringAshley Judd, and Christian Keller'sGloria, withSofía Espinosa.
In August 2020, the company releasedFatima, directed byMarco Pontecorvo and starringJoaquim de Almeida,Goran Visnjic,Harvey Keitel andSônia Braga. The film tells the story of a 10-year-oldshepherd,Lúcia dos Santos, and her two young cousins,Francisco and Jacinta Marto, who report having seenapparitions of theBlessed Virgin Mary inFátima, Portugal, circa 1917. Their revelations inspire believers but anger officials of both theCatholic Church and the secular government, who try to force them to recant their story. As word of their prophecy spreads, tens of thousands of religiouspilgrims flock to the site to witness what became known as theMiracle of the Sun.[7]
In September 2021, Picturehouse announced that it would releaseBecoming Cousteau, a documentary that uses previously unseen archival footage to chronicle the life and career of the adventurous oceanographer and filmmakerJacques-Yves Cousteau, who coinvented scuba diving and foretold the impact of pollution onclimate change. Directed byLiz Garbus, the film was released on October 22, 2021.[8][9]
Filmography
edit2000s
editOriginal seal, distributed byNew Line Home Entertainment andHBO Video (nowWarner Bros. Home Entertainment)
| Release Date | Title | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| July 22, 2005 | Last Days | [10] |
| September 16, 2005 | The Thing About My Folks | |
| October 19, 2005 | Ushpizin | |
| January 27, 2006 | A Cock and Bull Story | |
| April 14, 2006 | The Notorious Bettie Page | |
| June 9, 2006 | A Prairie Home Companion | |
| November 9, 2006 | Who the #$&% Is Jackson Pollock? | |
| November 10, 2006 | Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus | |
| December 29, 2006 | Pan's Labyrinth | |
| March 9, 2007 | Starter for 10 | |
| June 1, 2007 | Gracie | |
| June 8, 2007 | La Vie en Rose | [11][12] |
| August 3, 2007 | El Cantante | [10] |
| August 10, 2007 | Rocket Science | |
| August 17, 2007 | The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters | [13] |
| September 14, 2007 | Silk | [10] |
| January 11, 2008 | The Orphanage | [14] |
| February 8, 2008 | Wild West Comedy Show: 30 Days and 30 Nights – Hollywood to the Heartland | [10] |
| February 29, 2008 (DVD) | The Fox and the Child | |
| March 28, 2008 | Run Fatboy Run | |
| June 6, 2008 | Mongol | |
| July 2, 2008 | Kit Kittredge: An American Girl | |
| September 12, 2008 | The Women | [15] |
| January 20, 2009 (DVD) | Amusement | [10] |
2010s
editRevived seal, distributed byUniversal Pictures Home Entertainment
| Release Date | Title | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| October 4, 2013 | Metallica: Through the Never | [16] |
| September 17, 2014 | The Guest | [10] |
| July 17, 2015 | Gloria | |
| October 9, 2015 | Big Stone Gap |
2020s
edit| Release Date | Title | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| August 28, 2020 | Fatima | [17] |
| October 22, 2021 | Becoming Cousteau | [18] |
| August 19, 2022 | The Territory | [19] |
| November 11, 2022 | Retrograde | [20] |
| April 14, 2023 | Wild Life | [21] |
| October 13, 2023 | The Mission | [22] |
| November 3, 2023 | At The Gates | [23] |
| March 22, 2024 | Carol Doda Topless at the Condor | [24] |
| June 10, 2024 | Frank Miller: American Genius | [25] |
| October 4, 2024 | Leap of Faith | [26] |
| November 22, 2024 | Porcelain War | [27] |
References
edit- ^Thompson, Anne (March 4, 2008)."Warner Bros. shape shifts".Variety.Archived from the original on August 21, 2008. RetrievedAugust 4, 2009.
- ^Hirschberg, Lynn (December 19, 2004)."The Distribution Artist".The New York Times.Archived from the original on March 26, 2020. RetrievedApril 27, 2020.
- ^Collett-White, Mike (February 24, 2008)."French actress Cotillard shines at Oscars".Reuters.Archived from the original on September 18, 2023. RetrievedSeptember 18, 2023.
- ^McIntyre, Gina (February 6, 2007)."Del Toro's 'Labyrinth' gains Oscar momentum".The Hollywood Reporter.Archived from the original on December 17, 2019. RetrievedApril 27, 2020.
- ^Hayes, Dade; McNary, Dave (May 8, 2008)."Picturehouse, WIP close shop". Variety.Archived from the original on July 14, 2008. RetrievedAugust 4, 2009.
- ^Fleming, Mike (January 15, 2013)."The Berneys are Back with Picturehouse, and Now They've got Metallica". Deadline Hollywood.Archived from the original on March 18, 2013. RetrievedJanuary 15, 2013.
- ^Fleming, Mike (October 28, 2019)."Bob & Jeanne Berney Reopen PictureHouse With North American Rights Deal For 'Fatima'".Deadline Hollywood.Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. RetrievedApril 27, 2020.
- ^Thompson, Anne (September 1, 2021)."NatGeo Unveils Four Documentaries at Telluride, from 'Fauci' to 'Becoming Cousteau'".IndieWire.Archived from the original on September 18, 2023. RetrievedSeptember 7, 2021.
- ^Hammond, Pete (September 1, 2021)."Nat Geo Documentary Films Set To Dominate Telluride Film Festival; 'Fauci', 'The Rescue', 'Becoming Cousteau' And More To Premiere".Deadline.Archived from the original on September 9, 2021. RetrievedSeptember 7, 2021.
- ^abcdefRenner, Amy (August 26, 2023)."Picturehouse".Movie Insider.
- ^Goodridge, Mike (May 27, 2006)."Picturehouse wins US rights to La Vie En Rose".Screen Daily.Archived from the original on January 17, 2022.
- ^Grove, Martin A. (June 15, 2007)."Picture perfect launch for Picturehouse's 'Rose'".The Hollywood Reporter.Archived from the original on February 2, 2023.
- ^"The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters".Rotten Tomatoes. RetrievedSeptember 19, 2023.
- ^Billington, Alex (February 13, 2007)."Picturehouse Picks Up The Orphanage in Berlin".First Showing.
- ^"Picturehouse Picks Up Diane English's The Women".MovieWeb·. November 9, 2006.
- ^Cunningham, Todd (September 25, 2013)."'Metallica Through the Never' Rocks the Rebirth of Indie Picturehouse". The Wrap.Archived from the original on November 2, 2021. RetrievedApril 27, 2020.
- ^D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 7, 2020)."Bob & Jeanne Berney's Picturehouse Release 'Fatima' To Rise In Theaters This Summer".Deadline Hollywood.Archived from the original on May 31, 2020. RetrievedJune 19, 2020.
- ^"BECOMING-COUSTEAU"-on-Friday-Oct.-22-2021 "National Geographic Documentary Films and Picturehouse to Release Liz Garbus' "BECOMING COUSTEAU" on Friday, Oct. 22, 2021".BusinessWire. September 1, 2021. RetrievedSeptember 1, 2021.
- ^"National Geographic Documentary Films and Picturehouse Release Trailer for Two-Time Sundance Award-Winner 'THE TERRITORY'".BusinessWire. June 22, 2022.
- ^Carey, Matthew (November 7, 2022)."National Geographic Drops 'Retrograde' Trailer, Announces "Unprecedented" Release Plan For Matthew Heineman's Afghanistan Withdrawal Documentary".Deadline Hollywood. RetrievedFebruary 4, 2025.
- ^"National Geographic Documentary Films and Picturehouse Announce First Trailer and Theatrical Release of WILD LIFE from OscarⓇ Award-Winning Filmmakers Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin".Business Wire. March 9, 2023.Archived from the original on March 11, 2023.
- ^Carey, Matthew (August 31, 2023)."He Went To Convert Indigenous Islanders And Was Met With Arrows: Watch Trailer For Riveting NatGeo Doc 'The Mission' – Telluride".Deadline Hollywood. RetrievedAugust 31, 2023.
- ^Hammond, Pete (November 2, 2023)."At The Gates' Review: Miranda Otto And Noah Wyle In Tense Psychological Drama Centered On Undocumented Workers And The Family Hiding Them".Deadline Hollywood. RetrievedFebruary 4, 2025.
- ^Gilchrist, Todd (March 21, 2024)."Carol Doda Topless at the Condor Review: The Cheeky Story of a North Beach Icon Who Broke Taboos".Variety. RetrievedFebruary 4, 2025.
- ^Davis, Edward (May 23, 2024)."Frank Miller: American Genius Trailer: Comic Book Legend Gets The Documentary Treatment In June".The Playlist. RetrievedFebruary 4, 2025.
- ^Buenahora, Andrés (August 27, 2024)."Picturehouse Acquires Nicholas Ma's 'Leap of Faith' Documentary".Variety. RetrievedFebruary 4, 2025.
- ^Carey, Matthew (August 14, 2024)."Oscar Contender 'Porcelain War,' Documentary On Remarkable Artists In Wartime Ukraine, Acquired By Picturehouse".Deadline Hollywood. RetrievedFebruary 4, 2025.