 Logo used since 2000 | |
| Company type | Joint venture |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film |
| Predecessor | United Artists International Cinema International Corporation (1970–1981) |
| Founded | 1981; 44 years ago (1981) |
| Founders | Arthur Abeles Lew Wasserman |
| Headquarters | London, England |
| Products | Motion pictures |
| Owners |
|
| Divisions | CIC Video UIP Pay TV |
| Website | uip |
United International Pictures (UIP) is ajoint venture ofParamount Pictures andUniversal Pictures that distributes theirfilms outside the United States and Canada that was founded in 1981. UIP also had international distribution rights to certainMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) andUnited Artists (UA) films when MGM was part of the venture and also distributedDisney films in certain territories until 1987. In 2001, MGM left UIP,[1] and signed a distribution deal with20th Century Fox's overseas arm. UIP formerly distributedDreamWorks Pictures releases internationally as well until late 2005.
In 2002, 2007, and 2021, the 20 countries overseas reorganized their organizations, and Universal Pictures decided to have independent distribution systems.
Paramount's early history withMCA dates back to the 1950s, when part of its talent pool worked for Paramount Pictures;Alfred Hitchcock was among the best known. In 1958, MCA purchased the pre-1950 Paramount sound feature film library. In 1962, MCA purchasedUniversal Pictures. In 1966,Gulf+Western purchased Paramount.
In a cost-cutting move, in 1970, as a result of American antitrust laws, and due to declining movie-going audiences, both Paramount and Universal agreed to merge their international operations into a new company,Cinema International Corporation, registered in England and Wales. It even operated inCanada and theCaribbean until the late 70s, when those territories were considered part of the "domestic" North American market.
In 1973,Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) closed down its distribution offices and became a partner in CIC, which took over international distribution for MGM's films; however,United Artists (UA) took over the US, Canadian and Caribbean distribution for MGM's films that time. CIC also entered the home video market by formingCIC Video, which distributed Paramount and Universal titles on video worldwide. MGM however, hadits own video unit, which later became a joint venture withCBS as MGM/CBS Home Video (later known as MGM/UA Home Video, which was later renamed to MGM Home Entertainment).
In 1981, MGM merged with UA, which had its own international distribution unit. CIC refused to let MGM drop out of the venture at the time, but let them merge UA's overseas arm into CIC, which led to the reorganization of the company as United International Pictures from November 1, 1981.[2]
In 1986,Ted Turner purchased MGM/UA, but later resold the company except for its film library, which included the pre-May 1986 MGM film and television library and the pre-1950Warner Bros. film library (which the latter was sold toAssociated Artists Productions in 1956, and got acquired by UA in 1958). After that library was acquired by Turner, UIP (through MGM/UA) signed a deal to continue distributing the pre-May 1986 MGM and pre-1950 Warner Bros. film libraries for theatrical release.
CIC's name lived on in its video division, which became directly managed as a joint venture ofParamount Home Video andMCA Videocassette, Inc. (later MCA Home Video and MCA/Universal Home Video). CIC Video survived until 1999, when Universal purchasedPolyGram Filmed Entertainment and reorganised its video division (PolyGram Video) asUniversal Pictures Video, while Paramount took over full ownership of CIC Video and merged it under its own video division asParamount Home Entertainment.
UIP also had asubscription television arm, UIP Pay TV, which distributed Paramount, MGM/UA, and Universal releases to pay TV broadcasters outside the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and the Anglophone Caribbean. In 1986,Canal+ had signed an agreement with UIP Pay TV to handle up to eighty titles for the French television market.[3] UIP Pay TV was broken up in 1997 after a 4-year investigation by the European Union, as it accused UIP as a cartel-like organisation. The pay TV rights for the films were eventually transferred toParamount International Television (later renamed CBS Paramount International Television and currently known asParamount Global Content Distribution; today, the Paramount films are distributed byTrifecta Entertainment & Media),Universal Worldwide Television (currently known as NBCUniversal International Television Distribution) andMGM Worldwide Television.
Buena Vista Pictures also had a theatrical distribution agreement with UIP since 1982 in which the latter distributed Disney and Touchstone films in Italy, Brazil and West Germany until 1987, whenWarner Bros. took over theatrical distribution of Disney material in those territories.
In 1999,Universal Pictures acquiredPolyGram Filmed Entertainment, which had its own international division. The division was promptly rebranded as Universal Pictures International,[4] and it released Universal films which would normally have been released by UIP. Only few films were released before UIP and UPI were merged, with films intended for release by UIP, namelyThe Green Mile andAngela's Ashes, instead being released by UPI.[5] The agreement came after Universal opted to renew its agreement with UIP until 2006.[6][7]
Also in 1999,MGM left UIP, opting to distribute its films internationally through20th Century Fox. Due to the studio's financial issues, the deal would last until 2010.[8] In 2018, MGM revived its distribution unit, distributing its films internationally through Universal; in 2022, Universal was replaced by Warner Bros., and then by Sony Pictures in 2025.
As the international box office started to exceed the US box office, Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures started discussions about the future of United International Pictures under Universal Pictures vice chairmanMarc Shmuger and Paramount vice-chairmanRob Friedman. Shmuger completed them withRob Moore, recently appointed Paramount Pictures president of worldwide marketing and distribution. The two firms agreed on the countries where UIP would continue operating and on a draft system to select countries where that company would take over UIP operations and the other would have to start up operations. Either may sub-distribute films in the other former UIP countries until 2009. Starting January 1, 2007, United International Pictures considerably reduced its international operations. At least 15 key countries are now directly managed separately by Universal, taking over operations inAustria,Belgium,Germany,Italy,Netherlands,Russia,South Korea,Spain andSwitzerland, with Paramount taking over operations inAustralia,Brazil,France,Ireland,Mexico,New Zealand, and theUnited Kingdom. In Russia, andCentral Partnership has taken over theatrical distribution rights of future Paramount Pictures' films at the end of 2008.[9] UIP was planned to continue in Japan, Korea, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Greece, Hungary, India, Malaysia, Norway, Panama, Peru, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand and Turkey.[10] Universal announced in November 2007 their withdrawal from UIP in South Korea to set up its own branch at the same time as the other UIP operation ceased; Paramount announced that in that country,CJ Entertainment would be the company's exclusive distributor until 2015 whenLotte Entertainment took over Paramount's films.[11] UIP president and chief operating officer Andrew Cripps[10] was hired as the head of Paramount Pictures International. In its first year, Paramount Pictures International distributed films that made the 1 billion mark in July 2007, the fifth studio that year to do so.[12]
Though theirJapanese operations were initially planned to be kept intact, United International Pictures withdrew from the Japanese market in late 2007.[13] As a result, Paramount Pictures started handling their Japanese distribution of their movies themselves until January 31, 2016, whenToho-Towa took over for Japanese theatrical distribution of their films, starting withThe Big Short on March 4, 2016.[14] Universal Pictures Japan also formed distribution alliances withTOHO-TOWA Company, Ltd. for theatrical distribution[15] and Geneon Entertainment (nowNBCUniversal Entertainment Japan) for home entertainment distribution.[16]
In thePhilippines, United International Pictures films were distributed throughWarner Bros. until 2000 (with the exception ofTwister where Warner Bros. handled theatrical distribution by themselves), when distribution switched toViva International Pictures.Solar Entertainment Corporation through its Solar Films subsidiary distributed UIP films from 2004 to 2014 andSony Pictures Releasing International later distributed them from 2014 to 2020. Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic causing its cinemas to shutting down, UIP withdrew from the local market, leading to a breakup of the company in the Philippines. In October 2021, it was announced that Universal Pictures International signed a distribution alliance with Warner Bros. for Philippine theatrical distribution of their films, starting withNo Time to Die on December 15, 2021, following its success of the alliance for Home Entertainment distribution in North America, Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, the UK, Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Japan, as well as the success of their theatrical distribution alliance in Australia while distribution of selectFocus Features titles went through a local start-up distribution company,Upstream (which reverted to Warner Bros. after Upstream's closure).[17] Paramount Pictures meanwhile, has renewed its distribution alliance with Sony Pictures for Philippine theatrical distribution of their films.
Similarly in early 2021, the BrazilianAdministrative Council for Economic Defense authorized the Brazilian distribution arm ofWarner Bros. Pictures to license Universal's releases in Brazil.[18] The first film under the new deal wasPromising Young Woman, released in Brazil in May 2021.[19]
In 2002, United International Pictures withdrew from theFinnish market. As a result, their releases in that country from that point onwards were handled byBuena Vista International Finland until 2006, when distribution passed on to national cinema operatorFinnkino.
In 2003, UIP started distributingSony Pictures films in Poland.
The company was formerly based inLondon,United Kingdom, though their operations in that country have been taken over by Universal Pictures. However, as of August 2022, they continue to directly distribute films in 15 countries,Argentina,Colombia,Denmark,France,Hungary,Malaysia,Norway,Panama,Peru,Singapore,South Africa,Sweden,Taiwan,Thailand, andTurkey. In addition, the company has distribution agreements with locally owned distribution companies in a further 47 countries.[20] One such example isBontonfilm in theCzech Republic, who previously distributed material from CIC & UIP in both the Czech and theSlovak markets.
InDenmark, UIP distributed films released by Mis. Label. InSpain, UIP distributed films released by Araba Films. InTurkey, UIP distributed most films released byWalt Disney Studios Motion Pictures through theirBuena Vista International distribution label, Fida Film, TMC Film and Film Pop.
From Universal Pictures International PH, distributed by Warner Bros., No Time To Die opens December 15 in Philippine cinemas.
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