Neon
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryFilm industry
FoundedJanuary 13, 2017; 6 years ago (2017-01-13)[1]
FounderTom Quinn
Tim League
Headquarters
New York City, New York
,
U.S.
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Kim Kalyka (Vice President)[2]
Number of employees
11–50 people[2]
Parent30West
Divisions
Websiteneonrated.com

Neon (stylized in all caps) is an American independent film production and distribution company founded in 2017 by CEO Tom Quinn and Tim League, who also was the co-founder of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema chain.[1] Its first film, Colossal, was released on April 7, 2017.[4][5][6] The company is best known for distributing critically acclaimed and award-winning films, such as I, Tonya (2017), Three Identical Strangers (2018), Apollo 11 (2019), Parasite (2019), Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019), Palm Springs (2020), Possessor (2020), She Dies Tomorrow (2020), Flee (2021), Spencer (2021), The Worst Person in the World (2021), All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (2022), Fire of Love (2022), Triangle of Sadness (2022), Anatomy of a Fall (2023), How to Blow Up a Pipeline (2023), and Infinity Pool (2023).[7][8][9][10] Parasite is Neon's highest-grossing film at the worldwide box office with more than $200 million.[11]

Additionally, Neon has worked with several high-profile filmmakers, for some of which the films released by the company pivoted their careers, which includes the following: Ali Abbasi, Bong Joon-ho, Brandon Cronenberg, David Cronenberg, Nia DaCosta, Sara Dosa, Julia Ducournau, Craig Gillespie, Reinaldo Marcus Green, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Harmony Korine, Pablo Larraín, Sam Levinson, Todd Douglas Miller, Brett Morgen, Ruben Östlund, Laura Poitras, Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Michael Sarnoski, Céline Sciamma, Joachim Trier, Justine Triet, and Nacho Vigalondo.[12][13][14][15][16]

As of 2019, League is no longer involved with daily operations for the company.[17]

History

During the 4th Annual Zurich Summit, Tom Quinn commented on Neon's intent to release titles that appeal to audiences who "skew under 45, that have no aversion to violence, no aversion to foreign language and to non-fiction".[18] In September 2017, the company partnered with Blumhouse Productions to manage BH Tilt.[19] In 2019, a majority stake of Neon was sold to 30West, the media venture arm of "The Friedkin Group".[20][21][22]

In 2021, Bleecker Street partnered with Neon to launch the joint home entertainment distribution company Decal, which is a standalone full-service operation that handles distribution deals on the home entertainment rights to both Neon and Bleecker Street's curated slates of features. The first film to be distributed through Decal is the Bleecker Street release Supernova in winter 2021.[3] Additionally, Decal acquired North American distribution rights to the South African horror film Gaia for a summer theatrical release, marking their first ever acquisition.[23]

Under his leadership, Andrew Brown (Co-President of Decal) oversaw the launch of Neon's home entertainment division. In 2022, Brown was promoted to President of Digital Distribution. The exec, who has served as SVP of Digital Strategy, Marketing and Distribution for Neon since 2017, also manages Neon's award-winning library, and oversees the annual FYC DVD Box Set and direct-to-consumer digital portal Neon Cinema.[24] Prior to the joint-venture, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, as well as The Criterion Collection and Well Go USA Entertainment (for Possessor where Neon and Well Go co-distributed the film), distributed Neon's titles on home media.[citation needed]

Additionally, Neon has acquired the distribution rights to four Palme d'Or winners at the Cannes Film Festival: Parasite (2019), Titane (2021), Triangle of Sadness (2022), and Anatomy of a Fall (2023); all four won consecutively.[25] After acquiring Parasite in 2018, Neon financed and distributed the film the following year in U.S. territories.[26] The film subsequently became Neon's highest-grossing film with more than $200 million at the box office and won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director (Bong Joon-ho).[11][27][28]

Filmography

Main article: List of Neon films

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Fleming, Mike Jr. (January 13, 2017). "Tom Quinn & Tim League Launch Distribution Shingle Neon for Sundance". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 5, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Neon". LinkedIn. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  3. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 11, 2021). "Neon & Bleecker Street Launch Joint Home Entertainment Distribution Company Decal". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 26, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  4. ^ Verhoeven, Beatrice (September 15, 2016). "Anne Hathaway's 'Colossal' to Be Released by Tom Quinn and Tim League's New Distributor". TheWrap. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  5. ^ Brooks, Brian (April 6, 2017). "Anne Hathaway & Jason Sudeikis Star in Genre-Defying 'Colossal' from Newcomer Neon – Specialty B.O. Preview". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  6. ^ Brooks, Brian (April 8, 2017). "Neon's 'Colossal' Bows Big; STX's 'Their Finest' Solid – Specialty Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  7. ^ Mendelsohn, Jon (August 3, 2020). "The Best Neon Films, From Palm Springs to Parasite". CBR. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  8. ^ Peters, Fletcher (February 15, 2020). "The 10 Best Neon Films to Stream on Hulu". Decider. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  9. ^ Gama, Daniela (January 22, 2023). "From 'Parasite' to 'Portrait of a Lady on Fire': 10 Best Neon Movies to Watch Right Now". Collider. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  10. ^ Accardo, Brian (March 8, 2023). "All of Neon's Horror Movies, Ranked". MovieWeb. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  11. ^ a b McClintock, Pamela (February 18, 2020). "Box Office: 'Parasite' Heads for Huge $50M-Plus in U.S. After Historic Oscar Win". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  12. ^ Weintraub, Steve (September 15, 2017). "'I, Tonya' Director Craig Gillespie on Tackling a Story You Think You Know". Collider. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  13. ^ Lang, Brent; Kroll, Justin (February 15, 2020). "'Parasite' Oscar Win Leaves Hollywood Desperate to Work With Bong Joon Ho and Neon". Variety. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  14. ^ Lodderhose, Diana (August 25, 2021). "How Tom Quinn's Indie Label Neon is Shining Bright With its Pandemic-Proof Business Model". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  15. ^ Ford, Rebecca (September 8, 2021). "How Neon, the Company Behind Parasite, Is Preparing for Its Next Big Awards Season". Vanity Fair. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  16. ^ Hutchinson, Chase (April 22, 2022). "How Céline Sciamma's 'Petite Maman' Captures the Sublime Sweetness and Tragic Loss of Youth". Collider. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  17. ^ Sperling, Nicole (November 27, 2019). "'Parasite' Has Shocked the Box Office, Helped by an Upstart Studio". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 11, 2020. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  18. ^ MacNab, Geoffrey (October 1, 2017). "How new US distribution outfit Neon is chasing younger audiences". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on June 15, 2018. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  19. ^ McNary, Dave (September 7, 2017). "Blumhouse Partners with Neon to Manage BH Tilt Label". Variety. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  20. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (September 5, 2017). "Dan Friedkin and Micah Green Name Venture: 30WEST". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 17, 2019. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  21. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (May 13, 2018). "Why Neon is the Hot New Distributor in Town — Deadline Disruptors". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 28, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  22. ^ Faughnder, Ryan (February 11, 2020). "'Parasite' Oscars are a huge win for Neon. Why the scrappy indie bet on Bong Joon Ho". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on May 27, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  23. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (March 5, 2021). "Decal Picks Up Horror Thriller 'Gaia' Ahead of SXSW Debut". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 10, 2021. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  24. ^ Grobar, Matt (November 28, 2022). "Neon Ups Andrew Brown to President of Digital Distribution". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  25. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (May 27, 2023). "Palme d'Or Whisperer Neon Makes it a Remarkable Four in a Row with 'Anatomy of a Fall' — Cannes". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  26. ^ Hipes, Patrick (October 31, 2018). "Bong Joon-Ho's 'Parasite' Lands U.S. Deal with Neon – AFM". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
  27. ^ Brueggemann, Tom (January 18, 2020). "How 'Parasite' Changed What Foreign-Language Films Can Do at the Box Office". IndieWire. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  28. ^ Chow, Andrew R. (February 10, 2020). "Parasite's Best Picture Oscar Is Historic. Is This the Beginning of a New Era in Film?". Time. Retrieved February 10, 2020.

External links

Film studios in the United States and Canada
Categories