Worldview Entertainment
Company typePrivately Held LLC
IndustryMotion Picture
Founded2007
FounderChristopher Woodrow
Defunct2015
SuccessorVendian Entertainment
Headquarters
1384 Broadway
25th Floor
New York, NY 10018
Websiteworldviewent.com Edit this on Wikidata

Worldview Entertainment was an American motion picture finance and production company focused on theatrical-quality feature films for worldwide distribution. The company produced 23 films, including Fox Searchlight ’s critically acclaimed hit Birdman, which was nominated for nine Academy Awards, won four Oscars, including Best Picture, and grossed more than $103 million in global box office revenue.

History

Worldview Entertainment was founded in 2007 by Chairman and CEO, Christopher Woodrow,[1] and Maria Cestone. Molly Conners joined the company in 2009 as COO. Worldview Entertainment signed with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) in 2010 and has since become the agency's top film finance and production client. Sarah E. Johnson, daughter of Franklin Resources Chairman, Charles B. Johnson, became a partner and investor in the company in 2011. Worldview established a four-year $30 million credit facility with Comerica in 2013 to provide debt financing for the company's films, which coincided with the infusion of $40 million in new equity from existing investors. The $70 million doubled the company's capital base.

The company's first film was William Friedkin's black comedy, Killer Joe, which it financed along with Voltage Pictures in 2010. The film premiered at the 2011 Venice Film Festival before making its North American debut at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it was sold domestically to LD Entertainment in one of the biggest sales at the festival. The film was distributed theatrically in the summer of 2012, with star Matthew McConaughey receiving a nomination for an Independent Spirit Award as Best Male Lead.

Worldview's 2012 slate included three films that premiered at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival including the Guillaume Canet crime thriller, Blood Ties, which was the biggest domestic sale at the festival, after being purchased by Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions; and James Gray's period drama, The Immigrant which was sold domestically to The Weinstein Company. The Company went on to premiere two films at the 2013 Venice Film Festival, including David Gordon Green's drama Joe, which was sold domestically to Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions. Worldview also premiered six films at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival including the West Memphis Three crime thriller, Devil's Knot,[2][3][4] which was sold domestically to Image Entertainment; and Eli Roth's horror thriller, The Green Inferno, which was sold domestically to Open Road Films.[3][5]

The company's 2014 film slate included Alejandro González Iñárritu's comedy, Birdman, with Fox Searchlight Pictures and Regency Enterprises; Zach Braff's drama Wish I Was Here with Focus Features; and Daniel Espinosa's crime thriller Child 44, with Lionsgate releasing through their Summit Entertainment banner.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2017 Tulip Fever co-production with Paramount Pictures; distributed by The Weinstein Company Directed by Justin Chadwick. Starring Alicia Vikander, Dane DeHaan, Zach Galifianakis, Judi Dench, Christoph Waltz and Cara Delevingne
2016 Rules Don't Apply co-production with Regency Enterprises; distributed by 20th Century Fox Directed by Warren Beatty, starring Lily Collins, Alden Ehrenreich, Matthew Broderick, Annette Bening, Candice Bergen, Taissa Farmiga, Chace Crawford, and Beatty.
2016 Triple 9 distributed by Open Road Films Starring Casey Affleck, Woody Harrelson and Kate Winslet
2015 Term Life uncredited; co-production with WWE Studios, PalmStar Entertainment, Wild West Films and Merced Media Partners, distributed by Focus World Starring Vince Vaughn.[6]
2015 The Intern uncredited; co-production with RatPac Entertainment and Waverly Films, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures Directed by Nancy Meyers.[7]
2015 Strangerland Executive Producer Starring Nicole Kidman, Guy Pearce, and Hugo Weaving.[8]
2014 Birdman Producer Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, starring Michael Keaton, Naomi Watts, Edward Norton, Emma Stone, Andrea Riseborough, Amy Ryan, and Zach Galifianakis.
2014 Song One Producer Starring Anne Hathaway.
2014 Wish I Was Here Financier/Producer[9] Directed by Zach Braff, co-written with his brother Adam. Starring Zach Braff, Kate Hudson, Mandy Patinkin, Anna Kendrick, Jim Parsons, and Josh Gad. Co-funded with a Kickstarter project.
2014 Child 44 Producer Starring Tom Hardy.[10]
2014 Manglehorn Financier/Producer Directed by David Gordon Green, starring Al Pacino and Holly Hunter.
2014 The Search Financier/Producer Directed by Michel Hazanavicius, starring Bérénice Bejo and Annette Bening.[11]
2013 Ass Backwards Financier/Producer Directed by Chris Nelson. Written by and starring June Diane Raphael and Casey Wilson.
2013 Blood Ties Financier/Producer[12] Directed by Guillaume Canet, starring Clive Owen, Mila Kunis, and Zoe Saldana. Remake of 2008 French thriller, Les Liens du Sang.
2013 Devil's Knot Financier/Producer Directed by Atom Egoyan, starring Colin Firth and Reese Witherspoon. Based on the true story of the West Memphis Three.[2][13]
2013 The Green Inferno Financier/Producer Written and directed by Eli Roth.[14]
2013 Joe Financier/Producer Directed by David Gordon Green, starring Nicolas Cage.[15]
2013 The Sacrament Financier/Producer Written and directed by Ti West. Presented and produced by Eli Roth.[16]
2013 Welcome to the Punch Financier/Producer[17] Witten and directed by Eran Creevy, starring James McAvoy and Mark Strong. Executive Produced by Ridley Scott.[18]
2013 Jimmy P: Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian Executive Producer Directed by Arnaud Desplechin.[19]
2013 The Immigrant Producer Produced and directed by James Gray.
2011 Killer Joe Financier/Producer Written by Tracy Letts, directed by William Friedkin, and starring Matthew McConaughey.[20][21]

References

  1. ^ "With Midlevel Pics Sizzling, Bizzers Predict A Croisette Teeming With Commercial Fare". Variety. March 9, 2013. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
  2. ^ a b Ford, Rebecca (October 7, 2013). "Image Picks Up West Memphis Three Pic 'Devil's Knot'". The Hollywood Reporter.
  3. ^ a b McClintock, Pamela; Kemp, Stuart (September 15, 2013). "Toronto: Five Lessons From the 2013 Festival". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 28, 2013.
  4. ^ McClintock, Pamela (October 30, 2013). "AFM: Stephen Gaghan's 'Candy Store' Finds Financing". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 28, 2013.
  5. ^ Siegel, Tatiana; McClintock, Pamela (September 11, 2013). "Toronto: Eli Roth's 'The Green Inferno' Sells to Open Road (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 28, 2013.
  6. ^ Kit, Borys (November 1, 2013). "Vince Vaughn's 'Term Life' Revived by QED and Worldview". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 28, 2013.
  7. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (November 7, 2013). "AFM: Worldview To Finance Hot Spec Package: Nancy Meyers To Helm 'The Intern'; Robert De Niro, Reese Witherspoon To Star". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 28, 2013.
  8. ^ Bulbeck, Pip (October 20, 2013). "Nicole Kidman, Guy Pearce and Hugo Weaving to Star in Australian Feature 'Strangerland'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 28, 2013.
  9. ^ McNary, Dave (May 24, 2013). "Zach Braff's Kickstarter Campaign Closes With $3.1 Million". Variety. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  10. ^ Kit, Borys (January 30, 2013). "Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace in Talks for 'Child 44'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 28, 2013.
  11. ^ Yamato, Jen (November 6, 2013). "AFM: Michel Hazanavicius's 'Artist' Follow-Up 'The Search' Sells To Worldview". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 28, 2013.
  12. ^ McNary, Dave (April 12, 2012). "Canet's 'Blood Ties' Gets Worldview Coin Fusion". Variety. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  13. ^ McClintock, Pamela (May 16, 2012). "Cannes 2012: Colin Firth, Reese Witherspoon's West Memphis Three Pic Gets Financed". Screen Rant. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  14. ^ Yaniz Jr., Robert (18 May 2012). "Eli Roth Directing Green Inferno". Screen Rant. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  15. ^ Savlov, Marc (September 10, 2012). "Worldview To Produce David Gordon Green's Joe'". Austin Chronicle. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
  16. ^ McNary, Dave (September 13, 2013). "Toronto: Ti West's 'The Sacrament' Gets U.S. Distribution". Retrieved November 28, 2013.
  17. ^ McNary, Dave (July 18, 2012). "Worldview To Finance McAvoy Thriller". Variety. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  18. ^ Kilday, Gregg (July 18, 2012). "IFC Nabs James McAvoy's 'Welcome To The Punch'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  19. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (October 22, 2013). "IFC Acquires U.S. On Benicio Del Toro Pic 'Jimmy P'". Deadline Hollywood.
  20. ^ "Screening Room – Killer Joe". Louisiana Entertainment. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  21. ^ Jones, Emma (June 19, 2012). "Matthew McConaughey Gets Tough With Killer Joe". BBC News. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
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