United International Pictures: Difference between revisions

{{PageCredits|description=Supermarty-o and TheLogoFan2004|capture=Logoboy95, Eric S., Sagan Blob, and EnormousRat|video=Eric S., DJ_Arkangel, EnormousRat, Logo Archive and LogicSmash}}

'''United International Pictures''' ('''UIP''') is a joint venture of [[Paramount Pictures]] and [[Universal Pictures]] that was founded to distribute some of the two studio's films theatrically outside the United States (including territories), Canada and the Caribbean Basin. It also had rights to distribute films from [[DreamWorks Pictures]] (which had international releases handled by UIP through Universal from 1997-2005 and later would be owned by Viacom from 2005-08) and independent filmmakers. The company was formed in 1981 after [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios|MGM]] purchased [[United Artists|UA]] and merged its international distribution and sales arm with what was then called "[[Cinema International Corporation]]", who once had a video division, [[CIC Video]]; with releases after November 1 that year falling under the UIP banner. However, UIP did not begin using a logo until the year after it was formed in 1982. [[The Walt Disney Company|Walt Disney]]/[[Buena Vista International]] continued their distribution deals with UIP (Paramount) in Italy until 1991 (when it began using [[Sony Pictures Releasing International|Columbia Tri-Star]] as an Italian outlet for its titles), and in such nations as Turkey and Brazil. BVI also distributed UIP releases in Finland until 2006 when [[Finnkino]] took over distribution from BVI in that region. UIP also co-financed and distributed Denzel Washington's 1989 film, ''For Queen and Country'', with [[The Rank Organisation|Rank]], and in the late 80s, UIP also formed the organization which would later become [[UCI Cinemas]] together with [[United Artists Theatres]] and [[AMC Theatres]]. When DreamWorks Pictures was founded in 1994 that studio was added to UIP's release slate, due to its distribution arrangement with Universal, and when [[Orion Pictures]] was purchased by MGM in 1997, it was also added to UIP's distribution slate (most Orion titles were distributed by other companies such as Rank and [[Svensk Filmindustri]] at that time; because of this the only title UIP released from Orion was ''Storefront Hitchcock'', released in 1998).

In November 2000, MGM, one of the original founders, left UIP, and its international theatrical distribution rights were assumed by 20th Century Fox, with MGM's final release under the UIP banner being ''Return to Me'' a few months prior in June 2000. At the start of 2007, the company was split up between Paramount and Universal in certain territories. In France, Mexico, Brazil, and the UK, United International Pictures was renamed to "Paramount Pictures". In Germany, Italy, and other countries, United International Pictures was renamed to "Universal Pictures". Currently, the company continues to operate in smaller countries such as Argentina, Denmark, Turkey, South Africa, Hungary, and Malaysia (thanks to a 2010 reorganization). UIP has also distributed a number of local productions in several countries.

* In the UK and Ireland, if you go to see a 35mm screening of a Universal/Paramount/DreamWorks movie from 2003-2007, this logo will appear before it - it was seen before 35mm showings of ''Serenity'' and ''Team America: World Police'', and was also seen on a 35mm print of ''Shrek 2''.

* The long version can be seen on US iTunes and Amazon Prime print of the 2014 Argentinian movie ''Delirium''.

* Starting in 2010, the shortened version of this logo can be found on trailers of movies uploaded by the official UIP YouTube account in certain regions; though this may not be the case for post-2018 releases.

* It possibly also appears on Japanese theatrical prints of ''The Great Wall'' (2016), and on Turkish theatrical prints of ''Bad Cat''.

In mid-2007, the UIP branding was retired in most countries and films go through Paramount Pictures International or Universal Pictures International Entertainment. However, the company was reorganized in 2010 and currently distributes films in some smaller nations outside of the US, such as Turkish prints of BVI releases, whom UIP has a deal with in the said country, and theatrical prints of [[Sony Pictures Releasing International|Sony Pictures]] films in Argentina and Poland.