PolyGram Filmed Entertainment: Difference between revisions

In 1986, PolyGram Pictures was relaunched as "PolyGram Filmed Entertainment". The reorganized film unit was based in England and became a European competitor to Hollywood. However, they didn't enter full US distribution or use a logo until 1992. Prior to that, PolyGram often used other US distributors for some of their films such as [[The Samuel Goldwyn Company]] (''Wild at Heart'' and ''Fear, Anxiety & Depression'') and [[New Line Cinema]] (''Drop Dead Fred'', ''Fools of Fortune'' and ''Chicago Joe and the Showgirl''). Between 1990 and 1995, PolyGram would acquire several production companies such as [[Working Title Films (UK)|Working Title Films]], [[Propaganda Films]], [[Interscope Communications]], [[Island Pictures]] and [[ITC Film Distributors Ltd. (UK)|ITC Entertainment]], among others. They also formed 2 other labels as well: [[Gramercy Pictures]] in 1992 (which was launched as a joint venture between PolyGram and [[Universal Pictures]]. It also acted as an art house label for Universal and a US distributor for PolyGram) and [[Rogue Pictures]] in 1997 (which was launched as a low budget label for PolyGram). In 1998, PolyGram was acquired by Seagram & Sons and operated until 2000 when it was shut down and folded into [[Universal Studios]]. In 1999, Seagram & Sons sold most of the pre-March 31, 1996 library to [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] and it was incorporated into their [[Orion Pictures]] library. Currently, most of the pre-March 31, 1996 PolyGram film library, including most films from Island Pictures, the entire [[Atlantic Releasing Corporation]] library (through Island), and the [[Epic Productions|Epic]] library (which PolyGram had acquired in 1997), is owned by MGM while Universal owns the rights to some pre-March 31, 1996 films (''Backbeat'', ''Before the Rain'', ''Hate'' (also known as ''La Haine''), ''The Jacksons: An American Dream'', ''Drop Dead Fred'' (in the UK only) and ''Cold Blooded'') and the rest of PolyGram's films until its disestablishment.