We literally didnt know what to do. In 2016, A24 expanded into original production with Moonlight. It also put out some of its weirder and most singular movies to date: Trey Edward Shultss micro-budget family drama Krisha; Swiss Army Man, in which Daniel Radcliffe plays a corpse; and Yorgos Lanthimoss romantic tragedy, The Lobster. In February, Robert Eggerss The Witch, which A24 bought at Sundance for one million dollars, made $40 million and became the companys highest grossing film to date (Moonlight has since surpassed it). Not like we should have paid more. The fact that we were able to sign any movies out of that office is absurd. Under the Skin reintroduced Scarlett Johansson as a killer alien from outer space (and, more jarringly, a shockingly brave improv performer). Katz: People say, Oh, Barry, why didnt you bring us Moonlight?As if that was the most obvious Best Picture! That suits a company whose websites About page consists of nothing beyond an Eadweard Muybridge plate of a cockatoo flapping its wings. They have a very good understanding of the Zeitgeist. Aizenberg: There was a week in January where we dropped the trailer of Spring Breakers. And the interns are running around trying to find a glassblower. I asked him what he wants his company to be. A24, originally a small independent movie distributor, has quickly transformed into one of the most respected and successful names in cinema production. The films backers will be made whole, its makers will get another chance at bat, and its distributors will continue to enjoy the financial solvency provided by the DirecTV dealnot to mention the $50 million line of credit the company secured last fall. And we put in Oscar statues in his hands. Theyre making people want to go to the cinema again to see this kind of stuff, rather than staying at home. We spoke with the companys friends, collaborators, and employees to make sense of how A24 became the most interesting, creative, and reliable film company of the 21st century. I felt bad that David had to be put through that. People had thought that entire part of the industry had just died. Over the past six years I have been fortunate to work with a diverse group of talented storytellers across film and TV and look forward to continuing those collaborations in my future endeavors.. People want to see movies. From It Follows to The Babadook, these horror gems didnt have blockbuster budgets. Over the past six years I have been fortunate to work with a diverse group of talented storytellers across film and TV and look forward to continuing those collaborations in my future endeavors.. A24 is an American independent entertainment company that specializes in film and television production, as well as film distribution. John. Thats completely nuts. Aizenberg: We had a couple movies in there that we tried to force into making, like, event-y theatrical, and they werent. Aizenberg: I think we knew we had something at South By. It was also that A24 was releasing these films not with a sigh and a shrug, but with panache, style, and humor: bright neon colors, guerrilla marketing tactics, and in the case of James Francos Britney Spears-loving gangster character from Spring Breakers, an actual Oscar campaign.
A24 Co-Founder John Hodges Exits - Variety Since then his contributions to growing the company have been invaluable and we cant wait to see what he does next., Added Hodges, I am incredibly proud of the company we created and of the amazing team at A24 that has been integral to its success. And it was like a snowy and rainy day, and there was a ton of traffic. Other indie labels, like Megan Ellisons Annapurna Pictures (which co-produced Spring Breakers), tend to go in the other direction, releasing a minuscule handful of movies into the currents of Oscar season in the hopes that the waters will carry them toward a crowd. Because they didnt expect the traffic. I mean, I have no idea what theyre doing, really. A24 was founded on August 20, 2012, by film veterans Daniel Katz, David Fenkel, and John Hodges. [18] In June, the company, along with Oscilloscope and distributor Honora, joined BitTorrent Now to distribute the work of their portfolio across the ad-supported service. So everyones wrapping up this gift basket that Im supposed to deliver to Megan [Ellison, one of the producers of Spring Breakers, who was on location in Pittsburgh] and say, like, This is why you should go with us. We werent doing anything like that. So I suppose the question now surrounding A24 is what Fenkel and Katz plan to make of it. That broke the film out., For Room director Lenny Abrahamson, working with A24 on his films campaign has been a dramatic change. we don't have a good idea of their yearly revenue either as the most recent stats were from 2012 estimating around $20 million, but that wasn't putting into account pure profit only the overall gross of all the films released that year. That was tough. When I arrived at A24s office, in an anonymous building so close to the western lip of lower Manhattan that it can practically taste New Jersey, my fears that the company might be growing too fast werent exactly assuaged by learning that within weeks it was moving to an enormous office closer to midtown. By surgically inserting each release into the zeitgeist, it has paved a new road for provocative, modestly sized cinema, bridging the gap between microbudget indies and monolithic studio products in much the same way Italys Autostrada A24 connects Rome to Teramo. Variety is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Photo illustration by Lisa Larson-Walker. Some dissatisfied customers later accused the marketing campaign of misrepresenting the movie as a fun adolescent romp. Katz: Yeah!
Aizenberg: Yeah. That company and the old Miramax and Fox Searchlight had a real brand and a hold on their audience. And you can really see over the past few years, it really, really hasnt at all. He booked the theaters over the phone. Worst case, youll get the trench-coat crowd. You know what the trench-coat crowd is? The gross guysand hes like, All right. Starring Splits Anya Taylor-Joy, Robert Eggers creates a world devoid of God in this thunderous and bleak religious melodrama. And, you know, partly as a filmmaker, youre like, My God! I open the curtains when Im in L.A., and everywhere I see films on billboards. And then we opened. Katz: And we were all like, You know what? You walk through that office, and there arent a lot of people that look like theyre from Liberty City, Miami. Logo by GrandArmy Photos via A24. The outfit is new enough that the same people have been working there from the very beginning, and the consistency of their titles reflects that of their tastes. And you could tell that it was in their reach. And then its like on the biggest stage, I didnt thank anybody! Prior to A24, all had worked extensively in film and production before leaving their current positions to co-found the company, originally A24 Films, which specialized in film distribution. "I'm thrilled to be joining the team at Jax,". Take the fate of John Macleans Slow West, one of the years best films, a neo-Western starring Michael Fassbender as a bounty hunter.
A24 Co-Founder John Hodges Exits | Art and Experience Cinema Not necessarily, like, to win Best Picture and ten Oscar nominations. And then you meet Barry and hear Barry talk, and its like, Of course! The films were darlingsincluding David Michds The Rover, starring Robert Pattinson; Denis Villeneuves Enemy, starring Jake Gyllenhaal; and Jonathan Glazers Under the Skin, starring Scarlett Johanssonand, by and large, box-office underperformers. And that question is the birth of fandom. David Fenkel and I have had some great conversations about film - the whole A24 team have a great and deep love for cinema. If I had to guess, Id wager that Hodges was simply ready to move on after reaching the top of the mountain winning Best Picture for Moonlight.
A24 - Wikipedia Like Under the Skin, Locke, Enemy. A24 may not yet inspire the same kind of blind devotion in theatergoers that the Criterion Collection does in home video obsessives, but its the only indie distributor that feasibly could. Katz: Harvey Weinstein called the agent and said, How could you give a Sofia Coppola movie to this new? I can only imagine. All Rights Reserved. Theres music labels I can think of as well. On the TV side, Jaxs current projects include the recently released Russian Doll on Netflix, starring Natasha Lyonne; The Other Two, which was just picked up for a second season; and the final season of Broad City for Comedy Central. Earlier this year I was drinking in a hotel bar with the head of another distribution company at a film festival.
A24 Films - Production List | Film & Television Industry Alliance Katz formerly led the film finance group at Guggenheim Partners, Fenkel was the president, co-founder and partner at Oscilloscope, and Hodges served as Head of Production and Development at Big Beach. A24 is not like other entertainment companies. I remember the thing that got him was like, Listen. [20], On February 20, 2018, A24 launched a podcast titled The A24 Podcast. And the guy asked me, Is there anything we might find suspicious in there? I said, Theres an art piece inside in the shape of a gun. And literally the entire security department was like, What is wrong with you? Long story short, it made it through. Lets go wide! For a start, it was founded on the wrong coast - New York, not Los Angeles - by three relatively young arthouse film executives, Daniel Katz, David. And then, in 08, the bubble burst, and the economic downturn probably had a little bit of impact. Hes not gonna be able to do this right now. Our first release. I think Spring Breakers really put them on the map, as far as I could tell. The story behind the studio that brought you Moonlight and It Comes At Night, as told by Barry Jenkins, Sofia Coppola, James Franco, Robert Pattinson, and the founders of A24 themselves. Maybe we werent geniuses with Spring Breakers, but we were the ones who said, Lets put it in theaters, because we could build on that. People liked Spring Breakers. He recently profiled Conor McGregor for GQ Style. And we just hounded him. With Hodges leaving, the. The deal excludes films that are already part of the Apple partnership. All three had grown up admiring the rich world of 90s independent cinema, and they noticed a void where those movies had once been. It is currently unknown if this slate of films will have a theatrical release or be exclusive to Apple's Apple TV+ streaming service. I dont think that switch in psychology is supposed to happen that dramatically, or that abruptly. Zach Baron is GQs staff writer. Well handle it! And if it works, its them; if it doesnt work, its all your fault anyway. a24. Hodges. We wanted to deliver in a meaningful way. Johnny Hodges Net Worth. In recent years, the recession and the concurrent rise of VOD streaming services have already torpedoed the midbudget movie. Heavey: People were, like, crying. Correction, Sept. 30, 2015:This article originally contained a photo of John Hodges, a film producer, rather than John Hodges, co-founder of A24. We sit in. (Make a left out of the elevators, and then a right at the cafeteria workers.). For instance, an actress. With Hodges leaving, the company behind the Oscar-winning best pictureMoonlight made it clear that no additional changes in management will be made. Despite lacking any pre-defined structure, episodes generally contain discussions around recent works of the two guests, allowing for branching discussions to other areas. Theirs is a potent brand that Ive admired for a long time, and their reputation as innovative partners to talent is second to none.. Lady Bird remains its biggest success, earning $49 million domestically to date. Sacco: We were on our way to the bathroom. Fenkel: One thing we notice is now people are saying, Oh, good job. While there is speculation in the trades that A24 may be on the block, I get the impression that sale rumors are just that rumors. You could tell that they wanted to be great. The indies can be liquid and fluid. A24 may be growing fast, but no one has displayed greater agility in navigating the waters of a business that constantly seems to be changing course.
Set in 1630s New England, a family is banished from their village and starts to unravel when their baby vanishes. Sacco: To engrave the Spring Breakers logo onto the glass-gun bong. I think what theyve understood is theres a sufficient number of people out there who want more challenging or different material. They were not the company that they are today. Katz: Some of it was probably misplaced, dont you agree? All contents 2023 The Slate Group LLC. The news of Hodges exit was abrupt, but one source said the move has been in the works for some time. No one in the office is older than 42, including co-founders John Hodges, David Fenkel, and Daniel Katz.
Poundland Birthday Gift Bags,
When Will The Roger Pro Be Available,
King Ranch Board Of Directors,
Lomo Instant Flash Not Working,
Articles A