American motion picture finance company
Worldview Entertainment was an American motion picture finance company focused on theatrical-quality feature films for worldwide 🎉 distribution. The company produced over 20 films, including Fox Searchlight’s critically acclaimed hit Birdman, which was nominated for nine Academy 🎉 Awards, winning four Oscars, including Best Picture, and grossed more thanR$100 million in global box office revenue.
History [ edit ]
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-yearR$30 million credit facility with Comerica in 2013 to provide debt 🎉 financing for the company's films, which coincided with the infusion ofR$40 million in new equity from existing investors. TheR$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 film slate after the firing 🎉 of Christopher Woodrow 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 [ edit ]
