I won, I think, L.A. Film Critics and maybe one other. And they even never uttered the words, What would it be like in a cheaper state? This is a growing company, not a struggling one. Good A24 films anticipate the zeitgeist, and the best ones galvanize it. With Hodges leaving, the company behind the Oscar-winning best pictureMoonlight made it clear that no additional changes in management will be made. But I think she saw this, and it hijacked her image and personality, and we didnt ask her. [9], The company began its distribution of films in 2013. The deal excludes films that are already part of the Apple partnership. On the most literal level, an A24 film is budgeted from anywhere between $1 million (Obvious Child) and $20 million (A Most Violent Year). By the end of its opening weekend, it had raked in more money than all of Korines other films combined. Yes, Scream VI Marketing Is Behind the Creepy Ghostface Sightings Causing Scares Across the U.S. David Oyelowo, Taylor Sheridan's 'Bass Reeves' Series at Paramount+ Casts King Richard Star Demi Singleton (EXCLUSIVE), Star Trek: Discovery to End With Season 5, Paramount+ Pushes Premiere to 2024. The company said he will exit to focus on future opportunities, but did not clarify beyond that statement. Which, if you look two years back, theres just no way in hell anybody would have thought that A24 would finance a film like Moonlight and release it in the way they did, to the tune of a Best Picture and $55 million in international box office. The best scares always come from unexpected places. I think my sisters still only seen one A24 movie: Spring Breakers. The companys expansion into film is a natural progression as the company continues to produce scripted and non-scripted television as well as stand-up comedy specials. It was such an out-of-body experience. Filmmakersoften the toughest audiences for their own films marketing campaignsrecognize the companys real excitement for their films. The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Fenkel: And then I started saying, No way. Theyre just on it. Contrast that with its embrace of every grimy detail of demented dubstep nightmare Spring Breakers, for which the company went so far as to mount a sincere consider this sh*t awards campaign for James Franco. John has been a trusted partner who helped conceive A24 and for that we will always be grateful, A24 noted. NetWorthSpot.com's industry expertise thinks A24's net worth at $1.89 million, but A24's finalized net worth is still being verified. In recent years, the recession and the concurrent rise of VOD streaming services have already torpedoed the midbudget movie. And I was with a bunch of friends, and we were in the south of Italy, and we were driving into Rome and I kind of had this moment of clarity. The End of the Tour freed Jason Segel from the succubus of network sitcoms by allowing him to inhabit the image of an iconic American writer. This fall A24 enters the awards race in a serious way for the first time, with two movies: the accessible David Foster Wallace biopic The End of the Tour, and the Brie Larsonstarring literary adaptation Room, which recently won the coveted Peoples Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. You lost. David Fenkel (co-founder, A24): We find movies [for which] our perspective, our system, our people, can act to make it something special. Or a director. And the interns are running around trying to find a glassblower. 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. In between, A24 went from being a tiny, disorganized room of eight or so people to being the place where big stars like Robert Pattinson and Scarlett Johansson go to make small, strange movies, and auteurs like Jonathan Glazer and Denis Villeneuve go to make deeply personal films unmolested by studio notes or clueless executives. Steven Soderbergh retired. Spike Lee turned to Kickstarter. Zach Baron is GQs staff writer. That was the first time it screened for U.S. audiences. 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. Fenkel: Look at The Witch. The question with any company that lavishes attention and resources upon a modest amount of product is, of course, where does the money come from? 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). Like Under the Skin, Locke, Enemy. TV production powerhouse Jax Media is expanding into film and tapped John Hodges, one of the founding partners of A24, as its new head of film. Kapadia: Theyve won Best Picture. John has been a trusted partner who helped conceive A24 and for that we will always be grateful, noted A24. Katz: I always had dreams of [starting a company]. Franco: I remember the South by Southwest festival, the screeningit was like a rock concert. Im glad it all worked out. Correction, Sept. 30, 2015: This article originally contained a photo of John Hodges, a film producer, rather than John Hodges, co-founder of A24. Jeanie Igoe (production, A24): None of us really knew what we were doing. When your business model is predicated on treating each movie like an event, how do you get bigger without changing who you are? Katz came from a film finance group, while Fenkel and Hodges both left positions at other independent film companies. Coppola: That was the worst. Place Beyond the Pines, wed worked with the producers before. But if it is, a monastic degree of focus will be required to recognize which A24 titles might fare better on VOD. Annapurna Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection, Moonlights Mahershala Ali Picks His Own Oscar Winners. But what happens when the titles involved in this deal get bettera lot better? Fenkel: And we did this, like, illegal Tinder stuff. In this newly created role, Hodges will be tasked with overseeing and growing all of Jax Medias film projects. So everything had to be explained to me, and by the time it was explained, it was over. (Joy, Annapurnas only 2015 title, arrives in theaters on Christmas Day.). I was like, Fuck yeah!, Sacco: I think its inspiring and motivating to a younger generation: Oh, that movie cost this, and it did this. Dave Franco & Alison Brie Take a Couples Quiz, Heres a First Look at Daniel Lees Burberry, Bubba Wallace and Daniel Suarez Are Shaping NASCAR's Future, Inside Daniel Lee's Burberry Debut, London Fashion Week's Biggest Show. Eggers: People always want to do bigger and better the next time, you know? You get a movie with them and it represents something. So Im showing up to the airport with no luggage and a cardboard box with duct tape wrapped around it. Jenkins: I dont know if [Moonlight] was a glittering jewel of a project. And she said it sucked. Garland: Under the Skin is exactly the kind of movie that you would not see distributed by a major studio. Its exciting. They have a very good understanding of the Zeitgeist. And you could tell that it was in their reach. It wasnt going to get lost in the shuffle. You know more than me.. The photo has been . Correction, Sept. 30, 2015:This article originally contained a photo of John Hodges, a film producer, rather than John Hodges, co-founder of A24. 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. Larson: I couldnt be more grateful for an experience that changed the course of my life and career immeasurably. No additional changes in management will be made, said A24, which will continue to develop and produce a growing slate of content across film and television. Please, just let those two!. But it was word of mouth. James Ponsoldt (director, The Spectacular Now, The End of the Tour): Ive heard people refer to Miramax. And I remember hearing she was really upset. 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 so anytime you speak with someone whos not a pure accountant, is not a pencil pusher? I think we lost control. [27], A24 distributes and produces around 18 to 20 films a year. As one of the founding members of the New York-based company, Hodges played a key role. Its super inspiring. And [my producer] kept saying it, and I kept thinking, Okay, at some point Ill figure out what hes talking about. Tinder was yelling at us. (Make a left out of the elevators, and then a right at the cafeteria workers.). Youre incredible. We tried to put together a slate in, like, four months, as opposed to just really growing it, building it in the right way. Gif excerpt from the film Ex Machina via A24 Films. Fenkel: We had a meeting. So, um, well done, A24! Heavey: He didnt really use a computer. And it was like a snowy and rainy day, and there was a ton of traffic. Jenkins: We shot for five weeks, and they came down during the first week. Jennifer Kents drama is a psychological heavyweight that examines how parents feed their demons to quell the pain. I just And I think it is down to companies like A24. The Rover found a mentally deficient Robert Pattinson singing Keri Hilsons Pretty Girl Rock in the deserts of post-apocalyptic Australia. And Im not saying theyre magicians. March 3, 2018. Rather than focusing on acquisitions, as was its early strategy, A24 is now producing its own movies, as well as its own podcast. When your audience does the work for you. So, how much is Johnny Hodges . Stay plugged in to the industry with our free newsletter. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE|SUBSCRIBE|CONTACT. The world opened itself up. And it satisfied something they werent getting. Katz: Some of it was probably misplaced, dont you agree? Noah Sacco (head of acquisitions and production, A24): I think some of our biggest movies had no stars in them at the time of releaseEx Machina, Moonlight, The Witch, Room, The Spectacular Now. You know what? Trench coat was enough. Katz: In LAwhatever just transpired last month, you feel it in LA. I actually tied with Jared [Leto], who obviously won the Oscar that year, for L.A. Film Critics. And suddenly its all over, and you think, Of all people, I knew the most about my film, so why was I was on the periphery of its release? But working closely with A24 throughout Rooms pre-release has altered his philosophy on film marketing: I used to think that the publicity process was both morally questionable and smoke and mirrors, that it was one of those invented jobs. For a medium-size film to succeed without a marketing blitz twice the size of its production budget, its not enough for it to be goodit has to have a hook. All contents 2023 The Slate Group LLC. I love Moonlight, said as much before it won the Oscar, and Ill say it again now - I showed it to my daughters early and they loved it. Sacco: I used to think seeing people faint was what happened in movies. 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. Leave it to Jim Jarmusch to make the coolest vampire movie ever. His relationship with talent and creators is exceptional and we look forward to having him make Jax his new home.. John Hodges (co-founder and co-head of TV, A24): It was one of those conversations where it was always like, How would we do it differently? And it was usually fueled by beer and things scribbled down on napkins and a lot of bravado. Set in 1630s New England, a family is banished from their village and starts to unravel when their baby vanishes. To revisit this article, select My Account, thenView saved stories. Fenkel: I was at the Union Square theater, and they couldnt have had enough theaters. Villeneuve: If my memorys good, I was amongst their, not their first movies, but they were a young company at the time. All the actors had taken the risk. Fenkel: I remember we were just getting to know Scott Rudin. Moonlight we hadnt seen yet. But I think in experiences since then, doing mid-budget or relatively low-budget movies, if you try to do a toned-down version of thatIve just seen it not work, again and again and again. I think when we started [2016], it was another, like, what Id consider a building year. [10] The company's first theatrical release was Roman Coppola's A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III, which had a limited release. A24 co-founder John Hodges is exiting the indie companyto focus on future opportunities, he and the company jointly announced on Monday. II was tasked. Franco: All the distributors knew it was great. Anything in between is dead in the water. A24s initial funding came via an infusion of capital from Guggenheim Partners, the investment firm at which Katz previously oversaw film financing. You know what? We werent doing anything like that. But I do remember finally looking over, because I didnt know where they were sitting, and I spotted Dan Katz and Dave Fenkel, and, man, the smile on their faces! 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. Beyer: I think the operating principle was, Dont ask for permission. An A24 film has an affinity for subverting a celebritys established persona. Like, you believe in something, you fall in love with it, and then you work for three months on trying to make it work. Prior to joining Jax in 2019, John was a founding partner of A24, where he helped oversee acquisition and distribution on some of the company's roster of more than 70 films, which includes Spring Breakers, Ex Machina, Amy, Lady Bird, and Best . Usually you talk to somebody and they tell you all the reasons they shouldnt make something, and why its so difficult. But youre in a tuxedo and everyone around you is older and theyre quiet Jenkins: It sucks, man, because of how it happened, none of us thanked them! Since then his contributions to growing the company have been invaluable and we cant wait to see what he does next., Hodges said in a statement, I am incredibly proud of the company we created and of the amazing team at A24 that has been integral to its success. People had thought that entire part of the industry had just died. A24 has also been nominated and won many Golden Globes, British Academy Film Awards, and Critics' Choice Movie Awards. That was 2013. It could be the CEO or an intern.. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. But in a shift from its typical way of doing business, A24 acquired Room based on its script, before shooting had even begun. Thus far, A24 hasnt made any of the movies its released, but its made all of them A24 movies. Hodges: I started my career at USA Films, which became Focus Features. In September 2013, A24 struck a partnership valued up to $40 millionwith satellite television provider DirecTV. The company is behind instant fan favorites like Uncut Gems, Ladybird, The Lighthouse, and Everything Everywhere All at Once. The next day it was like, Anythings possible.. Im dying. Sasha Lane (actress, American Honey): They were like, You guys are who you are and were not going to change that. No one had to be perfected for anything. How do we get Spring Breakers? And then Noah got Spring Breakers. Here's who: Daniel Katz, David Fenkel, John Hodges and James Schultz. Like, standing ovation, fucking applause in the middle of the movie. It wasnt disrespectful. No one cared about our language or our clothes. [8] In October 2012, Nicolette Aizenberg joined as head of publicity from 42West where she was senior publicity executive. The company, improbably, was based in New York, not Los Angeles. John. Karyn Kusama is a rapidly rising female director, and for good reason. 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. And weve been so consistent about thanking them. Lady Bird remains its biggest success, earning $49 million domestically to date. Slate is published by The Slate Group, a Graham Holdings Company. They just need to know how it feels.. Like, no way in hell. And we still have a great relationship now. So whos to say that, you know, A24 wont become Warner Brothers five years from now? The fact that we were able to sign any movies out of that office is absurd. As of 2023[update], the company's films had received a total of 49 Academy Award nominations. 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. When I was explaining to people what I was doing, it felt like a political campaign. Kapadia: There were other films that had a lot more money in their campaign and were everywhere. And, I mean, there was one moment in the movie when my character was booed and hissed so vociferously, I felt as though I was in a Roman arena and my life was at stake. Sacco: Youre not like, Oh, we got a Best Picture winner! Youre just like, Oh, we got a great movie.. If the cost of helping great movies find their theatrical audiences and lure them into theaters is to release other great movies that audiences have to find for themselves, thats probably a price most of us are willing to pay. So when I saw that, I was like, Okay, those guys, they know what they are doing.. Fenkel: It actually went very well, for what the movie was. You walk through that office, and there arent a lot of people that look like theyre from Liberty City, Miami. And so with [The Rover], they took that into account, and instead of blowing loads of money, [they did] more targeted marketing and also really sophisticated online campaigns and stuff. You want to have a grown-up conversation about the best way to get your work to the people who would spend money to see it, Abrahamson concludes. Starring Kate Berlant + John Early, "A24 Open Doors For Film Production, Finance, And Production - Movie City News", "The rise and rise of A24, a champion of storytelling on screen", "A24 Teams With Plan B & Adele Romanski To Produce And Finance Barry Jenkins', "A24 Tops All Other Single Movie Studios With 18 Oscar Nominations, Taking a Victory Lap 10 Years in the Making", "Hollywood, Disrupted: Inside the Scrappy Film Company that Made "Moonlight" and "The Witch", "Upstart Distributor A24 Is Making Indie Films Exciting Again", "Nicolette Aizenberg Joins A24 As Head Of Publicity", "A24: the brains behind 'The Bling Ring' zing", "Amazon Prime, A24 Announce Exclusive Multi-Year Streaming Deal", "Sasha Lloyd Takes Top International Post At A24", "A24 Says It Will Boost Film And TV Operations With Raise in Bank Credit Line", "A24 To Handle 'Swiss Army Man' Global Release In Company's First World Rights Move; New U.S. Release Date Update", "A24, Oscilliscope, Honora Join New BitTorrent Now Program", "A24 Lands Sundance Film 'Menashe;' First Foreign Language Film For 'Moonlight' Distributor", "The A24 Podcast by A24 on Apple Podcasts", "A24 Founder John Hodges To Part Ways With The Company", "Apple Taps A24 to Produce Slate of Films", "Showtime Networks Inks Output Film Deal With A24", "Indie Film and TV Studio A24 Explored Sale With $3 Billion Asking Price (EXCLUSIVE)", "The Highest Grossing A24 Movies Of All Time", "Netflix Wins A24 Series Package 'Beef' With 'Minari' Oscar Nominee Steven Yeun & Ali Wong From Creator Lee Sung Jin", "A24 Checks in to VivziePop's Hellish 'Hazbin Hotel', "check in at hazbinhotel.com #hazbinhotel", "Suzanna Son Joins The Weeknd & Lily-Rose Depp In 'The Idol' As HBO Hands Music Industry Drama Series Order", "Ramy Youssef Amazon Animated Series Sets Main Cast, Including Alia Shawkat, Mandy Moore, Chris Redd (EXCLUSIVE)", "Jodie Comer To Star In Series Adaptation Of Jen Beagin's Sex Therapy Novel 'Big Swiss' For HBO From A24 & Adam McKay's Hyperobject Industries", "Janelle Mone To Star As Icon Josephine Baker In A24 Series 'De La Resistance'; Streamers In The Hunt For Buzz Package", "Emma Stone's Fruit Tree, A24 to Develop 'Flicker in the Dark' Series at HBO Max (EXCLUSIVE)", "A24 Boards Shane Meadows' BBC Drama 'The Gallows Pole,' George MacKay Among Cast", "A24 Teams With Judith Godrche And ARTE For TV Comedy Series 'Icon of French Cinema', "Amazon Pilots Shoplifting Comedy 'Lifted' Starring Ivy Wolk, Veronica Taylor, Kate Godfrey & Annie Marie Elliot From Liza Mandelup, Mary Bronstein & A24", "A24, Square Peg to Develop Adrian Tomine's 'The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist' as TV Series (EXCLUSIVE)", "A24 Wins Hot Novel 'Memorial' By Bryan Washington For TV Division", "Greta Lee To Star In, Write & EP Series Adaptation Of Cathy Park Hong's Book 'Minor Feelings' With A24", "A24 Sets Kelly Reichardt and Michelle Williams Reunion, Plus Amy Adams TV Project", "Robby Hoffman Comedy 'Rivkah' In Works At Showtime", "Rashida Jones To Headline Dark Comedy Series 'Sunny' Ordered By Apple TV+ From A24", "Michelle Buteau Lands Comedy Series 'Survival Of The Thickest' At Netflix As Part Of Expanded Relationship", "Robert Downey Jr. To Co-Star In Drama Series Adaptation Of Viet Thanh Nguyen's 'The Sympathizer' For HBO And A24; Park Chan-wook Directing", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A24&oldid=1142754185, This page was last edited on 4 March 2023, at 05:10.
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