Gramercy Pictures

Gramercy Pictures was an American film production label. It was founded on May 20, 1992 as a joint venture between PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Universal Pictures. Gramercy was the distributor of PolyGram films in the United States and Canada and also served as Universal's art-house division. After Seagram's buyout of PolyGram, Gramercy along with October Films and Interscope Communications^[1] were merged by Barry Diller to form USA Films in 1999. On May 20, 2015, Focus Features (the current art-house division for Universal) revived the name as a label for action, horror and sci-fi genre films; the label was phased out again after the release of the film adaptation of the video game series Ratchet & Clank on April 29, 2016, and a shift from genre films by Focus Features.

Gramercy Pictures

Relaunch logo, used from 2015 to 2016
Company type	Label
Industry	Film
Founded	May 20, 1992; 33 years ago (May 20, 1992) (original) May 20, 2015; 10 years ago (May 20, 2015) (relaunch)
Defunct	1999; 26 years ago (1999) (original) April 29, 2016; 9 years ago (April 29, 2016) (relaunch)
Fate	Merged with Interscope Communications and October Films to form USA Films (original) Closed (relaunch)
Successor	Focus Features
Headquarters	Universal City, California , United States
Products	Motion pictures
Parent	PolyGram Filmed Entertainment (1992–1998) Universal Pictures (1992–1996, 1998–1999) Focus Features (2015–2016)

History

Origins

Gramercy Pictures was formed on May 20, 1992 as a joint venture between PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Universal Pictures.^[2] Gramercy Pictures released its first film, the Mario Van Peebles western Posse, on May 14, 1993.^[3][4]

On January 11, 1996, PolyGram bought the 50% stake owned by Universal thus assuming full control of Gramercy.^[5] The distributor also had box office hits in 1994's Four Weddings and a Funeral, 1996's Fargo and 1997's Bean. Several Gramercy releases of the 1990s have grown in stature to become cult classics in the present day: The Big Lebowski, Dazed and Confused, Clay Pigeons and Mallrats. In addition, 1995's The Usual Suspects won two Oscars, for Best Original Screenplay (Christopher McQuarrie) and Best Supporting Actor (Kevin Spacey).^{[citation needed]}

When Seagram acquired PolyGram on May 22, 1998, PolyGram was merged and folded into Universal; as a result, it reacquired Gramercy as it controlled Universal. In turn, Seagram sold the bulk of the PolyGram film library titles released up until March 31, 1996 to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) in 1999, and later on, it sold Gramercy and two other specialty divisions, Interscope Communications and October Films, to Barry Diller's USA Networks, which merged all three companies into USA Films.^[6][7][1] USA Films was then merged with Universal's own art-house division, Universal Focus, and transformed into Focus Features in 2002 after Vivendi Universal acquired USA Networks from Diller.^{[citation needed]}

Relaunch and second closure

On May 20, 2015, Focus Features announced that the Gramercy label has been revived to release action, horror and sci-fi genre films. Its first release was Insidious: Chapter 3 on June 5, 2015.^[2] The revived label was later phased out again following the box-office failure of the film adaptation of Ratchet & Clank (2016) and a shift from genre films by Focus Features.

Filmography

Focus Features and Universal Pictures own the distribution rights to Gramercy's films unless otherwise mentioned.

1990s

Release Date	Title	Notes	Budget	Gross
May 14, 1993	Posse[a]	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films	$10 million	$18,289,763
August 20, 1993	King of the Hill	co-production with Wildwood Enterprises and Bona Fide Productions	$8 million	$1,214,231
September 3, 1993	Kalifornia[a]	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Propaganda Films	$8.5 million	$2,395,231
September 24, 1993	Dazed and Confused	distribution only; produced by Alphaville and Detour Filmproduction	$6.9 million	$7,993,039
November 5, 1993	A Home of Our Own[a]	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment	$12 million	$1,677,807
December 3, 1993	A Dangerous Woman	North American distribution only; co-production with Amblin Entertainment and Island World		$1,497,222
February 4, 1994	Romeo Is Bleeding[a]	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films	$10 million	$3,275,865
February 25, 1994	Savage Nights	North American distribution only; produced by Banfilm, La Sept Cinéma and Société Nouvelle de Cinématographie		$662,341
March 9, 1994	Four Weddings and a Funeral[a]	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films	$4.4 million	$245,700,832
April 15, 1994	Backbeat	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment		$2,392,589
May 6, 1994	Dream Lover[a]	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Propaganda Films		$256,264
July 29, 1994	Foreign Student	U.S. distribution only
August 10, 1994	The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert[a]	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment	$2 million	$29,679,915
September 9, 1994	A Good Man in Africa[b]	North American and U.K. distribution only; produced by Polar Entertainment, Capitol Films and Southern Sun	$20 million	$2,308,390
September 28, 1994	Jason's Lyric[a]	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Propaganda Films	$7 million	$20,851,521
October 28, 1994	Drop Squad	co-production with 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks		$734,693
November 4, 1994	Double Dragon[c]	U.S. distribution only; produced by Imperial Entertainment	$7.8 million	$2,341,309
January 20, 1995	S.F.W.[a]	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Propaganda Films		$63,513
February 10, 1995	Shallow Grave[d]	North American and select international distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment	$2.5 million	$19,779,614
February 24, 1995	Before the Rain	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment		$763,847
March 17, 1995	Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh[a]	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Propaganda Films		$13,940,383
April 19, 1995	New Jersey Drive	co-production with 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks	$5 million	$3,565,508
April 28, 1995	The Underneath	co-production with Populist Pictures	$6.5 million	$536,023
May 3, 1995	Panther[a]	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films		$6,834,525
August 16, 1995	The Usual Suspects[a]	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment	$6 million	$34,380,094
September 22, 1995	Canadian Bacon[a]	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Propaganda Films	$11 million	$178,104
September 29, 1995	Moonlight and Valentino[a]	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films		$2,484,226
October 20, 1995	Mallrats	co-production with Alphaville and View Askew Productions	$6.1 million	$2,122,561
November 10, 1995	Carrington[a]	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment		$3,242,342
December 29, 1995	Dead Man Walking[a]	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films	$11 million	$83,080,768
February 23, 1996	La Haine	North American distribution only; co-acquisition with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Egg Pictures	€2,590,000	$309,811
March 8, 1996	Fargo[a]	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films Inducted into the National Film Registry in 2006	$7 million	$60,611,975
March 22, 1996	Jack and Sarah[a]	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment		$218,626 (USA) $2,492,000 (UK)
	Land and Freedom	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films		$228,800
April 19, 1996	Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie	co-production with Best Brains, Inc.		$1,007,306
May 3, 1996	Barb Wire	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Propaganda Films	$9 million	$3,793,614
May 10, 1996	Cold Comfort Farm	North American distribution only; produced by BBC Films and Thames International		$5,682,429
August 30, 1996	The Trigger Effect	co-production with Amblin Entertainment	$8 million	$3,622,979
September 13, 1996	Grace of My Heart		$5 million	$660,313
September 20, 1996	Loch Ness[a]	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films	$7 million	£1,239,343
October 4, 1996	Bound[e]	North American theatrical distribution only; produced by Dino De Laurentiis Company and Spelling Films	$6 million	$3,802,260
October 18, 1996	Jude	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment	$7 million	$409,144
December 24, 1996	I'm Not Rappaport	co-production with GreeneStreet Films		$26,011
December 24, 1996	The Portrait of a Lady	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Propaganda Films		$3,692,836
January 29, 1997	Gridlock'd	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Interscope Communications	$5 million	$5,571,205
February 14, 1997	When We Were Kings	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment		$2,789,985
March 7, 1997	The Eighth Day	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films		$416,401
April 11, 1997	Keys to Tulsa[f]	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and ITC Entertainment		$57,252
May 2, 1997	Commandments	co-production with Northern Lights Entertainment	$5 million	$548,562
May 9, 1997	Twin Town	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment	$3.3 million	$127,923
August 6, 1997	Def Jam's How to Be a Player	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment	$12 million	$14,009,368
September 19, 1997	Going All the Way	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment		$113,069
October 3, 1997	The Matchmaker	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films		$3,392,080
November 7, 1997	Bean	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, Working Title Films and Tiger Aspect Films	$18 million	$251,212,670
December 17, 1997	Guy	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment		$4,134
February 18, 1998	I Want You	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment		$1,672
March 6, 1998	The Big Lebowski	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films Inducted into the National Film Registry in 2014	$15 million	$46,129,927
March 27, 1998	No Looking Back	North American distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, Good Machine, Marlboro Road Gang and South Fork Pictures; 20th Century Fox handled International distribution	$5 million	$222,099
May 1, 1998	Go Now	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment		$25,695
May 29, 1998	The Last Days of Disco	U.S. distribution only; produced by Castle Rock Entertainment	$8 million	$3,020,601
June 12, 1998	The Land Girls[b]	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment		$238,497
August 21, 1998	Your Friends & Neighbors	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment	$5 million	$4,714,658
September 25, 1998	Clay Pigeons[b]	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment	$8 million	$2,253,139
October 16, 1998	Reach the Rock			$4,960
November 22, 1998	Elizabeth	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films	$30 million	$82,150,642
January 22, 1999	The Hi-Lo Country	distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films		$166,082
March 5, 1999	Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels	U.S. distribution only; produced by SKA Films and The Steve Tisch Company	$1.4 million	$28,172,686
October 1, 1999	Plunkett & Macleane	distributed by USA Films; co-production with Working Title Films
October 29, 1999	Being John Malkovich	distributed by USA Films; co-production with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Propaganda Films	$13 million	$32,382,381

2000s

Release Date	Title	Notes	Budget	Gross
February 18, 2000	Pitch Black	distributed by USA Films; co-production with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Interscope Communications	$23 million	$53,187,659
March 24, 2000	Waking the Dead	distributed by USA Films; co-production with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment	$8.5 million	$327,418
April 14, 2000	Where the Money Is[b]	distributed by USA Films; co-production with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Universal Pictures	$28 million	$7,243,669
August 4, 2000	Mad About Mambo	distributed by USA Films; co-production with Phoenix Pictures		$65,283
September 8, 2000	Nurse Betty[b]	distributed by USA Films; co-production with IMF and Universal Pictures	$25 million	$29,360,400

2010s

Release Date	Title	Notes	Budget	Gross
June 5, 2015	Insidious: Chapter 3	U.S. theatrical distribution only; produced by Stage 6 Films, Entertainment One and Blumhouse Productions	$10 million	$112,983,889
July 10, 2015	Self/less	studio credit; produced by Endgame Entertainment; distributed by Focus Features	$26 million	$30,523,226
August 21, 2015	Sinister 2	U.S. distribution only; co-production with Entertainment One, Blumhouse Productions and IM Global	$10 million	$52,882,018
January 8, 2016	The Forest	North American distribution only; co-production with AI Film and Lava Bear Films		$37,608,299
March 4, 2016	London Has Fallen	U.S. distribution only; co-production with G-BASE and Millennium Films	$60 million	$191,094,450
April 29, 2016	Ratchet & Clank	distribution only with Focus Features; produced by Cinema Management Group, Blockade Entertainment, PlayStation Originals and Rainmaker Entertainment; final film released before Gramercy's dissolution and only animated film	$20 million	$12,880,804

Notes

1. Owned by MGM
2. Distribution rights co-owned by Resurgence Media Group
3. Owned by Moonstone Entertainment, with U.S. distribution rights currently licensed to MVD Entertainment Group
4. Owned by Film4 Productions
5. Owned by Paramount Pictures (via Melange Pictures)
6. Owned by ITV Studios