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Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures (originally established as Buena Vista Film Distribution Company, Inc., Buena Vista Distribution Company, Inc. and Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc.) is an American film distributor owned by The Walt Disney Company. Established in 1953 as Buena Vista Film Distribution Company, the company handles theatrical distribution, marketing and promotion for films produced and released by the Walt Disney Studios, including Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, Disneynature, 20th Century Fox, Fox Searchlight Pictures and Blue Sky Studios. The division took on its current name in April 2007, which before that had been Buena Vista Pictures Distribution since 1987.

History[]

Buena Vista Pictures Distribution[]

Before 1953, Walt Disney's productions were distributed by Winkler Pictures, Powers Pictures, Universal Pictures (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit shorts), Columbia Pictures (1930–1932), United Artists (1932–1937) and RKO Radio Pictures (1937–1953).[1] However, a dispute over the distribution of Disney's first full-length movie, The Living Desert, in the True-Life Adventures series of live-action documentary featurettes[1] in 1953 led to Walt and his older brother Roy O. Disney to form its wholly owned subsidiary, the Buena Vista Film Distribution Company, Inc. (BVDC), to handle North American distribution of their own products.[2] RKO refused to distribute the film.[1] The name "Buena Vista" came from the street in Burbank, California, where the Disney Studios was located (and remains to this day). Buena Vista's first release was the Academy Award–winning live-action feature The Living Desert on November 10, 1953, along with Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom, Buena Vista's first animated release.[3] Notable subsequent releases include the foreign film, Princess Yang Kwei-Fei (Most Noble Lady), released in US theaters in September 1956,[4][5][6] The Missouri Traveler in March 1958,[3] and The Big Fisherman in July 1959 (the first third-party production financed by Disney).[3]

In April 1960, the company dropped "Film" from its name.[7] In 1961, Disney incorporated Buena Vista International (BVI),[8] distributing its first PG rated film, Take Down, in January 1979.[3] The low-budget movie was not produced by the Disney studios and was acquired from an independent studio, making The Black Hole the first PG-rated Disney film.[9] In July 1987, Buena Vista changed its name to Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc. (BVPD).[7]

Late in the 1980s, Disney purchased a controlling stake in one of Pacific Theatres' chain[10] leading to Disney's Buena Vista Theaters and Pacific to renovate the El Capitan Theatre and the Crest by 1989.[11] The Crest was finished first while El Capitan opened with the premiere of The Rocketeer film on June 19, 1991.[12]

In 1992, Buena Vista made production loans totaling $5.6 million to Cinergi Pictures for its film Medicine Man and its 1994 films Renaissance Man and Color of Night and were distributing Cinergi's films. The corporation purchased a 12.8% share in Cinergi with its initial public offering in 1994.[13] Soon, BVPD signed a 25 picture distribution deal with Cinergi.[14][15]

The Gaumont Film Company and Disney formed Gaumont Buena Vista International, a joint venture in French distribution, in 1993.[16] In August 1996, Disney and Tokuma Shoten Publishing agreed that Disney would distribute internationally Studio Ghibli animated films.[17] In September 1996, following Disney's acquisition of Capital Cities/ABC, Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc. was merged[7] into ABC, Inc.,[18] the parent company of that group.

For the November 1995 premiere of Toy Story, Disney rented the Hollywood Masonic Temple — adjacent to the El Capitan Theatre — for Totally Toy Story, a multimedia funhouse and a promotional event for the movie.[19] In July 1998, Buena Vista Pictures Distribution purchased the Hollywood Masonic Temple building to continue using it as a promotional venue.[20]

By 1997, BVPD's share in Cinergi dropped to 5%. After nine films were delivered under the agreement, Cinergi sold Disney on November 22, 1997 all of its 12 film library except for Die Hard with a Vengeance plus $20 million in exchange for Disney' Cinergi share holdings, production advances of $35.4 million and other loans.[14][15] In 2002, Disney signed a four animated film deal with Vanguard Animation,[21] however, only one film was released under that negotiation.[22]

In 2004, BVI and Gaumont dissolved their French distribution joint venture, Gaumont Buena Vista International.[16] Buena Vista International agreed to a distribution deal with MegaStar Joint Venture Company Limited in April 2006 for the Vietnam market.[23]

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures[]

In April 2007, Disney discontinued the usage of the Buena Vista brand in its distribution branding.[2] In 2012, The Walt Disney Company acquired UTV Motion Pictures through UTV Software Communications.[24] Since then, UTV Motion Pictures became the exclusive distributor for all Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures releases for the South Asian market from 2013 onward. In 2009, Disney entered a distribution agreement with a reorganized DreamWorks; the deal called for an estimated 30 films over a five-year period from DreamWorks and they would be released through the Touchstone Pictures label.[25] The distribution deal ended in 2016, after DreamWorks and Disney decided to not renew their agreement in December 2015, with Universal replacing Disney as DreamWorks' distributor.[26][27] By the end of the deal, Disney had distributed 14 of DreamWorks' original 30-picture agreement.[28][29] Disney took complete ownership of the DreamWorks II film library in exchange for loans made to that company.[30]

In October 2017, it was announced that the Buena Vista International banner will be revived by Disney in 2019 for distribution of M. Night Shyamalan's Glass, a sequel to his earlier films Unbreakable (distributed by Touchstone) and Split (distributed by Universal). Through an arrangement made with Disney, Universal will retain domestic rights to the film, while Touchstone (through Buena Vista International) will distribute in international territories.[31]

In December 2017, The Walt Disney Company announced plans to purchase 21st Century Fox, which includes 20th Century Fox, for $52.4 billion.[32]

Distribution[]

Template:Overly detailed

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures has released the most films that have crossed the $1-billion-mark (sixteen, in worldwide grosses)[33] among major Hollywood studios, with eight of the twenty highest-grossing films of all time being distributed by Disney.[34] In addition, Disney is the first of only three studios that have released at least two billion-dollar films in the same year (the others being Warner Bros. and Universal Pictures).[35][36][37] Furthermore, Disney is the only studio that has achieved this five times, in 2010, 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017—2016 of which included four $1 billion releases, a record for any studio. Three of the top five highest-grossing animated films have been released by Disney, as well as sixteen of the twenty highest-grossing G-rated films.[38] In addition, four of the top-five opening weekends were Disney releases.[39] In 2015, Disney achieved its largest yearly box-office gross worldwide and in North America.[40][41] In 2016, Disney surpassed $7 billion in worldwide yearly box-office gross—the first of any major studio—surpassing the previous 2015 record.[42]

In its 62-year history, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures has distributed 27 films that have received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Picture; four from Walt Disney Pictures, six from Touchstone Pictures, two from Hollywood Pictures, and fifteen from Miramax Films. Of those nominations, four Miramax films won the accolade; The English Patient (1996), Shakespeare In Love (1998), Chicago (2002), and No Country for Old Men (2007).[43]

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures currently distributes films from Walt Disney Studios, other Disney film units and some third-party studios including:

Walt Disney Studios[44] Active distribution deals Formerly distributed

Other Disney units
  • ESPN Films (80%)
  • UTV Motion Pictures
  • A&E IndieFilms (50%)
  • National Geographic Films
  • Mandeville Films (1996–present)[45]
  • Mayhem Pictures (2002–present)[46]
  • Lucamar Productions (2012–present)[47]
  • Plan B Entertainment (2016–present)[48]
  • Panay Films[49]
  • Regency Enterprises
  • DreamWorks Pictures (2011–2016)[25][50]
  • American Empirical Pictures (1997–2005)[51]
  • Jerry Bruckheimer Films (1993–2014; 2017)[52]
  • Cinergi Pictures (1993–1998; closed)[14][15]
  • Beacon Pictures (1996–2007)
  • DisneyToon Studios (1990-2018; closed)

[53][54]

|}
  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Disney timeline", Variety, October 26, 2003. Retrieved on June 29, 2017. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 Fixmer, Andy. "Disney to Drop Buena Vista Brand Name, People Say (Update1)", bloomberg.com, April 25, 2007. Retrieved on November 28, 2012. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 The Disney Studio Story, by Richard Holliss and Brian Sibley, 1988.
  4. Screen World 1957, Volume 8, by Daniel Blum, 1957. Page 218.
  5. International Motion Picture Almanac 1977, by Richard Gertner, 1977. Page 411.
  6. "Screen: Chinese Legend; 'Yang Kwei Fei,' Movie From Japan, Opens", The New York Times, 11 September 1956. Retrieved on 24 February 2018. (in English) “YANG KWEI FEI... released by Buena Vista Films.” 
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, INC.". Entity Information. New York State Department of State. http://appext20.dos.ny.gov/corp_public/CORPSEARCH.ENTITY_INFORMATION?p_nameid=105258&p_corpid=86298&p_entity_name=Buena%20Vista&p_name_type=%25&p_search_type=BEGINS&p_srch_results_page=1. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  8. Disney A to Z - The Official Encyclopedia, by Dave Smith, 1996. Page 71.
  9. [1] (July 28, 1980). "Disney plans show for 'older' viewers". https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1291&dat=19800728&id=3vROAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Wo0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=3767,4089601&hl=en. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
  10. Aberdeen, J. A. (2005). Hollywood Renegades: The Movie Theater Chains of the Media Giants. Cobblestone Entertainment. Retrieved September 4, 2015. 
  11. "A Chamber of Secrets", Los Angelest Times, May 2, 2002. Retrieved on September 4, 2015. 
  12. "At Age 65, the El Capitan Gets a Major Face Lift", Los Angeles Times, June 19, 1991. Retrieved on September 7, 2015. 
  13. "Company Town : Cinergi Hopes To Raise $35 Million in Stock Offering", Los Angeles Times, May 3, 1994. Retrieved on September 11, 2015. 
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 "Mouse House will absorb Cinergi", Variety, March 20, 1997. Retrieved on September 10, 2015. 
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 "Beleaguered Cinergi Pictures OKs Management Buyout", Los Angeles Times, September 5, 1997. Retrieved on September 10, 2015. 
  16. 16.0 16.1 "Columbia TriStar forges Gaumont deal for France.", Hollywood Reporter, February 3, 2004. Retrieved on September 11, 2015. 
  17. "August Issue News Section:Disney Will Distribute Japanese Animation", August 1996. Retrieved on 19 July 2011. 
  18. "ABC, INC. Burbank, CA Wysk Company Profile". http://www.wysk.com/index/california/burbank/e8pt7x3/abc-inc/profile. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
  19. "After 'Toy Story' Credits Roll, the Fun Comes Alive", Los Angeles Times, November 21, 1995. Retrieved on September 7, 2015. 
  20. "Disney Unit Buys Historic Masonic Temple", Los Angeles Times, July 17, 1998. Retrieved on September 7, 2015. 
  21. 21.0 21.1 Verrier, Richard. "Disney Pushed Toward Digital", September 29, 2003. Retrieved on 23 March 2013. 
  22. Kay, Jeremy (23 July 2003). "DPS buys into Vanguard Animation, forms co-production giant". Screen Daily. http://www.screendaily.com/dps-buys-into-vanguard-animation-forms-co-production-giant/4014286.article. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  23. "Disney's BVITV-AP brings 'Toon Disney' block to Vietnam", February 1, 2007. Retrieved on March 10, 2014. 
  24. "Disney Acquires Controlling Stake in India's UTV". The Hollywood Reporter. 1 February 2012. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disney-acquires-controlling-stake-indias-286342. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  25. 25.0 25.1 Graser, Marc. "Disney signs deal with DreamWorks", 9 February 2009. Retrieved on 20 September 2013. 
  26. "Steven Spielberg, Jeff Skoll Bring Amblin Partners to Universal", Variety, December 16, 2015. Retrieved on December 23, 2015. 
  27. "It’s Official: Spielberg, DreamWorks, Participant, eOne, Others Pact For Amblin Partners", Deadline.com, December 16, 2015. Retrieved on December 23, 2015. 
  28. "Steven Spielberg, Jeff Skoll Team to Form Amblin Partners, Strike Distribution Deal With Universal", The Hollywood Reporter, December 16, 2015. Retrieved on December 22, 2015. 
  29. "DreamWorks Studios, Participant Media, Reliance Entertainment and Entertainment One Form Amblin Partners, a New Film, Television and Digital Content Creation Company" (Press release), Business Wire, December 16, 2015. Retrieved on December 23, 2015. “Film projects in various stages of production include: 'The BFG', and 'The Light Between Oceans', scheduled for release by Disney in 2016.” 
  30. "Steven Spielberg Puts His Own Big Bucks Into the New Amblin Partners (EXCLUSIVE)", Variety, December 30, 2015. Retrieved on January 1, 2016. 
  31. "M. Night Shyamalan's 'Glass' Is 'Split 2' For Universal And 'Unbreakable 2' For Disney", Forbes, October 3, 2017. Retrieved on December 5, 2017. 
  32. "The Walt Disney Company To Acquire Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc., After Spinoff Of Certain Businesses, For $52.4 Billion In Stock" (Press release). The Walt Disney Company. December 14, 2017. https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/walt-disney-company-acquire-twenty-first-century-fox-inc-spinoff-certain-businesses-52-4-billion-stock-2/.
  33. "Box-Office Milestone: 'Zootopia' Zooms Past $1B Worldwide", The Hollywood Reporter, June 5, 2016. Retrieved on June 5, 2016. 
  34. "All Time Worldwide Box Office Grosses". Box Office Mojo. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/world/. Retrieved February 23, 2014.
  35. "'Toy Story 3' Reaches $1 Billion". Box Office Mojo. August 29, 2010. http://boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=2904&p=.htm. Retrieved May 26, 2012.
  36. "Around-the-World Roundup: 'Avengers' Reaches $1 Billion Worldwide". Box Office Mojo. May 13, 2012. http://boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3443&p=.htm. Retrieved May 14, 2012.
  37. "Universal Crosses $3 Billion at the Worldwide Box Office". GeekNation. http://geeknation.com/universal-crosses-3-billion-at-the-worldwide-box-office/.
  38. "DOMESTIC GROSSES BY MPAA RATING". http://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/domestic/mpaa.htm?page=G&p=.htm. Retrieved November 11, 2009.
  39. "'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Box Office: $248M Opening Weekend, $529M Worldwide", Forbes, December 21, 2015. Retrieved on December 22, 2015. 
  40. "‘Star Wars,’ ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ Push Disney Past $5 Billion Mark for First Time", Variety, December 21, 2015. Retrieved on December 26, 2015. 
  41. "‘Star Wars’ Lifts Disney to $2 Billion at 2015 U.S. Box Office", Variety, December 26, 2015. Retrieved on December 26, 2015. 
  42. D'Alessandro, Anthony. "Disney Crosses $3 Billion At Domestic B.O., First Time Ever For Major Studio; Global Now At Industry Record Of $7.6B", Deadline.com, January 3, 2017. 
  43. "Oscars Halftime Report: Can Animated 'Inside Out' Turn Best Picture Race Upside Down?", Deadline.com, July 1, 2015. Retrieved on July 19, 2015. 
  44. "About The Walt Disney Studios". The Walt Disney Company. The Walt Disney Studios. http://waltdisneystudios.com/corp/about. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
  45. Kit, Borys. "'The Muppets' Producer Mandeville Re-Ups With Disney (Exclusive)", 16 August 2012. Retrieved on 20 September 2013. 
  46. Graser, Marc. "Disney reups Mayhem Pictures deal", 6 November 2011. Retrieved on 20 September 2013. 
  47. "Disney Sets Rob Marshall To Direct Adaptation Of ‘Into The Woods’", January 11, 2012. Retrieved on September 5, 2013. 
  48. "Brad Pitt's Plan B, Disney Team for True-Life Immigrant Tale 'Dr. Q' (Exclusive)", The Hollywood Reporter, March 3, 2016. Retrieved on March 3, 2016. 
  49. Fernandez, Jay A.. "The State of the Studio Deals: Who's Doing What Where", October 27, 2011. Retrieved on July 16, 2012. 
  50. "Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks to Split From Disney, in Talks With Universal (Exclusive)", The Hollywood Reporter, September 2, 2015. Retrieved on September 3, 2015. 
  51. https://variety.com/1999/film/news/disney-rushmore-duo-deal-1117490533/
  52. Miller, Daniel. "Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer to end longtime partnership", 19 September 2013. Retrieved on 20 September 2013. 
  53. http://m.screendaily.com/4011571.article
  54. https://variety.com/2003/film/markets-festivals/250-million-will-light-beacon-s-prod-n-slate-1117894836/
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  56. "Disney Expands Ties With Stan Lee", ICV2.com, 2010-01-03. Retrieved on 10 April 2014. 
  57. "FORM 10-Q Quarterly Report 6/30/2014". POW! ENTERTAINMENT, INC.. August 14, 2014. http://www.otcmarkets.com/edgar/GetFilingPdf?FilingID=10152179. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
  58. Eller, Clauida (August 21, 1998). Spyglass Offers Disney Lower-Risk Deals. Los Angeles Times. Accessed on March 18, 2015.
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  61. https://variety.com/1999/film/news/deal-makes-sense-1117760020/
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  64. http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jan/20/entertainment/et-bigpicture20
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