Gramercy Pictures

Gramercy Pictures was an American film production label. It was founded in May 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 were merged by Barry Diller to form USA Films in 1999. In 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 became dormant after the release of Ratchet & Clank in 2016.

Gramercy Pictures
TypeLabel
IndustryFilm
FateCurrently dormant
SuccessorFocus Features
High Top Releasing
Founded
  • May 20, 1992 (May 20, 1992) (original)
  • May 20, 2015 (May 20, 2015) (relaunch)
Defunct
  • December 2001 (December 2001) (original)
  • 2016 (2016) (relaunch)
Headquarters,
ProductsMotion pictures
OwnerComcast
ParentFocus Features
(NBCUniversal Film and Entertainment)
(NBCUniversal)
(ultimately owned by Comcast)

History

Gramercy Pictures was formed in 1992 as a joint venture between PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Universal Pictures.[1] Gramercy Pictures released its first film, the Mario Van Peebles western Posse, in May 1993.[2][3]

In January 1996, PolyGram brought the 50% stake owned by Universal thus assuming full control of Gramercy.[4] 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).

When Seagram acquired PolyGram in 1998, the latter 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 in 1999, and later on, it sold Gramercy and another specialty division, October Films, to Barry Diller's USA Networks, which merged both companies into USA Films.[5][6] 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.

Revival

In May 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.[1]

Filmography

1990s

Release Date Title Notes Budget Gross
May 14, 1993Possedistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films$10 million$18,289,763
August 20, 1993King of the Hill$8 million$1,214,231
September 3, 1993Kaliforniadistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Propaganda Films$8.5 million$2,395,231
September 24, 1993Dazed and Confused$6.9 million$7,993,039
November 5, 1993A Home of Our Owndistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment$12 million$1,677,807
December 3, 1993A Dangerous Womanco-production with Amblin Entertainment$1,497,222
February 4, 1994Romeo Is Bleedingdistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films$10 million$3,275,865
February 25, 1994Savage Nightsdistribution only; produced by Banfilm, La Sept Cinéma and Société Nouvelle de Cinématographie$662,341
March 9, 1994Four Weddings and a Funeraldistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films$4.4 million$245,700,832
April 15, 1994Backbeatdistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment$2,392,589
May 6, 1994Dream Loverdistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Propaganda Films$256,264
July 29, 1994Foreign Student
August 10, 1994The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desertdistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment$2 million$29,679,915
September 9, 1994A Good Man in Africa$20 million$2,308,390
September 28, 1994Jason's Lyricdistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Propaganda Films$7 million$20,851,521
October 28, 1994Drop Squad$734,693
November 4, 1994Double Dragon$7.8 million$2,341,309
January 20, 1995S.F.W.distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Propaganda Films$63,513
February 10, 1995Shallow Gravedistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment$2.5 million$2,079,569
February 24, 1995Before the Raindistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment$763,847
March 17, 1995Candyman: Farewell to the Fleshdistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Propaganda Films$13,940,383
April 19, 1995New Jersey Drive$5 million$3,565,508
April 28, 1995The Underneath$6.5 million$536,023
May 3, 1995Pantherdistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films$6,834,525
August 16, 1995The Usual Suspectsdistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment$6 million$34,380,094
September 22, 1995Canadian Bacondistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Propaganda Films$11 million$178,104
September 29, 1995Moonlight and Valentinodistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films$2,484,226
October 20, 1995Mallrats$6.1 million$2,122,561
November 10, 1995Carringtondistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment$3,242,342
December 29, 1995Dead Man Walkingdistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films$11 million$83,080,768
February 23, 1996La Hainedistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment€2,590,000$309,811
March 22, 1996Jack and Sarahdistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment$218,626 (USA) $2,492,000 (UK)
Land and Freedomdistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films$228,800
April 5, 1996Fargodistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films$7 million$60,611,975
April 19, 1996Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movieco-production with Best Brains, Inc.$1,007,306
May 3, 1996Barb Wiredistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Propaganda Films$9 million$3,793,614
May 10, 1996Cold Comfort Farm$5,682,429
August 30, 1996The Trigger Effect$8 million$3,622,979
September 13, 1996Grace of My Heart$5 million$660,313
September 20, 1996Loch Nessdistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films$7 million£1,239,343
October 4, 1996Bound$6 million$3,802,260
October 18, 1996Judedistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment$7 million$409,144
December 24, 1996I'm Not Rappaport$26,011
December 24, 1996The Portrait of a Ladydistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Propaganda Films$3,692,836
January 29, 1997Gridlock'ddistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Interscope Communications$5 million$5,571,205
February 14, 1997When We Were Kingsdistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment$2,789,985
March 7, 1997The Eighth Daydistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films$416,401
April 11, 1997Keys to Tulsadistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and ITC Entertainment$57,252
May 2, 1997Commandmentsdistribution only; co-production Universal Pictures and Northern Lights Entertainment$5 million$548,562
May 9, 1997Twin Towndistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment$3.3 million$127,923
August 6, 1997Def Jam's How to Be a Playerdistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment$12 million$14,009,368
September 19, 1997Going All the Waydistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment$113,069
October 3, 1997The Matchmakerdistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films$3,392,080
November 7, 1997Beandistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, Working Title Films and Tiger Aspect Films$18 million$251,212,670
December 17, 1997Guy$4,134
February 18, 1998I Want Youdistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment$1,672
March 6, 1998The Big Lebowskidistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films$15 million$46,129,927
March 27, 1998No Looking Backdistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment$5 million$222,099
May 1, 1998Go Nowdistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment$25,695
May 29, 1998The Last Days of Discodistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Castle Rock Entertainment$8 million$3,020,601
June 12, 1998The Land Girlsdistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment$238,497
August 21, 1998Your Friends & Neighborsdistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment$5 million$4,714,658
September 25, 1998Clay Pigeonsdistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment$8 million$2,253,139
October 16, 1998Reach the Rock$4,960
November 22, 1998Elizabethdistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films$30 million$82,150,642
January 22, 1999The Hi-Lo Countrydistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films$166,082
March 5, 1999Lock, Stock and Two Smoking BarrelsU.S. distribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment; Columbia Tristar Pictures internationally distributed outside of U.S.$1.4 million$28,172,686
October 29, 1999Being John Malkovichdistributed 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, 2000Pitch Blackdistributed by USA Films; co-production with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Interscope Communications$23 million$53,187,659
March 24, 2000Waking the Deaddistributed by USA Films; co-production with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment$8.5 million$327,418
April 14, 2000Where the Money Isdistributed by USA Films; co-production with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Universal Pictures$28 million$7,243,669
August 4, 2000Mad About Mambodistributed by USA Films; co-production with Phoenix Pictures$65,283
September 8, 2000Nurse Bettydistributed by USA Films; co-production with IMF and Universal Pictures$35 million$29,360,400
November 2, 2001The Man Who Wasn't Therecopyright holder only; distributed by USA Films; co-production with Working Title Films and Good Machine$20 million$18,916,623

2010s

Release Date Title Notes Budget Gross
June 5, 2015Insidious: Chapter 3co-production with Stage 6 Films, Entertainment One and Blumhouse Productions$10 million$112,983,889
July 10, 2015Self/lessco-production with Focus Features and Endgame Entertainment$26 million$30,523,226
August 21, 2015Sinister 2co-production with Entertainment One, Blumhouse Productions and IM Global$10 million$52,882,018
January 8, 2016The Forestco-production with AI Film and Lava Bear Films$10 million$37,608,299
March 4, 2016London Has Fallenco-production with G-BASE and Millennium Films$60 million$191,094,450
April 29, 2016Ratchet & Clankdistribution only with Focus Features; produced by Cinema Management Group, Blockade Entertainment, PlayStation Originals and Rainmaker Entertainment$20 million$12,880,804

References

  1. Petski, Denise (May 20, 2015). "Focus Features Revives Gramercy Pictures Label For Genre Films". deadline.com. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  2. Staff (August 17, 1993). "In Winner's Circle; Miramax's 'Crying Game' paces indies; New Line still running strong". Variety. Reed Business Information. Off to an auspicious start is Gramercy Pictures, with its first release, 'Posse,' immediately making the chart [of largest rentals from independent distributors]
  3. "Box office information for Posse (1993)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 5, 2010.
  4. "Gramercy Sold To Polygram". Reuters. 11 January 1996 via The New York Times.
  5. "The Telegraph-Herald - Google News Archive Search".
  6. BATES, JAMES (28 September 1999). "Universal Adds Division for Specialty Films" via LA Times.
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