United Artists Releasing, LLC (UAR) was an American film distribution joint venture between Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Annapurna Pictures and the successor to United Artists (UA).
Wiki English | |
Formerly | Mirror (2017–2019) |
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Company type | Joint venture |
Industry | Film |
Predecessor | United Artists Corporation |
Founded | October 31, 2017 |
Founder | |
Defunct | March 4, 2023 |
Fate | Operations folded into MGM |
Successor | |
Headquarters | West Hollywood and Los Angeles, California, United States |
Number of locations | 2 |
Area served | United States |
Key people | |
Products | Motion pictures |
Services | Film distribution and promotion |
Owners | 50% each owned by:
|
Number of employees | 230 (2022) |
Website | Official website (archived) |
Founded by former MGM CEO Gary Barber and Annapurna founder Megan Ellison on October 31, 2017, as Mirror, it operated within the offices of the headquarters of the respective companies in West Hollywood and Los Angeles in California and offered alternative services to the major film studios and streaming media companies with 10–14 films released annually. The venture rebranded as United Artists Releasing on February 5, 2019, to commemorate 100 years since the founding of United Artists. Unlike the original United Artists, MGM and Annapurna had been operated a U.S. theatrical distribution joint venture, United Artists Releasing.
On May 26, 2021, online shopping and technology company Amazon acquired MGM Holdings, the parent company of MGM, for $8.45 billion which closed on March 17, 2022, and consequentially placed UAR under the control of Amazon Studios. Amazon then folded United Artists Releasing into MGM on March 4, 2023, in a push towards cinematic/theatrical film distribution alongside their staple media releases on their video on demand service Amazon Prime Video.
American media companies Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM) and Annapurna Pictures announced the formation of a local film distribution joint-venture and a film releasing entity under the name Mirror to release third-party films in cinemas/theaters. This marked the return of MGM to domestic distribution 7 years after its closure following the 2010 bankruptcy and subsequent reorganization, in which approximately 6 to 8 films would be released commencing on March 2, 2018 with the release of Death Wish.
The initial staff of the joint venture composed of those of Annapurna's own distribution division. By January 31, 2019, the venture released eight titles in total, none of which were released under the touted Mirror Releasing banner.
The joint venture took on a name on February 5, 2019, United Artists Releasing, in commemoration of a century (100 years) of the creation of the original United Artists, with the rationale being to "better compete against the major studios, especially with respect to their tentpole films that dictate the release calendar".
Former Screen Gems executive Pam Kunath was appointed to be its chief operating officer and one of MGM's subsidiaries, Orion Pictures, added its films and staff from its distribution division to the venture. A board of directors consisting of executives from the partner companies was created to oversee the three UAR executives; Kunath, David Kaminow and president of Annapurna's distribution and marketing, Erik Lomis.
The inaugural film release post-rebrand was the 2019 stop-motion animated film Missing Link, which won the company its inaugural and only Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film.
On October 7, 2020, MGM revived the American International Pictures label for the digital and limited theatrical release of acquired films with UAR to local theaters, beginning with the 2021 film Breaking News in Yuba County.
On May 11, 2021, online shopping and technology company Amazon entered negotiations to acquire MGM's parent company, MGM Holdings, principally green-lighted by MGM board chairman Kevin Ulrich whose company, Anchorage Capital Group, is a major MGM shareholder. A week later, the proposed acquisition by Amazon was officially announced, pending local and global regulatory approvals, for $8.45 billion and completed on March 17, 2022. Later that same day, Mike Hopkins, senior vice president of Amazon Studios and Amazon Prime Video, emphasized at a town hall meeting that his company will continue to partner with its new division United Artists Releasing, which will remain in operation post-acquisition.
On March 4, 2023, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Amazon folded UAR into MGM due to Amazon's optimism of the feasibility of theatrical distribution. The announcement was on the same day Creed III was released, which is also the first film distributed by MGM itself under Amazon's ownership.
MGM/Annapurna joint-venture | ||||
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Release date | Title | Company | Co-producer(s) | International distributor |
March 2, 2018 | Death Wish | MGM | Cave 76 Productions | |
July 6, 2018 | Sorry to Bother You | Annapurna |
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August 29, 2018 | Operation Finale | MGM | Automatik Entertainment | Netflix |
September 21, 2018 | The Sisters Brothers | Annapurna |
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November 21, 2018 | Creed II | MGM |
| Warner Bros. Pictures |
December 14, 2018 | If Beale Street Could Talk | Annapurna |
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December 25, 2018 | Vice |
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Destroyer |
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February 14, 2019 | Fighting with My Family | MGM |
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United Artists Releasing | ||||
April 12, 2019 | Missing Link | Annapurna | Laika | |
May 10, 2019 | The Hustle | MGM |
| Universal Pictures |
May 24, 2019 | Booksmart | Annapurna | Gloria Sanchez Productions | |
June 21, 2019 | Child's Play | Orion Pictures | Bron Studios | |
August 16, 2019 | Where'd You Go, Bernadette | Annapurna |
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October 11, 2019 | The Addams Family | MGM |
| Universal Pictures |
January 31, 2020 | Gretel & Hansel | Orion Pictures |
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May 8, 2020 | Valley Girl | Sneak Preview Productions | ||
August 28, 2020 | Bill & Ted Face the Music | Orion Pictures |
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October 9, 2020 | The Wolf of Snow Hollow | Orion Classics |
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February 12, 2021 | Breaking News in Yuba County | American International Pictures |
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March 26, 2021 | Bad Trip | Orion Pictures |
| Netflix |
May 7, 2021 | Wrath of Man | MGM |
| Miramax International |
July 20, 2021 | How It Ends | American International Pictures | Mister Lister Films | |
August 13, 2021 | Respect | MGM |
| Universal Pictures |
August 20, 2021 | Flag Day |
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October 1, 2021 | The Addams Family 2 |
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October 8, 2021 | No Time to Die |
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November 24, 2021 | House of Gucci |
| Universal Pictures | |
November 26, 2021 | Licorice Pizza |
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February 18, 2022 | Dog | |||
February 25, 2022 | Cyrano |
| Universal Pictures | |
May 13, 2022 | On the Count of Three |
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July 22, 2022 | Anything's Possible | Orion Pictures |
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July 29, 2022 | Thirteen Lives | MGM |
| Limited theatrical release only with streaming release by Amazon Studios on Amazon Prime Video |
August 26, 2022 | Samaritan | Balboa Productions | ||
Three Thousand Years of Longing |
| FilmNation Entertainment | ||
September 9, 2022 | About Fate | American International Pictures |
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October 14, 2022 | Till | Orion Pictures |
| Universal Pictures |
November 18, 2022 | Bones and All | MGM |
| Warner Bros. Pictures |
December 23, 2022 | Women Talking | Orion Pictures |
| Universal Pictures; final UAR release |
Official website (archived)
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