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Like, you believe in something, you fall in love with it, and then you work for three months on trying to make it work. It specializes in film distribution, and film and television production. In the last few years, there have been a spate ofindie horror films that have broken into the mainstream. I go, Huh., It Sucks, Man. You know what? Trench coat was enough. You walk through that office, and there arent a lot of people that look like theyre from Liberty City, Miami. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. They became better known after picking up the U.S. rights to Ex Machina and Room, and worldwide rights to The Witch, growing substantially since then. And David cannot stop perspiring. "I'm thrilled to be joining the team at Jax,". Not heyday. [16] The company, with cooperation from Bank of America, J.P. Morgan & Co. and SunTrust Banks, also raised its line of credit from $50 million to $125 million a month later to build upon its operations. 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. Stay plugged in to the industry with our free newsletter. A vital piece of work far too delicately perverse to have sustained a theatrical run, it was the ideal choice to launch the program. James Ponsoldt (director, The Spectacular Now, The End of the Tour): Ive heard people refer to Miramax. Fenkel: More than 50 percent chance La La Land. So, how much is Johnny Hodges . A24 also released 2017s Lady Bird, an acclaimed coming-of-age story from Greta Gerwig, picking up a best picture nod. There is no Tinder for Room! Then he had this very high-tech, nuanced process, which was printing out a spreadsheet, and then when he would book a theater, he would write it down on the spreadsheet, and then when the spreadsheet was full, hed push it over from his desk to my desk. On the TV side, Jaxs current projects include the recently released Russian Doll on Netflix, starring Natasha Lyonne; The Other Two, which was just picked up for a second season; and the final season of Broad City for Comedy Central. Garland: Under the Skin is exactly the kind of movie that you would not see distributed by a major studio. Memphis, Tennessee, United States. Johns experience and taste is evident in the films he has developed and produced over the years. Hes not gonna be able to do this right now. Our first release. It was our first Sundance all together. Photo illustration by Lisa Larson-Walker. See what happens.. Katz: People say, Oh, Barry, why didnt you bring us Moonlight?As if that was the most obvious Best Picture! Moonlight we hadnt seen yet. Sacco: Its sobering and motivating in a different way. Of the 174 million impressions that the movie made in the weeks leading up to its debut, 49 percent were organic, meaning that you were just as likely to learn about a new Harmony Korine film from your weird aunts personal page as you were from a promoted update in your news feed. Signed on as producer beginning with the third season. And they were like the third guy at the company. David Fenkel (co-founder, A24): We find movies [for which] our perspective, our system, our people, can act to make it something special. The optimistic way to view this situation is that A24 is getting much better at buying good movies for its DirecTV deal, rather than filler like Barely Lethal. Lets run there. They entered into deals with DirecTV Cinema and Amazon Prime in late 2013, with some films distributed through them, and the name was changed to A24 in 2016.[3]. As one of the founding members of the New York-based company, Hodges played a key role in putting A24 on the map, culminating with last years best picture winner, Moonlight, just five years after it was launched. When you can get a distribution company that likes the film for the same reasons that people that made it like the filmIve found that rare. We spoke with the companys friends, collaborators, and employees to make sense of how A24 became the most interesting, creative, and reliable film company of the 21st century. Gif excerpt from the film Slow West via A24 Films. I think he would say something now. (He won the Los Angeles Film Critics Association award for Best Supporting Actor). I didnt think it was terrible. While there is speculation in the trades that A24 may be on the block, I get the impression that sale rumors are just that rumors. raised the Oscar at them. With Hodges leaving, the company behind the Oscar-winning best pictureMoonlight made it clear that no additional changes in management will be made. This is a growing company, not a struggling one. It was like two hours before, and they were like, Hes not gonna make it. Trey Edward Schultz's moody, atmospheric thriller plays on our country's present division and how mistrust in others can come back to harm us. Were gonna get there on time. Coppola: I was a little nervous about not going with a company that I knew had a track record, but I knew that they were going to really do their best. The filmmakers were like, I made a good movie. Hodges has been an integral part of the studio since its inception in 2012. [18] In June, the company, along with Oscilloscope and distributor Honora, joined BitTorrent Now to distribute the work of their portfolio across the ad-supported service. We saw the red envelope. The latest is Hereditary, the debut film of Ari Aster that premiered at Sundance and is quickly earning a reputation as one of the scariest movies ever. YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. So everyones wrapping up this gift basket that Im supposed to deliver to Megan [Ellison, one of the producers of Spring Breakers, who was on location in Pittsburgh] and say, like, This is why you should go with us. Jenkins: What theyre doing is so fluid and free-form that two years from now, it could be quite different than it was two years ago. The company said he will exit to focus on "future opportunities," but did not clarify beyond that statement. Sacco: We probably saw 20 versions. And I think thats the main thing, Id say. A24 Apr 2012 - May 20186 years 2 months Head of Production and Development Big Beach Films 2008 - 20124 years Greater New York City Area Development and Production Executive Michaels Goldwyn. And weve been so consistent about thanking them. But I feel that the fact that it was their first filmthere was a lot of idealism around the process. We allowed them to come on set to see what was happening, and they in turn were sharing their release plans and their marketing materials, and we were commenting on that. That shift points to a greater move afoot at A24, as the company begins to develop its own projects from within. Mahershala Ali (actor, Moonlight): I definitely have a lot more opportunity right now than Ive ever had before. Franco: I actually did win some awards. But then when we started to screen the film at Sundance and saw the audience reactions, it was clear that there was a much larger audience for this movie than any of us thought. Were good. Pattinson: Theyre definitely the place to be now. This monster slowly stalks you when you sleep with the wrong person, and the only way to pass it on is to bed another partner. But youre like, Why didnt other people see that? I have no idea. Filmmakersoften the toughest audiences for their own films marketing campaignsrecognize the companys real excitement for their films. Like, there was one that was like the shotit was [Francos character] Alien with the two girls, and hes holding machine guns or something. When I arrived at A24s office, in an anonymous building so close to the western lip of lower Manhattan that it can practically taste New Jersey, my fears that the company might be growing too fast werent exactly assuaged by learning that within weeks it was moving to an enormous office closer to midtown. John Hodges is leaving A24, the Oscar-winning indie studio that he co-founded. The Bling Ring provoked Emma Watson to cast off the shadow of Hermione Granger and step into the pink Juicy Couture sweatpants of a spoiled teen criminal in contemporary Hollywood. All rights reserved. Fenkel: [Katz] is a better runner than I am. Its coveted because six of the past seven winners were nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, and the harrowing, emotional Room looks poised to follow in their footsteps after it opens in October. It was a perfectly good jet! Next year theyll re-team with While Were Young director Noah Baumbach on his brilliant doc about Brian De Palma, distribute one of the best horror films since The Shining, and release the first of the films theyve financed themselves. The company may be a lovely acquisition target for a buyer seeking an arthouse pipeline,but A24 is still building itself as a brand one that is synonymous with quality. Fenkel: The world kind of shifted in its direction, where the film was for an audience, and then you realize, Whoa, the movie is needed by other people. We had a good history. IMDb, the world's most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content. Like I had glandular problems. And then its like on the biggest stage, I didnt thank anybody! All the actors had taken the risk. Please! Katz, Fenkel and Hodges prior to A24 worked in film and production, before leaving to eventually co-found the company, Zach Baron is GQs staff writer. But A24 has the money to acquire a steady slate of releases, the model to support them, and the chutzpah to make nearly each one into a mini-phenomenon. Since then his contributions to growing the company have been invaluable and we cant wait to see what he does next, said A24 in a statement. Production Company. It could be the CEO or an intern.. The monster at the center of The Babadook is a personal demon, not a literal one. And Im not saying theyre magicians. Since 1957, GQ has inspired men to look sharper and live smarter with its unparalleled coverage of style, culture, and beyond. [26], In July 2021, A24 reportedly explored a possible buyout for between $2.5 billion to $3 billion. So what is an A24 film? We took a risk on the movie, and it fucking paid off, so why should we cut down our back end? Jenkins: I just would never allow myself to believe that something I made could win Best Picture. Dede Gardner (producer, Plan B, Moonlight): When we and Barry said it was absolutely critical that we shoot in Miami, they said, Of course it is. And you know, many, many others wouldve said, Well, you can get the rebate if you go to Atlanta. But anyone whos read it knows that Liberty Square and that particular light and that particular culture was a character. When I was explaining to people what I was doing, it felt like a political campaign. Genre hounds stoked by the Sundance hype would surely seek it out, but Eggers extraordinary debutabout a family of early American pilgrims who get banished to the wrong forestwould never be given the opportunity to meaningfully connect with its audience and worm its way into the culture. It Follows takes the horror trope of getting punished for having sex to a new level. Jeanie Igoe (production, A24): None of us really knew what we were doing. Thats not a go-wide movie. Uncut Gems ($50 million). 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. I still think that its morally questionable, but now I realize that the publicity people do stuff, and that stuff is real.. [23], On March 26, 2018, co-founder John Hodges announced that he was exiting the company. His relationship with talent and creators is exceptional and we look forward to having him make Jax his new home.. [21][22] Episodes are based around a discussion between two members of the film industry. Over the past six years I have been fortunate to work with a diverse group of talented storytellers across film and TV and look forward to continuing those collaborations in my future endeavors.. That kind of audience. The division of labor is clear, but there arent any titles for the companys employees, who all work elbow to elbow in a single room. 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. Animated photo illustration by Lisa Larson-Walker. Fenkel: But it was like, Youre not going to be 20 minutes late for Scott Rudin. So you ran. An A24 film has an affinity for subverting a celebritys established persona. They had heart to them.Harmony Korine, Sacco: I wouldnt say I got it. 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. If I had to guess, Id wager that Hodges was simply ready to move on after reaching the top of the mountain winning Best Picture for Moonlight. I Just Raised The Oscar At Them. Moonlight is nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor, but loses Best Picture to La La Landwait, what? When Ex Machina director Alex Garland was asked what he liked about working with A24, he compared the major studios to ocean liners: To change direction it takes them two days to even start to make that turn. Franco: I would bet that [Alien] was one of the biggest, most popular Halloween costumes that year. 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. Fenkel: And we had a booker at the time, this big old school guy, gentle giant, hes a sweet guy, but kind of a gangster, but levels of, like, cool gangster. Activity. And I think A24 and companies like that areyou know, people want to go to the cinema. When historians of the future try to pinpoint the precise moment that the film industry crawled out of its deathbed and back onto its feet, theres a good chance theyll land somewhere in March 2013, when a fledgling distribution company called A24 Films transformed a Harmony Korine movie starring a cornrowed James Franco into a genuine cultural event.