The Hollywood studios

Please note: all information detailed here is subject to change and different circumstances may apply in other territories and for other formats. This material is offered as a starting point for research and is based only on the information available to the bfi at the time at which this page was last updated.

This listing summarises the ownership situation of each of the major Hollywood studios, noting associated UK activities. Unless otherwise stated, studios will generally control the distribution of - and certain rights to - the films they have produced.

MGM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) and United Artists

United Artists (UA) are owned by MGM. Certain rights to older (pre-1986) MGM titles are owned by Warner Bros. MGM own the rights to recent MGM productions (1986 onwards) and all UA titles.

In the UK, the back catalogue consisting of MGM titles from 1986 onwards and all UA titles is handled theatrically by Park Circus.

current UK operations:

theatrical distribution - c/o 20 th Century Fox International (UK)

home DVD/video - MGM Home Entertainment (Europe)

Paramount Pictures

Paramount Pictures is a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. Paramount owns its back library of titles dating from 1948 onwards. Pre-1948 titles are owned by Universal Pictures.

Paramount acquired the mini-studio DreamWorks SKG in 2006.

current UK operations:

theatrical distribution - Paramount Pictures (UK)

home DVD/video - Paramount Home Entertainment (UK)

Sony Pictures /Columbia Pictures

Columbia Pictures Corporation is a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment.

current UK operations:

theatrical distribution - Sony Pictures Releasing [formerly Columbia TriStar Films (UK)

home DVD/video - Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (UK)

Twentieth Century Fox

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation is part of Fox Inc., a subsidiary of News Corporation.

current UK operations:

theatrical distribution - 20 th Century Fox International (UK)

home DVD/video - 20 th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Universal Pictures

Universal Pictures is part of NBC Universal, formed in 2004 when GE NBC acquired Universal from its former parent company Vivendi.
Universal own a catalogue of titles produced from 1996 onwards by Polygram Filmed Entertainment.

current UK operations:

theatrical distribution - Universal Pictures (UK)

home DVD/video - Universal Pictures Video

The Walt Disney Company

Touchstone and Buena Vista are parts of The Walt Disney Company.

current UK operations:

theatrical distribution - Buena Vista International (UK)

home DVD/video - Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Walt Disney Home Video

Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. is a subsidiary of Time Warner (formerly AOL Time Warner). They own certain rights to a catalogue (which has previously been called the Turner Library) consisting of pre-1986 MGM titles and titles made by RKO.

current UK operations:

theatrical distribution - Warner Bros. Distributors (UK)

home DVD/video - Warner Home Video

*non-theatrical distribution for available current titles from the companies listed above will usually be via Filmbank Distributors.

Please see our Researchers' Guide directory for current contact information for UK theatrical film distributors.

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