Relativity Media LLC (sometimes written as RelativityMedia and Relativity) is a global media company headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. Founded in 2004 by Ryan Kavanaugh, Relativity Media is the third largest mini-major film studio in the world. Its full scale film studio acquires, develops, produces, and distributes films and produces television programs. The company has invested $20 billion (in partnership with numerous financial institutions) as of 2012 in entertainment investments with partners such as Citibank, Merrill Lynch, Deutsche Bank and others. Relativity Media also engages in content creation across fashion, sports, digital and music, reaching consumers on multiple platforms.
History
Relativity Media was founded by Ryan Kavanaugh and Lynwood Spinks in 2004 as a middleman company arranging multi-film slate deals with studios then arranging financial support through banks. Relativity Media would receive film equity, producer's credit and a fee. Initially, Stark Investments, a Wisconsin-based hedge fund, funded the company's single-picture business. By 2007, these investors stopped making movie-finance deals. Elliott Management, a $16 billion New Yorkâ€"based hedge fund run by Paul Singer, then took a minority share of the company plus access to around $1 billion in capital and a revolving credit line.
Investments and partnerships
On January 4, 2009, Relativity Media acquired the genre label Rogue from Universal, for $150 million. Relativity oversaw Rogue’s 2009 film offerings, which consisted of Last House On The Left, The Unborn, Come Out Fighting, and My Soul to Take, as well as more than 30 projects in development. The deal also included the Rogue film library, featuring such films as Assault On Precinct 13 and The Strangers. On August 14, 2011, it was reported that Relativity was investing in SkyLand Film & Television Cultural Development Ltd, a China-based production company, signaling new opportunities in the Chinese market. One of the first arrangements was that the movie 21 and Over was partially filmed in Dongshigu, China. On May 18, 2012, it was reported that Relativity was in talks to buy German producer-distributor Senator Entertainment. In 2010, Relativity Media ventured into India with the help of Asian billionaire Keyur Patel who also owns two major TV Networks and has major investments in India in satellite, theatre chain and media productions.
On July 6, 2010, Relativity and Netflix announced a five-year-plus Pay-TV deal. The first two movies to stream on Netflix were The Fighter and Skyline.
On July 23, 2010 Relativity acquired the 45-person marketing and distribution staff of Starz’ Overture Films, making it a "Mini-Major". The studio distributed its first film on December 3, 2010. The Warrior's Way was directed by Sngmoo Lee and starring Jang Dong Gun, Geoffrey Rush and Kate Bosworth. On May 20, 2012, it was reported that Relativity and EuropaCorp signed a co-production and co-financing deal on two movies and Relativity will distribute in U.S. Relativity also has co-production deals with Atlas Entertainment and Virgin Produced.
In September 2011, Robbie Brenner was promoted from Executive Vice President, Production to President, Production.
On November 27, 2011 it was reported Ron Burkle loaned $200 million to Relativity for Immortals and Mirror Mirror. On January 23, 2012, Burkle purchased a large equity stake in Relativity Media from Elliot Capital Management (which was the second largest shareholder after Ryan Kavanaugh) for at least $800 million. On May 31, 2012 Relativity and Ron Burkle announced they raised $350 million in funding for films and expansion. Ron Burkle will also join the board of Relativity, along with Jason Colodne and Jason Beckman who are partners at Colbeck Capital.
In July 2012, Relativity merged its Rogue Sports, a basketball agency with Maximum Sports Management, a football agency, and SFX Baseball into Relativity Sports. On December 19, Relativity announced a new division 'Relativity International'.
Business
Relativity Media has seven divisions: Relativity Studios, Relativity Music, Relativity Sports, Relativity Television, Relativity Digital Relativity International and Madvine. It also has two subsidiaries: Rogue and RogueLife.
Relativity Studios
Relativity’s film production division was its first and remains its largest division. Relativity Studios has produced, distributed or structured financing for more than 200 motion pictures, generating more than $17 billion in worldwide box-office revenue and earning 60 Oscar nominations. Relativity’s films can be seen below.
Relativity Music
Relativity Music produces and releases soundtrack albums for some films and television series and provides in-house music supervision for Relativity films. The division has released more than 60 soundtracks, including those for Relativity's films, and including other studios' films.
Relativity Digital
Relativity’s digital studio develops and produces original content to support Relativity's films, television shows and brand partners . The studio has enlisted influential YouTube celebrities to create branded videos for brands and as collaborative campaigns with other Relativity divisions. The network includes ARTISTdirect.com and iamROGUE.com.
Sports
Relativity Sports is a full-service sports agency and one of the four largest in the United States. It represents more than 300 NBA, NFL and MLB athletes with services ranging from contract negotiation to brand building to custom content creation. It represents clients in the NFL, MLB, and NBA. Relativity Sports and its agents have negotiated contracts totaling in excess of $2.5Bn.
Relativity Television
Relativity Television is currently one of the largest suppliers of television, producing more than 750 hours of programming for more than 40 networks since its inception in 2008. In 2013 the division produced 36 series, including Catfish: The TV Show, The Great Food Truck Race, and The American Bible Challenge. Upcoming shows include reality series Sex Box (WE), Guys' Grocery Games (Food), and Shop (Fox Sports), as well as scripted series Creep Show (Syfy) and Young & Hungry (ABC Family).
Relativity International
Relativity International oversees global sales and distribution management of the studios own films as well as acquisitions and third-party releases. Relativity pictures have grossed approximately $1bn at foreign box offices. Recent international releases include 'The Family', 3 Days to Kill', 'Free Birds', 'Movie 43' and 'Safe Haven'.
Madvine
Madvine is a branded entertainment and consumer products company that provides corporate marketers with integration opportunities across all platforms of Relativity content including movies, television, fashion, sports, digital and music. Madvine ffers advertisers dozens of different ways to integrate directly into content that people love, engaging hundreds of millions of global users in innovative ways.
Filmography
Distributor
Upcoming Films
Production Company
2006
- RV (with Columbia Pictures and InterMedia Films)
- The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (with Universal Studios and Original Film)
- Monster House (with Columbia Pictures, ImageMovers and Amblin Entertainment)
- Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (with Columbia Pictures and Apatow Productions)
- All the King's Men (with Columbia Pictures and Phoenix Pictures)
- Gridiron Gang (with Columbia Pictures and Original Film)
- The Holiday (with Columbia Pictures, Universal Studios and Waverly Films)
- The Pursuit of Happyness (with Columbia Pictures, Escape Artists and Overbrook Entertainment)
2007
- Ghost Rider (with Columbia Pictures, Marvel Studios and Crystal Sky Pictures)
- Reign Over Me (with Columbia Pictures and Madison 23)
- Mr. Brooks (with Tig Productions and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
- Evan Almighty (with Universal Studios, Original Film and Spyglass Entertainment)
- I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (with Universal Studios and Happy Madison Productions)
- 3:10 to Yuma (with Lions Gate Entertainment and Tree Line Film)
- The Kingdom (with Universal Studios and Film 44)
- Atonement (with Focus Features, Working Title Films and StudioCanal)
- American Gangster (with Universal Studios, Imagine Entertainment and Scott Free Productions)
- Charlie Wilson's War (with Universal Studios and Participant Media)
- Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (with Columbia Pictures and Apatow Productions)
2008
- Vantage Point (with Columbia Pictures and Original Film)
- The Other Boleyn Girl (with Columbia Pictures, Focus Features and BBC Films)
- 21 (with Columbia Pictures and Trigger Street Productions)
- Baby Mama (with Universal Studios)
- Made of Honor (with Columbia Pictures and Original Film)
- Changeling (with Universal Studios, Imagine Entertainment and Malpaso Productions)
- You Don't Mess with the Zohan (with Columbia Pictures and Happy Madison Productions)
- Wanted (with Universal Studios and Spyglass Entertainment)
- Hancock (with Columbia Pictures, Weed Road Pictures and Overbrook Entertainment)
- Hellboy II: The Golden Army (with Universal Studios and Dark Horse Entertainment)
- Mamma Mia! (with Universal Studios and Playtone)
- The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (with Universal Studios and The Sommers Company)
- Step Brothers (with Columbia Pictures, Apatow Productions and Gary Sanchez Productions)
- Pineapple Express (with Columbia Pictures and Apatow Productions)
- Wild Child (with Universal Studios, Working Title Films and StudioCanal)
- Death Race (with Universal Studios, Cruise/Wagner Productions and Impact Pictures)
- The House Bunny (with Columbia Pictures and Happy Madison Productions)
- Burn After Reading (with Focus Features, StudioCanal, Working Title Films and Mike Zoss Productions)
- The Express (with Universal Studios and Davis Entertainment)
- Frost/Nixon (with Universal Studios, Working Title Films, Imagine Entertainment and StudioCanal)
- Role Models (with Universal Studios and New Regency Productions)
- Yes Man (with Warner Bros. Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures, Heyday Films and The Zanuck Company)
- The Tale of Despereaux (with Universal Studios and Framestore)
- Seven Pounds (with Columbia Pictures, Escape Artists and Overbrook Entertainment)
2009
- Paul Blart: Mall Cop (with Columbia Pictures and Happy Madison Productions)
- The Unborn (with Rogue and Platinum Dunes)
- The International (with Columbia Pictures and Atlas Entertainment)
- Duplicity (with Universal Studios)
- Fast & Furious (with Universal Studios and Original Film)
- State of Play (with Universal Studios and Working Title Films)
- Fighting (with Rogue)
- The Taking of Pelham 123 (with Columbia Pictures, Scott Free Productions and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
- Land of the Lost (with Universal Studios and Mosaic Media Group)
- Public Enemies (with Universal Studios and Forward Pass Productions)
- The Ugly Truth (with Columbia Pictures and Lakeshore Entertainment)
- Funny People (with Universal Studios, Columbia Pictures, Happy Madison Productions and Apatow Productions)
- A Perfect Getaway (with Rogue and QED International)
- 9 (with Focus Features)
- A Serious Man (with Focus Features, StudioCanal, Working Title Films and Mike Zoss Productions)
- Love Happens (with Universal Studios)
- Zombieland (with Columbia Pictures and Pariah Productions)
- Couples Retreat (with Universal Studios and Wild West Picture Show)
- Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (with Universal Studios)
- Nine (with The Weinstein Company)
- Brothers (with Lions Gate Entertainment)
- It's Complicated (with Universal Studios and Waverly Films)
- Did You Hear About the Morgans? (with Columbia Pictures and Castle Rock Entertainment)
2010
- The Spy Next Door (with Lions Gate Entertainment)
- Dear John (with Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions)
- The Wolfman (with Universal Studios)
- Green Zone (with Universal Studios, StudioCanal and Working Title Films)
- MacGruber (with Rogue)
- The Bounty Hunter (with Columbia Pictures and Original Film)
- Repo Men (with Universal Studios)
- Nanny McPhee Returns (with Universal Studios, Working Title Films and StudioCanal)
- Robin Hood (with Universal Studios, Imagine Entertainment and Scott Free Productions)
- Get Him to the Greek (with Universal Studios, Spyglass Entertainment and Apatow Productions)
- Grown Ups (with Columbia Pictures and Happy Madison Productions)
- Salt (with Columbia Pictures and DiBonaventura Productions)
- Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (with Universal Studios and Big Talk Films)
- Charlie St. Cloud (with Universal Studios)
- The Social Network (with Columbia Pictures and Trigger Street Productions)
- My Soul to Take (with Rogue and Corvus Corax)
- Skyline (with Rogue and Hydraulx)
- The Fighter (with Paramount Pictures and Mandeville Films; US distribution only)
- Little Fockers (with Universal Studios and Paramount Pictures)
2011
- Season of the Witch (with Rogue Pictures and Atlas Entertainment)
- Sanctum (with Universal Studios and Wayfare Entertainment)
- Paul (with Universal Studios, Working Title Films and Big Talk Films)
- Limitless (with Rogue and Virgin Produced)
- Battle: Los Angeles (with Columbia Pictures and Original Film)
- Hop (with Universal Studios and Illumination Entertainment)
- Bridesmaids (with Universal Studios and Apatow Productions)
- Cowboys & Aliens (with Universal Studios, DreamWorks, Imagine Entertainment and Platinum Studios)
- The Change-Up (with Universal Studios and Original Film)
- Tower Heist (with Universal Studios and Imagine Entertainment)
- Johnny English Reborn (with Universal Studios, StudioCanal and Working Title Films)
- Anonymous (with Columbia Pictures and Centropolis Entertainment)
- Immortals (with Virgin Produced)
2012
- Contraband (co-produced with Universal Studios and Working Title Films)
- 21 Jump Street (co-produced with Columbia Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Original Film)
- Wanderlust (co-produced with Universal Studios and Apatow Productions)
- Safe House (co-produced with Universal Studios and Bluegrass Films)
- American Reunion (co-produced with Universal Studios)
- The Five-Year Engagement (co-produced with Universal Studios and Apatow Productions)
- That's My Boy (co-produced with Columbia Pictures and Happy Madison Productions)
- Magic Mike (co-produced with Warner Bros.)
- This Is 40 (co-produced with Universal Studios and Apatow Productions)
- Savages (co-produced with Universal Studios)
- The Bourne Legacy (co-produced with Universal Studios and The Kennedy/Marshall Company)
- Les Misérables (co-produced with Universal Studios and Working Title Films)
2013
- Identity Thief (co-production with Universal Studios and Bluegrass Films)
- Oblivion (co-production with Universal Studios)
- Fast & Furious 6 (co-production with Universal Studios and Original Film)
- The World's End (co-production with Focus Features, Working Title Films and Big Talk Films)
2014
- Ride Along (co-production with Universal Studios)
- 3 Days to Kill
- Oculus
- 22 Jump Street (co-production with Columbia Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Original Film)
- Somnia
- The Best of Me
- Dumb and Dumber To (co-production with Universal Studios, New Line Cinema, Red Granite Pictures, and Conundrum Entertainment)
2015
- The Transporter Legacy
- Kidnap
- Everything For Team bBb (co-production with DreamWorks Studios, CBS Films, StudioCanal, Rogue and Skydance Productions)
References
External links
- Official website
- India Operations [1]
- Relativity Media at the Internet Movie Database
