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Worldview Entertainment was an American motion picture finance and production company focused on theatrical-quality feature films for worldwide distribution.[2] The company produced 23 films, including Fox Searchlight's critically acclaimed hit Birdman, which was nominated for nine Academy Awards, won four Oscars, including Best Picture, and grossed more than $103 million in global box office revenue.[3][4]

History

Worldview Entertainment was founded in 2007 by Christopher Woodrow, who served as chairman and CEO until 2014.[5][6] Maria Cestone, daughter of New Jersey businessman Ralph M. Cestone, became a co-founding partner and significant investor in the company in 2008. Molly Conners joined Worldview in 2009 as chief operating officer. Sarah Johnson, daughter of billionaire businessman Charles B. Johnson, former chairman and CEO of Franklin Templeton Investments, became a partner and major investor in the company in 2011.[7] Worldview emerged as one of the most prolific players in independent film, securing more than $150 million in financing.[8][9] The company maintained a key partnership with Creative Artists Agency and occupied the penthouse of the historic Lefcourt Normandie Building in Midtown Manhattan.[10]

The company's first commercial hit was William Friedkin's Southern Gothic crime film Killer Joe.[11] The film premiered in September 2011 at the Venice Film Festival before making its North American debut at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it was sold domestically to LD Entertainment in one of the biggest sales of the festival.[12] Matthew McConaughey was later nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead.

Worldview's 2013 slate consisted of three films that premiered in May at the Cannes Film Festival,[13] including Guillaume Canet's crime thriller Blood Ties,[14] which was sold domestically to Lionsgate in one of the biggest sales of the festival and released through its Roadside Attractions banner;[15] and James Gray's period drama The Immigrant, which was nominated for the Palme d'Or and sold domestically to The Weinstein Company.[16] During the festival, the company announced the closing of a $30 million multi-year revolving credit facility with Comerica Bank to provide financing for its films.[17] Worldview also collaborated with nightclub Bungalow 8 to host a pop-up at the Carlton Beach Club featuring a performance by Boy George.[18]

Worldview premiered two films in August 2013 at the Venice Film Festival, including David Gordon Green's Southern Gothic crime drama Joe, which was sold domestically to Lionsgate and released by Roadside Attractions.[19][20] The company went on to premiere six films in September at the Toronto International Film Festival,[21] including Atom Egoyan's West Memphis Three crime drama Devil's Knot,[22] which was sold domestically to Image Entertainment;[23] and Eli Roth's cannibal horror film The Green Inferno,[24] which was sold domestically to Open Road Films[25] and released by Blumhouse Productions' multi-platform arm BH Tilt and High Top Releasing. During the festival, Worldview announced plans to move into U.S. film distribution[26] and collaborated with Bungalow 8 to host a two-night pop-up at the Thompson Hotel Rooftop Lounge featuring performances by DJ Benji Boko.[27]

Worldview's 2014 slate consisted of two films that premiered in January at the Sundance Film Festival, including Zach Braff's comedy-drama Wish I Was Here,[28] which was sold domestically to Focus Features in one of the biggest sales of the festival.[29] The company announced a multi-year, multi-picture co-financing agreement in May with The Weinstein Company[30] and had a big presence at the Cannes Film Festival,[31][32] where it premiered Michel Hazanavicius's French drama The Search,[33] which was nominated for the Palme d'Or. During the festival, Worldview collaborated with The Weinstein Company and Bungalow 8 to host a three-night pop-up featuring performances by DJ Grandmaster Flash.[34][35] The company was also a presenting sponsor at amfAR's 21st annual Cinema Against AIDS Gala at the Hôtel du Cap.[36][37]

Worldview premiered two films in August 2014 at the Venice Film Festival,[38][39] including Alejandro González Iñárritu's black comedy-drama Birdman, with Fox Searchlight and New Regency.[40] The film made its North American debut in September at the Telluride Film Festival[41] before screening in early October at the New York Film Festival.[42] Worldview's biggest hit was released on October 17, 2014,[43] and grossed $103 million in global box office revenue. Birdman received seven Golden Globe Award nominations[44] and won two Golden Globe Awards on January 11, 2015, including Best Actor in a Motion Picture and Best Screenplay.[45][46] The critically acclaimed film went on to receive nine Academy Award nominations[47] and won four Oscars on February 22, 2015, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Cinematography.[48][49]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2009 Handsome Harry Producer Directed by Bette Gordon; written by Nicolas T. Proferes; starring Jamey Sheridan, Steve Buscemi, Mariann Mayberry, Aidan Quinn, John Savage, Campbell Scott, Titus Welliver, and Karen Young
2011 Killer Joe Executive Producer Directed by William Friedkin; written by Tracy Letts; starring Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch, Juno Temple, Gina Gershon, and Thomas Haden Church; based on the 1993 play of the same name by Tracy Letts
2012 30 Beats Producer Directed, written, and produced by Alexis Lloyd; starring Ingeborga Dapkunaite, Jason Day, Vahina Giocante, Paz de la Huerta, Justin Kirk, Ben Levin, Lee Pace, Condola Rashad, Thomas Sadoski, and Jennifer Tilly
2013 Ass Backwards Producer Directed by Chris Nelson; written by June Diane Raphael and Casey Wilson; starring June Diane Raphael, Casey Wilson, Jon Cryer, Vincent D'Onofrio, Brian Geraghty, Bob Odenkirk, Paul Scheer, and Alicia Silverstone
2013 Blood Ties Financier – Producer Directed by Guillaume Canet; written by Guillaume Canet and James Gray; a co-production with Wild Bunch; starring Clive Owen, Billy Crudup, Marion Cotillard, Mila Kunis, Zoe Saldana, Matthias Schoenaerts, and James Caan; a remake of 2008 French thriller Les Liens du Sang based on the 1999 French book Deux frères: flic & truand by Bruno and Michel Papet
2013 Devil's Knot Financier – Producer Directed by Atom Egoyan; written by Paul Harris Boardman and Scott Derrickson; starring Colin Firth and Reese Witherspoon; the story of the West Memphis Three based on the 2002 book of the same name by Mara Leveritt
2013 The Green Inferno Financier – Producer Directed by Eli Roth; written by Eli Roth and Guillermo Amoedo; starring Lorenza Izzo, Ariel Levy, Daryl Sabara, Kirby Bliss Blanton, Sky Ferreira, Magda Apanowicz, Nicolás Martinez, Aaron Burns, Ignacia Allamand, Ramón Llao, and Richard Burgi; inspired by and serves as an homage to Italian cannibal films of the late 1970s and early 1980s "cannibal boom", particularly Cannibal Holocaust, which features a film-within-a-film titled The Green Inferno
2013 The Immigrant Financier – Producer Directed by James Gray; written by James Gray and Richard Menello; a co-production with Wild Bunch; starring Marion Cotillard, Joaquin Phoenix, and Jeremy Renner; nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival
2013 Jimmy P. Financier – Distribution Rights Directed by Arnaud Desplechin; written by Arnaud Desplechin, Kent Jones, and Julie Peyr; a co-production with Wild Bunch; starring Benicio del Toro, Mathieu Amalric, and Misty Upham; primarily based on the 1951 book Reality and Dream: Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian by George Devereux; nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival[50][51]
2013 Joe Financier – Producer Directed by David Gordon Green; written by Gary Hawkins; starring Nicolas Cage, Tye Sheridan, and Gary Poulter; based on the 1991 book of the same name by Larry Brown
2013 The Sacrament Financier – Producer Directed and written by Ti West; presented and produced by Eli Roth; starring Joe Swanberg, AJ Bowen, Kentucker Audley, Amy Seimetz, and Gene Jones; inspired by the real-life events of the 1978 Jonestown Massacre[52][53]
2013 The Square Executive Producer Directed by Jehane Noujaim; nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 86th Academy Awards; won three Emmy Awards at the 66th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program, Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program, and Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program[54][55]
2013 Welcome to the Punch Executive Producer Directed and written by Eran Creevy; executive produced by Ridley Scott; starring James McAvoy, Mark Strong, and Andrea Riseborough[56][57]
2014 Birdman Executive Producer Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu; written by Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr., and Armando Bó; starring Michael Keaton, Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Andrea Riseborough, Amy Ryan, Emma Stone, and Naomi Watts; won two Golden Globe Awards, including Best Actor in a Motion Picture and Best Screenplay; won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Cinematography
2014 Child 44 Executive Producer Directed by Daniel Espinosa; written by Richard Price; produced by Ridley Scott; starring Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Noomi Rapace, Joel Kinnaman, Paddy Considine, Jason Clarke, and Vincent Cassel; based on the 2008 book of the same name by Tom Rob Smith[58]
2014 Manglehorn Financier – Producer Directed by David Gordon Green; written by Paul Logan; starring Al Pacino, Holly Hunter, Harmony Korine, and Chris Messina[59][60]
2014 The Search Financier – Distribution Rights Directed, written, and produced by Michel Hazanavicius; a co-production with Wild Bunch; starring Bérénice Bejo and Annette Bening; inspired by the 1948 Academy Award-winning post-Holocaust drama also called The Search directed by Fred Zinnemann; nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival
2014 Song One Financier – Producer Directed and written by Kate Barker-Froyland; produced by Marc Platt and Jonathan Demme; starring Anne Hathaway, Johnny Flynn, Ben Rosenfield, and Mary Steenburgen[61][62]
2014 Wish I Was Here Executive Producer Directed by Zach Braff; written by Adam Braff and Zach Braff; starring Zach Braff, Donald Faison, Josh Gad, Pierce Gagnon, Ashley Greene, Kate Hudson, Joey King, Jim Parsons, Mandy Patinkin
2015 Strangerland Executive Producer Directed by Kim Farrant; written by Fiona Seres and Michael Kinirons; starring Nicole Kidman, Joseph Fiennes, Hugo Weaving, Lisa Flanagan, Meyne Wyatt, Maddison Brown, and Nicholas Hamilton[63][64]
2016 Rules Don't Apply Financier – Producer Directed, written, and produced by Warren Beatty; starring Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Matthew Broderick, Lily Collins, and Alden Ehrenreich; based on the life of businessman and film producer Howard Hughes; nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture[65]
2016 Triple 9 Financier – Producer Directed by John Hillcoat; written by Matt Cook; starring Casey Affleck, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Anthony Mackie, Aaron Paul, Clifton Collins Jr., Norman Reedus, Teresa Palmer, Michael K. Williams, Gal Gadot, Woody Harrelson, and Kate Winslet[66]
2017 Tulip Fever Executive Producer Directed by Justin Chadwick; written by Deborah Moggach and Tom Stoppard; produced by Harvey Weinstein; starring Alicia Vikander, Dane DeHaan, Jack O'Connell, Holliday Grainger, Tom Hollander, Matthew Morrison, Kevin McKidd, Douglas Hodge, Joanna Scanlan, Zach Galifianakis, Judi Dench, and Christoph Waltz; adapted from the 1999 book of the same name by Deborah Moggach

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