History Creator / TriStarPictures

[=TriStar=] Pictures (previously known as Tri-Star Pictures until 1993) is a division of Creator/SonyPictures and a sister company of Creator/ColumbiaPictures. Founded in 1982 as Nova Pictures by a joint venture of Columbia, Creator/{{CBS}} and Creator/{{HBO}}, the company's name changed to Tri-Star Pictures due to the existence of ''Series/{{Nova}}'', a science series on Creator/{{PBS}}, and began distributing films in 1984 (their first release was ''Where The Boys Are '84'', a pickup from Creator/ITCEntertainment). The idea was that the three partners would split both the ever-increasing costs of making movies, and distribution rights (Columbia in theaters, CBS on broadcast TV and HBO on cable TV). Over the next three years, Columbia would buy CBS and HBO's shares of the company (primarily due to home video making TV rights to movies look less attractive) and by 1987, Columbia had taken over the whole company. Throughout its first 15 years, [=TriStar=] served as an equal to Columbia by producing similar product, while also distributing the films of Creator/CarolcoPictures (an arrangement that lasted until 1994, when they switched to Creator/MetroGoldwynMayer, who distributed most of the studio's final films) and other assorted companies.

[=TriStar=] Pictures is a division of Sony and a sister company of Creator/ColumbiaPictures. Founded in 1982 as Nova Pictures by a joint venture of Columbia, Creator/{{CBS}} and Creator/{{HBO}}, the company's name changed to Tri-Star Pictures due to the existence of ''Series/{{Nova}}'', a science series on Creator/{{PBS}}, and began distributing films in 1984 (their first release was ''Where The Boys Are '84'', a pickup from Creator/ITCEntertainment). The idea was that the three partners would split both the ever-increasing costs of making movies, and distribution rights (Columbia in theaters, CBS on broadcast TV and HBO on cable TV). Over the next three years, Columbia would buy CBS and HBO's shares of the company (primarily due to home video making TV rights to movies look less attractive) and by 1987, Columbia had taken over the whole company. Throughout its first 15 years, [=TriStar=] served as an equal to Columbia by producing similar product, while also distributing the films of Creator/CarolcoPictures (an arrangement that lasted until 1994, when they switched to Creator/MetroGoldwynMayer, who distributed most of the studio's final films) and other assorted companies.

In 2013, the [=TriStar=] brand began a resurgence. Tom Rothman, a former Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox chairman, joined forces with other Sony executives to form [=TriStar=] Productions. This new division is intended to supplement the output of Columbia, Screen Gems, and other labels, producing up to four films a year. In addition to continuing with acquiring other companies' work, [=TriStar=] resumed distributing its own in-house productions, and returned to full production of TV series [[note]][=TriStar=] had previously produced TV series, from 1987, just before HBO left, to 1999[[/note]] under Creator/SonyPicturesTelevision. However, due to Tom Rothman becoming chairman of Sony Pictures' Motion Picture Group in 2015, Tristar's output has decreased, with just one film released by the label since 2017.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[Film/LookWhosTalkingToo "Where anything can happen."]]]]

[[caption-width-right:350:[[Film/LookWhosTalking "Where anything can happen."]]]]

* ''Film/{{Sunset}}'' (1988)

* ''Film/TheBear'' (1988)

* ''Film/{{Breakin}}'' (1984)

After the box office disappointment of ''Film/{{Godzilla 1998}}'', Sony decided to downscale [=TriStar=] and put more emphasis on its then-new B-movie division, Creator/ScreenGems. [=TriStar=] [[DemotedToExtra continued to exist as a division for titles acquired from different companies]] and the occasional DirectToVideo product, but still managed to get a successful film every once in a while (such as ''Film/{{District 9}}'' and ''Film/{{Looper}}'').

* ''Film/DistrictNine'' (2009)

* the Japanese ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'' films from the 1990s up to ''Film/{{Godzilla 2000}}''

** ''Film/RoaldDahlsMatildaTheMusical'' (2022)

* ''Film/RoaldDahlsMatildaTheMusical'' (2022)