.FilmDistrict was an American film company that was founded by Graham King and Bob Berney in 2010. King, a UK film producer who heads GK Films (and formerly Initial Entertainment Group), formed the company as a way to release his productions that didn't have American distributors. He hired Berney, a former head of New Line Cinema's Picturehouse label who had left Apparition over issues with that company's co-founder, to head acquisitions and began business almost immediately by picking up Insidious and Soul Surfer for American distribution. Their first release, the former film, grossed over $50 million on a budget of $1.5 million.
The company distributed through Tristar Pictures and Open Road Films (a joint venture of theatre companies AMC and Regal).
Unfortunately, despite starting out strong with several hits, the company soon fell victim to one too many box office bombs, which would later ultimately end the company. In January 2014, co-founder Peter Schlessel left the company to replace James Schamus as CEO of Focus Features. This meant that FilmDistrict's distribution operations were given the ax. Their final films, a remake of Oldboy and Pompeii, were both box office bombs, ending the studio's once-shiny run with a whimper. The company's remaining films that were unreleased would later be transferred over to Focus Features, under the division Focus World.
List of films released by FilmDistrict:
- Dead Man Down (2013)
- Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010)
- Drive (2011) (2011)
- Evil Dead (2013)
- Insidious (2010; their first release)
- Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013)
- In The Land Of Blood And Honey (2011)
- Lockout (2012)
- Looper (2012)
- London Boulevard (2010; initially to be released by FilmDistrict, the film was licensed to IFC Films for its theatrical release)
- Oldboy (2013; the last film Film District distributed)
- Olympus Has Fallen (2013)
- Parker (2013)
- Playing For Keeps (2012)
- Pompeii (2014; their final film)
- Red Dawn (2012)
- The Rum Diary (2011)
- Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)
- Soul Surfer (2011)
- That Awkward Moment (2014; initially to be released by Film District, the film was released by Focus Features)
- Walk Of Shame (2014; initially to be released by Film District, the film was released by Focus Features following their closure)
- Wer (2013; initially to be released by Film District, the film was released by Focus Features following their closure)
