Neon (company)

Neon (stylized in all caps) is an American independent film production and distribution company founded in 2017 by CEO Tom Quinn and Tim League, who also was the co-founder of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema chain.^[1] Its first film, Colossal, was released on April 7, 2017.^[4][5][6] The company is best known for distributing critically acclaimed and award-winning films, such as I, Tonya (2017), Three Identical Strangers (2018), Apollo 11 (2019), Parasite (2019), Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019), Palm Springs (2020), Possessor (2020), She Dies Tomorrow (2020), Flee (2021), Spencer (2021), The Worst Person in the World (2021), All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (2022), Fire of Love (2022), Triangle of Sadness (2022), Anatomy of a Fall (2023), How to Blow Up a Pipeline (2023), and Infinity Pool (2023).^{[7][8][9][10]} Parasite is Neon's highest-grossing film at the worldwide box office with more than $200 million.^[11] As of 2019, League is no longer involved with daily operations for the company.^[12]

Neon

Type	Subsidiary
Industry	Film industry
Founded	January 13, 2017; 6 years ago (2017-01-13)^[1]
Founder	Tom Quinn Tim League
Headquarters	New York City, New York , U.S.
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Kim Kalyka (Vice President)^[2] Christian Parkes (CMO)^[2] Christina Zisa (EVP)^[2]
Number of employees	11–50 people^[2]
Parent	30West
Divisions	BH Tilt (with Blumhouse Productions) Decal (with Bleecker Street)^[3] Super LTD
Website	neonrated.com

Additionally, Neon has worked with several high-profile filmmakers, which includes the following: Ali Abbasi, Bong Joon-ho, Brandon Cronenberg, David Cronenberg, Nia DaCosta, Sara Dosa, Julia Ducournau, Craig Gillespie, Reinaldo Marcus Green, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Harmony Korine, Pablo Larraín, Sam Levinson, Todd Douglas Miller, Brett Morgen, Ruben Östlund, Laura Poitras, Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Michael Sarnoski, Céline Sciamma, Joachim Trier, Justine Triet, and Nacho Vigalondo.^{[13][14][15][16][17][18]}

History

During the 4th Annual Zurich Summit, Tom Quinn commented on Neon's intent to release titles that appeal to audiences who "skew under 45, that have no aversion to violence, no aversion to foreign language and to non-fiction".^[19] In September 2017, the company partnered with Blumhouse Productions to manage BH Tilt.^[20] In 2019, a majority stake of Neon was sold to 30West, the media venture arm of "The Friedkin Group".^[21][22][23]

In February 2021, Bleecker Street partnered with Neon to launch the joint home entertainment distribution company Decal, which is a standalone full-service operation that handles distribution deals on the home entertainment rights to both Neon and Bleecker Street's curated slates of features. The first film to be distributed through Decal is the Bleecker Street release Supernova in winter 2021.^[3] Additionally, Decal acquired North American distribution rights to the South African horror film Gaia for a summer theatrical release, marking their first ever acquisition.^[24]

Under his leadership, Andrew Brown (Co-President of Decal) oversaw the launch of Neon's home entertainment division. In 2022, Brown was promoted to "President of Digital Distribution". The exec, who has served as "SVP of Digital Strategy, Marketing, and Distribution" for Neon since 2017, also manages Neon's library, and oversees the annual FYC DVD Box Set and direct-to-consumer digital portal "Neon Cinema".^[25] Prior to the joint-venture, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, as well as The Criterion Collection and Well Go USA Entertainment (for the film Possessor which Neon and Well Go co-distributed), distributed Neon's titles on home media.^{[citation needed]}

In August 2023, Neon hired former A24 employees Alexandra Altschuler as "VP Media" and Don Wilcox as "VP Marketing". ^[26] That same month, Neon hired former Sierra/Affinity employee Kristen Figeroid as "President of International Sales and Distribution", Laurel Charnetsky as "VP International Acquisitions & Operations" and Dan Stadnicki as "Manager, International Sales & Distribution".^[27]

Amidst the 2023 SAG-AFTRA/WGA strikes, Neon was approved to continue promotional activities for its films, since the company does not have ties to the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) nor had encountered any issue in receiving SAG-AFTRA interim agreements.^[28][29][30]

Additionally, Neon has acquired the distribution rights to four Palme d'Or winners at the Cannes Film Festival: Parasite (2019), Titane (2021), Triangle of Sadness (2022), and Anatomy of a Fall (2023); all four won consecutively.^[31] After acquiring Parasite in 2018, Neon financed and distributed the film the following year in U.S. territories.^[32] The film subsequently became Neon's highest-grossing film with more than $200 million at the box office and won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director (Bong Joon-ho); Triangle of Sadness was also nominated for the two aforementioned Academy Awards.^{[11][33][34][35]} In 2023, Quinn commented on the company's success at Cannes, saying: "We've seen over the years that each of these films, because of their credibility and success, the Palme d'Or has come to mean something quite impactful for a very young group of cinephiles. And the reason why we know this is we've tested all these movies and dating back to Parasite, probably I think, the fifth reason why people came to see the film, in its test screening in Sherman Oaks, was the fact that it won the Palme d'Or, and each subsequent year that went up. And this year, the number one reason why people came to see the film [Anatomy of a Fall], at a test screening in Burbank, was the fact that it had won the Palme d'Or."^[36]

Filmography

Main article: List of Neon films

See also

•  Companies portal

• A24
• Amazon Studios
• Annapurna Pictures
• Bleecker Street
• Blumhouse Productions
• Drafthouse Films
• IFC Films
• Open Road Films
• The Picture Company
• Roadside Attractions
• Searchlight Pictures
• Sony Pictures Classics
• STX Entertainment
• Vertical Entertainment

References

1. Fleming, Mike Jr. (January 13, 2017). "Tom Quinn & Tim League Launch Distribution Shingle Neon for Sundance". Deadline Hollywood. from the original on February 5, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
2. "Neon". LinkedIn. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
3. D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 11, 2021). "Neon & Bleecker Street Launch Joint Home Entertainment Distribution Company Decal". Deadline Hollywood. from the original on March 26, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
4. Verhoeven, Beatrice (September 15, 2016). "Anne Hathaway's 'Colossal' to Be Released by Tom Quinn and Tim League's New Distributor". TheWrap. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
5. Brooks, Brian (April 6, 2017). "Anne Hathaway & Jason Sudeikis Star in Genre-Defying 'Colossal' from Newcomer Neon – Specialty B.O. Preview". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
6. Brooks, Brian (April 8, 2017). "Neon's 'Colossal' Bows Big; STX's 'Their Finest' Solid – Specialty Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
7. Mendelsohn, Jon (August 3, 2020). "The Best Neon Films, From 'Palm Springs' to 'Parasite'". CBR. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
8. Peters, Fletcher (February 15, 2020). "The 10 Best Neon Films to Stream on Hulu". Decider. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
9. Gama, Daniela (January 22, 2023). "From 'Parasite' to 'Portrait of a Lady on Fire': 10 Best Neon Movies to Watch Right Now". Collider. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
10. Accardo, Brian (March 8, 2023). "All of Neon's Horror Movies, Ranked". MovieWeb. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
11. McClintock, Pamela (February 18, 2020). "Box Office: 'Parasite' Heads for Huge $50M-Plus in U.S. After Historic Oscar Win". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
12. Sperling, Nicole (November 27, 2019). "'Parasite' Has Shocked the Box Office, Helped by an Upstart Studio". The New York Times. from the original on February 11, 2020. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
13. Weintraub, Steve (September 16, 2016). "'Colossal' Director Nacho Vigalondo on How He Made His "Silly" Monster Movie". Collider. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
14. Weintraub, Steve (September 15, 2017). "'I, Tonya' Director Craig Gillespie on Tackling a Story You Think You Know". Collider. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
15. Lang, Brent; Kroll, Justin (February 15, 2020). "'Parasite' Oscar Win Leaves Hollywood Desperate to Work With Bong Joon Ho and Neon". Variety. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
16. Lodderhose, Diana (August 25, 2021). "How Tom Quinn's Indie Label Neon is Shining Bright With its Pandemic-Proof Business Model". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
17. Ford, Rebecca (September 8, 2021). "How Neon, the Company Behind Parasite, Is Preparing for Its Next Big Awards Season". Vanity Fair. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
18. Hutchinson, Chase (April 22, 2022). "How Céline Sciamma's 'Petite Maman' Captures the Sublime Sweetness and Tragic Loss of Youth". Collider. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
19. MacNab, Geoffrey (October 1, 2017). "How new US distribution outfit Neon is chasing younger audiences". Screen Daily. from the original on June 15, 2018. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
20. McNary, Dave (September 7, 2017). "Blumhouse Partners with Neon to Manage BH Tilt Label". Variety. from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
21. Fleming, Mike Jr. (September 5, 2017). "Dan Friedkin and Micah Green Name Venture: 30WEST". Deadline Hollywood. from the original on December 17, 2019. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
22. Fleming, Mike Jr. (May 13, 2018). "Why Neon is the Hot New Distributor in Town — Deadline Disruptors". Deadline Hollywood. from the original on February 28, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
23. Faughnder, Ryan (February 11, 2020). "'Parasite' Oscars are a huge win for Neon. Why the scrappy indie bet on Bong Joon Ho". Los Angeles Times. from the original on May 27, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
24. N'Duka, Amanda (March 5, 2021). "Decal Picks Up Horror Thriller 'Gaia' Ahead of SXSW Debut". Deadline Hollywood. from the original on March 10, 2021. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
25. Grobar, Matt (November 28, 2022). "Neon Ups Andrew Brown to President of Digital Distribution". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
26. D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 18, 2023). "Neon Hires Marketing Execs Alexandra Altschuler & Don Wilcox". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
27. D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 30, 2023). "Kristen Figeroid Joins Neon as President of International Sales & Distribution". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
28. Grobar, Matt; D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 11, 2023). "Michael Mann's 'Ferrari' Secures SAG-AFTRA Interim Agreement; Will Adam Driver, Penélope Cruz Promote Pic at Venice?". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
29. Rindner, Grant (August 31, 2023). "How Are These Celebs on a Red Carpet Right Now With the Strike?". GQ. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
30. Eriksen, Kaare (September 13, 2023). "Distributor Neon Poised to Regain Its Glow Thanks to Strikes". Variety VIP+. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
31. Wiseman, Andreas (May 27, 2023). "Palme d'Or Whisperer Neon Makes it a Remarkable Four in a Row with 'Anatomy of a Fall' — Cannes". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
32. Hipes, Patrick (October 31, 2018). "Bong Joon-Ho's 'Parasite' Lands U.S. Deal with Neon – AFM". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
33. Brueggemann, Tom (January 18, 2020). "How 'Parasite' Changed What Foreign-Language Films Can Do at the Box Office". IndieWire. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
34. Chow, Andrew R. (February 10, 2020). "Parasite's Best Picture Oscar Is Historic. Is This the Beginning of a New Era in Film?". Time. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
35. Buchanan, David (March 8, 2023). "Oscars Best Picture nominee profile: 'Triangle of Sadness' would be third Cannes winner to take top prize". GoldDerby. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
36. Wiseman, Andreas (October 1, 2023). "Neon on the Growing Power of the Palme d'Or, Black Bear on 'Ferrari' & New Henry Cavill Pic & Iconoclast on Company's Film Ambitions — Zurich Summit Studio". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 1, 2023.

External links

• Official website