Do You Know Who REALLY Owns These Movie Studios?

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Who Made Who

There always seem to be certain rules that the big companies of the film industry follow. You wouldn't catch Disney dead making an R-rated slasher movie, for example, and you would generally associate Lionsgate with content that is more mature in nature (it did make Kick-Ass and Saw, after all!). However, where there is money to be made, film companies are going to find a way to make it; almost every single production company out there has a boatload of subsidiaries under their belt.

It works like this- Say that MGM wants to make a quick buck by shooting out a low-quality CGI children's movie. Now, releasing it under their company name would be devastating to their brand known for its classic and timeless quality films. Instead they go to one of their subsidiaries and ask them to produce it and make it under their own name- Their brand is safe, but they still see the returns on any profit the movie makes.

This has led to much debate between film buffs over the years. If someone were to argue that the recent film The Muppets was made by Disney, they would be just as correct in saying that it was made by "The Muppet Studios." Do you think you're a big enough film buff to figure out which company owns which? Let's play Who Owns Who? Do You Know What Company Really Makes These Movies?

Question 1

Who owns Lucasfilm?

Lucasfilm

Everybody knows the movies that Lucasfilms has made. Originally created and owned by director George Lucas, the company was purchased by one of the major media conglomerates in 2012 for a record $4 Billion. The investment seems to have paid off, as there have been new films, cartoons, and books announced for each of the company's main franchises, while the products that have already been put out since the purchase have raked in millions upon millions of dollars in merchandise and ticket sales.

Question 2

Who owns Columbia Pictures?

Columbia is one of those film companies that has been around since the dawn of the cinema. Established in 1918, the studio grew to prominence during the 1920s and '30s thanks to its comedic films. During the '40s, '50s, and '60s Columbia rose to prominence even further before falling off the map in the early '70s. In 1989, the production company was purchased by this even larger company. Columbia's notable films include The Shawshank Redemption, the Spider-Man series of films, and Lawrence of Arabia.

Question 3

Who owns Happy Madison?

With a logo and name based off of two of its owners' biggest box office hits, Happy Madison Productions is a film studio mostly known for its over the top, low-brow comedies. Normally starring a similar cast of characters (including David Spade and Kevin James), these films are anything but award-worthy. Instead they focus on crude body humor, fart jokes, and swear words. Yet, they all seem to be financial successes even if they are torn apart by critics! This actor is the company's owner.

Question 4

Who owns DC Films?

DC Logo

Unlike their rival Marvel, DC Comics has been making big-budget blockbuster movies all the way back to the late '70s. Long before X-Men or Blade were a twinkle in Marvel's eye, their competitor had already released a slew of movies for their flagship heroes Batman and Superman. However, with the creation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and no more Nolan Batman films under their belt, it appeared DC was starting to lose the battle for cinematic supremacy. They created their own film studio, which is a subsidiary of this company.

Question 5

Who owns Pixar?

Pixar

Who would have thought that a little company spun out of the Lucasfilm graphics department would go on to create some of the greatest animated films of all time? With a little bit of funding from Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, Pixar branched off from its parent company in 1986. In the years since it has gone on to win almost every single "Best Animated Feature" Oscar it has been nominated for. In 2006 the company was purchased by this big conglomerate.

Question 6

Who owns Marvel Studios?

Although film adaptations of Marvel properties have been around for over twenty years now, the comic book company itself didn't see any of the profit until the launch of the MCU with 2008's Iron Man; each of the movies before (like X-Men and Spider-Man) were made by other studios that held the film rights to the characters. By the time they created Marvel Studios (thanks to the help of this parent company!), the publisher only had the rights to their B and C-list heroes. Thankfully, we all know how that turned out!

Question 7

Who owns Bad Robot?

Bad Robot Logo

Bad Robot is one of those studios that is currently on a rapid rise to stardom. Founded in 1998 by this (at the time) budding filmmaker, the company has gone on to produce some of the biggest cultural phenomenons in recent memory: Lost, Alias, the Star Trek reboots, Cloverfield, and even the most recent Star Wars movie are all under Bad Robot's belt. It is still not as popular as say, Pixar or Columbia, but the studio's resume is quickly becoming one of Hollywood's best.

Question 8

Who owns Blue Sky Studios?

Blue Sky Studios

Blue Sky Studios is the "red-headed stepchild" of the animation world. It's been producing mainstream movies for over a decade not, but it's only real hit has been the first few Ice Age movies and (arguably) Rio. Surprisingly, Blue Sky Studios has only released 11 movies in the last fifteen years. On top of the Ice Age and Rio franchises, their filmography includes the recent Peanuts Movie, Horton Hears a Who, and Epic. They are a subsidiary of this legendary company-

Question 9

Who owns Dreamworks?

Dreamworks Logo

In the recent years, Dreamworks has shown itself to be the only company that can compete with Disney on the animation stage. Sure, Illumination and Blue Sky Studios have had some mega hits under their belt financially, but Dreamworks is one of the few (alongside Nickelodeon and Studio Ghibli) that has been able to dethrone the Mouse in the category of "Best Animated Picture." Founded by this famed director, the studio isn't limited to just animation; it releases several live-action movies each year as well.

Question 10

Who owns Paramount?

Paramount Pictures has been around since the year 1912 and has given us some of the most beloved movies of all time. The Indiana Jones franchise, Top Gun, and Mission Impossible series are just a few of the many great pieces of cinema to come out of the company through the years. Having been around for so long, the company has consistently been at the forefront of innovation in Hollywood- It was the first to establish "movie stars" in 1916 as well as the first major studio to switch from physical film to all-digital.

Question 11

Who owns Touchstone Pictures?

Touchstone Films

It seems like this logo was EVERYWHERE in the late '80s and early '90s! Despite acting as a simple distribution company (rather than its own production studio), Touchstone Pictures (originally known as Touchstone Films) gave us such classics as Pretty Woman, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Signs, and Good Morning Vietnam. Though it is owned by this parent company, Touchstone has gone out of its way to play nice with other studios; it currently holds a first-look deal with Dreamworks and has worked with others in the past.

Question 12

Who owns Syncopy?

Syncopy

Syncopy is one of the newer production studios that is currently still on the rise towards mainstream recognition. The company operates out of London, England, and is owned by one of the most famous British directors around today. Syncopy has produced such films as the Dark Knight Trilogy, Man of Steel, Interstellar, and (most recently) Dunkirk. Often times the studio works hand-in-hand with Warner Brothers, and often produces the films of a singular director. Here's a hint- Zach Snyder is the only one that's different!

Question 13

Who owns Dimension Films?

Dimension Films is one of those studios that you don't see pop up too often. When they do, however, you know that the movie you're watching is going to be a unique one. This is by design; Dimension Films is a subsidiary created specifically to make "genre" films that are seen as highly risky to their parent company. With movies like Spy Kids, Scream, Sin City, and Children of the Corn under their label the aforementioned theory is extremely obvious!

Question 14

Who owns Tristar Pictures?

Tristar Pictures

Wherever Columbia is found, chances are Tristar Pictures won't be far behind. The name "Tristar" comes from the fact that the studio was originally created through a joint venture of HBO, CBS, and this company. However, the other two companies decided to pull out of the business at different points during the '80s and '90s, leaving it the sole ownership of its current parent company. Tristar is unique in that it does not only produce movies, but journeys into television as well.

Question 15

Who owns Illumination Entertainment?

Illumination Logo

The next time your kids force you to watch Minions for the ten billionth time, maybe you'll realize that the movie wasn't made by Pixar or Dreamworks or Blue Sky or any of the other big animation studios. Instead, the Despicable Me movies are produced by Illumination Entertainment, the budding subsidiary of this media conglomerate. Illumination's rise has been insane: It was a no-name company just five or six years ago, but now it created some of the most profitable animated movies of all time!

Question 16

Who owns Platinum Dunes?

Created by this director in 2001, Platinum Dunes is a production company that (much like its founder) is often criticized for making movies that are more style than substance. When you're producing "masterpieces" like the 2003 Texas Chainsaw Massacre reboot or 2014's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, who can blame them? Surprisingly, the biggest hit they have on their hands so far has been the recent political and social horror film series, The Purge. Outside of the two recent TMNT movies, Platinum Dunes sticks mostly to the horror genre.

Question 17

Who owns Screen Gems?

Screen Gems

Even though it has been around since 1933, Screen Gems has been stuck in an identity crisis throughout its entire existence. The company started off as an animation studio for its parent company. When that failed, they were moved to produce TV shows; outside of the popular Hanna-Barbera cartoons, they didn't do much here, either. Finally in 1998 they were repackaged once again to make productions for the silver screen, and went on to make such hits as the Resident Evil and Underworld franchises.

Question 18

Who owns New Line Cinemna

New Line Cinema

If you've been alive at any point after the late 1980s, chances are you've watched a New Line Cinemas movie. They're the driving force behind so many of our favorite franchises, such as the Lord of the Rings series, Friday the 13th, the Vacation series, the Austin Powers movies, and many, many more. The studio started life in the '60s as a small production subsidiary before breaking off and becoming its own studio. In 1994 it merged with the parent company of this major studio before becoming absorbed into the entity itself.

Question 19

Who owns Scott Free Productions?

Scott Free Productions

Let's admit it- Scott Free Productions has the coolest intro logo in the film industry today. It starts off as a man running down the street in a large jacket. He then flaps his arms like a madman before morphing into a physical bird and freezing before the logo appears. To top this off, it's all animated brilliantly in a style resembling watercolor paintings! On top of producing every one of this director's major films, Scott Free has made films like The Grey and The A-Team.

Question 20

Who owns Skydance Media?

Skydance is like the baby of this quiz. Despite having produced some of the last decade's biggest blockbusters, the production studio has only been around since 2010! However, in the seven years of its existence, it has made a name for itself thanks to their attachment to the production of films like World War Z, Star Trek: Into Darkness, and the last two entries into the Mission: Impossible series. Skydance was not a case of a small company being swallowed up by a larger one; it was created by this company from the very beginning.

Question 21

Who owns Miramax?

Miramax

Crazily enough, Miramax is just embarking on another chapter in their lives. The studio had been a subsidiary of Disney for decades, producing the movies that would be deemed too "mature" for the House of Mouse. Come on, who WOULDN'T want to see the characters of Pulp Fiction or Clerks integrated into Disney World!? After almost four decades worth of movies under its belt, Disney sold the company to a joint venture of companies out of Qatar. Just recently, the companies have sold Miramax to this foreign media company...

Question 22

Who owns Castle Rock Entertainment?

Castle Rock

Castle Rock Entertainment is definitely not a big-name studio compared to the likes of Tristar or New Line. Despite producing the Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and City Slickers, the studio has been on the down low in recent years. Since 2000, the company has only made nine movies, none of which were commercial successes. The studio's TV branch hasn't been doing so hot lately, either; they helped produce Seinfeld (one of the most iconic shows of all time) yet haven't really had another big hit since.

Question 23

Who owns Summit Entertainment?

Summit Entertianment

When it was started in 1991, the sole purpose of Summit Entertainment was to fund and distribute films to foreign countries. However, after flirting around with original productions the company went off and started making movies under their own brand. They hit it big with American Pie in 1999. A decade later, they looked to be in financial crisis once more before getting saved by their role in the Twilight series of films. In 2012 they were purchased by this company:

Question 24

Who owns Focus Features?

Focus Features remained as an independent studio for the first ten years of its life before merging with this large company. Focusing mainly on the creation and distribution of independent and foreign films, this company has hit the jackpot time and time again. The Focus name is attached to such popular films like Brokeback Mountain, Coraline, Lost in Translation, and Dallas Buyers Club. It may not have had a ton of mega-hits, but Focus Features always seems to have a horse in the Oscar race each year.

Question 25

Who owns Legendary Pictures?

Though it isn't owned by the famous director (like Syncopy), Legendary Pictures owes a lot of its success to Christopher Nolan's filmography. Originally under the Warner Brothers tent, the company's first production was 2005's Batman Begins. It would produce the rest of the Dark Knight Trilogy while also spinning off into new territory with movies like The Hangover and Godzilla. Every movie in the Legendary catalogue has a unique feel about them- They're usually dark, gritty, and as "realistic" as they can be. In 2016 they were bought by this company:

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