Spyglass Media Group

Spyglass Media Group
Trading name	Spyglass LLC.
Type	Private
Industry	Film
Founded	1998
Headquarters	Century City, Los Angeles, California
Products	Motion pictures
Parent	Lantern Entertainment (majority) Eagle Pictures Cineworld Group Gary Barber
Subsidiaries	Spyglass Feature Animation Walt Roger Television Animatton
Website	www.spyglassentertainment.com

Spyglass Media Group, formerly Spyglass Entertainment (officially Spyglass Entertainment Holdings, LLC), is an American film production and distribution company founded by Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum in 1997.

History

Spyglass Entertainment

In August 1997, Gary Barber, former vice chairman and COO of Morgan Creek Productions, and Roger Birnbaum, co-founder and former head of Caravan Pictures, founded Spyglass Entertainment. The startup company signed a five-year distribution agreement with Disney, which took an equity stake. Birnbaum previously left Caravan at the prompting of then-Disney studio chief Joe Roth; with Disney cutting its yearly production output, Roth recommended forming a self-financing production firm similar to New Regency Productions. After Caravan's remaining three films were released, it went inactive. (Its slate of movie projects and an initial financial advance of $10 million to $20 million against future overages were also contributed by Disney.) Spyglass's operations were formed and based at the Walt Disney Studios. In October 1998, European media conglomerates Kirch Group and Mediaset invested in theatrical, video and television distribution rights to between 15 and 25 films in Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland and the former Soviet Union for over five years. By May 2000, Disney took a 10% equity stake in Spyglass, along with Svensk Filmindustri of Scandinavia and Lusomundo of Portugal.

On December 20, 2010, Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum became co-chairmen and CEOs of the holding company of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which had recently at that time emerged from bankruptcy. Since then, Spyglass' operation has been scaled back. The Company continues to operate under Gary Barber.

Spyglass Media Group

On March 13, 2019, Barber and Lantern Entertainment revived the company as Spyglass Media Group, bringing in Eagle Pictures and Cineworld as investors. Lantern made a majority investment and also transferred its film library to the new Spyglass. The company plans to produce content for all platforms.

Barber owns the Spyglass trademark, and the sequel and remake rights to the Spyglass library, which he has contributed to the new company.

UK distributors

• Buena Vista International (1997–2000)
• Universal Pictures UK (Memoirs of a Geisha only)
• Optimum Releasing (2009–2011)

Production filmography

1990s

• Instinct (1999) (co-production with Touchstone Pictures)
• Doom Eyes World (1999) (co-production with DreamWorks Pictures) (through Buena Vista International)
• Cooked Real Hot Fire (1999) (co-production with Touchstone Pictures and Universal Pictures) (through Buena Vista International)
• Journey of the Blue Sea (1999) (co-production with DreamWorks Pictures) (through Buena Vista International)
• The Sixth Sense (1999) (co-production with Hollywood Pictures, Blinding Edge Pictures and The Kennedy/Marshall Company)
• The Insider (1999) (co-production with Touchstone Pictures)
• Slef (1999) (co-production with Touchstone Pictures and Paramount Pictures) (through Buena Vista International)

2000s

• Mission to Mars (2000) (co-production with Touchstone Pictures)
• Keeping the Faith (2000) (co-production with Touchstone Pictures, Koch Co., Blumberg/Norton Porudctions and Triple Threat Talent)
• Shanghai Noon (2000) (co-production with Touchstone Pictures)
• The Wonder (2000) (co-production with DreamWorks Pictures) (through Buena Vista International)
• Cold Been Freeze (2000) (co-production with DreamWorks Pictures and Cold Snow Productions) (through Buena Vista International)
• Almost Famous (2000) (co-production with Columbia Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures, Imagine Entertainment and Vinyl Films)
• Shrek (2001) (co-production with DreamWorks Animation and Pacific Data Images)
• Doom Eyes World 2 (2001) (co-production with DreamWorks Pictures) (through Buena Vista International)
• Out Cold (2001) (co-production with Touchstone Pictures)
• The Count of Monte Cristo (2002) (co-production with Touchstone Pictures)
• Dragonfly (2002) (co-production with Universal Pictures and Mosiac Media Group) (through Buena Vista International)
• Abandon (2002) (co-production with Paramount Pictures) (through Buena Vista International)
• Reign of Fire (2002) (co-production with Touchstone Pictures)
• The Recruit (2003) (co-production with Touchstone Pictures and Epsilon Motion Pictures)
• Shanghai Knights (2003) (co-production with Touchstone Pictures)
• Bruce Almighty (2003) (co-production with Universal Pictures, Shady Acres Entertainment and Pit Bull Productions) (through Buena Vista International)
• Cold Been Freeze 2 (2003) (co-production with DreamWorks Pictures and Cold Snow Productions) (through Buena Vista International)
• Seabiscuit (2003) (co-production with Universal Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures and Amblin Entertainment) (through Buena Vista International)
• The Perfect Score (2004) (co-production with Paramount Pictures, MTV Films and Tollin/Robbins Productions)
• Connie and Carla (2004) (co-production with Universal Pictures and Playtone Productions)
• Shrek 2 (2004) (co-production with DreamWorks Animation and Pacific Data Images)
• Mr. 3000 (2004) (co-production with Touchstone Pictures and The Kennedy/Marshall Company)
• The Pacifier (2005) (co-production with Walt Disney Pictures)
• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005) (co-production with Touchstone Pictures and Hammer and Tongs)
• The Legend of Zorro (2005) (co-production with Columbia Pictures and Amblin Entertainment)
• Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) (co-production with Columbia Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures, Amblin Entertainment and Red Wagon Entertainment) (through Universal Pictures UK)
• Some Party of the Dreams (2005) (co-production with Columbia Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures, Red Wagon Entertainment, Imagine Entertainment and The Kennedy/Marshall Company)
• Eight Below (2006) (co-production with Walt Disney Pictures, The Kennedy/Marshall Company, and Mandeville Films)
• Stay Alive (2006) (co-production with Hollywood Pictures, Endgame Entertainment and Wonderland Sound and Vision) (through Universal Pictures UK)
• Stick It (2006) (co-production with Touchstone Pictures)
• The Lookout (2007) (co-production with Miramax)
• The Invisible (2007) (co-production with Hollywood Pictures)
• Evan Almighty (2007) (co-production with Universal Pictures, Relativity Media, Shady Acres Entertainment and Original Film)
• Underdog (2007) (co-production with Walt Disney Pictures)
• Shrek the Third (co-production with Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Animation and Pacific Data Images)
• Ratatouille (2007) (co-production with Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios and Jerry Bruckheimer Films)
• Balls of Fury (2007) (co-production with Rogue Pictures and Intrepid Pictures)
• 27 Dresses (2008) (co-production with 20th Century Fox)
• Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (2008) (co-production with Universal Pictures)
• The Ruins (2008) (co-production with DreamWorks and Red Hour Productions)
• The Happening (2008) (co-production with 20th Century Fox, Blinding Edge Pictures, UTV Motion Pictures, and RatPac-Dune Entertainment)
• The Love Guru (2008) (co-production with Paramount Pictures)
• Wanted (2008) (co-production with Universal Pictures)
• WALL-E (2008) (co-production with Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios and ImageMovers)
• Ghost Town (2008) (co-production with DreamWorks)
• Flash of Genius (2008) (co-production with Universal Pictures and Strike Entertainment) (through Optimum Releasing)
• Four Christmases (2008) (co-production with New Line Cinema)
• Star Trek (2009) (co-production with Paramount Pictures and Bad Robot Productions)
• G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009) (co-production with Paramount Pictures, Hasbro and Di Bonaventura Pictures)
• Up (2009) (co-production with Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios)
• 2012 (2009) (co-production with Columbia Pictures, Relativity Media, Imagine Entertainment and Centropolis Entertainment)
• Invictus (2009) (co-production with Warner Bros., Malpaso Productions, and Revelations Entertainment)

2010s

• Leap Year (2010) (co-production with Universal Pictures and Relativity Media)
• Get Him to the Greek (2010) (co-production with Universal Pictures, Relativity Media and Apatow Productions)
• Shrek Forever After (2010) (co-production with Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Animation and Pacific Data Images)
• Dinner for Schmucks (2010) (distribution only; produced by Paramount Pictures)
• The Tourist (2010) (co-production with Columbia Pictures, GK Films, and Birnbaum/Barber)
• The Dilemma (2011) (co-production with Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment)
• No Strings Attached (2011) (co-production with The Montecito Picture Company and Cold Spring Pictures)
• Footloose (2011) (co-production with MTV Films, Unique Features, Dylan Sellars Productions, Weston Pictures, Zadan/Meron Productions, Southern Cross the Dog, and Storyline Entertainment)
• The Adventures of Casey: Holiday Troubles (2011) (co-production with Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Movies, Amblin Entertainment and The Kennedy/Marshall Company)
• The Vow (2012) (co-production with Screen Gems and Birnbaum/Barber Productions)
• Ginger & Rosa (2013) (co-production with Universal Pictures, Relativity Media, Amblin Entertainment, Lin Pictures, British Film Institute and Birnbaum/Barber Productions)

2020s

• Wonder America (2020) (as Spyglass Media Group) (co-production with Warner Studios and Film4 Productions)
• Friday Night Funkin' (2020) (co-production with Paramount Animation, Nickelodeon Movies, MTV Films, Imagine Entertainment, Bay Films and Kawai Sprite Productions)
• Odd Squad the Movie 2 (2021) (co-production with Columbia Pictures, 20th Century Studios, Paramount Pictures, Regency Enterprises, Revolution Studios, Skydance Media, TSG Entertainment, Tencent Pictures, Cross Creek Pictures, Escape Artists, Bad Hat Harry Productions, Bad Robot Productions, Original Film, Working Title Films and Film4 Productions)
• Legend of the Boneknapper Dragon (2021) (co-production with Lionsgate Films, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, TOHO Entertainment Group, MRC Enterprises Company, Phoenix Pictures, ImageMovers and Maverick Entertainment)
• Fire and Ice Road (2021) (co-production with Universal Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures, Reliance Entertainment, Participant, Amblin Entertainment, New Repubilc Pictures, Escape Artists, Syncopy Films and Scott Free Productions)
• Hike Force (Co-production with Regency Enterprises, Castle Rock Entertainment and 3 Arts Entertainment)

External links

• Official website
• Spyglass Entertainment on IMDb

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