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Goldcrest Films

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Goldcrest Films
IndustryFilm production
Film distribution
Post-production
Founded1977; 47 years ago (1977)
FounderJake Eberts
HeadquartersUnited Kingdom
Websitegoldcrestfilms.com

Goldcrest Films is an independent British distribution, production, post production, and finance company. Operating from London and New York, Goldcrest is a privately owned integrated filmed entertainment company.

Goldcrest Films oversees the production, distribution and marketing of films produced by Goldcrest and third-party acquisition in addition to monetising Goldcrest's library of over 100 titles. Goldcrest Films recent slate includes Slumber, Come and Find Me,[1] Stonewall (directed by Roland Emmerich),[2] BBC's EARTH: One Amazing Day (directed by Peter Webber),[3] and Joe Dante's Labirintus.[4]

History

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Goldcrest was founded as Goldcrest Films International by Jake Eberts in January 1977 as a feature film enterprise.[5][6] As of 1981, the UK National Coal Board Pension Fund was a major stakeholder in this company.[6]

It enjoyed success in the 1980s and the 1990s with films such as Chariots of Fire (1981), Gandhi (1982), Local Hero (1983), The Killing Fields (1984), Hope and Glory (1987), All Dogs Go To Heaven (1989), A Room With a View (1985), the cult television series Robin of Sherwood (1984–86) and the live-action/animated musical comedy film Rock-a-Doodle (1991). The company also benefited from the new investment of Channel 4 in film production. The company won two Academy Awards for Best Picture, for Chariots of Fire in 1981,[7][8] and Gandhi in 1982.[9][10]

After these initial successes the company backed more expensive productions with established Hollywood stars that often ran over schedule and budget culminating in Revolution (1985), The Mission (1986) and Absolute Beginners (1986) that all disappointed at the box office, despite The Mission winning the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.[11]

On June 11, 1985, Goldcrest Films had set up a deal with Japanese financer Nippon Herald to finance pictures for up to $2 million.[12] The company ran into financial difficulties, and eventually seeking bids from UK firms in 1987, which included George Walker, and Hemdale, who had a successful film reputation, were offering bids from the studio, but they turned down each time.[13] After attempted takers, Masterman, which was jointly owned by Brent Walker and Ensign Trust would be shown as a possible buyer for the Goldcrest holdings, of which they outbid various offers from other companies, which included a joint bid of Granada Television, the ITV franchisee, and home video and feature film distributor Virgin Vision, which has been touted among other firms.[14]

Subsidiaries

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Pearson Longman established Goldcrest Films and Television in 1981, led by the founder of Goldcrest Films, John Eberts, and chaired by James Lee, chief executive of Pearson Longman.[6] At inception, the new concern owned 40% of Goldcrest Films.[6]

Goldcrest Post Production opened in Soho, London in 1982 and in West Village, New York in 2000. Recent expansion and investment has culminated in the opening of central London's largest purpose built Dolby ATMOS Premier sound mixing theatre at Goldcrest's Dean Street, Soho premises. Offering full picture and sound post production services to both the Film and Television industry, Goldcrest Post Production credits include Jason Bourne, Carol, American Honey, Morgan, The Danish Girl.

Financing arm

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Goldcrest Films' financing arms, Goldcrest Pictures and Goldcrest Capital Partners, structure transactions in the media sector. From 2006 to 2008 — the first two years of operation — the companies provided services on 18 films, including Twilight, Tropic Thunder, Knowing, Eagle Eye, Revolutionary Road and Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging. Goldcrest Capital also raises funds and provides services on UK independent feature films. The first two films of this new initiative were Andrea Arnold's Wuthering Heights - produced by Douglas Rae and Robert Bernstein of Ecosse Films and Kevin Loader and co-financed with the UK Film Council, Film4 and Screen Yorkshire - and Phyllida Lloyd’s biopic of Margaret Thatcher, The Iron Lady. This starred Meryl Streep and was produced by Damian Jones for Pathé, Film4 and the UK Film Council with the participation of Canal+ and Cine Cinema.

Filmography

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Cinema

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Film Year Budget Worldwide gross
Chariots of Fire 1981 $5.5 million $59 million
Escape from New York 1981 $6 million $50 million
Gandhi 1982 $22 million $52.8 million (US only)
An Unsuitable Job for a Woman 1982 N/A N/A
The Plague Dogs 1983 N/A N/A
Secrets 1983 N/A N/A
Local Hero 1983 N/A $5.9 million
The Ploughman's Lunch 1983 N/A N/A
Runners 1983 N/A N/A
The Dresser 1983 N/A $5.3 million
Another Country 1984 N/A N/A
Cal 1984 N/A N/A
The Killing Fields 1984 $14.4 million $34.7 million
Nemo 1984 N/A N/A
Dance with a Stranger 1985 N/A $2.3 million
Smooth Talk 1985 N/A $16,785
Revolution 1985 $28 million $346,761
Mr. Love 1985 £486,000 $4,264
The Frog Prince 1986 $1.5 million N/A
Winter Flight 1986 N/A $2,729
Absolute Beginners 1986 £8.4 million $1 million
The Mission 1986 $24.5 million $17.2 million
Knights & Emeralds 1986 £1.1 million N/A
White Mischief 1987 $5.3 million $3.1 million
Matewan 1987 $4 million $1.7 million
Hope and Glory 1987 $3 million $10 million
Black Rainbow 1989 $7 million N/A
All Dogs Go to Heaven 1989 $13.8 million $27.1 million
Rock-a-Doodle 1991 $18 million $11.7 million
Space Truckers 1996 $25 million $1,614,266
Driftwood 1997 N/A N/A
Clockwatchers 1997 N/A $537,948
Bring Me the Head of Mavis Davis 1997 N/A £46,244
Elvis and Anabelle 2007 N/A N/A
Cass 2008 N/A N/A
The Iron Lady 2011 $13 million $114.9 million

Television

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Title Year Series
Forever Young 1983 First Love
P'tang, Yang, Kipperbang 1984 First Love
Those Glory Glory Days 1984 First Love
Tottie: The Story of a Doll's House 1984
Concealed Enemies 1984
Robin of Sherwood 1984–86
Sharma and Beyond 1986 First Love
Arthur's Hallowed Ground 1986 First Love

Notes

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  1. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (1 September 2015). "Goldcrest boards Aaron Paul's 'Come And Find Me'". ScreenDaily. London. Retrieved 2 Sep 2020.
  2. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (19 January 2015). "Roland Emmerich gay rights drama Stonewall scores international deal". ScreenDaily. London. Retrieved 2 Sep 2020.
  3. ^ "Goldcrest launches Earth One Amazing Day for Cannes: A feature film from BBC Earth Films and SMG Pictures" (Press release). BBC. 25 April 2016. Retrieved 2 Sep 2020.
  4. ^ Labirintus at IMDb
  5. ^ Eberts and Ilott, p. 27.
  6. ^ a b c d Barker, Dennis (3 July 1981). "Pearson builds on Trident deal". The Guardian. United Kingdom. p. 15. Retrieved 2 Sep 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Oscars (24 November 2010). Chariots of Fire Wins Best Picture: 1982 (Online video). YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2 Sep 2020.
  8. ^ "The 54th Academy Awards | 1982". Oscars. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Best Picture. Retrieved 2 Sep 2020.
  9. ^ Oscars (2013). Gandhi and Richard Attenborough Win Best Picture and Directing: 1983 Oscars (Online video). YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21.
  10. ^ "The 55th Academy Awards | 1983". Oscars. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 5 October 2014. Best Picture. Retrieved 2 Sep 2020.
  11. ^ Stratton, David (May 21, 1986). "English-Lingo Blitz Hits French Fest". Variety. p. 3.
  12. ^ "Goldcrest Sews Up Four-Picture Deal with Nippon Herald". Variety. 1985-06-12. p. 4.
  13. ^ "Goldcrest Is Still Entertaining Bids From U.K. Firms". Variety. 1987-02-25. pp. 5, 464.
  14. ^ Adams, Mark (1987-07-22). "Masterman Seen As Likely New Goldcrest Buyer". Variety. pp. 3, 23.

References

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