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Neon (company)

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NEON Rated, LLC, doing business as 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] As of 2019, League is no longer involved with daily operations for the company.[6]

NEON Rated, LLC
Neon
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryFilm industry
FoundedJanuary 13, 2017; 7 years ago (2017-01-13)[1]
Founder
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
52 (as of September 2024)[3]
Parent30West[4]
Divisions
Websiteneonrated.com

Its first film, Colossal, was released on April 7, 2017.[7] The company is best known for distributing such notable films 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), Ferrari (2023), How to Blow Up a Pipeline (2023), Anora (2024), Longlegs (2024), and The Seed of the Sacred Fig (2024).[8][9][10][11][12][13]

Parasite went on to become Neon's highest-grossing film at the worldwide box office with $262 million and the first non-English-language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture in February 2020.[14] In 2024, Longlegs surpassed Parasite's domestic box office gross ($53.3 million), with a cume of $58.6 million in its third weekend, becoming the indie distributor's highest-grossing film ever in North America.[15]

Additionally, Neon has worked with several high-profile filmmakers, which includes the following: Ali Abbasi, Sean Baker, 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, Michael Mann, Todd Douglas Miller, Brett Morgen, Ruben Östlund, Laura Poitras, Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Mohammad Rasoulof, Michael Sarnoski, Céline Sciamma, Joachim Trier, Justine Triet, and Nacho Vigalondo.[16][17][18][19][20][21]

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".[22] Explaining the success of the company in 2024, Quinn said: "We were very much a startup, with everyone functioning as this sophisticated amoeba. We very quickly found ourselves that year in Toronto with a great slate ... That work enabled us to sit at the table in Toronto that year and buy I, Tonya. Before the ink was even dry on the deal, we were planning its Oscar campaign. It's a testament to how quickly we can make decisions because we're not this big studio. We've always used that to our advantage."[3]

In September 2017, the company partnered with Blumhouse Productions to manage BH Tilt.[23] In 2019, a majority stake of Neon was sold to 30West, the media venture arm of "The Friedkin Group".[4][24]

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 features. The first film to be distributed through Decal was the Bleecker Street release Supernova in winter 2021.[5] Additionally, Decal acquired North American distribution rights to the South African horror film Gaia for a summer theatrical release, marking their first ever acquisition.[25]

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".[26] 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 several Neon films on home video.[27][28][29]

In August 2023, Neon hired former A24 employees Alexandra Altschuler as "VP Media" and Don Wilcox as "VP Marketing".[30] 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".[31]

During the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes, which took place from May 2 to November 9, 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.[32][33][34]

In May 2024, Neon hired marketing and publicity veteran Joey Monteiro as "EVP, International Marketing" and Ashley Hirsch as "Manager of International Sales and Marketing".[35] That same month, Neon promoted Elissa Federoff from "President of Distribution" to "Chief Distribution Officer" and Ryan Friscia from "EVP, Finance and Business Development" to "Chief Financial Officer".[36] Additionally, Jeff Deutchman, who joined Neon when it was launched, serves as "President of Acquisitions and Production".[37]

Additionally, Neon has acquired the distribution rights to five Palme d'Or winners at the Cannes Film Festival: Parasite (2019), Titane (2021), Triangle of Sadness (2022), Anatomy of a Fall (2023), and Anora (2024); all five won consecutively.[37][38][39] The company's strategy to acquire such titles at Cannes is to eschew "the lazy approach", said Deutchman. "The only real way to do Cannes is to go see as many movies as you can, because you never know where the next Dogtooth or Border or Hunger or Force Majeure is going to come from", he added, citing several modern Cannes standouts championed by arthouse buyers.[37] After acquiring Parasite in 2018, Neon financed and distributed the film the following year in U.S. territories.[40] "From the very beginning, Tom Quinn saw Parasite as a universal film and refused to put it in a box as a foreign-language or international film", said Parasite director Bong Joon-ho. "He saw the heart of the film and understood that it was about all of us living in our modern class-based society. I was always grateful for that."[3] The film subsequently became Neon's highest-grossing film with more than $200 million at the worldwide box office and won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director; Anatomy of a Fall and Triangle of Sadness were also nominated for the two aforementioned Academy Awards.[14][41][42][43][44] As of January 2024, Neon has garnered 32 Academy Award nominations, winning six overall.[3][42][44]

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."[45] In 2024, Quinn stated: "The award means a lot. To audiences here who are looking for the absolute most adventurous, forward-looking cinema available, that award represents it because these films have delivered, and they've been major Oscar contenders."[3]

In July 2024, Neon received its biggest opening weekend at the box office with the horror thriller film Longlegs, after scoring $22.6 million from 2,510 theaters (a figure that includes $2.5–3 million in Thursday previews) and only behind Universal/Illumination's second weekend of Despicable Me 4. Initially projected to gross $7–9 million, the opening marked the biggest total for an original horror film of 2024, one of the top 20 weekends for an independent film and the best opening ever for an independent horror film.[46][47][48] To promote the film, Neon utilized guerrilla marketing tactics similar to those that led to the box office success of The Blair Witch Project (1999).[49] Director Oz Perkins credited Neon for the film's marketing, stating the studio "really responded strongly to the movie, the raw materials of the movie really excited them, the way it looks, the way it feels, the way it sounds. They asked me early on, 'Do we have your permission to kind of go nuts?' And I said, 'What else are we doing here? Go for it. Do your thing.'"[50] The film's total marketing budget was under $10 million, focusing on digital content and not having television ads.[46] During its third weekend, Longlegs became the company's highest-grossing film at the domestic box office, earning $58.6 million, surpassing what Parasite earned with $53.3 million in 2020.[15][51][52] Additionally, it became the top grossing R-rated horror film of 2024 and the highest-grossing indie horror film of the last decade, topping A24's Talk to Me (2022), Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015) from Focus Features, and A24's Hereditary (2018).[15] Afterward, furthering their unique marketing campaign, from August 1 to 4, Neon (partnering with Atom Tickets) offered free tickets to anyone who has a birthday that falls on the 14th of any given month. To get the tickets, those who registered and purchased tickets through Atom Tickets received a special promo code after verifying their date of birth and were able to get one free ticket per customer, while supplies lasted.[53][54][55]

Filmography

Main article: List of Neon films

References

  1. ^ a b Fleming, Mike Jr. (January 13, 2017). "Tom Quinn & Tim League Launch Distribution Shingle Neon for Sundance". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 5, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c "Neon". LinkedIn. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d e McClintock, Pamela (September 5, 2024). "Behind Neon's Banner Year and Rivalry with A24". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Fleming, Mike Jr. (September 5, 2017). "Dan Friedkin and Micah Green Name Venture: 30WEST". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 17, 2019. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  5. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 11, 2021). "Neon & Bleecker Street Launch Joint Home Entertainment Distribution Company Decal". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 26, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  6. ^ Sperling, Nicole (November 27, 2019). "'Parasite' Has Shocked the Box Office, Helped by an Upstart Studio". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 11, 2020. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  7. ^ Brooks, Brian (April 8, 2017). "Neon's 'Colossal' Bows Big; STX's 'Their Finest' Solid – Specialty Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  8. ^ "All Neon Movies, Ranked by Tomatometer". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  9. ^ Oleksinski, Johnny; Stewart, Sara (December 28, 2019). "The Best Movies of 2019: 'Parasite', '1917' Top Critics' Lists". New York Post. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  10. ^ Mendelsohn, Jon (August 3, 2020). "The Best Neon Films, From 'Palm Springs' to 'Parasite'". CBR. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  11. ^ Peters, Fletcher (February 15, 2020). "The 10 Best Neon Films to Stream on Hulu". Decider. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ Bundela, Rudransh (January 5, 2024). "The 10 Best Movies Made by Neon Films". MovieWeb. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  14. ^ a b 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.
  15. ^ a b c Goldsmith, Jill (July 28, 2024). "It's Official, 'Longlegs' is Neon's Top Grossing Film Ever; Sean Wang's 'Didi' Sees Nice Open in Limited Release – Specialty Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  16. ^ Weintraub, Steve (September 16, 2016). "'Colossal' Director Nacho Vigalondo on How He Made His 'Silly' Monster Movie". Collider. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  17. ^ Weintraub, Steve (September 15, 2017). "'I, Tonya' Director Craig Gillespie on Tackling a Story You Think You Know". Collider. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  18. ^ 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.
  19. ^ 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.
  20. ^ 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.
  21. ^ 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.
  22. ^ MacNab, Geoffrey (October 1, 2017). "How new US distribution outfit Neon is chasing younger audiences". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on June 15, 2018. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  23. ^ McNary, Dave (September 7, 2017). "Blumhouse Partners with Neon to Manage BH Tilt Label". Variety. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  24. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (May 13, 2018). "Why Neon is the Hot New Distributor in Town – Deadline Disruptors". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 28, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  25. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (March 5, 2021). "Decal Picks Up Horror Thriller 'Gaia' Ahead of SXSW Debut". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 10, 2021. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  26. ^ Grobar, Matt (November 28, 2022). "Neon Ups Andrew Brown to President of Digital Distribution". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  27. ^ O'Rourke, Ryan (January 13, 2023). "Five Neon Films including 'Triangle of Sadness' & 'Moonage Daydream' Join The Criterion Collection". Collider. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  28. ^ McNary, Dave (March 27, 2020). "Andrea Riseborough's Sci-Fi Thriller 'Possessor' Nabbed by Neon". Variety. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  29. ^ Colangelo, BJ (January 13, 2023). "'Petite Maman', 'Moonage Daydream', 'Triangle of Sadness', and More Neon Films Have Joined The Criterion Collection". /Film. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  30. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 18, 2023). "Neon Hires Marketing Execs Alexandra Altschuler & Don Wilcox". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  31. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 30, 2023). "Kristen Figeroid Joins Neon as President of International Sales & Distribution". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  32. ^ 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.
  33. ^ Rindner, Grant (August 31, 2023). "How Are These Celebs on a Red Carpet Right Now with the Strike?". GQ. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
  34. ^ Eriksen, Kaare (September 13, 2023). "Distributor Neon Poised to Regain Its Glow Thanks to Strikes". Variety VIP+. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  35. ^ Lodderhose, Diana (May 1, 2024). "Neon Hires Joey Monteiro as EVP of International Marketing". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  36. ^ Lodderhose, Diana (May 15, 2024). "Neon Promotes Elissa Federoff to Chief Distribution Officer & Ryan Friscia to CFO". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  37. ^ a b c Kay, Jeremy (May 18, 2024). "The Palme d'Or Whisperer: Neon's Jeff Deutchman on the company's Cannes strategy". Screen Daily. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  38. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (May 25, 2024). "Fantastic Five! Neon Makes It Five Palme d'Or Winners in a Row as 'Anora' Scoops Cannes Top Prize". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  39. ^ "Cannes, the Neon Film Festival". The Decision Magazine. May 31, 2024. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  40. ^ Hipes, Patrick (October 31, 2018). "Bong Joon-Ho's 'Parasite' Lands U.S. Deal with Neon – AFM". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
  41. ^ Brueggemann, Tom (January 18, 2020). "How 'Parasite' Changed What Foreign-Language Films Can Do at the Box Office". IndieWire. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  42. ^ a b 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.
  43. ^ Lee, Chris (March 6, 2024). "Why Neon is Pushing 'Anatomy of a Fall' at the 2024 Oscars". Vulture. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  44. ^ a b James, Devon (February 28, 2024). "Every Neon Movie Nominated for an Oscar". Collider. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  45. ^ 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.
  46. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 15, 2024). "How Neon Made 'Longlegs' Sexy at Box Office with Distrib's Record Opening of $22M+, Best Start for Original Horror Pic YTD – Sunday Update". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
  47. ^ Lang, Brent (July 15, 2024). "Box Office: 'Longlegs' Bedevils with Phenomenal $22.6 Million Debut, 'Fly Me to the Moon' Struggles to Lift Off with $10 Million". Variety. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
  48. ^ Malhotra, Rahul (July 15, 2024). "'Longlegs' Lurks Behind 'Despicable Me 4' with Record Domestic Box Office Debut". Collider. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
  49. ^ Mello-Klein, Cody (July 11, 2024). "Horror movie 'Longlegs' has gone viral with its creepy marketing campaign. But is it more than just a stunt?". Northeastern Global News. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  50. ^ Lattanzio, Ryan (June 24, 2024). "'Longlegs' Director Oz Perkins Says the Wild Marketing Campaign is All Neon: 'I Would Be a Jackass to Take Too Much Credit'". IndieWire. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  51. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (July 28, 2024). "'Longlegs' Hits $58 Million, Surpassing A24's 'Talk to Me' as Highest-Grossing Indie Horror Movie in North America". Variety. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  52. ^ Malhotra, Rahul (July 28, 2024). "'Longlegs' is Now Neon's Top-Grossing Domestic Box Office Release". Collider. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  53. ^ Welk, Brian (August 1, 2024). "Neon's Latest Marketing Stunt: Free 'Longlegs' Tickets to Anyone with a Birthday on the 14th". IndieWire. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  54. ^ Squires, John (August 1, 2024). "'Longlegs' Offering Free Tickets to Anyone Born on the 14th of Any Month!". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  55. ^ Vance, Grant (August 1, 2024). "Neon Treats Potential 'Longlegs' Victims to Free Screening". No Film School. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
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