Focus Features

{{short description|American independent film and distribution company}}

{{redirect|USA Films|American films in general|Cinema of the United States}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Focus Features LLC

| logo = File:Focus Features.svg

| former_name =

| type = Division

| foundation = 2002; 22 years ago

| founder = {{ubl|James Schamus|David Linde}}

| location_city = Universal City, California

| location_country = United States

| location =

| locations =

| industry = Film

| products = Motion pictures

| brands =

| key_people = {{ubl|Peter Kujawski (chairman)|Jason Cassidy (vice-chairman)}}

| predecessors = {{ubl|PolyGram Filmed Entertainment|October Films|Good Machine|Interscope Communications{{cite web|url=https://www.avid.wiki/Interscope_Communications|title=Interscope Communications|website=Audiovisual Identity Database|accessdate=2023-10-09}}|USA Films|Universal Focus|Gramercy Pictures|FilmDistrict}}

| owner =

| parent = Universal Pictures

| divisions = Focus World

| subsid =

| homepage = {{URL|focusfeatures.com}}

}}

Focus Features LLC is an American independent film production and distribution company, owned by Comcast as a unit of Universal Pictures, which is itself a unit of Comcast's division NBCUniversal. Focus Features distributes independent and foreign films in the United States and internationally.

In November 2018, The Hollywood Reporter named Focus Features "Distributor of the Year" for its success behind the year's breakout documentary film Won't You Be My Neighbor? and Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/how-focus-rediscovered-knack-making-award-winning-films-1162402|title=How Focus Features Rediscovered Its Knack for Making Award-Winning Films|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=November 20, 2018 }} The studio's most successful film to date is Downton Abbey, which garnered $194.3 million at the worldwide box office.{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2019/10/downton-abbey-focus-features-highest-grossing-movie-of-all-time-1202763100/|title='Downton Abbey' Becomes Focus Features' Highest-Grossing Pic At Domestic B.O. With $84M+, Unseating 'Brokeback Mountain'|website=Deadline|date=October 17, 2019 }}

Focus Features' films have earned numerous awards nominations, including a total of 175 Academy Award nominations and 35 wins across various categories.{{Cite web |url=https://www.focusfeatures.com/article/oscars-party_focus-films |title=The Envelope Please: Celebrating Focus At The Academy Awards® |date=2019-02-22 |access-date=2024-09-15 |website=Focus Features |quote=With well over 120 nominations and 24 Oscars® over the years, Focus has had a seat at the awards table nearly every year—and we'll be there this year as well.}} However, they are also the distributor with the most Best Picture losses, out of 17 nominations as of 2025.{{efn|This total does not include nominees released by Focus Features in some or all countries outside the United States and Canada: Anora, which won the award at the 97th Academy Awards, The Brutalist, La La Land, Lady Bird, and Manchester by the Sea.}}{{cite web|title='Conclave' Prays for Oscar Attention: How Do Religious Movies Perform With Academy Voters?|website=Variety|first=Clayton|last=Davis|date=31 October 2024|access-date=1 November 2024|url=https://variety.com/2024/film/awards/conclave-religious-movies-oscars-1236190008/}}{{cite web | website=Oscars.org | publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. |title=The 97th Academy Awards | date=2025 |url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2025 |access-date=March 3, 2025 }}

History

Focus Features was formed in 2002 by James Schamus{{Cite web |last=Hermmans |first=Grant |date=March 11, 2022 |title='Focus Features Celebrates Its 20th Anniversary With This Wonderful Reel (& Logo)' |url=https://screenrant.com/focus-features-celebrates-its-20th-anniversary-with-this-wonderful-reel-logo/ |website=ScreenRant}} and David Linde and formed from the divisional merger of USA Films, Universal Focus and Good Machine, as well as several assets of the Vivendi-affiliated film studio StudioCanal.{{Cite web|last1=Lyons|first1=Charles|last2=Bing|first2=Jonathan|date=2002-02-25|title=The new look at U|url=https://variety.com/2002/film/markets-festivals/the-new-look-at-u-1117861323/|access-date=2022-01-02|website=Variety|language=en-US}} USA Films was created by Barry Diller in 1999 when he purchased Interscope Communications, certain assets of the film division of Propaganda Films, October Films and Gramercy Pictures from Seagram and merged the three labels together;{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=aEJFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6746,3385144&dq=gramercy+pictures+barry+diller&hl=en|title=Diller gets back into movies|work=The Telegraph-Herald |access-date=April 1, 2015}}{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-sep-28-fi-14956-story.html |title=Universal Adds Division for Specialty Films |work=Los Angeles Times |date=September 28, 1999 |access-date=September 2, 2013}}{{Cite web |last=Carver |first=Martin Peers,Benedict |date=1999-04-08 |title=Barry bags a bundle |url=https://variety.com/1999/biz/news/barry-bags-a-bundle-1117493078/ |access-date=2024-10-18 |website=Variety |language=en-US}} USA Films was led by Scott Greenstein.[https://www.nytimes.com/2000/02/16/movies/beauty-leads-wide-open-oscar-field.html "Beauty leads wide open Oscar field"], New York Times Accessed April 22, 2014. Universal Focus was the specialty film arm of Universal Pictures that was created in 1999 as Universal Classics, which was led by Paul Hardart and Claudia Gray, to replace the October Films label in order to get a group of titles to be distributed by USA Films, focused on the marketing of niche-based acquisitions by Universal Pictures International, Working Title, WT2 Productions, Revolution Films and DNA Films, and eventually rebranded into Universal Focus by 2000.{{Cite web|last=Lyons|first=Charles|date=1999-09-28|title=Duo tapped to run U inhouse niche unit|url=https://variety.com/1999/film/news/duo-tapped-to-run-u-inhouse-niche-unit-1117756096/|access-date=2022-01-02|website=Variety|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|date=2001-07-25|title=Survival of the leanest|url=https://variety.com/2001/biz/news/survival-of-the-leanest-1117850244/|access-date=2022-01-02|website=Variety|language=en-US}}

In March 2004, Focus Features revived Rogue Pictures as a genre label, which was once used by October Films in the late 1990s. Rogue Pictures would be led by the same team who led the standard Focus management.{{Cite web|last=Rooney|first=David|date=2004-03-25|title=Focus widens lens with Rogue|url=https://variety.com/2004/film/features/focus-widens-lens-with-rogue-1117902220/|access-date=2022-01-02|website=Variety|language=en-US}}

On October 2, 2013, James Schamus was fired from his position as CEO of Focus, with the New York offices being shut down in the process. He was succeeded by Peter Schlessel, whose company FilmDistrict would be merged into Focus and folded into the trade name High Top Releasing. This became effective in January 2014, and several titles developed under FilmDistrict would be released under Focus.{{cite web |url= https://variety.com/2013/film/news/breaking-focus-features-ceo-james-schamus-out-peter-schlessel-to-take-over-1200688551/|title= Revamped Focus Features Led by Peter Schlessel Relocating to L.A.|first= Andrew|last= Stewart|date= October 2, 2013|access-date= September 11, 2022|work= Variety}} Under Schlessel, the company began to acquire films with a wider commercial appeal, much like his previous company.{{cite web |url= https://variety.com/2013/film/news/with-filmdistricts-dna-will-focus-get-a-commercial-makeover-1200688612/|title= With FilmDistrict's DNA, Will Focus Get a Commercial Makeover?|first= Dave|last= McNary|date= October 2, 2013|access-date= September 11, 2022|work= Variety}}{{cite web |url= https://variety.com/2014/voices/columns/as-focus-moves-into-more-commercial-territory-indie-films-need-a-new-champion-1201166990/|title= As Focus Moves Into More Commercial Territory, Indie Films Need a New Champion|first= Peter|last= Bart|date= May 1, 2014|access-date= September 11, 2022|work= Variety}} In May 2015, Gramercy Pictures was revived by Focus as a genre label, that was on action, sci-fi, and horror films.{{cite news|title=Focus Revives Gramercy Pictures Label For Genre Films|url=https://deadline.com/2015/05/focus-features-revives-gramercy-pictures-label-genre-films-1201430500/|date=May 20, 2015|website=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=May 20, 2015}}

In February 2016, Focus merged with Universal Pictures International Productions as part of a new strategy to "align the acquisition and production of specialty films in the global market".{{Cite news|url=https://www.nbcuniversal.com/press-release/focus-features-and-universal-pictures-international-productions-merge-operations-under|title=FOCUS FEATURES AND UNIVERSAL PICTURES INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTIONS TO MERGE OPERATIONS UNDER FOCUS FEATURES BANNER|date=2016-02-04|newspaper=NBCUniversal|access-date=2016-10-30}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/focus-features-shake-up-peter-862037|title=Focus Features Shake-Up: Peter Schlessel Out|newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=2016-10-30}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/focus-features-shake-up-whats-862969|title=Focus Features Shake-Up: What's Behind Peter Schlessel's Abrupt Exit|newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=2016-10-30}} Following this, along with several disappointing box office returns, Schlessel was let go from the company and replaced with Peter Kujawski.{{cite web |url= https://variety.com/2016/film/news/focus-features-reboot-peter-schlessel-1201697164/|title= Why Focus Features is Again Getting a Drastic Reboot|first= Brett|last= Lang|date= February 4, 2016|access-date= September 11, 2022}}

In April 2017, Vine Alternative Investments re-acquired the pre-2008 Rogue film library from Focus Features.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/04/vine-alternative-investments-manchester-film-library-the-fighter-limitless-1202078374/|title=New Village Roadshow Co-Owner Vine Acquires Manchester Film Library|first1=Patrick|last1=Hipes|date=April 27, 2017}}

= Focus World =

In August 2011, Focus Features launched Focus World, a label focusing on the video on demand market with initial plans to distribute 15 films per year, with one film being released per month.{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2011/08/focus-features-launches-vod-premiere-label-focus-world-52676/|title=Focus Features Launches VOD Premiere Label Focus World|website=Indiewire.com|date=August 23, 2011|access-date=October 3, 2016}}

Distribution partners

= Australia =

Roadshow Entertainment (2003–2009)
Icon Film Distribution (2004–2012)
Universal Pictures International (2006–present)

= United Kingdom =

Momentum Pictures (now Entertainment One) (2006–2014)
Entertainment Film Distributors (2002–2008)
Universal Pictures International (2004–present)

= Canada =

Alliance Atlantis/Alliance Films (2002–2013)
Entertainment One (2013–2016)
Universal Pictures International (2016–present)

As a distributor, Focus' most successful release in North America to date is the 2019 film Downton Abbey, which earned $84.5 million during its first weekend at the box office and surpassing Brokeback Mountain, which earned $83 million at the North American box office.{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2019/10/downton-abbey-focus-features-highest-grossing-movie-of-all-time-1202763100/|title='Downton Abbey' Becomes Focus Features' Highest-Grossing Pic At Domestic B.O. With $84M+, Unseating 'Brokeback Mountain'|date=October 17, 2019|website=Deadline}} However, this is not counting the domestic total of Traffic, which earned $124.1 million under the USA Films banner. The animated film Coraline was also highly profitable for the company. Although suffering its share of unsuccessful releases, Focus has been consistently profitable, and its international sales arm (unusual among studio specialty film divisions) allows it to receive the foreign as well as domestic revenues from its releases.Claudia Eller, [https://archive.today/20120904021201/http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-focus-20100525,0,899089,full.story "Positive cash flow through hits and misses makes Focus Features an attractive asset"], Los Angeles Times, May 25, 2010. Its DVD and movie rights revenues are boosted by cult classics including Wet Hot American Summer.