Warner Independent Pictures

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{{Short description|American independent film division of Warner Bros}}

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{{notability|Companies|date=May 2019}}

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{{Infobox company

| name = Warner Independent Pictures

| logo = Warner Independent Pictures logo.svg

| location_city = Burbank, California

| location_country = United States

| type = Division

| industry = Film

| fate = Closed

| successors = Studio:
Warner Bros. Pictures
Castle Rock Entertainment
Library:
Warner Bros.

| foundation = {{Start date and age|2003|8|7}}

| defunct = {{End date and age|2008|11|12}}

| founder = Mark Gill

| key_people =

| parent = Warner Bros.

| website = {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081107224055/http://wip.warnerbros.com/|date=November 7, 2008|title=wip.warnerbros.com}} (now redirects to {{URL|https://www.warnerbros.com}})

}}

Warner Independent Pictures was an independent film division of the American film studio Warner Bros. Entertainment. Established on August 7, 2003, its first release was 2004's Before Sunset, the sequel to the 1995 film Before Sunrise. The division financed, produced, acquired and distributed feature films largely budgeted under $20 million.

Mark Gill was the division's first president.{{Cite web|title=Warner Bros. Unveils Specialty Division with Mark Gill at the Helm – IndieWire|date=August 8, 2003 |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2003/08/warner-bros-unveils-specialty-division-with-mark-gill-at-the-helm-79540/|access-date=February 24, 2021}} After a controversial departure, Gill was replaced by former Warner Bros. production executive Polly Cohen,{{Cite web|title=Polly Cohen Named New President of Warner Independent Pictures – IndieWire|date=May 8, 2006 |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2006/05/polly-cohen-named-new-president-of-warner-independent-pictures-76718/|access-date=February 24, 2021}} who served as president of this division until fall 2008, when the division was officially shut down. While well versed in big-budget motion picture production, it was widely believed Cohen did not have strong enough backgrounds in independent film, or in the marketing/publicity aspects of film distribution, to hold that role. This led to a lackluster slate and output, after a successful initial run under Gill.

In February 2008, Time Warner announced that it would merge New Line Cinema into Warner Bros. New Line's "independent" group Picturehouse was expected to be merged into Warner Independent as part of this process. On May 8, 2008, however, it was announced that both of these specialty divisions would be shut down.{{Cite web|last1=McNary|first1=Dave|last2=Hayes|first2=Dade|date=May 8, 2008|title=Picturehouse, WIP to close shop|url=https://variety.com/2008/film/markets-festivals/picturehouse-wip-to-close-shop-1117985299/|access-date=February 24, 2021|website=Variety|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Finke|first=Nikki|date=May 8, 2008|title=End Of Picturehouse Was Predicted; But End Of Warner Independent Not So Much|url=https://deadline.com/2008/05/predicted-end-of-picturehouse-happens-5726/|access-date=February 24, 2021|website=Deadline|language=en-US}} In 2013 however, Picturehouse was relaunched under separate ownership.{{Cite web|date=January 15, 2013|title=Bob Berney Relaunching Picturehouse, Signs Output Deal with Netflix|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/amp/news/bob-berney-relaunching-picturehouse-signs-412732|access-date=February 24, 2021|website=www.hollywoodreporter.com|language=en}}