Icon Productions

History

1990s–early 2000s: Foundation and first projects

Icon started when Gibson was having trouble in financing his film Hamlet. Gibson and Davey co-founded Icon Productions in August 1989 in order to fund the film.

Gibson has explained that the company's name was chosen because icon means "image" in Greek, and that the inspiration came from a book on Russian icons in his den. The logo's artwork originally features a sketch of Michael the Archangel in 1993, but now features a small crop of the mother's left eye from the Theotokos of Vladimir icon, an Eastern Orthodox icon of Mary, mother of God.

Unlike most other independents, Icon financed most of its development and packaging costs internally, mainly by Gibson, allowing it to retain creative control of projects through production.

In late 1996, New Zealand producer Timothy White became founding head of a co-production venture between Fox and Gibson, called Fox-Icon, based at Fox Studios Australia in Sydney. The company failed to produce a single film, shutting down in December 1999.

In August 1999, the UK division signed a home video deal with Warner Home Video.

In 2000, Icon established a film distribution company for in Sydney, Australia, headed by Mark Gooder. A UK subsidiary for distribution was also established. Gooder moved to Los Angeles (Santa Monica) in 2006 to manage production, acquisition, and distribution operations there. After the financial success of The Passion of the Christ (2004), there was frequent mention of the ability of Icon to function as a mini-studio. However, Davey downplayed those expectations, saying, "The last thing we want is to become a studio. We don't want to become that top-heavy. We want to be independent and passionate. We don't want to lose the magic".

Icon Productions owned a library of over 250 film titles.

2008–2009: Financing deals, further projects, and legal troubles

At the beginning of 2008, Icon was co-financing and co-selling the thriller Push, with Summit Entertainment. It also had stakes in The Black Balloon, an Australian drama starring Toni Collette, and the horror comedy Infestation.

In January 2008, Mark Gooder, then president of acquisitions and development, overseeing Icon Productions, Icon Entertainment International as well as the distribution companies in Australia and the UK, was appointed CEO in place of Davey. Gooder also became board member, along with COO and CFO Vicki Christianson. Davey's role as CEO of Icon Productions ended on 1 January 2008, but he continued as chairman of the board. Gooder managed Icon Productions' international sales and the UK distribution company from Los Angeles, at the same time running Icon in Australia.

In February 2008, it was reported that screenwriter Benedict Fitzgerald was suing Mel Gibson, along with Vicki Christianson, Icon Productions, Icon Distribution, Marquis Films, and Airborne Productions, for defrauding him of millions of dollars, as well as incorrectly taking co-writing credit for the screenplay of Passion of the Christ. In May 2009, Gibson agreed to an undisclosed settlement with Fitzgerald. Details of the settlement, agreed at Los Angeles County Superior Court, were not released.

In February 2008, Icon entered the exhibition business for the first time by purchasing Dendy Cinemas, Australia's largest independent film distributor and art house cinema chain.

In September 2008, Davey and Gibson started negotiations for the sale of the Icon international sales and film distribution arms along with the Majestic library. UK operations were sold to US-based industrial group Access Industries (founded by Leonard Blavatnik), with former UK Film Council chairman Stewart Till as new CEO and equity holder in the business. The new company would continue to use the Icon name and would have a three-year first-look deal with Icon Productions to handle the international rights to its productions. The sale was completed in November 2009. The deal included Icon's international sales company, the distribution operation based in the UK, and the Majestic Films & Television library, but not the Los Angeles operation Icon Productions LLC, which Gibson still owned outright with Davey, who relocated to Australia, the distribution operation based in Australia and the Dendy Cinemas operation were also not part of the acquisition deal.

2010–present: UK branch closure and most recent projects

In November 2011, Icon announced it was closing its UK distribution wing to focus on financing and producing films, with Lionsgate UK taking over distribution and was said to be in talks to buy its back catalogue. In late 2012, Icon Entertainment International re-acquired a majority of the Producers Sales Organization library from Lionsgate. In 2013, it was announced that Icon UK could get backing from film fund Prescience. Earlier, the unit hired Exclusive Media (later AMBI Group) to represent its library. In September 2013, Icon Film Distribution UK was purchased by investment company New Sparta.

In August 2012 Mark Gooder left Icon, after being appointed president of acquisitions and Australian operations for The Weinstein Company.

In September 2017, after a string of box-office bombs back in 2016, Icon Film Distribution UK was put up for sale by New Sparta. In March 2018, New Sparta sold Icon Film Distribution UK to Kaleidoscope Film Distribution.

In 2017, Icon Productions LLC in the US sued the producer of their film The Professor and the Madman for breach of contract, but on 19 June 2018, Judge Ruth Kwan of the Los Angeles County Superior Court did not allow this, saying that there was not enough evidence.

Current operations

United States

The 2025 film Flight Risk, a thriller starring Mark Wahlberg, is a co-production between Icon and Davis Entertainment Company. Gibson directed and co-produced the film along with Davey, John Davis, and John Fox.

the business registration of Icon Productions LLC in California shows its founding date as 29 May 1997. It lists an individual agent, Vicki Christianson, at 808 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 400, Santa Monica, Ca 90401.

Australia

The 2008–2009 transaction did not include the Australian distribution company and cinemas, which remained as Icon Film Distribution as of February 2019.

The Australian arm became one of the leading independent distributors in Australia.

, the Australian website states that the Dendy Icon Group, comprising Icon Productions, Icon Film Distribution, Dendy Cinemas, and Icon Film Finance, "focuses on quality feature films and alternative content within the Australian and New Zealand markets". The group is still owned by Gibson and Davey.

Films

Produced

• Hamlet (1990)
• Forever Young (1992)
• Airborne (1993)
• The Man Without a Face (1993)
• Immortal Beloved (1994)
• Maverick (1994)
• Braveheart (1995)
• Dad and Dave: On Our Selection (1995)
• One Eight Seven (1997)
• Anna Karenina (1997)
• FairyTale: A True Story (1997)
• Felicia's Journey (1999)
• An Ideal Husband (1999)
• Payback (1999)
• Bless the Child (2000)
• The Million Dollar Hotel (2000)
• What Women Want (2000)
• We Were Soldiers (2002)
• The Singing Detective (2003)
• Paparazzi (2004)
• The Passion of the Christ (2004)
• Seraphim Falls (2006)
• Apocalypto (2006)
• Infestation (2009)
• Push (2009)
• Edge of Darkness (2010)
• Get the Gringo (2012)
• Stonehearst Asylum (2014)
• • Handsome Devil* (2016)
• Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
• The Professor and the Madman (2019)
• Flight Risk (2025)
• The Resurrection of the Christ: Part One (2027)
• The Resurrection of the Christ: Part Two (2027)

Distributed

• Ordinary Decent Criminal (2000)
• Kevin & Perry Go Large (2000)
• The Magic Pudding (2000)
• The Miracle Maker (2000) (as Icon Entertainment International)
• Thomas and the Magic Railroad (2000; UK)
• The Little Vampire (2000)
• The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000)
• Y tu mamá también (2001)
• Ghost World (2001)
• Sweet Sixteen (2002)
• Romanzo Criminale (2005)
• Little Fish (2005)
• Black Sheep (2006)
• Butterfly on a Wheel (2007)
• Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (2007)
• The Black Balloon (2008) (as Icon Entertainment International; "presents")
• Hunger (2008)
• Mary and Max (2009)
• Nowhere Boy (2009)
• Black Dynamite (2009)
• Triangle (2009)
• Knowing (2009)
• Buried (2010)
• The Way (2010)
• Coriolanus (2011)
• Oranges and Sunshine (2011)
• A Few Best Men (2012)
• You're Next (2013)
• Postman Pat: The Movie (2014)
• Mr. Holmes (2015)
• Last Cab to Darwin (2015)
• The Neon Demon (2016)
• The Nice Guys (2016)
• Road Games (2016)
• City of Tiny Lights (2016)
• Finding Fatimah (2017)
• The Jungle Bunch (2017)
• Hotel Mumbai (2018)
• Nowhere Special (2020)
• Hive (2021)
• To Olivia (2021)
• Hellboy: The Crooked Man (2024)

Television

• Invincible (2001 film, TBS) – in association with Alliance Atlantis and Qian Yang International
• Clubhouse (2004 series, CBS) – in association with Spelling Television
• Complete Savages (2004 series, ABC) – in association with Nothing Can Go Wrong Now Productions and NBC Universal Television Studio
• Evel Knievel (2004 film, TNT) – in association with Jaffe/Braunstein Films and ApolloProScreen Filmproduktion
• Kevin Hill (2004 series, UPN) – in association with O'Taye Productions and Touchstone Television
• Carrier (2008 series, PBS) – with Carrier Project

References

References

1. Robert Lusetich. (2008-05-15). "Still magic after 20 years with Mel Gibson at Icon".
2. Press release. (October 25, 2007). "PBS, Icon Productions and Carrier Project Granted Unprecedented Access to U.S. Aircraft Carrier to Film Revealing 10-Part Series, Carrier". [[PBS]].
3. Kim Williamson. (August 1997). "Australian Native Sons Mel Gibson and Bruce Davey of Icon Bring It All Back Home". Box Office Magazine.
4. Brian D. Johnson. (December 25, 2006). "Mad Mel's passion for vengeance".
5. Botes, Costa. "Tim White".
6. Woods, Mark. (9 December 1999). "No pix made, Fox-Icon shut".
7. "Icon, WB ink homevid deal | Variety".
8. Stephen Galloway. (2004-11-15). "Australian Dialogue: Mel Gibson & Bruce Davey". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
9. (1 January 2008). "Mark Gooder takes over from Davey as CEO of Icon Group".
10. (12 Feb 2008). "'The Christ,' Screenwriter Says".
11. (19 May 2009). "Mel Gibson settles Passion of Christ Script lawsuit".
12. Pip Bulbeck. (2008-02-23). "Icon expands in Australia with Dendy". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
13. Garry Maddox. (September 10, 2008). "Mel Gibson lets go of the steering wheel". [[Sydney Morning Herald]].
14. Stuart Kemp. (September 8, 2008). "Stewart Till takes control of Icon Group". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
15. (November 2009). "Mel Gibson Sells UK Arm Of His Icon Group".
16. Shoard, Catherine. "Icon stops UK distribution and axes London jobs". The Guardian.
17. (25 March 2013). "Cannes' New UK Buyer? Icon Could Resurface With Backing From Prescience". Deadline.
18. Tartaglione, Nancy. (23 September 2013). "Icon Film Distribution Relaunches In UK Following Acquisition By New Sparta". Deadline.
19. Kilday, Gregg. (23 August 2012). "Former Icon Productions CEO Mark Gooder Joins the Weinstein Co.".
20. (7 March 2018). "UK Stalwart Icon Film Distribution and Its 300-Strong Library Finds Buyer in Kaleidoscope".
21. (31 July 2017). "Mel Gibson Sues Producer for Sabotaging "Labor of Love" Film".
22. Gardner, Eriq. (20 June 2018). "Mel Gibson Loses Court Bid to Reclaim Rights to 'Madman' Film". The Hollywood Reporter.
23. Bergeson, Samantha. (27 June 2024). "Mel Gibson Directs a Bald, Bloody Mark Wahlberg for 'Con Air'-Style Thriller 'Flight Risk'".
24. (9 October 2024). "Business Search".
25. Jeremy Kay. (November 1, 2009). "Stewart Till closes deal to buy Icon UK, Icon International". [[Screen International]].
26. Stuart Kemp. (November 1, 2009). "Stewart Till finalizes Icon Group deal". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
27. "About Icon Films".
28. "About Icon".