Picturehouse (company)

History

Formed by Bob Berney in 2005, Picturehouse was a joint venture created by Time Warner subsidiaries, New Line Cinema and HBO Films to acquire, produce and distribute independent films. Berney, who guided the acquisition, marketing and distribution of My Big Fat Greek Wedding and The Passion of the Christ, among other notable releases, ran the company from its inception.

Over the next two years, Picturehouse released features such as Robert Altman's A Prairie Home Companion, starring Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin; Guillermo del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth, which was acquired at script stage and went on to earn six Academy Award nominations and wins in three categories; La Vie en Rose, which garnered Marion Cotillard an Academy Award for Best Actress; and Sergei Bodrov's Genghis Khan biopic Mongol, a nominee for Best Foreign Language Film.

In 2008, Time Warner's consolidation resulted in Warner Bros. exiting the independent business to concentrate on big-budget "tentpole" releases. This prompted the closure of marketing and distribution operations at both New Line Cinema and Picturehouse, costing 70 employees their jobs.

In 2013, Berney and his wife Jeanne acquired the Picturehouse logo and trademark from Warner Bros. and relaunched the label as an independent theatrical distribution company. Initial releases included Adriana Trigiani's Big Stone Gap, starring Ashley Judd, and Christian Keller's Gloria, with Sofía Espinosa.

In August 2020, the company released Fatima, directed by Marco Pontecorvo and starring Joaquim de Almeida, Goran Visnjic, Harvey Keitel and Sônia Braga. The film tells the story of a 10-year-old shepherd, Lúcia dos Santos, and her two young cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto, who report having seen apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Fátima, Portugal, circa 1917. Their revelations inspire believers but anger officials of both the Catholic Church and the secular government, who try to force them to recant their story. As word of their prophecy spreads, tens of thousands of religious pilgrims flock to the site to witness what became known as the Miracle of the Sun.

In September 2021, Picturehouse announced that it would release Becoming Cousteau, a documentary that uses previously unseen archival footage to chronicle the life and career of the adventurous oceanographer and filmmaker Jacques-Yves Cousteau, who coinvented scuba diving and foretold the impact of pollution on climate change. Directed by Liz Garbus, the film was released on October 22, 2021.

Filmography

2000s

Original seal, distributed by New Line Home Entertainment and HBO Video (now Warner Bros. Home Entertainment)

2010s

Revived seal, distributed by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment

2020s

References

References

1. (January 15, 2013). "Picturehouse Relaunches With Bob Berney at Helm". The Wrap.
2. del Toro, Guillermo. (2026-01-26). "Post on X".
3. (May 27, 2021). "This Week on The Boxoffice Podcast: Bob Berney on the New Landscape for Theatrical Distribution". Boxoffice Pro.
4. Thompson, Anne. (March 4, 2008). "Warner Bros. shape shifts". [[Variety (magazine).
5. (December 19, 2004). "The Distribution Artist". [[The New York Times]].
6. Collett-White, Mike. (February 24, 2008). "French actress Cotillard shines at Oscars".
7. (February 6, 2007). "Del Toro's 'Labyrinth' gains Oscar momentum". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
8. (May 8, 2008). "Picturehouse, WIP close shop". Variety.
9. Fleming, Mike. (January 15, 2013). "The Berneys are Back with Picturehouse, and Now They've got Metallica". Deadline Hollywood.
10. (October 28, 2019). "Bob & Jeanne Berney Reopen PictureHouse With North American Rights Deal For 'Fatima'". [[Deadline Hollywood]].
11. (September 1, 2021). "NatGeo Unveils Four Documentaries at Telluride, from 'Fauci' to 'Becoming Cousteau'".
12. (September 1, 2021). "Nat Geo Documentary Films Set To Dominate Telluride Film Festival; 'Fauci', 'The Rescue', 'Becoming Cousteau' And More To Premiere".
13. Renner, Amy. (August 26, 2023). "Picturehouse".
14. Goodridge, Mike. (27 May 2006). "Picturehouse wins US rights to La Vie En Rose".
15. Grove, Martin A.. (15 June 2007). "Picture perfect launch for Picturehouse's 'Rose'".
16. "The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters".
17. Billington, Alex. (February 13, 2007). "Picturehouse Picks Up The Orphanage in Berlin".
18. (November 9, 2006). "Picturehouse Picks Up Diane English's The Women".
19. (September 25, 2013). "'Metallica Through the Never' Rocks the Rebirth of Indie Picturehouse". The Wrap.
20. D'Alessandro, Anthony. (May 7, 2020). "Bob & Jeanne Berney's Picturehouse Release 'Fatima' To Rise In Theaters This Summer". [[Deadline Hollywood]].
21. (September 1, 2021). "National Geographic Documentary Films and Picturehouse to Release Liz Garbus' "BECOMING COUSTEAU" on Friday, Oct. 22, 2021".
22. (June 22, 2022). "National Geographic Documentary Films and Picturehouse Release Trailer for Two-Time Sundance Award-Winner 'THE TERRITORY'".
23. Carey, Matthew. (November 7, 2022). "National Geographic Drops 'Retrograde' Trailer, Announces "Unprecedented" Release Plan For Matthew Heineman's Afghanistan Withdrawal Documentary".
24. (2023-03-09). "National Geographic Documentary Films and Picturehouse Announce First Trailer and Theatrical Release of WILD LIFE from OscarⓇ Award-Winning Filmmakers Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin".
25. Carey, Matthew. (August 31, 2023). "He Went To Convert Indigenous Islanders And Was Met With Arrows: Watch Trailer For Riveting NatGeo Doc 'The Mission' – Telluride".
26. Hammond, Pete. (November 2, 2023). "At The Gates' Review: Miranda Otto And Noah Wyle In Tense Psychological Drama Centered On Undocumented Workers And The Family Hiding Them".
27. Gilchrist, Todd. (March 21, 2024). "Carol Doda Topless at the Condor Review: The Cheeky Story of a North Beach Icon Who Broke Taboos".
28. Davis, Edward. (May 23, 2024). "Frank Miller: American Genius Trailer: Comic Book Legend Gets The Documentary Treatment In June".
29. Buenahora, Andrés. (August 27, 2024). "Picturehouse Acquires Nicholas Ma's 'Leap of Faith' Documentary".
30. Carey, Matthew. (August 14, 2024). "Oscar Contender 'Porcelain War,' Documentary On Remarkable Artists In Wartime Ukraine, Acquired By Picturehouse".
31. (September 5, 2025). "Picturehouse To Release "Re-Election" In Theaters October 10 And Debuts Trailer Online".
32. (30 October 2025). "Picturehouse to distribute NatGeo's THE TALE OF SILYAN".
33. D'Alessandro, Anthony. (October 22, 2025). "Picturehouse Acquires Patrick Creadon Documentary 'The King Of Color' Ahead Of AFI Fest".