Editing HBO Films

{{Short description|Filmed entertainment arm of HBO}}
{{Infobox company
| name = HBO Films
| logo = [[File:HBO Films Logo.svg|frameless|class=skin-invert]]
| type = [[Division (business)|Division]]
| former_name = {{ubl|HBO Premiere Films (1983–1986)|HBO Pictures (1984–1999)}}
| industry = [[Film]], [[cable television]]
| fate = 
| predecessor = <!-- or: | predecessors = -->
| successor = <!-- or: | successors = -->
| founded = {{Start date and age|1983}} in [[New York, New York]], [[United States]]
| founder = Robert S. Halligan Jr.<br>Nancy Parent<br>Eugene F. Van Buren
| defunct = <!-- {{End date|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| hq_location_city = [[Los Angeles]]
| hq_location_country = United States
| area_served = <!-- or: | areas_served = -->
| key_people = Len Amato ([[President (corporate title)|president]])
| products = 
| parent = [[Home Box Office, Inc.]]
| divisions = 
| num_employees = 
| num_employees_year = <!-- Year of num_employees data (if known) -->
| website = {{url|https://www.hbo.com/movies|hbo.com/movies}}
}}
'''HBO Films''' (formerly called '''HBO Premiere Films''' and '''HBO Pictures''') is an American production and distribution company, a division of the [[cable television]] [[television network|network]] [[HBO]] that produces [[feature film]]s and [[miniseries]]. The division produces fiction and non-fiction works under [[HBO Documentary Films]], primarily for distribution to their own customers, though recently the company has been funding theatrical releases.

HBO Films slates three or four films per year and develops most of them internally<ref name="vty" /> with theatrical films being distributed by [[Warner Bros. Pictures]].<ref name="wrap" />

==Background==
After or around 1978, HBO was involved into preproduction financing films for exclusive pay-TV rights, which was risky as the films could be unpopular while alienating movie studios.<ref name="idch">{{cite book |title=International Directory of Company Histories |date=1998 |publisher=St. James Press |via=FundingUniverse |url=http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/home-box-office-inc-history/ |access-date=October 12, 2018 |language=en |chapter=History of Home Box Office Inc.}}</ref> The original [[Silver Screen Partners]], L.P. was organized by Roland W. Betts, New York film investment broker to fund movies for [[HBO]] in 1982. The limited partnership sold through [[EF Hutton]] were oversubscribed and raised $83 million. HBO made a 50% guarantee on their investment for exclusive cable rights.<ref name=lat>{{cite news |last=Mathews |first=Jack |title=HBO, Disney Take Betts At Fun Odds |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-09-20-ca-6537-story.html |access-date=18 July 2012|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=September 20, 1985}}</ref> HBO then joined with [[Columbia Pictures]] and [[CBS]] to form  [[TriStar Pictures]], which was expected to become a [[major film studio]], in 1983. HBO sold half of its ownership in TriStar in December 1985.<ref>{{cite book |first=Stephen |last=Prince |url=https://archive.org/details/newpotofgold00step |url-access=registration |title=A New Pot of Gold: Hollywood Under the Electronic Rainbow |publisher=University of California Press |location=Berkeley, Calif. |year=2002 |orig-year=2000 |isbn=9780520232662 |series=History of the American Cinema Vol. 10 |page=[https://archive.org/details/newpotofgold00step/page/31 31] |access-date=August 13, 2013}}</ref>

==History==
===Origin, as a television film production arm===
'''HBO Premiere Films''' began in 1983 as a telefilm and miniseries production company with an "ambitious production schedule" for the HBO channel. With the high expense of theatrical film exclusive, those films appeared on multiple pay TV channels. Thus, the unit was started to give the channel some exclusives. The company's first head, Jane Deknatel (an English-born television veteran), projected the unit would do 24 projects in 1984 and 50 a few years later. HBO Premiere Films was funding the productions at 60% for just the pay TV rights. Their first film, ''[[The Terry Fox Story]]'', shown in May 1983<ref name=nyt>{{cite news |last1=Salmans |first1=Sandra |title=HBO Changes its Film Focus |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/05/09/arts/hbo-changes-its-film-focus.html |access-date=October 5, 2018 |work=The New York Times |date=May 9, 1984 |language=en}}</ref> was also the first feature film produced expressly for pay television.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Kaufman|first=Michael T.|date=1982-09-20|title=HBO FILMS TERRY FOX STORY IN TORONTO (Published 1982)|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/09/20/movies/hbo-films-terry-fox-story-in-toronto.html|access-date=2021-03-11|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Two more films were produced and shown in 1983.<ref name=nyt/>

By the end of the first year the schedule was cut back and the unit moved into producing theatrical films. In January 1984, Donald March took over the company from Deknatel as senior vice president. He canceled a dozen projects in development and was reassessing star vehicle productions as being done as vanity projects. A production for each month from July to November was the new plan with a push for additional rights beyond pay TV rights, like foreign theatrical, home video and network television. In January 1984, a telefilm and HBO Premiere Films' first two mini-series, ''[[All the Rivers Run]]'' then ''Far Pavilions'' were cablecast.<ref name=nyt/> HBO Pictures started winning [[Emmy Award]]s in 1993 with two for ''[[Barbarians at the Gate (film)|Barbarians at the Gate]]'' and ''[[Stalin (1992 film)|Stalin]]''.<ref name="vty">{{cite news |last1=Birnbaum |first1=Debra |title=HBO Films Redefined the TV Movie — Now It's Poised to Redefine Itself |url=https://variety.com/2017/tv/features/hbo-films-tv-movie-1202555949/ |access-date=October 12, 2018 |work=Variety |date=September 13, 2017}}</ref>

Around the time, the company tried its hand into feature films again by partnering with Cinema Plus L.P., with [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM/UA Communications]] planning on to distribute its films, but the films that eventually came out were released by [[Warner Bros.]] due to the Time-Warner merger.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Girard |first=Tom |date=1988-01-27 |title=New HBO Limited Partnership Looks To Raise $40-100 Mil |pages=4, 24 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref>

Around November 1996, John Matoian was appointed as president of HBO Pictures reporting to HBO chairman and CEO [[Jeff Bewkes]]. Bewkes decided by April 1999 that he want a single original programming division. Programming president [[Chris Albrecht]] oversaw original series development, specials and miniseries and was selected over Matoian. Matoian resigned because he lost his direct reporting status and would have reported to Albrecht. Executive vice president of HBO NYC [[Colin Callender]], who reported to Matoian, was promoted to take over as president of HBO Pictures.<ref name=vty2>{{cite news |last1=Katz |first1=Richard |title=HBO punts pic head |url=https://variety.com/1999/biz/news/hbo-punts-pic-head-1117493189/ |access-date=October 12, 2018 |work=Variety |date=April 13, 1999}}</ref>

===HBO Films===
In October 1999, HBO NYC Productions was merged into HBO Pictures and renamed HBO Films under division president Callender. HBO Films Development Unit was also formed by November 1999.<ref name="vty1">{{cite news |last1=Pursell |first1=Chris |title=HBO Films taps exex |url=https://variety.com/1999/biz/news/hbo-films-taps-exex-1117758117/ |access-date=October 12, 2018 |work=Variety |date=November 17, 1999}}</ref>
 
Prior to July 2003, HBO Films made individual distribution deal for their films. The company formed its theatrical distribution division, HBO Films Domestic Theatrical Releasing, that month with a distribution label partnership pact with [[Fine Line Features]] and the hiring of Dennis O’Connor, [[United Artists]] marketing vice-president, as division head. The pact negotiation was started due to a single distribution film deal between Fine Line and HBO Films for ''[[American Splendor (film)|American Splendor]]''. HBO Films Domestic Theatrical Releasing's first release was ''[[Elephant (2003 film)|Elephant]]'' on October 24, 2003.<ref name="vty" /> In 2005, HBO Films Domestic Theatrical Releasing and Fine Line were effectively merged with Warner Bros. (WB) decided HBO and [[New Line Cinema]] should form a new smaller and niche films distribution arm, [[Picturehouse (company)|Picturehouse]].<ref name="wrap">{{cite news |last1=Cunningham |first1=Todd |title='Metallica Through the Never' Rocks the Rebirth of Indie Picturehouse |url=https://www.thewrap.com/indie-picturehouse-rocks-its-rebirth-with-metallica-through-the-never/ |access-date=October 12, 2018 |work=The Wrap |date=September 25, 2013}}</ref>

Len Amato, producer and as the president of Spring Creek Productions, was appointed HBO Films senior vice president in March 2007.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Schneider |first1=Michael |title=Amato aboard HBO Films as VP |url=https://variety.com/2007/film/markets-festivals/amato-aboard-hbo-films-as-vp-1117960734/ |access-date=October 12, 2018 |work=Variety |date=March 8, 2007}}</ref> In 2008, Picturehouse was discontinued with distribution being handled by WB's main distribution arm.<ref name="wrap"/> HBO Films exited the theatrical film market with Picturehouse's closure. With Callender leaving to form his own production company in late 2008, no division president is appointed with department heads becoming president of their departments, Kary Antholis at HBO Miniseries, and Amato at HBO Films. Both answered to president of programming group/West Coast operations, Michael Lombardo.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Schneider |first1=Michael |title=Colin Callender exits HBO |url=https://variety.com/2008/scene/markets-festivals/colin-callender-exits-hbo-1117993968/ |access-date=October 12, 2018 |work=Variety |date=October 14, 2008}}</ref>

==Film library==
{{Main|List of HBO Films films}}

==Top audiences==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Movie !! Date Released !! Gross viewers<ref name="vty" /><br>(millions)
|-
| ''[[Behind the Candelabra]]'' || May 26, 2013 || 11.45
|-
| ''[[Taking Chance]]'' || February 21, 2009 || 10.45
|-
| ''[[Lackawanna Blues (film)|Lackawanna Blues]]'' || February 12, 2005 || 10.14
|-
| ''[[Game Change (film)|Game Change]]'' || March 10, 2012 || 10.04 	
|-
| ''[[Something the Lord Made]]'' || May 30, 2004 || 9.75 
|-
| ''[[The Wizard of Lies]]'' || May 20, 2017 || 8.93 	
|-
| ''[[Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (film)|Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee]]'' || May 27, 2007 || 8.00	
|-
| ''[[Temple Grandin (film)|Temple Grandin]]'' || February 6, 2010 || 7.80 	
|-
| ''[[Iron Jawed Angels]]'' || February 15, 2004 || 7.80 	
|-
| ''[[Grey Gardens (2009 film)|Grey Gardens]]'' || April 18, 2009 || 7.45
|}

==Reception==
The films produced by the company have garnered hundreds of [[Primetime Emmy Award]]s, 694 nominations with 162 wins,<ref name="vty" /> and [[Golden Globe Award]]s. HBO Films productions have won the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie]] every year from 1993 to 2015 and 2020, except for four years.<ref name="vty" /> ''Elephant'' is the first film produced by HBO Films to win the [[Palme d'Or]] at the [[Cannes Film Festival]].

==HBO NYC Productions==
HBO Showcase was started as a second film banner for HBO in 1986 to expand the boundary of drama. ''[[Age-Old Friends|Age Old Friends]]'' (1989) was the unit's first production to earn an Emmy Award. In 1996, HBO Showcase was expanded and given a new name HBO NYC Productions.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Edgerton |first1=Gary R. |last2=Jones |first2=Jeffrey P. |title=The Essential HBO Reader |date=2013 |publisher=University Press of Kentucky |isbn=978-0813143729 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=THEE7TZRAN0C&q=HBO+Pictures&pg=PT51 |access-date=October 12, 2018 |language=en}}</ref>

In April 1999, Colin Callender, executive VP of HBO NYC, was promoted to be HBO Pictures president.<ref name=vty2/> In October 1999, HBO NYC Productions was merged into HBO Pictures and renamed HBO Films under division president Callender.<ref name="vty1"/>

In 2002, [[Keri Putnam]] was named the Executive Vice President of Movies and Mini-series at HBO Films before moving to [[Miramax|Miramax Films]] in 2006.<ref>{{Cite news|title=How Did I Get Here? Keri Putnam|work=Bloomberg.com|url=http://www.bloomberg.com/features/2016-how-did-i-get-here/keri-putnam.html|access-date=2021-03-11}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official|https://www.hbo.com/movies}}

{{HBO}}
{{WarnerMedia Studios & Networks}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:HBO]]
[[Category:Home Box Office, Inc.|HBO Films]]
[[Category:Film production companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Entertainment companies established in 1983]]
[[Category:Mass media companies established in 1983]]
[[Category:American companies established in 1983]]