This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Art and Experience : John Hodges is leaving A24, the Oscar-winning indie studio that he co-founded. Like I had glandular problems. Like, no way in hell. It was me! I was proud of the film but I thought it was weird and boring. Oh my god, its new! Jenkins: I dont know if [Moonlight] was a glittering jewel of a project. I kept calling the guy. Sacco: It was my first festival ever. It was our first Sundance all together. Aizenberg: When I started, we didnt have Spring Breakers yet, but the whole focus of that very first meeting I went to was like, How do we get Spring Breakers? ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE|SUBSCRIBE|CONTACT. Correction, Sept. 30, 2015: This article originally contained a photo of John Hodges, a film producer, rather than John Hodges, co-founder of A24. It was social media. Katz: David and I are sitting next to each other. Since its inception in 2012, A24 has become one of the hottest destinations for indie filmmakers, ushering such edgy films to theaters as The Bling Ring and Spring Breakers. And that question is the birth of fandom. BREAKING: John Hodges, one of the founding members of A24, has announced his departure from the production and distribution studio to focus on future opportunities. A24 was founded in 2012 by Daniel Katz, David Fenkel and John Hodges. Over the past six years I have been fortunate to work with a diverse group of talented storytellers across film and TV and look forward to continuing those collaborations in my future endeavors.. John has been a trusted partner who helped conceive A24 and for that we will always be grateful, A24 noted. Katz: There was still, I think, the element ofthey thought we got lucky. Were putting together a gift basket of glass guns and a gift basket with munchies. Steven Spielberg publicly predicted the implosion of the film industry, which is sort of like God telling you to brace for rain. [17] In April, the company acquired all foreign rights to Swiss Army Man, distributing the film in all territories, and partnering with distributors who previously acquired rights to the film, a first for the company. Jenkins: They were like, Look. Daniel Katz, David Fenkel and John Hodges have unveiled New York-based A24 as a distribution, financing and production company with plans to release eight to 10 titles annually. The company said he will exit to focus on future opportunities, but did not clarify beyond that statement. Karyn Kusama is a rapidly rising female director, and for good reason. I say, Dont go there. Because what happened was, someone ran out with a red envelope. A24 is not like other entertainment companies. A24, which was founded in 2012, said that no additional changes in management will be made. Aizenberg: Ex Machina winning for visual effects was the most shocking thing. Since the small blast of trade articles that greeted the companys inception, theyve remained unusually quiet. Fenkel: I just cannot stop. I think when movie companies get started, people want to define you immediately. No additional changes in management will be made, said A24, which will continue to develop and produce a growing slate of content across film and television. Released in the wake of Anton Yelchins untimely passing, Jeremy Saulniers Green Room is a grizzly and intense thriller in which a young punk rock band witnesses a murder and fights off a group of Neo Nazis, led by Patrick Stewart no less. Fenkel: I think we had to sell them on, like, Hey, were gonna push this thing.. Patrick Stewart (actor, Green Room): [The premiere of Green Room] was at the Toronto Film Festivals Midnight Madness. The deal excludes films that are already part of the Apple partnership. Wanna follow A24 (company)'s net worth? Fenkel: And the Spring Breakers trailer dropped the first day of Sundance, and MTVs servers fucked up, because we gave them the exclusive, and they stopped serving the video. When an A24 acquisitions exec pitched the story to me, excitedly laying out the plot in broad but heartbreaking strokes, he asked if it sounded like an A24 film. A24 Films is a US theatrical distribution and production company founded by Daniel Katz, John Hodges and David Fenkel. Thus far, A24 hasnt made any of the movies its released, but its made all of them A24 movies. I dont think it was related to her professional career. I just I just started talking. Many of the countrys most vital filmmakers, unwilling to accept that their next movie would have to be either shot on an iPhone or connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, have begun to abandon ship. None Of Us Thanked Them. [24], On November 15, 2018, A24 and Apple announced that they had entered into a multi-year partnership where A24 will produce a slate of original films for Apple. Aizenberg: We had a couple movies in there that we tried to force into making, like, event-y theatrical, and they werent. I think he would say something now. Theyre one of the few companies that have shown that indie films can still be viable. A24 went on a spending spree and released 11 movies in their second year of operation. John Hodges (co-founder and co-head of TV, . Film-distribution companies tend to be important but invisible: They buy finished films, cut trailers, make posters, and put movies into movie theatersor, more often these days, dump them onto VOD, never to be heard from again. The gross guysand hes like, All right. Alex Garland (director, Ex Machina): They make things work that according to standard procedures really shouldnt work. I felt like we were all on the same team. Johns experience and taste is evident in the films he has developed and produced over the years. Katz: Some of it was probably misplaced, dont you agree? And I was just acting! You dont watch something like Spring Breakers or Under the Skin without thinking: Where the hell did that come from? Earlier this year I was drinking in a hotel bar with the head of another distribution company at a film festival. Annapurna Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection, Moonlights Mahershala Ali Picks His Own Oscar Winners. The company has laid the groundwork to evolve from just another upstart distribution label into a multiheaded ministudio capable of developing its own contentand so far theyve done it by releasing movies that tend to earn more cultural cachet than they do money. Were gonna put it in theaters, and were gonna find a way to keep it there. Now, look, at that point, none of us were thinking, Hey, were gonna win Best Picture! But we wanted to give the movie the chance to have as much of a life as we possibly could. Agent. And she said it sucked. Hodges has been an integral part of the studio since its inception in 2012. Not heyday. Which, if you look two years back, theres just no way in hell anybody would have thought that A24 would finance a film like Moonlight and release it in the way they did, to the tune of a Best Picture and $55 million in international box office. So I just called the guy. Halfway through the campaign, I think it went the other way. Moonlight we hadnt seen yet. And it was the hair and makeup people. In 2013, A24 released their first five films: Sally Potters Ginger & Rosa, Harmony Korines Spring Breakers, Sofia Coppolas The Bling Ring, James Ponsoldts The Spectacular Now, and Roman Coppolas A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III, starring Charlie Sheen. By surgically inserting each release into the zeitgeist, it has paved a new road for provocative, modestly sized cinema, bridging the gap between microbudget indies and monolithic studio products in much the same way Italys Autostrada A24 connects Rome to Teramo. And I think that really helped the movie. Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. The companys best known movies include Ex Machina, Room, The Witch, Amy and Moonlight, which won the 2016 Academy Award for best picture, best adapted screenplay and best supporting actor for Mahershala Ali. He was calling me. In the last few years, there have been a spate ofindie horror films that have broken into the mainstream. All rights reserved. Katz: That was a good learning experience for us. So, um, well done, A24! People are like, Oh, I would have green-lit that! Im like, Come on!, Sacco: We had been talking about finding a person to produce for a long time. I dunno! I mean, it made sense at the time. Producer: Safety Not Guaranteed. Asif Kapadia (director, Amy): I suppose most filmmakers have had bad experiences in the past where you do all the hard work, and then these guys in slick suits come along and theyre like, We know what were doing now! Beth was also the first A24 movie since its inaugural release, the Charlie Sheen-starring A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III, not to receive a fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes. Suddenly, in order to be financially viable, a project has to cost less than $2 million or more than $200 million. The news of Hodges exit was abrupt, but one source said the move has been in the works for some time. Jeremy Kleiner (producer, Plan B, Moonlight): It wasnt like, Oh, this is low-hanging fruit, lets grab on to this one. It was a passionate embrace of the movie. Hodges had run A24 with David Fenkel and Daniel Katz as a ruling troika, albeit one that operated without offices (located in Chelsea, the company was known for its open space and banquette tables). The filmmakers were like, I made a good movie. The story behind the studio that brought you Moonlight and It Comes At Night, as told by Barry Jenkins, Sofia Coppola, James Franco, Robert Pattinson, and the founders of A24 themselves. They just need to know how it feels.. Slate is published by The Slate Group, a Graham Holdings Company. TV production powerhouse Jax Media is expanding into film and tapped John Hodges, one of the founding partners of A24, as its new head of film. Sacco: Frances Ha was the first heartbreak. Variety is a part of Penske Media Corporation. But then also do things that other companies arent doing. (For context, the Spring Breakers Facebook page has 1.1 million likes, while that for Fox Searchlights Best Picture-winning Birdman has only 289,000.) And check out the haunting synth score by Disasterpiece. So long as A24 continues tooperate independently and make edgy films from newcomers and established veterans alike, Ill be a happy moviegoer. Key grip. And The Place Beyond the Pines. you never leave your partner especially in a fire villas san angel rosarito a24 john hodges net worth. Fenkel: So hes booking, what, fifteen hundred screens? His relationship with talent and creators is exceptional and we look forward to having him make Jax his new home.. Animated photo illustration by Lisa Larson-Walker. We were about to have two movies [Ex Machina and While Were Young] with him. As of April 2022[update], twenty-seven episodes had been released. That kind of audience. But it was word of mouth. James Franco (actor, Spring Breakers, The Adderall Diaries): This is one of the things theyre great at: taking something small and delicate and giving it the kind of support that other people cant. The companys expansion into film is a natural progression as the company continues to produce scripted and non-scripted television as well as stand-up comedy specials. Ainzenberg: I remember I went and had to meet with Selena Gomezs team to prove that we were real people and we were gonna be legitimate in releasing the film. And we broke records. It wasnt going to get lost in the shuffle. [26], In July 2021, A24 reportedly explored a possible buyout for between $2.5 billion to $3 billion. I liked the fact that they had never made a doc. We tried to get the Union Square movie theaterwe didnt have a theatrical booking yet. Sacco: I used to think seeing people faint was what happened in movies. A24 has only managed to turn each of its main-slate films into an event because the companys been ruthless and visionary when it comes to determining the difference. Company Details: John has been a trusted partner who helped conceive A24 and for that we will always be grateful, noted A24 in a statement. Far left, from left: A24 founders David Fenkel, John Hodges, and Daniel Katz. Robert Pattinson (actor, The Rover, Good Time): Its crazy that there is an article about a distribution company. He booked the theaters over the phone. You get a movie with them and it represents something. The question with any company that lavishes attention and resources upon a modest amount of product is, of course, where does the money come from? Not like we should have paid more. The company also announced that they would also finance and develop pilots. Scarlett Johansson gives the most daring performance of her career in Jonathan Glazers surreal, experimental film. But then when we started to screen the film at Sundance and saw the audience reactions, it was clear that there was a much larger audience for this movie than any of us thought. a24. II was tasked. [18] In June, the company, along with Oscilloscope and distributor Honora, joined BitTorrent Now to distribute the work of their portfolio across the ad-supported service. Theres music labels I can think of as well. The second title was Life After Beth, the domestic theatrical haul of which was a paltry $88,273. Were passionate. Good A24 films anticipate the zeitgeist, and the best ones galvanize it. Zoe Beyer (marketing, A24): Spring Breakers had a whole Oscar campaign. Signed on as producer beginning with the third season. You prepare like for your dissertation at Harvard. Scott didnt say anything. A24 is cool and I know they say great things about Miramax, which makes me feel proud and old at the same time. Sacco: I show up at the airport. The exceptionand basically the only part of A24 that has any public profile at allis the companys social media presence. Korine: I dont think I was there, but I heard people were walking out. Hodges, who previously served as head of production at the indie production company Big Beach (Little Miss Sunshine), did not announce any immediate career plans. A24 FILMS. Fellow founding partners Daniel Katz and David Fenkel will continue to oversee the NYC-based indie studio, which has seen great success with Oscar-winning films such as Room, Ex Machina and last years surprise Best Picture winner Moonlight.. Deadline is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Over the past six years I have been fortunate to work with a diverse group of talented storytellers across film and TV and look forward to continuing those collaborations in my future endeavors.. And Under the Skin, from Jonathan Glazer, is one of my favorite movies in the past 15 or 20 years, you know? Sacco: We probably saw 20 versions. Prior to joining Jax in 2019, John was a founding partner of A24, where he helped oversee acquisition and distribution on some of the company's roster of more than 70 films, which includes Spring Breakers, Ex Machina, Amy, Lady Bird, and Best . Jon Hodges CEO at Evergreen North America Industrial Services League City, Texas, United States 2K followers 500+ connections Join to connect Evergreen industrial services and GEM mobile. These films speak for themselves. I agree with TheWrap's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and provide my consent to receive marketing communications from them. You want to have a grown-up conversation about the best way to get your work to the people who would spend money to see it, Abrahamson concludes. Description. Your vision is incredible.. John Hodges is leaving A24, the Oscar-winning indie studio that he co-founded. Sure, were talking about an aggressively uncommercial director whose previous feature was called Trash Humpers, but the success of Spring Breakersand how it was achieveddemonstrated that theres still an audience for the kind of challenging and essential medium-budget movies that most in the business left for dead. Katz: Harvey Weinstein called the agent and said, How could you give a Sofia Coppola movie to this new? I can only imagine. Heading into production nearly a decade after the premiere of Jenkins only other feature (the excellent Medicine for Melancholy), the film has been waiting a long time for a company with the confidence required to finance it. So I suppose the question now surrounding A24 is what Fenkel and Katz plan to make of it. Larson: I couldnt be more grateful for an experience that changed the course of my life and career immeasurably. Sacco: To engrave the Spring Breakers logo onto the glass-gun bong. A24 is an American independent entertainment company founded on August 20, 2012, by Daniel Katz, David Fenkel, and John Hodges and based in New York City. Their hair and makeup people, actually, are the people that had an issue with this. They have a very good understanding of the Zeitgeist. Under the Skin reintroduced Scarlett Johansson as a killer alien from outer space (and, more jarringly, a shockingly brave improv performer). The photo has been replaced. And so with [The Rover], they took that into account, and instead of blowing loads of money, [they did] more targeted marketing and also really sophisticated online campaigns and stuff. Jul 2021 - Present1 year 7 months. Im dying. Katz: In LAwhatever just transpired last month, you feel it in LA. Fenkel: And then I started saying, No way. A24's television division has produced The Carmichael Show, At Home with Amy Sedaris, Ramy, Euphoria and Mr. Corman. I dont think that switch in psychology is supposed to happen that dramatically, or that abruptly. A24 co-founder John Hodges is exiting the indie company to "focus on future opportunities," he and the company jointly announced on Monday. The company said he will exit to focus on "future opportunities," but did not clarify beyond that statement.. Meanwhile, A24 has already been building an ark. Wouldnt call us back. The best scares always come from unexpected places. The fact theyre vampires might just be an excuse for them to wear sunglasses indoors. We were planting seeds to grow. And [my producer] kept saying it, and I kept thinking, Okay, at some point Ill figure out what hes talking about. Surely theyve learned by now that theres a ceiling for arthouse films these days. The optimistic way to view this situation is that A24 is getting much better at buying good movies for its DirecTV deal, rather than filler like Barely Lethal. Worst case, youll get the trench-coat crowd. You know what the trench-coat crowd is?