Picturehouse (company)

For the British cinema chain, see Picturehouse Cinemas.

Picturehouse
Company typePrivate
IndustryEntertainment
Founded
  • 2005 (2005) (original company)
  • 2013 (2013) (revived studio)
FoundersBob Berney
Defunct2008 (2008) (original company)
HeadquartersLos Angeles, California, U.S.
Key people
Bob Berney (CEO)
Jeanne R. Berney (COO)
ParentTime Warner (2005–2008)
Websitepicturehouse.com

Picturehouse is an American independent entertainment company owned by CEO Bob Berney and COO Jeanne R. Berney. Based in Los Angeles, the company specializes in film marketing and distribution, both in the U.S. and internationally. Picturehouse's leadership focuses on theatrical distribution while considering the entire life of a film.[1]

In coverage of the company’s 2013 relaunch, Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos described the Berneys as “legendary tastemakers and innovators.”[2] Early collaborators include filmmakers such as Guillermo Del Toro, who wrote in a January 2026 post on X that his Academy Award-winning film Pan's Labyrinth (2006) “exists because of Bob’s faith,” and Christopher Nolan.[3] Nolan’s Memento (2000) was initially rejected by distributors over fears that its non-linear narrative would be confusing for audiences.[4][5][6] After Memento financier Newmarket Films opted to release it themselves, Bob Berney and his young-adult-oriented campaign helped it earn roughly $25 million at the North American box office and launch Nolan’s career.[7][8][9]

Many Picturehouse titles have received critical acclaim, including most recently BAFTA Award nominee Becoming Cousteau (2021), Emmy Award winner The Territory (2022) and the Oscar nominated Porcelain War (2024).

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.[10] Berney, who guided the acquisition, marketing and distribution of Christopher Nolan’s Memento, Joel Zwick’s My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, among other notable releases, has run the company from its inception.[11]

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;[12] and Sergei Bodrov's Genghis Khan biopic Mongol, a nominee for Best Foreign Language Film.[13]

Time Warner's 2008 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.[14]

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.[15] Initial releases included Adriana Trigiani's Big Stone Gap, starring Ashley Judd; Grammy Award nominee Metallica Through the Never, starring Dane DeHaan; and Adam Wingard’s The Guest, an Independent Spirit Award nominee starring Dan Stevens and Maika Monroe.

In 2020, the company released the faith-based drama Fatima, directed by Marco Pontecorvo and starring Joaquim de Almeida, Goran Visnjic, Harvey Keitel and Sônia Braga.[16] One year later, Picturehouse announced that it would release Becoming Cousteau, a documentary using 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 and earned a 2022 British Academy Film Award for Best Documentary, in addition to winning Best Science/Nature Documentary at the 2021 Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards.[17][18][19]

Alex Pritz’s The Territory, a 2022 documentary chronicling the struggle of Brazil’s indigenous Uru-eu-wau-wau against farmers, colonizers and settlers whose deforestation encroaches on a protected area of the Amazon rainforest, was shortlisted for the 95th Academy Awards in the Best Documentary Feature category and won the award for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking at the 75th Emmy Awards.[20][21][22]

In 2024, Brendan Bellomo and Slava Leontyev’s Porcelain War, which documents the experience of Ukrainian artists facing the Russian occupation in Ukraine, won the U.S. Documentary Competition Grand Jury Prize at Sundance and was later Oscar nominated in the Best Documentary Feature Film category.[23][24][25]

Filmography

2000s

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

Release date Title Ref.
July 22, 2005 Last Days [26]
September 16, 2005 The Thing About My Folks
October 19, 2005 Ushpizin
January 27, 2006 A Cock and Bull Story
April 14, 2006 The Notorious Bettie Page
June 9, 2006 A Prairie Home Companion
November 9, 2006 Who the #$&% Is Jackson Pollock?
November 10, 2006 Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus
December 29, 2006 Pan's Labyrinth
March 9, 2007 Starter for 10
June 1, 2007 Gracie
June 8, 2007 La Vie en Rose [27][28]
August 3, 2007 El Cantante [26]
August 10, 2007 Rocket Science
August 17, 2007 The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters [29]
September 14, 2007 Silk [26]
January 11, 2008 The Orphanage [30]
February 8, 2008 Wild West Comedy Show: 30 Days and 30 Nights – Hollywood to the Heartland [26]
February 29, 2008 (DVD) The Fox and the Child
March 28, 2008 Run Fatboy Run
June 6, 2008 Mongol
July 2, 2008 Kit Kittredge: An American Girl
September 12, 2008 The Women [31]
January 20, 2009 (DVD) Amusement [26]

2010s

Revived seal, distributed by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment

Release date Title Ref.
October 4, 2013 Metallica: Through the Never [32]
September 17, 2014 The Guest [26]
July 17, 2015 Gloria
October 9, 2015 Big Stone Gap

2020s

Release date Title Ref.
August 28, 2020 Fatima [33]
October 22, 2021 Becoming Cousteau [34]
August 19, 2022 The Territory [35]
November 11, 2022 Retrograde [36]
April 14, 2023 Wild Life [37]
October 13, 2023 The Mission [38]
November 3, 2023 At The Gates [39]
March 22, 2024 Carol Doda Topless at the Condor [40]
June 10, 2024 Frank Miller: American Genius [41]
October 4, 2024 Leap of Faith [42]
November 22, 2024 Porcelain War [43]
October 10, 2025 Re-Election [44]
November 28, 2025 The Tale of Silyan [45]
December 12, 2025 The King of Color [46]
March 27, 2026 Our Hero, Balthazar [47]

References

  1. ^ Loria, Daniel (May 27, 2021). "This Week on The Boxoffice Podcast: Bob Berney on the New Landscape for Theatrical Distribution". Boxoffice Pro. Retrieved January 23, 2026.
  2. ^ Cunningham, Todd (January 15, 2013). "Picturehouse Relaunches With Bob Berney at Helm". The Wrap. Archived from the original on February 3, 2017. Retrieved January 22, 2026.
  3. ^ del Toro, Guillermo (January 26, 2026). "Post on X". X. Retrieved January 23, 2026.
  4. ^ Gardner, Chris (January 19, 2024). "Christopher Nolan Charms Sundance, Denies Being "Independent Filmmaker" and Recalls How "No One Wanted" Seminal Film 'Memento'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
  5. ^ "Christopher Nolan talks early career setbacks". The Hollywood Reporter. April 2, 2015. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
  6. ^ "AFM Flashback: 'Memento' made a lasting impression". The Hollywood Reporter. October 31, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
  7. ^ "'Memento': Not 'Too Smart' for Profits". Los Angeles Times. May 7, 2001. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
  8. ^ "'Memento' set to launch Newmarket distrib'n". Variety. September 13, 2000. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
  9. ^ "'Memento' energizes Newmarket". Variety. July 25, 2001. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
  10. ^ Thompson, Anne (March 4, 2008). "Warner Bros. shape shifts". Variety. Archived from the original on August 21, 2008. Retrieved August 4, 2009.
  11. ^ Hirschberg, Lynn (December 19, 2004). "The Distribution Artist". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 26, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  12. ^ Collett-White, Mike (February 24, 2008). "French actress Cotillard shines at Oscars". Reuters. Archived from the original on September 18, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  13. ^ McIntyre, Gina (February 6, 2007). "Del Toro's 'Labyrinth' gains Oscar momentum". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 17, 2019. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  14. ^ Hayes, Dade; McNary, Dave (May 8, 2008). "Picturehouse, WIP close shop". Variety. Archived from the original on July 14, 2008. Retrieved August 4, 2009.
  15. ^ Fleming, Mike (January 15, 2013). "The Berneys are Back with Picturehouse, and Now They've got Metallica". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 18, 2013. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
  16. ^ Fleming, Mike (October 28, 2019). "Bob & Jeanne Berney Reopen PictureHouse With North American Rights Deal For 'Fatima'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  17. ^ Thompson, Anne (September 1, 2021). "NatGeo Unveils Four Documentaries at Telluride, from 'Fauci' to 'Becoming Cousteau'". IndieWire. Archived from the original on September 18, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
  18. ^ Ravindran, Manori (February 3, 2022). "BAFTA Awards Nominations Unveiled: Dune, Power of the Dog Lead Field, Will Smith Earns First BAFTA Nod". Variety. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  19. ^ Lewis, Hilary (November 14, 2021). "Summer of Soul Sweeps Critics Choice Documentary Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
  20. ^ Carey, Matthew (June 22, 2022). "'The Territory' Trailer: National Geographic Film Documents Conflict In Amazon Rainforest Between Indigenous Tribes And Land-Grabbing Settlers". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
  21. ^ Sciences, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and. "95th Oscars Shortlists Announced for 10 Categories". A.frame. Archived from the original on December 22, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
  22. ^ Carey, Matthew (January 7, 2024). "NatGeo's 'The Territory', About Indigenous Brazilian Group's Daring Fight To Protect Their Land, Wins Emmy For Exceptional Merit". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
  23. ^ Fienberg, Daniel (January 27, 2024). "'Porcelain War' Review: Intimate Reflection on Making Art in Wartime Ukraine Is Beautiful but Frustrating". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  24. ^ "Sundance's top prizes go to 'In the Summers' and 'Porcelain War'". Los Angeles Times. January 26, 2024. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  25. ^ Pedersen, Erik (December 10, 2024). "Producers Guild Awards Reveals Documentary Nominations". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
  26. ^ a b c d e f Renner, Amy (August 26, 2023). "Picturehouse". Movie Insider.
  27. ^ Goodridge, Mike (May 27, 2006). "Picturehouse wins US rights to La Vie En Rose". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on January 17, 2022.
  28. ^ Grove, Martin A. (June 15, 2007). "Picture perfect launch for Picturehouse's 'Rose'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023.
  29. ^ "The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  30. ^ Billington, Alex (February 13, 2007). "Picturehouse Picks Up The Orphanage in Berlin". First Showing.
  31. ^ "Picturehouse Picks Up Diane English's The Women". MovieWeb·. November 9, 2006.
  32. ^ Cunningham, Todd (September 25, 2013). "'Metallica Through the Never' Rocks the Rebirth of Indie Picturehouse". The Wrap. Archived from the original on November 2, 2021. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  33. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 7, 2020). "Bob & Jeanne Berney's Picturehouse Release 'Fatima' To Rise In Theaters This Summer". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 31, 2020. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  34. ^ "BECOMING-COUSTEAU"-on-Friday-Oct.-22-2021 "National Geographic Documentary Films and Picturehouse to Release Liz Garbus' "BECOMING COUSTEAU" on Friday, Oct. 22, 2021". BusinessWire. September 1, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
  35. ^ "National Geographic Documentary Films and Picturehouse Release Trailer for Two-Time Sundance Award-Winner 'THE TERRITORY'". BusinessWire. June 22, 2022.
  36. ^ Carey, Matthew (November 7, 2022). "National Geographic Drops 'Retrograde' Trailer, Announces "Unprecedented" Release Plan For Matthew Heineman's Afghanistan Withdrawal Documentary". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
  37. ^ "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". Business Wire. March 9, 2023. Archived from the original on March 11, 2023.
  38. ^ 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". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  39. ^ 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". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
  40. ^ Gilchrist, Todd (March 21, 2024). "Carol Doda Topless at the Condor Review: The Cheeky Story of a North Beach Icon Who Broke Taboos". Variety. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
  41. ^ Davis, Edward (May 23, 2024). "Frank Miller: American Genius Trailer: Comic Book Legend Gets The Documentary Treatment In June". The Playlist. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
  42. ^ Buenahora, Andrés (August 27, 2024). "Picturehouse Acquires Nicholas Ma's 'Leap of Faith' Documentary". Variety. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
  43. ^ Carey, Matthew (August 14, 2024). "Oscar Contender 'Porcelain War,' Documentary On Remarkable Artists In Wartime Ukraine, Acquired By Picturehouse". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
  44. ^ "Picturehouse To Release "Re-Election" In Theaters October 10 And Debuts Trailer Online". Irish Film Critic. September 5, 2025. Retrieved September 19, 2025.
  45. ^ "Picturehouse to distribute NatGeo's THE TALE OF SILYAN". Picturehouse. October 30, 2025. Retrieved November 22, 2025.
  46. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 22, 2025). "Picturehouse Acquires Patrick Creadon Documentary 'The King Of Color' Ahead Of AFI Fest". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 22, 2025.
  47. ^ D’Alessandro, Anthony (February 18, 2026). "Picturehouse & WG Pictures Set Spring Release For Asa Butterfield Movie 'Our Hero, Balthazar'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 18, 2026.
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