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99-813: Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC is an American film and television production company founded by filmmaker George Lucas in 1971 in San Rafael, California , and later moved to San Francisco in 2005. It has been a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Studios since 2012 and is best known for creating and producing the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises, as well as its leadership in developing special effects, sound, and computer animation for films. The company's films Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999), Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) are all among

198-773: A "one time hit" or an ongoing "entertainment franchise " that can be continued, remade, rebooted , or expanded into other sister industries; such as the video game industry (see Star Wars , Star Trek ). Entertainment projects can be either an original or an adaptation from another industry. In rare occasional cases, a few troubled major studios would also shed their distribution and/or marketing staffs, mainly due to reduced resources, and resort to co-investing and/or co-distributing film projects with larger studios, operating as virtual, production-only movie studios. Notable examples include legendary studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer , which, after many years of box office flops (mostly with low budgets), bad management and distribution, and bankruptcy,

297-708: A Best Supporting Actor award for Don Ameche. In 1988, he reunited with George Lucas on the high fantasy adventure film Willow starring Val Kilmer and Warwick Davis . Howard's final work as a director for the 1980s was the family comedy film Parenthood (1989) starring an ensemble cast that includes Steve Martin , Tom Hulce , Rick Moranis , Martha Plimpton , Joaquin Phoenix , Keanu Reeves , Jason Robards , Mary Steenburgen , and Dianne Wiest . The film opened at # 1 in its opening weekend, earning $ 10   million. It eventually grossed over $ 100   million domestically and $ 126   million worldwide. The film

396-405: A contract) or as a subsidiary for an entertainment company, motion picture company, television network, or all, and are generally smaller than the company they are partnered with. A book to film unit is a unit of a book publishing company for the purposes of getting books that they published adapted into film . Films have been using books as a prime source for films for years. In 2012, six out of

495-426: A corporation to a limited liability company (LLC), changing its name to Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC in the process. On December 21, 2012, Disney completed the acquisition and Lucasfilm became a wholly owned subsidiary of Disney. At the time of Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm, 20th Century Fox , the original distributor of the first six Star Wars films, were to retain the physical and theatrical distribution rights to both

594-494: A critical and commercial success. Howard was cast in one of the lead roles in the influential coming-of-age film American Graffiti (1973), and became a household name for playing Richie Cunningham in the sitcom Happy Days (1974–1980). He starred in the films The Spikes Gang (1974), The Shootist (1976), and Grand Theft Auto (1977), the latter being his directorial film debut. In 1980, Howard left Happy Days to focus on directing, producing, and sometimes writing

693-414: A cross between a boxing match and a ballet with Oscar worthy performances." Metacritic gives the film an average score of 80 out of 100, based on 38 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". The film received five Academy Award nominations with Howard receiving a nomination for Best Director. The Guardian praised the film declaring, "Frost/Nixon is a riveting film, sharper, more intense than

792-591: A deal with Roger Corman , wherein Corman let Howard direct a film in exchange for Howard starring in Eat My Dust! , with Christopher Norris . Howard went on to direct several TV movies for NBC between 1978 and 1982, including the 1980 TV movie, Skyward , starring Bette Davis . His big directorial break came in 1982, with Night Shift , featuring Michael Keaton , Shelley Long , and Howard's Happy Days co-star Henry Winkler . Following Night Shift , Howard directed

891-609: A development and co-finance plan. Macmillan Films was launched by Thomas Dunne Books in October 2010 under the packaging model similar to Alloy while also moving to get film rights from Dunne's published author. Also that year, Random House changed their strategy to film development and packaging only. Condé Nast Entertainment was started by Magazine publisher Conde Nast in October 2012. In 2013, Macmillan Films became Macmillan Entertainment with an expansion to look at other divisions' book for possible films. A production company

990-764: A director, writer, and actor and Jean Speegle , an actress. He is of German, English, Scottish, Irish, and Dutch ancestry. His father was born with the surname "Beckenholdt" and took the stage name "Howard" in 1948 for his acting career. Rance Howard was serving three years in the United States Air Force at the time of Ron's birth. Howard was tutored at Desilu Studios in his younger years but continued his schooling at Robert Louis Stevenson Elementary and David Starr Jordan Junior High in Burbank, California when not working in television, eventually graduating from Burbank's John Burroughs High School . He later attended

1089-594: A fan since 5/25/77 . I hope to honor the great work already done & help deliver on the promise of a Han Solo film." In November 2017, Howard announced that he would be teaching his first directing class. On November 24, 2020, Howard's drama film Hillbilly Elegy was released on Netflix . The film is based on the memoir of the same name by JD Vance and was adapted for the screen by Vanessa Taylor . The film stars Academy Award nominees Glenn Close and Amy Adams . The film has received widespread negative reception from critics. In March 2021, Howard began filming

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1188-582: A few episodes of the first season of the sitcom Dennis the Menace , as Stewart, one of Dennis's friends; and several first- and second-season episodes of The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis . Howard played "Timmy" (uncredited) in "Counterfeit Gun", Season 4, Episode 2 (1960) of the TV series, Cheyenne . In 1960, Howard was cast as Opie Taylor in The Andy Griffith Show . Credited as "Ronny Howard", he portrayed

1287-416: A film director just before the start of its eighth season in 1980, but returned for guest appearances in the show's eleventh season (1983–1984). In the 1962 film version of The Music Man , Howard played Winthrop Paroo , the child with the lisp; the film starred Robert Preston , Shirley Jones , and Buddy Hackett . The film was based on the 1957 musical of the same name by Meredith Willson . The film

1386-582: A meeting that George Lucas had with Disney CEO Bob Iger during the inauguration of the Star Tours – The Adventures Continue attraction. Lucas told Iger he was considering retirement and planned to sell the company, as well as the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises. On October 30, 2012, Disney announced a deal to acquire Lucasfilm for $ 4.05 billion, with approximately half in cash and half in shares of Disney stock. Lucasfilm had previously collaborated with

1485-552: A new studio in Singapore. That same year, Lucasfilm Animation commenced production of a 3D animated Star Wars television series called Star Wars: The Clone Wars , with key production team members including executive producer Catherine Winder , supervising director Dave Filoni , Head of Lucasfilm Animation Singapore Chris Kubsch, and Henry Gilroy . Primary production took place at Lucasfilm Animation's Singapore studio. Airing on Cartoon Network between 2008 and 2013, The Clone Wars

1584-405: A number of major films, including the fantasy romantic comedy Splash (1984) starring Tom Hanks , Daryl Hannah , Eugene Levy , and John Candy . The film was a box office and critical success. He also directed the science fiction comedy drama Cocoon (1985) starring Don Ameche , Hume Cronyn , Wilford Brimley , and Brian Dennehy . This film was also a critical and financial hit and won

1683-458: A period drama based on the 16th century conquest of the Aztecs by Spanish Conquistadors . To be directed by Howard, the series was originally planned as a feature film before it was decided that the project was more suited to television. As part of Imagine Entertainment, he appeared in a 1997 print ad for Milk - Where's your mustache? , in which he wore a cap for Imagine Entertainment and sported

1782-465: A private corporate investment entity (see Legendary Pictures ). Their only source of profit comes from the productions they produce. Because entertainment and media are currently in "high demand", a production company can profit if its management is capable of using its resources to supply good quality products and services to the public. Many entertainment production companies brand their entertainment projects. An entertainment project can either become

1881-502: A producer of the Indiana Jones films, had been appointed as co-chair of Lucasfilm Ltd. It was reported that Kennedy would work alongside Lucas, who would remain chief executive and serve as co-chairman for at least one year, after which she would succeed him as the company's chairperson, which she did in June 2013. On July 8, 2012, Lucasfilm's marketing, online, and licensing units moved into

1980-451: A production. The entertainment industry is centered on funding (investments from studios, investment firms, or individuals either from earnings from previous productions or personal wealth), projects (scripts and entertainment franchises), and talent ( actors , directors, screenwriters , and crew). Production companies are judged and ranked based on the amount of funding it has, as well the productions it has completed or been involved with in

2079-445: A self-publishing vanity press which are paid services. Both large and small production studios have an editorial board or editor-in-chief , along with other forms of a command hierarchy . Entertainment companies operate as mini conglomerate , operating many divisions or subsidiaries in many different industries. Warner Bros. Entertainment and Lionsgate Entertainment are two companies with this corporate structure. It allows for

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2178-426: A single company to maintain control over seemingly unrelated companies that fall within the ranges of entertainment, which increases and centralises the revenue into one company (example: a film production company, TV production company, video game company, and comic book company are all owned by a single entertainment company). A motion picture company, such as Paramount Pictures , specializing "only" in motion pictures

2277-463: A variety of films and television series. His films included the comedies Night Shift (1982), Splash (1984), and Cocoon (1985) as well as the fantasy Willow (1988), the thriller Backdraft (1991), and the newspaper comedy-drama film The Paper (1994). Howard went on to win the Academy Award for Best Director and Academy Award for Best Picture for A Beautiful Mind (2001) and

2376-474: Is a co-chairman, with Brian Grazer , of Imagine Entertainment , a film and television production company. Imagine has produced several films including Friday Night Lights , 8 Mile , and Inside Deep Throat , as well as the television series 24 , Felicity , The PJs , and Arrested Development which Howard also narrated and later appeared in as himself. In July 2012, it was announced that Imagine had put into development Conquest for Showtime ,

2475-532: Is a powerful underdog story. And Ron Howard and Russell Crowe prove to be a solid combination." Howard is also known for directing the Robert Langdon films . The series began with The Da Vinci Code (2006) with Tom Hanks as Langdon, featuring performances by Audrey Tautou , Ian McKellen , and Alfred Molina . The sequel was Angels & Demons (2009) with Hanks reprising his role and performances by Ewan McGregor and Stellan Skarsgård . In 2016, Inferno

2574-563: Is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. Howard started his career as a child actor before transitioning to directing films. Over his six-decade career, Howard has received multiple accolades , including two Academy Awards , six Emmy Awards , two Golden Globe Awards , and a Grammy Award . He was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 2003 and was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 2013. He has two stars on

2673-402: Is considered to be a small production company. These companies often work with up and coming talent. Small production companies will either grow to become a major production company, a subsidiary completely owned by another company, remain small, or fail. The success of an entertainment production company is centered on the projects it produces, the talent it can acquire, and the performance of

2772-442: Is only connected with its other counterpart industries through its parent company. Instead of performing a corporate reorganization, many motion picture companies often have sister companies they collaborate with in other industries that are subsidiaries owned by their parent company and is often not involved in the making of products that are not motion picture related. A film production company can either operate as an affiliate (under

2871-410: Is owned by Paramount Global ). Alloy Entertainment while not a unit of a publisher started using a book packaging to film model of film and TV development by developing the property in-house, hire authors for the books and films, so as to own the property. Random House was the first big six book publisher to establish a book to film unit, Random House Films , in 2005 with a Focus Features deal under

2970-448: Is usually run by a producer or director, but can also be run by a career executive. In entertainment, a production company relies highly on talent or a well known entertainment franchise to raise the value of an entertainment project and draw out larger audiences. This gives the entertainment industry a democratized power structure to ensure that both the companies and talent receive their fair share of pay and recognition for work done on

3069-530: The Chicago Sun-Times praising the film in his review saying: "A powerful story, one of the year's best films, told with great clarity and remarkable technical detail, and acted without pumped-up histrionics." The film went on to receive nine Academy Award nominations including Best Picture. In 2000, he directed the live action children's fantasy film, How the Grinch Stole Christmas based on

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3168-565: The 2013 Toronto International Film Festival and received positive reviews from critics. In 2015, Howard directed the film In the Heart of the Sea about the sinking of the American whaling ship Essex in 1820, an event that inspired Herman Melville 's 1851 novel Moby-Dick . The film featured performances by Chris Hemsworth , Cillian Murphy , Tom Holland , Ben Whishaw , and Brendan Gleeson . The film

3267-568: The 50 highest-grossing films of all time, with The Force Awakens becoming the highest-grossing film in the United States and Canada . On October 30, 2012, Disney acquired Lucasfilm for $ 4.05 billion in the form of cash and in stock. Lucasfilm is currently one of five live-action film studios within the Walt Disney Studios, alongside Walt Disney Pictures , Marvel Studios , 20th Century Studios and Searchlight Pictures . Lucasfilm

3366-509: The Dr. Seuss children's book. The film starred Jim Carrey as the titular character and featured performances from Jeffrey Tambor , Christine Baranski , and Molly Shannon , with Anthony Hopkins serving as the film's narrator. Despite the film receiving mixed reviews from critics, it was a financial success and earned $ 345 million at the box office. Howard's followup film was the biographical drama film A Beautiful Mind starring Russell Crowe as

3465-492: The Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions in film and television. Howard first came to prominence as a child actor, acting in several television series before gaining national attention for playing young Opie Taylor , the son of Sheriff Andy Taylor (played by Andy Griffith ) in the sitcom The Andy Griffith Show from 1960 through 1968. During this time, he also appeared in the musical film The Music Man (1962),

3564-450: The Robert Langdon film series : The Da Vinci Code (2006), Angels & Demons (2009), and Inferno (2016). Howard has gained recognition for directing numerous documentary films such as The Beatles: Eight Days a Week (2016), Pavarotti (2019), and We Feed People (2022). Ron Howard was born on March 1, 1954, in Duncan, Oklahoma , the elder of the two sons of Rance Howard ,

3663-681: The University of Southern California 's School of Cinematic Arts but did not graduate. Howard has said he knew from a young age he might want to go into directing, thanks to his early experience as an actor. In 1959, Howard had his first credited film role in The Journey . He appeared in June Allyson 's CBS anthology series The DuPont Show with June Allyson in the episode "Child Lost"; in The Twilight Zone episode " Walking Distance ";

3762-556: The video game development division of Lucasfilm, underwent closure, resulting in layoffs for most of its staff. Despite this, LucasArts maintained a small team to handle video game licensing. Disney subsequently entered an exclusive agreement with Electronic Arts (EA) to produce Star Wars games for the core gaming market for a decade. LucasArts retained licensing rights, while Disney Interactive Studios focused on casual gaming. EA's exclusivity deal ended in January 2021. In January 2014, it

3861-421: The "studio system". Independent studios usually prefer production house (see Lionsgate ), production studio (see Amazon Studios ), or production team (see Rooster Teeth ). In the case of television, a production company would serve under a television network . Production companies can work together in co-productions . In music, the term production team typically refers to a group of individuals filling

3960-626: The 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special for 20th Century Fox Television . That year, Lucas hired Los Angeles-based real-estate specialist Charles Weber to manage the company, telling him that he could keep the job as long as he made money. Lucas wanted the focus of the company to be making independent films, but the company gradually became enlarged from five employees to almost 100, increasing in middle management and running up costs. In 1980, after Weber asked Lucas for fifty million dollars to invest in other companies and suggested that they sell Skywalker Ranch to do so, Lucas fired Weber and had to let half of

4059-541: The 1995 docudrama film Apollo 13 received praise from critics. The film stars Tom Hanks , Kevin Bacon , and Bill Paxton as the three astronauts members of the Apollo 13 flight crew, with supporting performances from Gary Sinise , Ed Harris , and Kathleen Quinlan . The film was a massive financial success earning $ 335 million off a budget of $ 52 million. The film received widespread critical acclaim with Roger Ebert of

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4158-451: The American mathematician John Nash who struggled with paranoid schizophrenia . The film featured performances from Jennifer Connelly , Ed Harris , Josh Lucas , and Christopher Plummer . The film received positive reviews from critics who praised Crowe's and Connelly's performances. The film went on to receive eight Academy Award nominations including a win for Best Picture and a nomination and win for Howard as Best Director . Howard

4257-634: The Dial of Destiny , become the first film in the franchise and Lucasfilm's first film overall to be co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures . In early 2013, Disney CEO Bob Iger disclosed Lucasfilm's plans to release standalone Star Wars films alongside the Sequel Trilogy over a six-year period. This strategy aimed to expand the Star Wars universe beyond the main saga. The first of these standalone films, Rogue One , premiered in 2016, followed by Solo: A Star Wars Story in 2018. On May 6, 2013, LucasArts ,

4356-512: The Jedi (1983) was in production, Lucas decided not to pursue further Star Wars films. Despite the third film achieving similar classic status to its two predecessors, George was unhappy with the cinema presentation of Return of the Jedi , he created the company THX , which was unveiled on May 20, 1983. Lucasfilm produced the John Korty -directed animated film Twice Upon a Time (1983). 1985 saw

4455-528: The Los Angeles staff go. By the same year, the corporate subsidiary had been discontinued and its business was absorbed into the various divisions of Lucasfilm. And of course, it was also the same year when second Star Wars film, The Empire Strikes Back , was released in cinemas as an official sequel to the original 1977 film. Between 1981 and 1989, three Indiana Jones films, stories by Lucas and directed by Steven Spielberg , were released. While Return of

4554-474: The Lucasfilm story group. Lucasfilm continued its expansion globally, opening its regional headquarters in Singapore in 2014. This facility housed staff from Lucasfilm, The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia and ESPN Asia Pacific. Meanwhile, between 2015 and 2018, Lucasfilm released several cinematic films, including critical and commercial successes like Episode VII: The Force Awakens and Rogue One , alongside

4653-940: The Narrator, Pete Reneday plays the Ghost Host, and Eleanor Audley plays Madame Leota. Some of the effects and ideas that were planned but never permanently made it to the attraction are mentioned here: the Raven speaks in the Stretching Room, and the Hatbox Ghost is mentioned during the Attic scene. It was reissued in 1998 as a cassette tape titled A Spooky Night in Disney's Haunted Mansion and on CD in 2009. Howard played Steve Bolander in George Lucas 's coming-of-age film American Graffiti in 1973, which

4752-600: The Television Set", led to his being cast as Richie Cunningham in the TV series Happy Days (for syndication, the segment was re-titled "Love and the Happy Days"). Beginning in 1974, he played the likable "buttoned-down" boy, in contrast to Henry Winkler 's " greaser " Arthur "Fonzie"/"The Fonz" Fonzarelli . On the Happy Days set, he developed an on- and off-screen chemistry with Winkler. Howard left Happy Days to become

4851-563: The company's Walt Disney Imagineering division to create theme park attractions centered on Star Wars and Indiana Jones for various Walt Disney Parks and Resorts worldwide. Kathleen Kennedy , co-chairwoman of Lucasfilm, became president of Lucasfilm, reporting to the Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn . Additionally, she serves as the brand manager for Star Wars , working directly with Disney's global lines of business to build, further integrate, and maximize

4950-455: The company's daily activities. In some cases, a production company can be run by only a handful of people. The company's funds are mainly committed towards employing talent, crew, and acquiring new updated production equipment on a regular basis. Many productions often require at least one to two cameras and lighting equipment for on location shooting. Production equipment is either leased or purchased from another production company or directly from

5049-479: The direction of the film; reportedly the directors encouraged significant improvisations by the actors, which was believed by some at Lucasfilm to be "shifting the story off-course". At the time, the film was nearly completed, with three and a half weeks left to film and another five weeks of reshoots scheduled. Howard posted on Twitter, "I'm beyond grateful to add my voice to the Star Wars Universe after being

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5148-437: The distribution and ownership rights to all the films under its umbrella. In December 2013, Walt Disney Studios purchased the distribution and marketing rights to future Indiana Jones films from Paramount Pictures , although the latter studio would retain the distribution rights to the first four films and would receive "financial participation" from any additional films. This would make the fifth installment, Indiana Jones and

5247-592: The episode " Sometimes You Hear the Bullet " in 1973. In the 1970s, he appeared in at least one episode of The Bold Ones , as a teenage tennis player with an illness. Howard appeared on the 1969 Disneyland Records album The Story and Song from the Haunted Mansion . It featured the story of two teenagers, Mike (Howard) and Karen ( Robie Lester ), who get trapped inside the Haunted Mansion . Thurl Ravenscroft plays

5346-440: The exposure, when shooting in public locations, major productions often employ security to ensure the protection of the talent and crew working on a specific production. After filming is completed, the production enters into post production, which is handled by a post production company and overseen by the production company. The editing, musical score, visual effects, re-recording of the dialog, and sound effects are "mixed" to create

5445-425: The final film, which is then screened at the final screening. Marketing is also launched during this phase, such as the release of trailers and posters. Once a final film has been approved, the film is taken over by the distributors, who then release the film. For legal reasons, it is common within the entertainment industry for production companies not to accept unsolicited materials from any other company, talent, or

5544-424: The general public. It is also common for filmmakers or producers to become entrepreneurs and open their own production companies so that they can have more control over their careers and pay, while acting as an "in-house" creative and business driving force for their company but continuing to freelance as an artist for other companies, if desired. Ron Howard Ronald William Howard (born March 1, 1954)

5643-426: The guild. Productions with smaller budgets are allowed to use both guild talent and talent from the public. The majority of the talent and crew working in the entertainment industry are members of their professions guild. Most productions in the entertainment industry are guild productions. A production company is responsible for the development and filming of a specific production or media broadcast. In entertainment,

5742-426: The less successful Solo . After the mixed performance of Solo at the box office, Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed a slow down in release of new Star Wars films. Lucasfilm moved its focus on developing content for Disney+ by launching several programs including the successful series The Mandalorian series on Disney+. In November 2023, Dave Filoni revealed that he was promoted to be the chief creative officer at

5841-440: The manufacturer. In the entertainment industry, in order to secure experienced professional talent and crew, production companies often become a signatory company to that talent or crew members "guild". By becoming a signatory company, it agrees to abide by the guild regulations. All big budget guild productions are exclusive to guild members and non guild members are not allowed to participate in these productions unless authorized by

5940-588: The movie's success in remembering exactly how it was to be alive at that cultural instant." Howard reprised his role in the sequel More American Graffiti (1979). In 1974, Howard guest-starred as Seth Turner, the best friend of Jason Walton ( Jon Walmsley ), in The Waltons episode, "The Gift". Featured in the cast as Dr. McIvers is Ron Howard's father Rance Howard . In 1976, Howard starred alongside John Wayne and Lauren Bacall in Don Siegel 's The Shootist ,

6039-694: The new Letterman Digital Arts Center located in the Presidio in San Francisco. It shares the complex with Industrial Light & Magic. Lucasfilm had planned an expansion at Skywalker Ranch in Marin County , California, but shelved the plan in 2012 due to opposition from neighbors. However, it still plans to expand elsewhere. Skywalker Sound remains the only Lucasfilm division based at Skywalker Ranch. On September 5, 2012, Micheline Chau, who served as president and COO of Lucasfilm for two decades, announced that she

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6138-479: The nine best picture Oscar nominees were originally books. Previously, publishers did not develop their books into movie nor receive any of the profits. Neither Scholastic or Little Brown, get any box office revenue from the Harry Potter and The Twilight Saga movies just through book sales. As the publishers faced decreasing revenue due to increased competition from self-published e-books, or Amazon.com moving into

6237-415: The organization of staff, the production itself, post-production , distribution, and marketing . Production companies are often either owned or under contract with a media conglomerate , film studio , record label , video game publisher , or entertainment company, due to the concentration of media ownership , who act as the production company' s partner or parent company . This has become known as

6336-424: The past. If a production company has major funding either through earnings, studio investors, or private investors, and has done or been involved with big budget productions in the past, it is considered to be a major production company. These companies often work with well-known and expensive talent. If a production company does not have much funding and has not done or been involved with any big budget productions, it

6435-826: The play". Howard was the recipient of the Austin Film Festival 's 2009 Extraordinary Contribution to Filmmaking Award. Michael Keaton presented him the Award. In 2013, Howard directed sports drama Rush , based on the Hunt–Lauda rivalry between two Formula One drivers , the British James Hunt and the Austrian Niki Lauda during the 1976 Formula 1 motor-racing season. It was written by Peter Morgan and starred Chris Hemsworth as Hunt, Daniel Brühl as Lauda, and Olivia Wilde as Suzy Miller . The film premiered at

6534-439: The prequel trilogy and Episodes V and VI of the original trilogy until May 2020, along with full distribution rights for the original 1977 film in perpetuity. Lucasfilm retained the television and digital distribution rights to Star Wars Episodes I through VI with exception to Episode IV . On March 20, 2019, Disney officially acquired 20th Century Fox after acquiring its owner, 21st Century Fox , thus consolidating all

6633-416: The production process begins with the development of a specific project. Once a final script has been produced by the screenwriters, the production enters into the pre-production phase, most productions never reach this phase for financing or talent reasons. In pre-production, the actors are signed on and prepared for their roles, crew is signed on, shooting locations are found, sets are built or acquired, and

6732-486: The production's shooting locations for both privacy and safety reasons. In many cases, the director, producers, and the leading actors are often the only people with access to a full or majority of a single script. Supporting actors, background actors, and crew often never receive a full copy of a specific script to prevent leaks. Productions are often shot in secured studios, with limited to no public access, but they are also shot on location on secured sets or locations. Due to

6831-435: The project. For example, in a theatrical performance, the production team has not only the running crew , but also the theatrical producer , designers , and theatrical direction . The production company may be directly responsible for fundraising the production or may accomplish this through a parent company , partner, or private investor. It handles budgeting, scheduling, scripting, the supply with talent and resources ,

6930-552: The proper shooting permits are acquired for on location shooting. Actors and crew are hand picked by the producer, director, and casting director, who often use collaborators or referenced personnel to prevent untrusted or unwelcomed people from gaining access to a specific production and compromising the entire production through leaks. Once a production enters into principal photography, it begins filming. Productions are almost never cancelled once they reach this phase. Codenames are often used on bigger productions during filming to conceal

7029-517: The publishing field, publishers have started to enter the film and TV production business to boost their net income with Amazon attempting to compete there too. More screenwriters are turning to book publishers to get their screenplay published as a book, so as to have a boost in their attempt to have the screenplay turned into a movie, given that it is a known product after the book. Publisher Simon & Schuster , though not involved with film and TV, shares possible film and TV deals with CBS (S&S

7128-543: The release of Paul Schrader 's Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters . The next year, Jim Henson 's Labyrinth and an adaptation of Marvel Comics ' Howard the Duck were released. Ron Howard directed the fantasy film Willow in 1988 (story by Lucas); the same year the children's animated film The Land Before Time was released. From 1992 to 1993, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (created by Lucas) television series

7227-590: The release of the third prequel film Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith in 2005 where all three prequels had received mixed to negative reviews. In addition to the prequels, Lucas released the Special Editions for the Star Wars Original Trilogy in 1997, 2004 and 2011, for VHS , DVD and Blu-ray , which were met with increasingly negative reception. In 1987, the company, which at that time,

7326-539: The role of " record producer " usually reserved for one individual. Some examples of musical production teams include Matmos and D-Influence . The aforementioned publishing conglomerates distribute said creative works, but it is not uncommon for production companies to act as a publication . For example, The Walt Disney Company and Nintendo act as publisher for Walt Disney Animation Studios and Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development respectively. Self-publishing , in this case, should not be confused with

7425-494: The son of the main character (played by Andy Griffith ) for all eight seasons of the show. Recalling his experiences as a child actor on set, he commented I was five years old. And I was preoccupied with the prop that was in my hand, because it was a toy turtle. But I had to pretend it was a real turtle that the audience just wasn't seeing, and it was dead, so I was supposed to be crying and very emotional, and I remember him looking at that little turtle and talking to me about how it

7524-403: The story of a Western gunfighter dying of cancer. (The movie was Wayne's last.) Howard was the narrator for Arrested Development and also appeared as a cameo in later seasons. Before leaving Happy Days in 1980, Howard made his directing debut with the 1977 low-budget comedy/action film Grand Theft Auto , based on a script he co-wrote with his father, Rance. This came after cutting

7623-405: The studio and would be directly involved in the planning of future Star Wars films and Star Wars in other series . Former subsidiaries of Lucasfilm are: Production company Generally the term refers to all individuals responsible for the technical aspects of creating a particular product, regardless of where in the process their expertise is required, or how long they are involved in

7722-573: The survival drama Thirteen Lives , a film based on the Tham Luang cave rescue in 2018. It was released in select theaters on July 29, 2022, by United Artists Releasing , and began streaming on Prime Video on August 5, 2022. The film received generally positive reviews from critics. In 2022, Netflix acquired from Paramount Pictures The Shrinking of Treehorn , which will mark Howard's first time directing an animated feature. and survival thriller Eden starting Jude Law and Ana de Amas. Howard

7821-415: The talent. Marketing is also a major factor. All films, as a tradition, are often marketed around the image and the performance of the actors; with an option of marketing the behind the scenes crew such as the directors and screenwriters. Unlike many other businesses, a production company does not rely on an ongoing revenue stream , they operate on ongoing investments; this often requires a parent company or

7920-497: The twelfth episode of the first season of The Big Valley and he appeared as Barry Stewart on The Eleventh Hour in 1965; on I Spy in the 1966 episode "Little Boy Lost"; as Henry Fonda 's son in an ABC series, The Smith Family , in 1968; as Jodah in Land of the Giants in 1969; as a boy whose father was shot on Daniel Boone in 1971–72; and as an underage Marine on M*A*S*H in

8019-619: The value of this global franchise. Kennedy serves as producer on new Star Wars feature films, with George Lucas originally announced as serving as a creative consultant. The company also announced the future release of new Star Wars films, starting with Episode VII: The Force Awakens in 2015. Under the deal, Disney acquired ownership of Star Wars , Indiana Jones , and Lucasfilm's operating businesses in live-action film production, consumer products, video games, animation, visual effects, and audio post-production. Disney also acquired Lucasfilm's portfolio of entertainment technologies. The intent

8118-517: The western film epic Far and Away starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman . Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics the film was a financial success, earning 137 million against its budget of 60 million. In 1994, Howard directed the newspaper comedy drama The Paper with an ensemble starring Michael Keaton , Glenn Close , Marisa Tomei , Jason Alexander , Jason Robards , and Robert Duvall . The film received rave reviews with many praising Keaton's leading performance. Howard's direction for

8217-475: Was a critical hit and received two Academy Award nominations. Howard continued directing through the 1990s, including the American drama Backdraft revolving around firefighters. The film starred Kurt Russell , Donald Sutherland , and Robert De Niro . Film critics Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune and Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film a positive review. In 1992, he directed

8316-445: Was a financial failure and received mixed reviews. Howard took over directing duties on Solo: A Star Wars Story , a film featuring Star Wars character Han Solo in his younger years. The film was released on May 23, 2018. Howard officially replaced directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller on June 22, 2017; they were let go from their position two days earlier, reportedly due to their refusal to compromise with Lucasfilm over

8415-510: Was announced that Dark Horse Comics would be losing its license for Star Wars comics to Marvel Comics , another Disney subsidiary, in 2015. That April, Lucasfilm announced that the Star Wars Expanded Universe content would be rebranded as Star Wars Legends , with only selected works, including the six episodic films and The Clone Wars , deemed canon. Additionally, a new line of canon Star Wars books began publication under

8514-423: Was based on the play of the same name by Peter Morgan . The film also featured performances from Mathew Macfadyen , Sam Rockwell , Rebecca Hall , Oliver Platt , Toby Jones , and Kevin Bacon . Despite losing money at the box office, the film was a critical success with website Rotten Tomatoes giving the film an approval rating of 93% with the critical consensus reading, " Frost/Nixon is weighty and eloquent;

8613-436: Was directed by Morton DaCosta who previously helmed the 1958 film Auntie Mame starring Rosalind Russell . The film was a critical and commercial success becoming the third highest-grossing film of that year . The film went on to receive six Academy Award nominations including for Best Picture . He also starred in the 1963 film The Courtship of Eddie's Father with Glenn Ford and Jones. He guest-starred as Tommy in

8712-454: Was expanding from three to five films a year on its own, decided to increase making its Northern California production facilities available to other filmmakers. In 1989, Lucasfilm launched a new subsidiary Lucasfilm Entertainment Group (later LucasArts Entertainment Company) to consolidate all four units, which are Industrial Light & Magic , Lucasfilm Commercial Productions, Lucasfilm Games , and Sprocket Systems . In 2005, Lucasfilm opened

8811-642: Was for Lucasfilm employees to remain in their current locations. Star Wars merchandising would begin under Disney in the fiscal year 2014. Starting with Star Wars Rebels , certain products will be co-branded with the Disney name, akin to what Disney has done with Pixar . On December 4, 2012, the Disney-Lucasfilm merger was approved by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), allowing the acquisition to be finalized without dealing with antitrust problems. On December 18, 2012, Lucasfilm Ltd. converted from

8910-560: Was founded by filmmaker George Lucas in 1971 in San Rafael, California , and was incorporated as Lucasfilm Ltd. on September 12, 1977. In the mid-1970s, the company's offices were located on the Universal Studios Lot . Lucas founded the Star Wars Corporation, Inc. as a subsidiary to control various legal and financial aspects of Star Wars (1977), including copyright, and sequel and merchandising rights. It also produced

9009-728: Was kind of funny to have to pretend that was dead. So I recall just a very relaxed first impression. The sitcom was known for its old-fashioned wholesome quality. Even though it was set in a contemporary time period it evoked a mood of a different era from that of the 1960s. The series also starred Don Knotts , Frances Bavier and Jim Nabors . It received numerous nominations for the Primetime Emmy Awards including three Outstanding Comedy Series nominations which it lost to The Jack Benny Show in 1961, The Bob Newhart Show in 1962, and The Monkees in 1967. A role in an installment of series Love, American Style , titled "Love and

9108-432: Was nominated again for the same awards for Frost/Nixon (2008). Howard also directed other historical dramas such as Apollo 13 (1995), Cinderella Man (2005), Rush (2013), In the Heart of the Sea (2015) and Thirteen Lives (2022). He also directed the children's fantasy film How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), the comedy The Dilemma (2011), and Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), as well as

9207-604: Was nominated alongside Robert Altman , David Lynch , Ridley Scott , and Peter Jackson . In 2005, Howard directed the biographical sports drama Cinderella Man based on the true story of heavyweight boxing champion James J. Braddock played by Russell Crowe. The film also starred Renée Zellweger as his wife Mae Braddock, and Paul Giamatti as his trainer Joe Gould . Rotten Tomatoes gave it an approval rating of 80% based on reviews from 214 critics with an average score of 7.4/10. Its consensus states, "With grittiness and an evocative sense of time and place, Cinderella Man

9306-407: Was produced. In 1992, after viewing an early computer-generated imagery test created by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) for Jurassic Park , Lucas announced his intentions to produce a Star Wars Prequel Trilogy . In 1994, the long-delayed Radioland Murders (story by Lucas) was released. In 1995, Lucas began production on the prequel trilogy. The trilogy took 10 years to make, ending with

9405-690: Was released with Hanks continuing the role with performances by Felicity Jones , Irrfan Khan , and Omar Sy . All three films received mixed reviews but were popular among audiences. Howard showcased the world premiere of his historical drama film Frost/Nixon at the London Film Festival in October 2008. The film is based on the taped conversations known as the Frost/Nixon interviews between former United States President Richard Nixon and British talk show host David Frost . Frank Langella portrayed Nixon opposite Michael Sheen as Frost. The film

9504-630: Was restructured at the end of 2010 under new management and currently struck deals with some of the Big Six studios (most notably the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group and Warner Bros. ); Miramax , which was downsized by former owner Disney into a smaller division. Because a production company is only operational when a production is being produced and most of the talent and crew are freelancers , many production companies are only required to hire management staff that helps to oversee

9603-471: Was retiring. With her departure, senior executives for each of the Lucasfilm divisions would report directly to Kathleen Kennedy. Chau was credited with keeping the Lucasfilm and Star Wars brands strong, especially through animation spin-offs and licensing initiatives. Discussions relating to the possibility of The Walt Disney Company signing a distribution deal with Lucasfilm officially began in May 2011, after

9702-447: Was the inspiration for the sitcom Happy Days starring Howard. Howard starred in the film alongside Richard Dreyfus , Charles Martin Smith , and Harrison Ford . Critic Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times praised the film in his four star review writing, " American Graffiti is not only a great movie but a brilliant work of historical fiction; no sociological treatise could duplicate

9801-526: Was well received by fans and was nominated for several film awards including the Daytime Emmy Awards and the Annie Awards . In January 2012, Lucas announced his retirement from producing large-scale blockbuster films and instead re-focusing his career on smaller, independently budgeted features. In June 2012, it was announced that Kathleen Kennedy , a long-term collaborator with Steven Spielberg and

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