Paramount Vantage, Inc. (formerly known as Paramount Classics, Inc.) was a film production label of Paramount Pictures, charged with producing, purchasing, distributing and marketing films, generally those with a more "art house" feel than films made and distributed by its parent company. Previously, Paramount Vantage operated as the specialty film division of Paramount Pictures, owned by Viacom (now Paramount Skydance). It was active from May 15, 1998 to November 15, 2014.
History Paramount Classics was launched on May 15, 1998 and released such art house fare as The Virgin Suicides, You Can Count on Me, Sunshine, Mostly Martha, Winter Solstice, and three Patrice Leconte films (Girl on the Bridge, The Man on the Train, Intimate Strangers). Although film journalist David Poland felt "Ruth Vitale and David Dinerstein have proven to have wonderful taste heading up Paramount Classics",TheHotButton.com the duo was fired in October 2005.New York Times article
In 2006, the Paramount Vantage brand branched off from Paramount Classics, which was relaunched in 2007 as a distributor of "smaller, review-driven films including foreign-language acquisitions and documentaries."Paramount Vantage website
In 2007, Paramount Vantage partnered with then-Disney subsidiary Miramax Films on two of the year's most highly regarded movies, No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood. Both films garnered eight nominations at the 80th Academy Awards, with There Will Be Blood winning the awards for Best Cinematography and Best Actor for Daniel Day-Lewis, while No Country for Old Men won for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor for Javier Bardem, and Best Picture.
Despite its critical success, Paramount Vantage continually failed to deliver the financial returns Paramount Pictures expected. Only No Country for Old Men made a profit, while films that many believe should have generated significant returns failed to deliver through either poor or excessive marketing.Los Angeles Times article
In June 2008, Paramount Pictures consolidated Paramount Vantage's marketing, distribution, and physical production departments into the parent studio, while retaining the Paramount Vantage brand to develop and acquire specialty product with dedicated creative staff.Deadline Hollywood Daily article
Paramount Vantage closed down on November 15, 2014 after the release of Nebraska in 2013.
On December 20, 2019, ViacomCBS (later named Paramount Global) announced it would acquire a 49% stake in Miramax for at least $375 million, with Paramount Pictures gaining exclusive worldwide distribution rights to its film and television library. Paramount Pictures and Miramax will also co-produce new content based on titles from the library. The deal officially closed on April 3, 2020.
Releases Paramount Classics Name Release date Market(s) Notes/Production company(s) TrekkiesOwned by Shout! Studios March 12, 1999 Worldwide Neo Art & Logic Get Real April 30, 1999 U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Ireland Distant Horizon Cabaret Balkan July 23, 1999 U.S., the U.K., Ireland, Australia and New Zealand The Adventures of Sebastian Cole August 6, 1999 U.S., South America, the U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa Cuplan Productions LLC Train of Life November 12, 1999 U.S. and Canada Where's Marlowe? November 12, 1999 Worldwide Deterrence March 10, 2000 U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Ireland The Virgin Suicides May 12, 2000 North and Latin America, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa American Zoetrope Passion of Mind May 26, 2000 U.S. and Canada Lakeshore Entertainment Sunshine June 9, 2000 U.S., Australia and New Zealand Alliance Atlantis, Serendipity Point Films, Bavaria Film, Kinowelt Filmproduktion and Channel Four Films Girl on the Bridge July 28, 2000 North and Latin America You Can Count on Me November 17, 2000 U.S., Latin America, the U.K., Ireland, France, the Benelux, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Japan Shooting Gallery and Hart-Sharp Entertainment; rights licensed to Momentum Pictures for the U.K. and Ireland The Gift December 22, 2000 U.S. and Canada Lakeshore Entertainment Company Man March 9, 2001 North and Latin America and Japan Intermedia Savage Souls May 20, 2001 North and Latin America, the U.K., Ireland, Australia and New Zealand Bride of the Wind June 8, 2001 U.S. and Canada An American Rhapsody August 24, 2001 North and Latin America, the U.K., Ireland, France, Australia and New Zealand Fireworks Pictures and Seven Arts Pictures Our Lady of the Assassins September 7, 2001 U.S., Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and select Central and Latin American territories including Colombia My First Mister October 12, 2001 North and Latin America, the U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Japan Focus November 2, 2001 North and Latin America, the U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Japan Sidewalks of New York November 21, 2001 U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan Mean Machine February 22, 2002 U.S., Canada and worldwide home media SKA Films and Brad Grey Productions Festival in Cannes March 3, 2002 North and Latin America, Australia, New Zealand and Japan Rainbow Pictures Triumph of Love May 10, 2002 North and Latin America, the U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Japan The Emperor's New Clothes June 14, 2002 North and Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Japan FilmFour Who Is Cletis Tout?Currently owned by Westside Pictures, with Magnolia Pictures handling US distribution July 26, 2002 U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand Fireworks Entertainment Mostly Martha August 16, 2002 North and Latin America, the U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa rights licensed to Optimum Releasing for the U.K. and Ireland; Bavaria Film Just a Kiss September 27, 2002 North and Latin America, the U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Japan Greenestreet Films Bloody Sunday October 4, 2002 North and Latin America, Australia, New Zealand and Japan The Way Home November 15, 2002 U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa CJ Entertainment and Tube Entertainment Till Human Voices Wake Us February 21, 2003 North and Latin America, the U.K., Ireland, South Africa and the Middle East House of Fools April 25, 2003 North and Latin America, the U.K., Ireland, Australia and New Zealand The Man on the Train May 9, 2003 U.S., English-speaking Canada, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa Pathé Northfork July 11, 2003 North and Latin America, the U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa theatrical and home video rights licensed to Metrodome Distribution for the U.K. and Ireland And Now... Ladies and Gentlemen August 8, 2003 North and Latin America, the U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Japan The Singing Detective October 24, 2003 North and Latin America and Japan Icon Productions The Machinist January 18, 2004 North and Latin America, the U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa rights licensed to Tartan Films for the U.K. and Ireland and Rialto Distribution for Australia and New Zealand; Filmax and Castelao Productions The Reckoning March 5, 2004 North and Latin America, South Africa, Australasia and Japan Renaissance Films The United States of Leland April 2, 2004 North and Latin America, Australia and New Zealand Media 8 Entertainment and Trigger Street Productions Love Me If You Dare May 11, 2004 U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Scandinavia StudioCanal I'll Sleep When I'm Dead June 16, 2004 U.S., Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East and Japan Revere Pictures and Seven Arts Intimate Strangers July 30, 2004 U.S., Latin America, Australia, New Zealand and Japan rights licensed to Wise Policy and Happinet Pictures for Japan Mean Creek August 20, 2004 North and Latin America, the U.K., Ireland, Australia and New Zealand rights licensed to Tartan Films for the U.K. and Ireland and Rialto Distribution for Australia and New Zealand; Whitewater Films Enduring Love October 29, 2004 North and Latin America Pathé and FilmFour Fade to Black November 5, 2004 Worldwide @radical.media, Marcy Projects, and Roc-A-Fella Records Schultze Gets the Blues February 18, 2005 North and Latin America, the U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Germany and Austria Winter Solstice April 8, 2005 North and Latin America, the U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa Mad Hot Ballroom May 13, 2005 Worldwide excluding Australia and New Zealand co-distribution with Nickelodeon Movies only; Just One Productions; international theatrical rights licensed to Fortissimo Films After You... June 3, 2005 U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Ireland Hustle & Flow July 22, 2005 Worldwide co-distribution with MTV Films only; New Deal Entertainment Asylum August 12, 2005 North and Latin America, the U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa rights licensed to Momentum Pictures for the U.K. and Ireland; Seven Arts Neil Young: Heart of Gold February 10, 2006 Worldwide Shangri-La Entertainment, Reprise Records, Playtone, Clinica Estetico, and Shakey Pictures Ask the Dust March 17, 2006 U.S. and Canada Capitol Films, Ascendant Pictures and Cruise/Wagner Productions An Inconvenient Truth May 24, 2006 Worldwide Participant Productions Typhoon June 2, 2006 U.S. and Canada CJ Entertainment Broken Bridges September 8, 2006 Worldwide CMT Films Arctic Tale July 25, 2007 North and Latin America, the U.K., Ireland, France, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa National Geographic Films Beneath August 7, 2007 Worldwide MTV Films The Kite Runner December 14, 2007 rights licensed to Filmauro for Italy, Sandrew Metronome for Scandinavia and Kadokawa Herald Pictures for Japan; DreamWorks Pictures, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and Participant Productions Shine a Light April 4, 2008 U.S. and Canada Shangri-La Entertainment and Concert Productions International Padmaavat January 25, 2018 U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East theatrical distribution only; Viacom18 Motion Pictures and Bhansali Productions
Paramount Vantage Release date Film title Academy Awards and notes October 27, 2006 Babel distribution in North and Latin America, the U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Spain only; produced by Anonymous Content, Zeta Film and Central Films Won Best Original Score Additional nominations Best Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu Best Editing Best Picture Best Original Screenplay Best Supporting Actress: Adriana Barraza Best Supporting Actress: Rinko Kikuchi January 20, 2007 Year of the Dog co-production with Rip Cord Productions and Plan B Entertainment March 2, 2007 Black Snake Moanco-production with New Deal Productions and Southern Cross the Dog Productions June 22, 2007 A Mighty Heart co-production with Plan B Entertainment and Revolution Films September 21, 2007 Into the Wild distribution outside France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Benelux, Japan, Spain, Andorra and Italy only; co-production with River Road Entertainment, Square One C.I.H. and Linson Film 2 Nominations Best Editing Best Supporting Actor: Hal Holbrook November 9, 2007 No Country for Old MenParamount now owns worldwide rights to this film, having acquired a 49% stake in Miramax in 2020 international distribution only; co-production with Miramax Films, Scott Rudin Productions and Mike Zoss Productions Won Best Director: Ethan and Joel Coen Best Picture Best Adapted Screenplay Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem Additional nominations Best Cinematography Best Editing Best Sound Mixing Best Sound Editing November 16, 2007Margot at the Weddingco-production with Scott Rudin Productions December 26, 2007There Will Be Blood North American distribution only; co-production with Miramax Films, Scott Rudin Productions and Ghoulardi Film Company Won