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Overbrook Entertainment

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Overbrook Entertainment
TypePrivate
Industry
FoundedFebruary 2, 1998; 24 years ago (1998-02-02)
Founders
HeadquartersCulver City, California
Key people
ProductsMotion pictures, music, home entertainment, talent management, television production
ParentWestbrook Inc.
Websitewww.overbrookent.com

Overbrook Entertainment is an American production company based in Culver City, California.[1] It was founded by partners Will Smith and James Lassiter in 1998,[2] around the same time production for Wild Wild West (1999) was started.

The name "Overbrook" is derived from Will Smith's neighborhood in West Philadelphia. The company produces music, films and television shows. Smith claimed to have started the company in order to serve as producer and find roles. He uses his role in the company to help unknown artists record music and also records music for some of his films in Overbrook.

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Production company

Production company

A production company, production house, production studio, or a production team is a studio that creates works in the fields of performing arts, new media art, film, television, radio, comics, interactive arts, video games, websites, music, and video. These groups consist of technical staff to produce the media, and are often incorporated as a commercial publisher. 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 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.

Culver City, California

Culver City, California

Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. The city boasts the "third-most diverse school district in California" in 2020.

California

California

California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2 million residents across a total area of approximately 163,696 square miles (423,970 km2), it is the most populous U.S. state and the third-largest by area. It is also the most populated subnational entity in North America and the 34th most populous in the world. The Greater Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay areas are the nation's second and fifth most populous urban regions respectively, with the former having more than 18.7 million residents and the latter having over 9.6 million. Sacramento is the state's capital, while Los Angeles is the most populous city in the state and the second most populous city in the country. San Francisco is the second most densely populated major city in the country. Los Angeles County is the country's most populous, while San Bernardino County is the largest county by area in the country. California borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, the Mexican state of Baja California to the south; and it has a coastline along the Pacific Ocean to the west.

Will Smith

Will Smith

Willard Carroll Smith II is an American actor and rapper. Known for variety of roles, Smith has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award and four Grammy Awards. As of 2023, his films have grossed over $9.3 billion globally, making him one of Hollywood's most bankable stars.

James Lassiter

James Lassiter

James Lassiter is an American film producer, known for being co-founder of Overbrook Entertainment and longtime business partner of actor and rapper Will Smith.

Wild Wild West

Wild Wild West

Wild Wild West is a 1999 American steampunk Western film co-produced and directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and written by S. S. Wilson and Brent Maddock alongside Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman, from a story penned by brothers Jim and John Thomas. Loosely adapted from The Wild Wild West, a 1960s television series created by Michael Garrison, it is the only production since the television film More Wild Wild West (1980) to feature the characters from the original series.

West Philadelphia

West Philadelphia

West Philadelphia, nicknamed West Philly, is a section of the city of Philadelphia. Alhough there are no officially defined boundaries, it is generally considered to reach from the western shore of the Schuylkill River, to City Avenue to the northwest, Cobbs Creek to the southwest, and the SEPTA Media/Wawa Line to the south. An alternate definition includes all city land west of the Schuylkill; this would also include Southwest Philadelphia and its neighborhoods. The eastern side of West Philadelphia is also known as University City.

History

On November 11, 1997, actor Will Smith (age 29) and manager James Lassiter signed an overall first-look term deal at Universal Pictures.[3] Thus, Overbrook Entertainment was born. It was formally incorporated on February 2, 1998.

On September 16, 1998, David Tochterman, formerly employee of The Carsey-Werner Company, joined the company and decided to launch the television division. Tochterman produced shows for the broadcast and cable TV networks.[4]

On February 11, 1999, the music division is restructured with John Dukakis, formerly employee of Southpaw Entertainment, signed on as executive vice president of its music division.[5]

On May 10, 2000, it was announced that a merger with The Firm was proposed, but it was scrapped.[6]

On December 10, 2000, Overbrook Entertainment is renewing its interest in the television division. Its plans was to include a 13-episode animated series commitment for Nickelodeon, as well as a slew of comedy, drama, and telemovies on the broadcast networks. The studio is landing deals for three sitcoms, three dramas and one telefilm for the webnetworks.[7]

On January 30, 2002, the studio's contract with Universal Pictures ended. It formally signed a contract with Sony Pictures Entertainment to develop feature films.[8]

On January 3, 2018, it was announced that the studio wouldn't renew its deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment.[9]

On July 10, 2019, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith announced the formation of Westbrook Inc., with Overbrook Entertainment being as one of the subsidiaries of the company.[10] It is reported that the Westbrook Studios company would sign a deal with National Geographic.[11]

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Will Smith

Will Smith

Willard Carroll Smith II is an American actor and rapper. Known for variety of roles, Smith has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award and four Grammy Awards. As of 2023, his films have grossed over $9.3 billion globally, making him one of Hollywood's most bankable stars.

James Lassiter

James Lassiter

James Lassiter is an American film producer, known for being co-founder of Overbrook Entertainment and longtime business partner of actor and rapper Will Smith.

Universal Pictures

Universal Pictures

Universal Pictures is an American film production and distribution company owned by Comcast through the NBCUniversal Film and Entertainment division of NBCUniversal.

The Carsey-Werner Company

The Carsey-Werner Company

The Carsey-Werner Company is an independent production company founded in 1981 by former ABC writer/producer duo Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner. Caryn Mandabach was made a partner in the firm in 2001, but left in 2004 to embark on her own production deal.

John Dukakis

John Dukakis

John Dukakis is an American entertainer, music executive, and political aide.

The Firm, Inc.

The Firm, Inc.

The Firm was a film and television production and talent management company based in Santa Monica, California. Established in 1997, it ceased operations in November 2008 and was relaunched by its founder, Jeff Kwatinetz, in August 2015. The Firm's divisions also include a record label and a marketing group.

Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon is an American pay television channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its networks division's Kids and Family Group. The channel is primarily aimed at children aged 2–17, along with a broader family audience through its program blocks.

Sony Pictures

Sony Pictures

Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio conglomerate that produces, acquires, and distributes filmed entertainment through multiple platforms.

Filmography

Films

2000s

Year Title Director Distributor Notes
2001 Ali Michael Mann Sony Pictures Releasing co-production with Columbia Pictures, Initial Entertainment Group, Peters Entertainment and Forward Pass
2004 I, Robot Alex Proyas 20th Century Fox co-production with Laurence Mark Productions, Davis Entertainment and Mediastream IV
Saving Face Alice Wu Sony Pictures Classics co-production with Destination Films
2005 Hitch Andy Tennant Sony Pictures Releasing co-production with Columbia Pictures
2006 ATL Chris Robinson Warner Bros. Pictures
The Pursuit of Happyness Gabriele Muccino Sony Pictures Releasing co-production with Columbia Pictures, Relativity Media and Escape Artists
2007 I Am Legend Francis Lawrence Warner Bros. Pictures co-production with Village Roadshow Pictures, Weed Road Pictures, Heyday Films and Original Film
2008 Hancock Peter Berg Sony Pictures Releasing co-production with Columbia Pictures, Relativity Media, Weed Road Pictures, Forward Pass and Blue Light
The Human Contract Jada Pinkett Smith Self-distributed co-production with Tycoon Entertainment and 100% Womon Productions
Lakeview Terrace Neil LaBute Sony Pictures Releasing co-production with Screen Gems
The Secret Life of Bees Gina Prince-Bythewood Fox Searchlight Pictures co-production with The Donners' Company
Seven Pounds Gabriele Muccino Sony Pictures Releasing co-production with Columbia Pictures, Relativity Media and Escape Artists

2010s

Year Title Director Distributor Notes
2010 The Karate Kid Harald Zwart Sony Pictures Releasing co-production with Columbia Pictures, China Film Group Corporation and JW Productions
2012 This Means War McG 20th Century Fox co-production with Robert Simonds Productions and Genre Films
2013 After Earth M. Night Shyamalan Sony Pictures Releasing co-production with Columbia Pictures, Relativity Media and Blinding Edge Pictures
2014 Annie Will Gluck co-production with Columbia Pictures, LStar Capital, Village Roadshow Pictures and Olive Bridge Entertainment
2015 Focus Glenn Ficarra
John Requa
Warner Bros. Pictures co-production with RatPac-Dune Entertainment, Di Novi Pictures, Kramer & Sigman Films and Zaftig Films
2016 Collateral Beauty David Frankel co-production with New Line Cinema, Village Roadshow Pictures, RatPac-Dune Entertainment, Anonymous Content, PalmStar Media and Likely Story
2017 Bright David Ayer Netflix co-production with Trigger Warning Entertainment and Grand Electric
2018 To All the Boys I've Loved Before Susan Johnson co-production with Awesomeness Films
2019 Hala Minhal Baig Apple TV+ co-production with Endeavor Content

2020s

Year Title Director Distributor Notes
2020 Bad Boys for Life Adil & Bilall Sony Pictures Releasing co-production with Columbia Pictures, 2.0 Entertainment and Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films
To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You Michael Fimognari Netflix Uncredited; co-production with Awesomeness Films and Ace Entertainment
Charm City Kings Angel Manuel Soto HBO Max co-production with Warner Bros. Pictures and Warner Max
Life in a Year Mitja Okorn Sony Pictures Releasing co-production with Columbia Pictures
2021 To All the Boys: Always and Forever Michael Fimognari Netflix Uncredited; co-production with Awesomeness Films and Ace Entertainment
The Harder They Fall Jeymes Samuel Netflix Uncredited
King Richard Reinaldo Marcus Green Warner Bros. Pictures Under Westbrook Studios; co-production with Star Thrower Entertainment
2022 Emancipation Antoine Fuqua Apple TV+ co-production with Westbrook Studios, McFarland Entertainment, Escape Artists and Apple Studios

Television

2000s

Years Title Creator Network Notes
2003-2007 All of Us Will Smith
Jada Pinkett Smith
Betsy Borns
UPN (seasons 1–3)
The CW (season 4)
co-production with Warner Bros. Television

2010s

Years Title Creator Network Notes
2010-2011 Hawthorne John Masius TNT continued from 100% Womon Productions; co-production with FanFare Productions, John Masius Productions and Sony Pictures Television
2013-2015 The Queen Latifah Show Queen Latifah Syndication revival of the 1999 series; co-production with Flavor Unit Entertainment, Curly One Productions and Sony Pictures Television
2018–present Cobra Kai Josh Heald
Jon Hurwitz
Hayden Schlossberg
based on the Karate Kid film series by:
Robert Mark Kamen
YouTube Premium (season 1–2)
Netflix (season 3 – present)
Under Westbrook Studios; co-production with Heald Productions, Hurwitz & Schlossberg Productions, Counterbalance Entertainment and Sony Pictures Television Studios

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Ali (film)

Ali (film)

Ali is a 2001 American biographical sports drama film co-written, produced and directed by Michael Mann. The film focuses on ten years in the life of the boxer Muhammad Ali, played by Will Smith, from 1964 to 1974, featuring his capture of the heavyweight title from Sonny Liston, his conversion to Islam, criticism of the Vietnam War, and banishment from boxing, his return to fight Joe Frazier in 1971, and, finally, his reclaiming the title from George Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle fight of 1974. It also touches on the great social and political upheaval in the United States following the assassinations of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.

Columbia Pictures

Columbia Pictures

Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the multinational conglomerate Sony.

GK Films

GK Films

GK Films is a British-American film and television production company founded in 1990 by Graham King, located in Santa Monica, California. In 2005, the firm, which was known as Initial Entertainment Group at that time, signed a deal with Warner Bros.

Jon Peters

Jon Peters

John H. Peters is an American film producer and former hairdresser.

I, Robot (film)

I, Robot (film)

I, Robot is a 2004 American science fiction action film directed by Alex Proyas. The screenplay by Jeff Vintar and Akiva Goldsman is from a screen story by Vintar, based on his original screenplay Hardwired, and named after Isaac Asimov's 1950 short-story collection. The film stars Will Smith in the main role, Bridget Moynahan, Bruce Greenwood, James Cromwell, Chi McBride, and Alan Tudyk. In 2035, highly intelligent robots fill public service positions throughout the dystopian world, operating under three rules to keep humans safe. Detective Del Spooner (Smith) investigates the alleged suicide of U.S. Robotics founder Alfred Lanning (Cromwell) and believes that a human-like robot called Sonny (Tudyk) murdered him.

Alex Proyas

Alex Proyas

Alexander Proyas is an Australian filmmaker of Greek descent. Proyas is best known for directing the films The Crow (1994), Dark City (1998), I, Robot (2004), Knowing (2009), and Gods of Egypt (2016).

Laurence Mark

Laurence Mark

Laurence Mark is an American film and television producer. His works include The Greatest Showman (2017), Julie & Julia (2009), Dreamgirls (2006), I, Robot (2004), As Good as It Gets (1997), and Jerry Maguire (1996).

Davis Entertainment

Davis Entertainment

Davis Entertainment is an American film and television production company, founded by John Davis in 1984.

Alice Wu

Alice Wu

Alice Wu is an American film director and screenwriter, known for her films Saving Face (2004) and The Half of It (2020).

Destination Films

Destination Films

Destination Films is a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment currently specializing in action, thriller, niche sci-fi and low-end to medium-end horror films.

Hitch (film)

Hitch (film)

Hitch is a 2005 American romantic comedy film directed by Andy Tennant and starring Will Smith in the title role, along with Eva Mendes, Kevin James, and Amber Valletta. The film, which was written by Kevin Bisch, features Smith as Alex "Hitch" Hitchens, a professional "date doctor" who makes a living teaching men how to woo women. Unfortunately, while helping his latest client woo the woman of his dreams, he finds out that his game doesn't quite work on the gossip columnist with whom he's smitten. Columbia Pictures released Hitch on February 11, 2005, and was a box office hit, grossing $371.6 million worldwide.

Andy Tennant

Andy Tennant

Andrew Wellman Tennant is an American screenwriter, film and television director, actor, and dancer.

Soundtrack

Year Title Artist Distributor Notes
1999 Wild Wild West Various artists Interscope Records
2000 Love & Basketball
2002 Men in Black II Danny Elfman Columbia Records
2014 Annie Various artists RCA Records

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Wild Wild West (soundtrack)

Wild Wild West (soundtrack)

Wild Wild West is an album of music inspired by the 1999 film Wild Wild West. It was released June 15, 1999, through Interscope Records and consisted mostly of hip hop and R&B songs which were not in the film, with the exception of one by Will Smith and another by Enrique Iglesias played over the end credits. Other artists featured on the album include BLACKstreet, Faith Evans, Dr. Dre, Common, MC Lyte, Tatyana Ali, Slick Rick, Jermaine Dupri and Eminem. The soundtrack was very successful, peaking at number four on the US Billboard 200 and on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and features the hit single "Wild Wild West" which went to number one on the US Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified double platinum a week after its release, June 21, 1999. The album is also the debut of famous artists Lil' Bow Wow, Jill Scott and Kel Spencer.

Interscope Records

Interscope Records

Interscope Records is an American record label based in Santa Monica, California, owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Music Group and Interscope Communications, it differed from most record labels by letting A&R staff control decisions and allowing artists and producers full creative control. Interscope's first hit records arrived in under a year, and it achieved profitability in 1993. Chair and CEO until May 2014, Iovine was succeeded by John Janick.

Love & Basketball (soundtrack)

Love & Basketball (soundtrack)

Music from the Motion Picture Love & Basketball is the soundtrack to Gina Prince-Bythewood's 2000 film Love & Basketball. It was released on April 18, 2000 through Overbrook Music/Interscope Records, and mostly consisted of contemporary R&B with some hip hop music. The soundtrack was a minor success, peaking at number 45 on the Billboard 200, number 15 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and number 1 on the Independent Albums.

Men in Black II

Men in Black II

Men in Black II is a 2002 American science fiction action comedy film based on the Marvel Comics series of a similar name. It is the sequel to Men in Black (1997) and is the second installment in the Men in Black franchise. The film was directed by Barry Sonnenfeld from a screenplay by Robert Gordon and Barry Fanaro, and it stars Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Lara Flynn Boyle, Johnny Knoxville, Rosario Dawson, Tony Shalhoub, and Rip Torn. In the film, the emergence of an assumed subdued alient threat reunites Kevin Brown / Agent K (Jones) and James Darrell Edwards III / Agent J (Smith).

Danny Elfman

Danny Elfman

Daniel Robert Elfman is an American film composer, singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the singer-songwriter for the new wave band Oingo Boingo in the early 1980s. Since scoring his first studio film in 1985, Elfman has garnered international recognition for composing over 100 feature film scores, as well as compositions for television, stage productions, and the concert hall.

Columbia Records

Columbia Records

Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. It was founded on January 15, 1889, evolving from the American Graphophone Company, the successor to the Volta Graphophone Company. Columbia is the oldest surviving brand name in the recorded sound business, and the second major company to produce records. From 1961 to 1991, its recordings were released outside North America under the name CBS Records to avoid confusion with EMI's Columbia Graphophone Company. Columbia is one of Sony Music's four flagship record labels, alongside former longtime rival RCA Records, as well as Arista Records and Epic Records.

Annie (2014 film soundtrack)

Annie (2014 film soundtrack)

Annie is a soundtrack to the 2014 film of the same name, released by Roc Nation, Overbrook Entertainment, Madison Gate Records and RCA Records on November 17, 2014. The soundtrack's executive producer was Greg Kurstin, who also collaborated with Sia to create new arrangements for three songs from the original Broadway production of Annie: "I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here", "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile" and "Little Girls." Additionally, Sia and Kurstin wrote three new songs for the soundtrack, including "Opportunity", "Who Am I?" and "Moonquake Lake" featuring Beck.

RCA Records

RCA Records

RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Arista Records, and Epic Records. The label has released multiple genres of music, including pop, classical, rock, hip hop, afrobeat, electronic, R&B, blues, jazz, and country. Its name is derived from the initials of its defunct parent company, the Radio Corporation of America (RCA). RCA Records was fully acquired by Bertelsmann in 1987, making it a part of Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG) and became a part of Sony BMG Music Entertainment after the 2004 merger of BMG and Sony; it was acquired by the latter in 2008, after the dissolution of Sony/BMG and the restructuring of Sony Music. RCA Records is the corporate successor of the Victor Talking Machine Company, founded in 1901, making it the second-oldest record label in American history, after sister label Columbia Records, founded in 1889.

Distribution

Year Title Director Notes
2005 The 7th Commandment Theron Alford DVD distribution; co-production with 25Eight Productions and A Free World Productions

Source: "Overbrook Entertainment", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2023, January 4th), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overbrook_Entertainment.

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References
  1. ^ "Overbrook Entertainment". Kftv.com.
  2. ^ "Overbrook Entertainment company information, funding & investors". uktest1.dealroom.co. Retrieved 2019-10-01.
  3. ^ Cox, Dan (1997-11-12). "Smith talks shingle at U". Variety. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  4. ^ Hontz, Jenny (1998-09-16). "Tochterman over to Overbrook". Variety. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  5. ^ Petrikin, Chris; Cox, Dan (1999-02-12). "Overbrook is ready". Variety. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  6. ^ Fleming, Michael (2000-05-10). "Overbrook, the Firm join forces". Variety. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  7. ^ Adalian, Josef; Schneider, Michael (2000-12-11). "Overbrook turns on TV". Variety. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  8. ^ Harris, Dana (2002-01-31). "Sony, Overbrook ink". Variety. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  9. ^ Lang, Brent; Kroll, Justin (2018-01-03). "Will Smith's Overbrook Entertainment Not Re-Upping Sony First Look Deal (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  10. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (2019-07-10). "Jada Pinkett Smith & Will Smith Launch Multimedia Cross-Platform Venture Westbrook Inc". Deadline. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  11. ^ "Will Smith's Westbrook Studios Signs First-Look Deal With Nat Geo". TheWrap. 2021-08-18. Retrieved 2021-08-19.

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