A24, The most Successful Independent Film Production Company of the Last Decade

What does the average viewer usually look for when going to the movies? Stories are different from the conventional. In that sense, A24 has made a space for itself in the film industry thanks to its characteristic seal in addressing themes and plots that range from the disturbing to the irreverent. In fact, at the 2023 Oscars, the independent production company had a sensational night with two of its latest successful productions, proving that it is spark and authentic style have continued growing in the last decade.

The company's origins date back to 2012, when Daniel Katz, David Fenkel, and John Hodges had the idea of founding a company that would push movie culture in another direction. That is why A24's headquarters are in New York, on the opposite side of Hollywood (California), since it intends to bring to the big screen those different proposals capable of showing that "other cinema" that some are looking for.

But with them, it's not all about movies. In 2014 they launched a division dedicated to television, and for this, they joined with the cable channel USA Network, which broadcast the sitcom "Playing House" for three seasons as a kickoff. Since then, A24 has supported hundreds of talented young people to bring their projects to life since one of its main objectives is to finance and develop the so-called pilot chapters.

Barely ten years old, the trajectory of this film production company has been quite prolific since it carried out more than 100 projects. Those who already recognize the distinctive logo of A24 know that the quality of what they are about to see is guaranteed, primarily due to the originality and freshness when developing their proposals. After all, they aim to show the public stories they cannot find in Hollywood.

A List of Titles that Continues to Grow

At first, the distributor's objectives were modest. Still, in a short time, they caught the attention of Prime Video and DirecTV to carry out an alliance that left them with the exclusivity of broadcasting their films. Here, this first contract earned them about 40 million dollars. The catalog, although it was somewhat scarce, already had exciting titles and a perfect reception by the public and critics such as "Spring Breakers" (2013), "Under the Skin" (2014), "Enemy" (2014 ), "Ex Machina" (2015), "Amy" (2015) or "The Room" (2015).

By 2016, the company reached an agreement with Bank of America, JP Morgan, and SunTrust that extended their line of credit from 50 million to 125 million dollars. The purpose of this money was nothing more than to reinforce the main distribution business, in addition to its intentions to expand the development of productions for the big screen. This is how "It Comes at Night" (2017), "A Ghost Story" (2017), "The Florida Project" (2017), "The Disaster Artist" (2017), "El Faro" (2019), "Minari " (2021), "The Green Knight" (2021), "Lamb" (2021), "C'mon C'mon" (2021), "Men" (2022), among many others, added positively to the history from A24.

Similarly, productions for television and streaming platforms were just a little behind. With HBO, they produced hits like "Euphoria" and "Irma Vep," not to mention that "The Idol" and "The Sympathizer" will be released soon; With Netflix, the list of productions is extensive, but the recent "Mo" and "Bronca" stand out; while with Apple TV stand out "Mr. Corman," "Home," and the next to be released "Sunny."

Also read: The 6 countries in which Netflix invests the most with its local productions

His 10 Highest Grossing Films

Although the titles produced and distributed by A24 were mostly successful, breaking the barrier of 100 million dollars at the box office was a goal that had yet to be met. The first three significant collections came with projects that showed the genre versatility of the company: "Room" (2015), a drama directed by Lenny Abrahamson and starring Brie Larson, reached $35,401,757, a figure that was close to matching the $36,869,414 of Alex Garland's cult film "Ex Machina" (2014), which in turn fell short of the $40,423,945 earned by Robert Eggers' debut feature "The Witch" (2015).

Subsequently, in 2019 terror and drama did their thing. By then, A24 was already established in the industry, and the movies "Midsommar" and "Rough Diamonds" confirmed that good moment. Director Ari Aster found himself with the story of a group of friends traveling to Sweden for a summer festival, which grossed $48,057,390. At the same time, brothers Josh and Benny Safdie brought out the best in Adam Sandler with a character far from a comedy, earning them $50,023,780.

Finally, the top 5 highest-grossing films in A24's filmography stand out for their presence at the Oscars. "The Whale" (2022) not only achieved $53,499,280 at the box office but also earned him two Oscars for Best Actor and Best Makeup; "Moonlight" (2016) grossed $65,172,611 and was the company's first big hit, winning the Oscars for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay; "Lady Bird" (2017) by director Greta Gerwig added $78,986,478 and a total of five Oscar nominations, despite not winning any; with "Hereditary" (2018) Ari Aster became known in the horror genre and that earned him $82,846,252 at the box office; while "Everything Everywhere at the Same Time" (2022) is so far the most successful title with $140,132,343 and a total of seven Oscars.

A24 and what is to Come

By now, most moviegoers know about the firm and unique personality of A24. That is why when they know that production from this company is on the way, it indicates that something promising is about to hit the screen. In the coming months, some projects will have their expected premiere, such as "The Deepest Breath" (July 19 on Netflix), "Stephen Curry: Underrated" (July 21 on Apple TV), and "Talk to Me" (July 28 in theaters).

Likewise, it is worth noting several promising titles are still in production and will see the light of day in the remainder of 2023 or early 2024. Alex Garland will return with an action film titled "Civil War," Sofia Coppola is in charge of a Priscilla Presley biopic called "Priscilla," actors Kristen Stewart and Dave Franco will star in "Love Lies Bleeding," director Ti West will close his slasher trilogy with "MaXXXine." At the same time, brothers Robert and Max Eggers are behind a psychological horror story called "The Front Room."