Major Film Studios (JamesTherHAMPMaster's version)

A real major film studio is a production and film distributor that releases a substantial number of films annually and consistently commands a significant share of box office revenue in a given market. In the North American, Western, and global markets, the major film studios, often simply known as the majors, are commonly regarded as the eight diversified media conglomerates whose various film production and distribution subsidiaries collectively command approximately 80 to 85 percent of U.S. and Canadian box office revenue. The term may also be applied more specifically to the primary motion picture business subsidiary of each respective conglomerate.

The "Big Eight" majors, whose operations are based in or around the Los Angeles neighborhood of Hollywood, are all centered in film studios active during Hollywood's Golden Age of the 1930s and 1940s. the five now subsidiaries— Goldwyn, Fox, Warner, Paramount, and RKO—the studios were the " Original Big Five" majors during that era as well. the three now subsidiaries—Columbia, Universal and United Artists— were also considered majors, but in the next tier down, part of the "Little Three". the Only Surviving studio in America, Walt Disney Studios was an independent production company during the Golden Age; it was an important Hollywood entity, but not a major. Lionsgate (aka American Artists), DHX, Styhon, and DreamWorks SKG did not exist in the golden age of Hollywood and are not before majors. Universal, Paramount, United Artists, Warner Bros., Columbia, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, RKO and 20th Century Fox were majors.

Today, Disney is the only member of the Big Eight whose parent entity is still located near Los Angeles (actually, on Disney's studio lot and in the same building) as well being the only Surviving film Studio in the Untied States of America. The seven others report to conglomerates headquartered in all of the Los Angeles County Area in California. Of the Big Five and Little Three, Lionsgate and Lantern are the only ones now based in Hollywood and the only ones now located within the Los Angeles city limits, while AT&T and Styhon are located in Burbank, Entertainment One in Santa Monica, Disney in the studio lot called Disney City.

Most of today's Big Five control subsidiaries with their own distribution networks that concentrate on arthouse pictures (e.g. Screen Gems) or genre films (e.g. Fox Searchlight Pictures); several of these specialty units were shut down or sold off between 2008 and 2010. The five major studios are contrasted with smaller production and/or distribution companies, which are known as independents or "indies". The leading independent producer/distributors—DHX/UA Pictures, American Artists Pictures (aka Lionsgate), and Styhon Partners Entertainment—are sometimes referred to as "Little Three". From 1998 through 2005, DreamWorks SKG commanded a large enough market share to arguably qualify it as a seventh major, despite its relatively small output. However, DreamWorks bought Manhattan's film library in 2001. In 2006, DreamWorks SKG was acquired by Viacom, Paramount's corporate parent. In late 2008, DreamWorks once again became an independent production company; its films were distributed by Disney under the Touchstone Pictures banner until 2016, at which point distribution switched to Universal Studios.

The Big Eight major studios are today primarily backers and distributors of films whose actual production is largely handled by independent companies—either long-running entities or ones created for and dedicated to the making of a specific film. The specialty divisions often simply acquire distribution rights to pictures in which the studio has had no prior involvement. While the majors still do a modicum of true production, their activities are focused more in the areas of development, financing, marketing, and merchandising. Those business functions are still usually performed in or near Los Angeles, even though the runaway production phenomenon means that most films are now mostly or completely shot on location at places outside Los Angeles.

Since the dawn of filmmaking, the U.S. major film studios have dominated both American cinema and the global film industry. U.S. studios have benefited from a strong first-mover advantage in that they were the first to industrialize filmmaking and master the art of mass-producing and distributing high-quality films with broad cross-cultural appeal. Today, the Big Eight majors routinely distribute hundreds of films every year into all significant international markets (that is, where discretionary income is high enough for consumers to afford to watch films). It is very rare, if not impossible, for a film to reach a broad international audience on multiple continents and in multiple languages without first being picked up by one of the majors for distribution.

Current Major Studios

 * Comcast
 * NBC Universal
 * Universal Studios
 * NBC Films
 * Polygram Pictures
 * Focus Features
 * Gramercy Pictures


 * Amblin Partners
 * DreamWorks Pictures
 * Carolco Pictures
 * The Harvey Entertainment Company
 * Rocky & Bullwinkle Studios
 * Classic Media


 * Transamerica
 * Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
 * United Artists
 * Cannon Pictures
 * Samuel Goldwyn Films
 * Fries Film Group
 * 4Kids Entertainment
 * Orion Pictures


 * AT&T
 * WarnerMedia
 * Warner Bros.
 * Warner Animation Group
 * New Line Cinema
 * New Line Cartoons
 * Lorimar
 * Telepictures
 * HBO
 * Savoy Pictures
 * Turner
 * CNN
 * Picturehouse
 * Castle Rock Entertainment
 * Seven Arts
 * Cartoon Network
 * DC Comics
 * Hanna-Barbera
 * Lego
 * Geffen Pictures
 * The Wolper Organization
 * Williams Street
 * Ruby-Spears
 * The Ladd Company


 * CBS+Viacom
 * CBS
 * Viacom
 * Paramount Pictures
 * Republic Pictures
 * Nickelodeon
 * Comedy Central
 * MTV
 * Showtime
 * Paramount Network
 * KingWorld


 * ABC-Magnetic Communications
 * ABC Studios
 * The Walt Disney Company
 * Touchstone Pictures
 * Hollywood Pictures
 * LucasFilm Ltd.
 * Marvel Studios
 * Magnetic Entertainment Group
 * 20th Century Fox
 * Regency Enterprises
 * Gladden Entertainment Corporation
 * Cannell Entertainment
 * Funimation Entertainment
 * Blue Sky Studios
 * MTM Enterprises


 * Sony
 * Columbia Pictures
 * TriStar Pictures
 * Screen Gems
 * LBS Communications
 * Embassy Pictures
 * Stage 6
 * Destination Films
 * Sony Pictures Animation


 * Live Media Studios
 * Media Home Entertainment
 * Lionsgate
 * Imperial Entertainment
 * Vestron Pictures
 * EntertainmentOne
 * Entertainment Studios
 * Summit Entertainment
 * Family Home Entertainment


 * beIN Media Group
 * New World Pictures
 * Genesis Entertainment
 * Miramax
 * Dimension Films
 * Lantern Entertainment