Icon Productions
Encyclopedia
Icon Productions LLC is an American independent production company
founded in August 1989 by actor/director Mel Gibson
and Australian producing partner Bruce Davey
.
. According to Davey, "Mel wanted to make Hamlet
and the (Hollywood) agent he had who was helping him with it lasted about five minutes. It's pretty hard to get someone to give you money to make Hamlet. I told him that if he wanted to make this happen, someone had to roll up their sleeves and find the (financing) and he asked me if I wanted to have a crack at it and I agreed."
Unlike most other independents, Icon internally funds most of its development and packaging costs, mainly by Gibson, allowing it to retain creative control of projects through production. Felicia's Journey
director Atom Egoyan
has praised the company’s creative independence and risk-taking: "Mel's dream was to create an alternative to the studio system and make films free of interference. He's been able to use his celebrity status to set up a really viable company. Icon is able to take risks that studios won't broach."
The company also produces and distributes films in the UK and Australia through its subsidiary Icon Entertainment International. Furthermore, it owns a library of over 250 film titles. In 2008, Icon entered the exhibition business for the first time by purchasing Dendy Cinemas, Australia's largest independent film distributor and art house cinema chain. Icon Productions has also launched the label “Con Artists Productions.”
In the UK and Australia, its DVDs are usually distributed by Warner Home Video
, though some UK DVDs have been released by MGM Home Entertainment
. Icon films are currently distributed in DVD
, Blu-ray Disc
and HD VMD.
After the financial success of The Passion of the Christ
, there was frequent mention of the ability of Icon to function as a mini-studio. However, Bruce Davey
has downplayed those expectations, saying, "The last thing we want is to become a studio. We don't want to become that top heavy. We want to be independent and passionate. We don't want to lose the magic."
Gibson has explained that the company’s name was chosen because icon means “image” in Greek, and that the inspiration came from a book on Russian icons in his den.
The logo's artwork appears to be a small crop of the Theotokos of Vladimir
icon
, an Eastern Orthodox icon of Mary, mother of Jesus.
As of January 2008, the executives at Icon are Mel Gibson
(president), Bruce Davey
(chairman of the board of directors), Mark Gooder (CEO), Vicki Christianson (CFO), David Miercourt, and Ariel Veneziano. Producer Stephen McEveety
has also worked many years at Icon.
In September 2008, Davey and Gibson sold the Icon international sales and film distribution arms along with the Majestic library to Stewart Till
in a multimillion-dollar deal. Neither Icon Productions nor the Dendy cinemas were part of the acquisition deal. Till’s new company will continue to use the Icon name and will have a three-year first-look deal with Icon Productions to handle the international rights to its productions. The sale to Stewart Till
with backing by Len Blavatnik was completed in November 2009. The transaction does not include the Australian distribution company and cinemas.
Production company
A production company provides the physical basis for works in the realms of the performing arts, new media art, film, television, radio, and video.- Tasks and functions :...
founded in August 1989 by actor/director Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...
and Australian producing partner Bruce Davey
Bruce Davey
Bruce Davey is an Australian film producer.A partner in Icon Entertainment alongside Mel Gibson, Sydney-born Davey has produced many films including Apocalypto, The Passion of the Christ, Push, and Braveheart for which he won an Academy Award. Davey began as Gibson’s CPA after being recommended by...
.
History
Icon started when Gibson was having trouble in financing the 1990 film HamletHamlet (1990 film)
Hamlet is a 1990 drama film based on the Shakespearean tragedy Hamlet. It was directed by Franco Zeffirelli, with Mel Gibson as the young Prince Hamlet...
. According to Davey, "Mel wanted to make Hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
and the (Hollywood) agent he had who was helping him with it lasted about five minutes. It's pretty hard to get someone to give you money to make Hamlet. I told him that if he wanted to make this happen, someone had to roll up their sleeves and find the (financing) and he asked me if I wanted to have a crack at it and I agreed."
Unlike most other independents, Icon internally funds most of its development and packaging costs, mainly by Gibson, allowing it to retain creative control of projects through production. Felicia's Journey
Felicia's Journey
Felicia's Journey is a 1999 film starring Elaine Cassidy and Bob Hoskins, based on a prize winning 1994 novel by William Trevor. It was directed by Atom Egoyan...
director Atom Egoyan
Atom Egoyan
Atom Egoyan, OC is a critically acclaimed Armenian-Canadian stage director and film director. Egoyan made his career breakthrough with Exotica...
has praised the company’s creative independence and risk-taking: "Mel's dream was to create an alternative to the studio system and make films free of interference. He's been able to use his celebrity status to set up a really viable company. Icon is able to take risks that studios won't broach."
The company also produces and distributes films in the UK and Australia through its subsidiary Icon Entertainment International. Furthermore, it owns a library of over 250 film titles. In 2008, Icon entered the exhibition business for the first time by purchasing Dendy Cinemas, Australia's largest independent film distributor and art house cinema chain. Icon Productions has also launched the label “Con Artists Productions.”
In the UK and Australia, its DVDs are usually distributed by Warner Home Video
Warner Home Video
Warner Home Video is the home video unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., itself part of Time Warner. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video . The company launched in the United States with twenty films on VHS and Betamax videocassettes in late 1979...
, though some UK DVDs have been released by MGM Home Entertainment
MGM Home Entertainment
MGM Home Entertainment is the home video and DVD arm of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.-History:The home video division of MGM started in 1979 as MGM Home Video, releasing all the movies and TV shows by MGM. In 1980, MGM joined forces with CBS Video Enterprises, the home video division of the CBS television...
. Icon films are currently distributed in DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
and HD VMD.
After the financial success of The Passion of the Christ
The Passion of the Christ
The Passion of the Christ is a 2004 American drama film directed by Mel Gibson and starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus. It depicts the Passion of Jesus largely according to the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John...
, there was frequent mention of the ability of Icon to function as a mini-studio. However, Bruce Davey
Bruce Davey
Bruce Davey is an Australian film producer.A partner in Icon Entertainment alongside Mel Gibson, Sydney-born Davey has produced many films including Apocalypto, The Passion of the Christ, Push, and Braveheart for which he won an Academy Award. Davey began as Gibson’s CPA after being recommended by...
has downplayed those expectations, saying, "The last thing we want is to become a studio. We don't want to become that top heavy. We want to be independent and passionate. We don't want to lose the magic."
Gibson has explained that the company’s name was chosen because icon means “image” in Greek, and that the inspiration came from a book on Russian icons in his den.
The logo's artwork appears to be a small crop of the Theotokos of Vladimir
Theotokos of Vladimir
The Theotokos of Vladimir , also known as Our Lady of Vladimir or Virgin of Vladimir and "The Vladimir Madonna" - is one of the most venerated Orthodox icons and a typical example of Eleusa Byzantine iconography. The Theotokos is regarded as the holy protectress of Russia...
icon
Icon
An icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity and in certain Eastern Catholic churches...
, an Eastern Orthodox icon of Mary, mother of Jesus.
As of January 2008, the executives at Icon are Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...
(president), Bruce Davey
Bruce Davey
Bruce Davey is an Australian film producer.A partner in Icon Entertainment alongside Mel Gibson, Sydney-born Davey has produced many films including Apocalypto, The Passion of the Christ, Push, and Braveheart for which he won an Academy Award. Davey began as Gibson’s CPA after being recommended by...
(chairman of the board of directors), Mark Gooder (CEO), Vicki Christianson (CFO), David Miercourt, and Ariel Veneziano. Producer Stephen McEveety
Stephen McEveety
Stephen "Steve" McEveety is an American film producer. The son of Joseph McEveety, and nephew of Bernard McEveety and Vincent McEveety, Hollywood film directors/producers, he has over 30 years experience in senior positions in the entertainment industry....
has also worked many years at Icon.
In September 2008, Davey and Gibson sold the Icon international sales and film distribution arms along with the Majestic library to Stewart Till
Stewart Till
Stewart Till, CBE is the chairman and chief executive of United International Pictures, the biggest film distributor in the world....
in a multimillion-dollar deal. Neither Icon Productions nor the Dendy cinemas were part of the acquisition deal. Till’s new company will continue to use the Icon name and will have a three-year first-look deal with Icon Productions to handle the international rights to its productions. The sale to Stewart Till
Stewart Till
Stewart Till, CBE is the chairman and chief executive of United International Pictures, the biggest film distributor in the world....
with backing by Len Blavatnik was completed in November 2009. The transaction does not include the Australian distribution company and cinemas.
Films
- HamletHamlet (1990 film)Hamlet is a 1990 drama film based on the Shakespearean tragedy Hamlet. It was directed by Franco Zeffirelli, with Mel Gibson as the young Prince Hamlet...
(1990) - Forever YoungForever Young (film)Forever Young is a 1992 film, directed by Steve Miner, starring Mel Gibson, Elijah Wood and Jamie Lee Curtis. The screenplay was written by J.J. Abrams from an original story, "The Rest of Daniel". The original music score is composed by Jerry Goldsmith...
(1992) - The Man Without a FaceThe Man Without a FaceThe Man Without a Face is a 1993 drama film starring and directed by Mel Gibson. The film is based on Isabelle Holland's 1972 novel of the same name. Gibson's directorial debut received respectful reviews from most critics.-Plot:...
(1993) - Airborne (1993)
- MaverickMaverick (film)Maverick is a 1994 Western comedy film based on the 1950s television series of the same name, created by Roy Huggins. The film was directed by Richard Donner from a screenplay by William Goldman and features Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster and James Garner, as well as several cameo appearances...
(1994) - Immortal BelovedImmortal Beloved (film)Immortal Beloved is a 1994 film about the life of composer Ludwig van Beethoven . The story follows Beethoven's secretary and first biographer Anton Schindler as he attempts to ascertain the true identity of the Unsterbliche Geliebte addressed in three letters found in the late composer's private...
(1994) - BraveheartBraveheartBraveheart is a 1995 epic historical drama war film directed by and starring Mel Gibson. The film was written for the screen and then novelized by Randall Wallace...
(1995) - Dad and Dave: On Our Selection (1995)
- Anna KareninaAnna Karenina (1997 film)Anna Karenina is a 1997 film by director Bernard Rose, and starring Sophie Marceau and Sean Bean. The film is an adaptation of the eponymous novel by Leo Tolstoy. It was the first international version to be filmed entirely in Russia, at locations in St...
(1997) - 187 (1997)
- Fairy Tale: A True Story (1997)
- An Ideal HusbandAn Ideal Husband (film)An Ideal Husband is a 1999 film based on the play of the same name by Oscar Wilde. The film stars Jeremy Northam, Rupert Everett, Julianne Moore, Minnie Driver and Oscar winning actress Cate Blanchett...
(1999) - Ordinary Decent CriminalOrdinary Decent CriminalOrdinary Decent Criminal is a 2000 crime/comedy film, directed by Thaddeus O'Sullivan, written by Gerard Stembridge. The film is loosely based on the story of Martin Cahill, a famous Irish crime boss.- Plot :...
(1999) - Felicia's JourneyFelicia's JourneyFelicia's Journey is a 1999 film starring Elaine Cassidy and Bob Hoskins, based on a prize winning 1994 novel by William Trevor. It was directed by Atom Egoyan...
(1999) - Payback (1999)
- The Million Dollar HotelThe Million Dollar HotelThe Million Dollar Hotel is a 2000 American drama film based on a concept story by Bono and Nicholas Klein; directed by Wim Wenders; and starring Jeremy Davies, Milla Jovovich, and Mel Gibson...
(2000) - Bless the ChildBless the ChildBless the Child is a 2000 supernatural thriller film directed by Chuck Russell, starring Kim Basinger, Jimmy Smits, Angela Bettis, Rufus Sewell, Christina Ricci, and Holliston Coleman...
(2000) - What Women WantWhat Women WantWhat Women Want is a 2000 American romantic comedy film, directed by Nancy Meyers and starring Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt. The movie was a box office success with a domestic gross of $182,811,707 and a worldwide gross of $374,111,707, against a budget of $70 million.-Plot:Nick Marshall, a Chicago...
(2000) - Thomas and the Magic RailroadThomas and the Magic RailroadThomas and the Magic Railroad is a 2000 British/American film based on the well-known TV series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends and the United States TV series Shining Time Station. The film was co-produced by Gullane Entertainment and the Isle of Man Film Commission. It was written, produced...
(2000) - The Miracle MakerThe Miracle MakerThe Miracle Maker is a stop motion-animated film about the life of Jesus Christ through the eyes of a young girl, Tamar, the daughter of the Biblical Jairus who is raised from death by Jesus Some clips of the film are animated cartoons instead of stop motion.The film was directed by...
(2000) (as Icon Entertainment International) (with the participation of) - We Were SoldiersWe Were SoldiersWe Were Soldiers is a 2002 American war film that dramatizes the Battle of Ia Drang on November 14, 1965. The film was directed by Randall Wallace and stars Mel Gibson. It is based on the book We Were Soldiers Once… And Young by Lieutenant General Hal Moore and reporter Joseph L...
(2002) - The Singing DetectiveThe Singing Detective (film)The Singing Detective is a 2003 film based on the BBC serial The Singing Detective, a work by Dennis Potter. It stars Robert Downey, Jr...
(2003) - The Passion of the ChristThe Passion of the ChristThe Passion of the Christ is a 2004 American drama film directed by Mel Gibson and starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus. It depicts the Passion of Jesus largely according to the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John...
(2004) - Paparazzi (2004)
- ApocalyptoApocalyptoApocalypto is a 2006 American epic action-adventure film directed by Mel Gibson. Set in Yucatan, Mexico, during the declining period of the Maya civilization, Apocalypto depicts the journey of a Mesoamerican tribesman who must escape human sacrifice and rescue his family after the capture and...
(2006) - Romance & CigarettesRomance & CigarettesRomance & Cigarettes is a 2005 American musical romantic comedy film written and directed by John Turturro. The film stars an ensemble cast, including James Gandolfini, Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet, Steve Buscemi, Bobby Cannavale, Mandy Moore, Mary-Louise Parker, Aida Turturro, Christopher Walken,...
(2007) (as Icon Entertainment International) (in association with) - Bridge to TerabithiaBridge to Terabithia (2007 film)Bridge to Terabithia is a 2007 fantasy drama film directed by Gábor Csupó and adapted for film by David L. Paterson and Jeff Stockwell. The film is based on the Katherine Paterson novel of the same name, and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures in the US. The film stars Josh Hutcherson, AnnaSophia...
(2007) - Seraphim FallsSeraphim FallsSeraphim Falls is a 2007 American Revisionist Western film directed by television producer and director David Von Ancken in his first feature film. The storyline was conceived from a screenplay written by Von Ancken and Abby Everett Jaques. The fictional story focuses on a bounty hunt for a Union...
(2007) - Butterfly on a WheelButterfly on a WheelButterfly on a Wheel is a 2007 Canadian thriller film directed by Mike Barker, co-produced and written by William Morrissey, and starring Pierce Brosnan, Gerard Butler, and Maria Bello...
(2007) - The Black BalloonThe Black Balloon (film)The Black Balloon is a 2008 Australian|British AFI award-winning dramedy feature film which stars Toni Collette, Rhys Wakefield, Luke Ford, Erik Thomson, Gemma Ward as well as a cast of newcomers. It is directed by first time feature film director, Elissa Down.The film was released in Australian...
(2008) (as Icon Entertainment International) (presents) - Dragon HuntersDragon Hunters (film)Dragon Hunters is a 2008 French computer-animated fantasy film, directed by creator Arthur Qwak and Guillaume Ivernel. It stars the voices of Vincent Lindon, Patrick Timsit and Marie Drion. The film was produced by Futurikon, and co-produced by LuxAnimation, Mac Guff Ligne and Trixter...
(2008) (as Icon Entertainment International) - PushPush (2009 film)Push is a 2009 American science fiction thriller film directed by Paul McGuigan. The film stars Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning, Camilla Belle, Cliff Curtis, Joel Gretsch and Djimon Hounsou...
(2009) - Mary and MaxMary and MaxMary and Max is a 2009 Australian clay-animated black comedy-drama film written and directed by Adam Elliot and produced by Melanie Coombs. The voice cast included Philip Seymour Hoffman, Toni Collette, Eric Bana, Bethany Whitmore, with narration by Barry Humphries. The film premiered on the...
(2009) - TriangleTriangle (film)Triangle is a 2007 Hong Kong crime-thriller produced and directed by Tsui Hark, Ringo Lam, and Johnnie To. The film's title refers to both the acclaimed trio of filmmakers and to the uneasy brotherhood of the film's three protagonists. Triangle tells one story which is told in three...
(2009) (as Icon Entertainment International) - InfestationInfestation (2009 film)Infestation is a 2009 Horror-Dramedy feature film by American writer/director Kyle Rankin. Produced by Mel Gibson's Icon Entertainment and starring Chris Marquette. It was filmed in Bulgaria.-Synopsis:...
(2009) - Edge of Darkness (2010)
- The WayThe Way (film)The Way is a 2010 American drama film. It is a collaboration between Martin Sheen and his real life son Emilio Estevez, to honour the Camino de Santiago and promote pilgrimage...
(2010) - CoriolanusCoriolanus (2011 film)Coriolanus is a 2011 film adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy Coriolanus directed by and starring Ralph Fiennes and Gerard Butler. It marks Fiennes's directorial debut...
(2011) - Mad Max: Fury Road (2011)
- The Biggest Movie of All Time 3D