Black Bear Pictures
 Logo used since 2023 | |
| Black Bear | |
Company type | Private[1] |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Founder | Teddy Schwarzman |
| Headquarters | Santa Monica, , United States |
Number of employees | 11-50[1] |
| Divisions |
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| Subsidiaries |
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| Website | blackbearpictures.com |
Black Bear Pictures, LLC is an American media company that develops, produces, distributes and finances original film and television content. The company’s slate blends premium drama with commercial action and genre titles. Past films include Train Dreams, Sing Sing, Nyad, A Working Man, and The Imitation Game. Black Bear is based in Santa Monica, California, with additional offices in London.[2]
Since its 2011 launch, Black Bear's slate has been nominated for 22 Academy Awards and 13 BAFTAs, and premiered at film festivals including Cannes, Sundance, Venice, Telluride, Toronto, New York, and London.
History
Black Bear was founded in 2011 by Teddy Schwarzman, a film producer and former corporate lawyer who left Cinetic Media to establish his own production company.
In 2013, Black Bear financed the launch of Elevation Pictures,[3] an independent film and TV distribution company in Canada, with the two companies entering an output deal.[4] Black Bear later fully acquired Elevation, which now operates as a subsidiary of Black Bear. Elevation has distributed films including Anora, Anatomy of a Fall, The Zone of Interest, and Everything Everywhere All at Once.[5]
In 2022, Black Bear launched an international sales division (Black Bear International) led by John Friedberg.[6] In addition to its own productions, Black Bear has sold third-party titles including Longlegs, The Monkey, and Afterburn.[7] Also in 2022, Black Bear partnered with New Regency to launch a documentary production unit entitled Double Agent to produce & finance premium documentaries, with Dana O’Keefe appointed president.[8]
In 2023, Black Bear was launched as a primary distributor (Black Bear UK) in the United Kingdom, starting with Dumb Money (2023).[9] In 2025, they launched a U.S distribution division led by Benjamin Kramer to release between ten and twelve films per year.[10] Christy was the division's first release, followed by Shelter.[11][12][13][14]
In November 2025, it was reported that Bad Robot Productions sold their Santa Monica property housing for US$31 million to serve as Black Bear's new headquarters.[15]
Films
Production company
- At Any Price (2012)
- Broken City (2013)
- A.C.O.D. (2013)
- All Is Lost (2013)
- The Imitation Game (2014)
- Knock Knock (2016)
- Barry (2016)
- Gold (2016)
- Suburbicon (2017)
- The Last Word (2017)
- Mudbound (2017)
- The Happytime Murders (2018)
- Ben Is Back (2018)
- Light of My Life (2019)
- The Operative (2019)
- Our Friend (2019)
- I Carry You With Me (2020)
- The Rental (2020)
- I Care a Lot (2020)
- Little Fish (2020)
- Memory (2022)
- Somebody I Used to Know (2023)
- The Marsh King's Daughter (2023)
- Dumb Money (2023)
- Nyad (2023)
- Sing Sing (2023)
- The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024)
- Immaculate (2024)
- Relay (2024)
- Train Dreams (2025)
- The Monkey (2025)
- A Working Man (2025)
- I Want Your Sex (2026)
- Anxious People (TBA)
- Kockroach (TBA)
- Useful Idiots (TBA)[16]
U.S. distributor
- Christy (2025) - also produced
- Shelter (2026) - also produced
- In the Grey (2026) - also produced
- Tuner (2026) - also produced
- The Rivals of Amziah King (2026) - also produced
- Spa Weekend (2026) - also produced
- Wife & Dog (2026) - also produced
- Wicker (2026)
- Viva La Madness (TBA) - also produced
- Jason Statham Stole My Bike (TBA) - also produced[17]
U.K. distributor
- Dumb Money (2023)
- Ferrari (2023; with Sky Cinema)
- The Son (2023; with STXfilms)
- Conclave (2024)
- Goodrich (2024)
- Immaculate (2024)
- A Killer's Memory (2024)
- Longlegs (2024)
- Origin (2024)
- The Salt Path (2024)
- Sing Sing (2023)
- Afterburn (2025)
- Christy (2025)
- Keeper (2025)
- The Monkey (2025)
- Relay (2025)
- Shell (2025)
- Train Dreams (2025; with Netflix)
- Whistle (2026)
- Hokum (2026)
- Shelter (2026)
- Tuner (2026)
- The Invite (2026)
- Spa Weekend (2026)
- Wicker (2026)
- Wife & Dog (2026)
- Wildwood (2026)
International sales
- The Marsh King's Daughter (2023)
- Dumb Money (2023)
- Sing Sing (2023)
- Ferrari (2023)
- The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024)
- Immaculate (2024)
- Longlegs (2024)
- Goodrich (2024)
- On Swift Horses (2024)
- Relay (2024)
- Shell (2024)
- The Monkey (2025)
- The Rivals of Amziah King (2025)
- A Working Man (2025)
- She Rides Shotgun (2025)
- Motor City (2025)
- Tuner (2025)
- Afterburn (2025)
- Whistle (2025)
- Christy (2025)
- Greenland 2: Migration (2026)
- I Want Your Sex (2026)
- Wicker (2026)
- Shelter (2026)
- In the Grey (2026)
- Spa Weekend (2026)
- Wife & Dog (2026)
- The Beekeeper 2 (2027)[18]
- 77 Blackout (TBA)[19]
- Bad Boy (TBA)
- Anxious People (TBA)
- Pendulum (TBA)
- Kockroach (TBA)
- Famous (TBA)
- Hammer Down (TBA)[20]
- Mister (TBA)[21]
- Musk (TBA)
- Shutout (TBA)[22]
- Ibelin (TBA)[23]
- Useful Idiots (TBA)[24]
- Viva La Madness (TBA)
- Jason Statham Stole My Bike (TBA)[17]
- John Doe (TBA)[25]
References
- ^ a b "Black Bear". LinkedIn. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
- ^ "Who We Are". Black Bear Pictures. Black Bear Pictures.
- ^ Vlessing, Etan (7 September 2013). "Toronto: Laurie May Launches Canadian Distributor Elevation Pictures". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
- ^ Punter, Jennie (2013-09-13). "Toronto: New Canadian Distribution Shingle Inks Deal with Black Bear". Variety. Archived from the original on 2014-09-07. Retrieved 2014-09-06.
- ^ "Catalogue". Elevation Pictures. Elevation Pictures.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (May 19, 2022). "Teddy Schwarzman's Black Bear Launches International Division With John Friedberg At The Helm — Cannes". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
- ^ "International". Black Bear Pictures. Black Bear Pictures.
- ^ Ravindran, Manori (May 12, 2022). "New Regency, Black Bear Pictures Form JV Double Agent for Documentaries, Cinetic's Dana O'Keefe to Serve as President". Variety.
- ^ "Distribution". Black Bear. Retrieved 2025-03-17.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (6 November 2025). "Black Bear's Teddy Schwarzman & Benjamin Kramer Lift Lid On New U.S. Distribution Division Ahead Of First Release 'Christy'". Deadline. Retrieved 6 November 2025.
- ^ "Black Bear Launches Domestic Theatrical Distribution Arm Led by Benjamin Kramer". The Wrap. Retrieved 2025-07-18.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (15 August 2025). "Matthew McConaughey SXSW Pic 'The Rivals Of Amziah King' Eyes U.S. Release Through Black Bear's New Distrib Arm". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 6 November 2025.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (6 November 2025). "Black Bear's Teddy Schwarzman & Benjamin Kramer Lift Lid On New U.S. Distribution Division Ahead Of First Release 'Christy'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 6 November 2025.
- ^ Vlessing, Etan (14 January 2026). "Black Bear Sets 2026 Releases for Matthew McConaughey's 'The Rivals Of Amziah King,' Guy Ritchie's 'Wife & Dog'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ Botros, Alena (2025-11-13). "JJ Abrams sells Santa Monica production company building". The Real Deal. Archived from the original on 2025-11-13. Retrieved 2026-04-02.
- ^ Pedersen, Erik (November 7, 2025). "Meryl Streep & Sigourney Weaver Lead NYC-Set Thriller 'Useful Idiots' From Fifth Season, Black Bear". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 7, 2025.
- ^ a b Wiseman, Andreas (13 February 2026). "Big-Budget Jason Statham-David Leitch Action-Comedy 'Jason Statham Stole My Bike' Arrives To Heat Up Berlin Market; Black Bear On Sales & Domestic With Leitch & Kelly McCormick Producing". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (November 1, 2025). "Black Bear To Sell Multiple International Territories On Jason Statham's 'The Beekeeper 2' — AFM". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 1, 2025.
- ^ Fleming Jr, Mike (May 12, 2024). "Mahershala Ali & Tom Hardy Set For NYC Crime Thriller 77 Blackout With Charles Roven & Cary Fukunaga: Hot Cannes Package". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (30 October 2024). "Idris Elba To Star In Action-Thriller 'Hammer Down' For 'Oppenheimer' & 'The Dark Knight' Producer Charles Roven & Black Bear — AFM". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas; D'Alessandro, Anthony (25 September 2025). "Josh Brolin To Star In Action-Comedy 'Mister' For Thunder Road, Bright White Light & Director Wade Eastwood". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (5 May 2025). "David O. Russell To Direct Robert De Niro & Jenna Ortega In Pool Hustler Movie 'Shutout' For RK Films & Black Bear – Cannes Market Hot Project". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
- ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (November 4, 2025). "Charlie Plummer, Stephen Graham, Toni Collette, Isabela Merced, Maisy Stella & Anthony Hopkins Set For 'Ibelin' From Vendôme Pictures & Pathé – AFM". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
- ^ Vlessing, Etan (November 7, 2025). "Meryl Streep, Sigourney Weaver to Topline 'Useful Idiots' Thriller". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (27 April 2026). "Jason Statham & David Ayer Reteaming On Zak Penn-Scripted Action-Thriller 'John Doe'; Miramax & Black Bear Launch For Cannes Market". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 27 April 2026.