GMA Pictures
 GMA Pictures logo (since 2019) | |
| Type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | |
| Predecessor |
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| Founded | 1995 |
| Founder | Felipe Gozon |
| Headquarters | |
Area served | Philippines |
Key people |
|
| Products |
|
| Owner | Atty. Felipe L. Gozon |
| Parent | GMA Network |
| Divisions |
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| Website | gmanetwork |
GMA Pictures is a film and television production company in the Philippines, established by GMA Network in 1995. Its films include Jose Rizal, Legacy, Muro Ami, and Deathrow.
Filmography[edit]
History[edit]
Background[edit]
In 1989, GMA Network tested the movie waters by co-producing films with Viva Films. Among the movies that were co-produced were Ober Da Bakod: The Movie, Forever, TGIS: The Movie and Sana Dalawa ang Puso Ko. Most of them were not credited in the opening and closing credits of the movies, however, the network's logo appeared in the aforementioned movies' posters in theaters and newspaper ads.
In early of 1980's, due to immense popularity of the program of GMA Radio-Television Arts (1974–1992), Annaliza starring the late Julie Vega, Mga Mata Ni Anghelita, and Lovingly Yours, Helen was adapted into a four-part anthology film directed by Argel Joseph produced by GMA's top executive in entertainment Redgie Acuña-Magno through its own RBS defunct production called Hyper-Visions Productions Inc.
In the late 1980's, Regal Films through (Regal Television) partnered with GMA Radio-Television Arts. It was a weekly Sunday programming block featuring the country's biggest artists from Regal Films (e.g. Gabby Concepcion, Albert Martinez, Snooky Serna, Manilyn Reynes, Sheryl Cruz, etc). In 1987, Regal co-produced "Mother Studio Presents" with GMA Network and featured monthly guest artists with Piolo Pascual, Rico Yan, Claudine Barretto and Vilma Santos, Nora Aunor, Lorna Tolentino, and Maricel Soriano. The program head before of Regal was Joey Abacan, who is the current VP for Program Management of GMA Network and Executive Producer of GMA Pictures.
The late starmaker German Moreno was challenged by GMA Television Arts to help Regal Films promoted in his show That's Entertainment, and GMA Supershow as part of GMA's partnership with Regal Television.
In the 1992, VIVA started to entered into television production by partnering with GMA Pictures. Their first venture together was the sitcom Ober Da Bakod with then rising young talents Donita Rose, Gelli de Belen, and Janno Gibbs and Anjo Yllana as main stars, followed by the 1994 soap opera Villa Quintana with Donna Cruz and Keempee de Leon as lead stars.
In 1995 youth-oriented series T.G.I.S. that gave Viva and GMA Radio Television Arts its biggest success as a television both partners and producers headed by Annete Gozon Valdes. Headlined by Angelu de Leon, it gave birth to the careers of Bobby Andrews, Michael Flores, Onemig Bondoc, Red Sternberg, Raven Villanueva and Ciara Sotto.
The success of the TV series of VIVA Films and GMA Radio Television Arts partnership was later translated to the big screen, when the TGIS group became box-office stars via the movies Takot Ka Ba sa Dilim? and TGIS the Movie co-produce with Cinemax Studios (now GMA Pictures). A new batch of teens were introduced a few months later, and was led by Dingdong Dantes, Anne Curtis, Sunshine Dizon, Kim Delos Santos, Antoinette Taus, Polo Ravales, Dino Guevarra and Chubi del Rosario. This was the time GMA Network has decided to build it's own film production company in 1995 called Cinemax Studios now GMA Pictures.
Cinemax Studios: Early years (1995-1998)[edit]
In 1995, GMA Network launched its own film outfit as Cinemax Studios with Run Barbie Run, as its pioneered movie release under the supervision of Jimmy Duavit and Butch Jimenez. Cinemax Studios inked a co-production deal later in that year with OctoArts Films in which OctoArts would distribute the movies in theaters nationwide, while through its mother network, GMA-7, Cinemax would handle publicity and promotions of the movies for TV and radio. GMA Network also holds the airing rights for those movies on television. While biggest films co-produced with other production companies are distributed by Cinemax Studios. [1]
In 1997, Cinemax began producing and distributing its own movies, beginning with Mga Bangka sa Tag-araw (known as Sa Pusod ng Dagat) and Indios (known as My Guardian Debil). At this time, it partnered with sister companies Film Experts and Optima Digital for production and post-production of its movies respectively. [2][3]
GMA Films: Iconic Films That Shaped Philippine Cinema (1995-2000)[edit]
In 1998, US conglomerate media network HBO owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. entered in Southeast Asian market with its a pan-Asian television channel called Cinemax Asia, Cinemax Studios has changed its name to GMA Films Inc.. In the same year, GMA Network received critical and blockbuster films with commercial success for Sa Pusod ng Dagat and José Rizal, both produced and directed by Marilou Diaz-Abaya. In the following years, GMA Films also produced critically films Muro-Ami and Deathrow, both which were entries at their respective MMFFs and which competed at international featured film such as International Festival of Independent of Brussels, Belgium, Cairo International Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival.[1]
When Felipe Gozon took over GMA Network, GMA Films was placed on hiatus for about 4 years.
GMA Films Comeback and Box Office Hit (2004-2009)[edit]
In late 2004, GMA Films made a comeback with the beginning of production for the romantic movie Let the Love Begin starring Angel Locsin, Mark Herras, Jennylyn Mercado and Richard Gutierrez . It became the highest-grossing Valentine film in the Philippines when it released in February 2005 with record-breaking total earnings of ₱106 million.
It later released other films that also became blockbuster hits in the Philippine Box-office such as Lovestruck (film) starring Jolina Magdangal, Mark Herras, Jennylyn Mercado, and Mike Tan with ₱70 million, I Will always Love You starring Angel Locsin and Richard Gutierrez with ₱101 million , Moments of Love starring Dingdong Dantes, Iza Calzado, Ian Veneracion and Karylle with ₱100 million, Till I Met You starring Regine Velasquez and Robin Padilla with ₱104 million and The Promise starring Richard Gutierrez, Rhian Ramos, and Angel Locsin with ₱90 million.
In 2007, Viva Films and GMA Films produced the award-winning film Ouija starring Rhian Ramos, Iza Calzado, Judy Ann Santos and Jolina Magdangal. It was supposed to be its first Filipino film to be released internationally in 2007 with international title 'Seance'. However, the scheduled overseas premieres in four U.S. cities (Las Vegas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego) were cancelled. Only the one in New Jersey pushed through. It ended a total run for total earnings of ₱120.6 million [4]
In 2008, GMA Films produced One True Love starring Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes with ₱94.4 million and My Bestfriend's Girlfriend starring Marian Rivera and Richard Gutierrez with ₱107 million, Patient X starring Cristine Reyes, Paulo Avelino and Richard Gutierrez with ₱24 million and Richard Gutierrez and When I Met You starring KC Concepcion and Richard Gutierrez with ₱64 million.
In 2009, GMA Films produced the reboot of the classic komiks novel Ang Panday in partnership with Imus Productions. Starring Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. in the title role, it became the official entry of GMA Films and Imus Productions for the 2009 Metro Manila Film Festival. It became the festival's top grosser and won 6 major awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Revilla with ₱108 million.
In 2010, GMA Films produced In Your Eyes starring Richard Gutierrez, Claudine Barretto and Anne Curtis and Of All the Things starring Regine Velasquez and Aga Muhlach with ₱48 million.
GMA Films: Continued Success and International Released (2010- 2012)[edit]
From then on, all films were only released nationwide while selected films had selected screenings in key points worldwide such as When I Met U, starring Richard Gutierrez and KC Concepcion had various international screenings and You to Me Are Everything, starring Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes had a New Jersey showing in 2010 and its recent film to be released at least within US borders was In Your Eyes, starring Claudine Barretto, Richard Gutierrez and Anne Curtis, had an international screening in notable cities such as Los Angeles and San Diego.
During the 2010 Metro Manila Film Festival, GMA Films' entry Si Agimat at si Enteng Kabisote became the top grosser. The film starred Vic Sotto and Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. and was a joint production with Imus Productions, M-Zet Production, Octo Arts Films and APT Entertainment.
On May 11, 2012, The Road was released to theaters in the U.S. and Canada.[5][6]
2012 is the year that GMA Films has produced eight films in a year, the most it has ever done since its very start. This was part of GMA Films' resolution to produce one film per month. Even though that did not happen, they managed to produce eight films. On the same year, It made their own first venture for television was Cielo de Angelina on the morning slot.
GMA Films: Hiatus and Decline (2013-2014)[edit]
In 2013, GMA Films produced only 2 feature film, Dance of the Steelbars starring Dingdong Dantes with ₱40.4 million and My Lady Boss starring Marian Rivera and Richard Gutierrez] with total grossed of ₱80.4 million. Both films performed less than its previous films last year despite a star-studded cast. It distributed the Cinemalaya 2013 entry Sana Dati to theaters starring Paulo Avelino and Lovi Poe.
In 2014, the film outfit produced the horror-thriller Basement starring Sarah Lahbati, Ellen Adarna, Enzo Pineda and Louise Delos Reyes, the action-thriller Overtime with Richard Gutierrez, Lauren Young and the 40th Metro Manila Film Festival entry Kubot: The Aswang Chronicles 2 with Dingdong Dantes, Izabelle Daza, Julie Anne San Jose and Abra, which won 5 major awards.
2015–2016: AlDub phenomenon[edit]
With the popularity of the AlDub love team (Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza rising to phenomenal heights in 2015, GMA Films partnered with Octo Arts Films, M-Zet Productions, APT Entertainment and MEDA Productions to produce My Bebe Love: #KiligPaMore as entry to the 41st Metro Manila Film Festival. The hottest love team was joined by Vic Sotto and Ai-Ai delas Alas, directed by Jose Javier Reyes. The movie figured in a tight race with another MMFF entry, Beauty and the Bestie for the top spot at the box-office. The movie eventually earned P385 million, breaking box-office records. The said movie also earned 3 major awards, including Best Supporting Actress for Maine Mendoza.
In 2016, GMA Films partnered with APT Entertainment and M-Zet Productions for the movie Imagine You and Me, which marked the second team-up of Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza. Shot mostly in Como and Verona in Italy, the movie was directed by Mike Tuviera. It was also one of the only two films (the other one is the film adaptation of Angels & Demons by Dan Brown) permitted to shoot in Verona.
Upon the movie's release on July 13, 2016, the film grossed over ₱12.8 million on the first six hours of opening day and it went on to gross over ₱21.5 million at the end of the day. It was 2016's highest opening gross for a Philippine film. Overall, Imagine You and Me was a big box office hit and had a successful four-week run in Philippine cinemas nationwide.
After Imagine You and Me, GMA Films took another hiatus as parent GMA Network focused on its migration to digital TV.
2019–present: Second comeback[edit]
After a 2-year hiatus, in 2019, GMA revived its film outfit as GMA Pictures. They also inked a co-production deal with Mic Test Entertainment, starting with Family History.[7][8] It also co-produced the Cinemalaya 2019 entry Children of the River with Spears Films and Luna Studios.
GMA Pictures also created a new division called Backyard Productions, with Kiko en Lala as its first release.[9]
On April 29, 2022, GMA Pictures inked a joint venture agreement with Viva Films.[10]
GMA Records Home Video[edit]
GMA Records Home Video is the home video distribution arm of GMA Pictures. It is the exclusive home video and DVD distributor of GMA Films library as well as programs from GMA Network.
References[edit]
- ^ a b Smith, Ronald (1999). "Pelikula: A Journal Of Philippine Cinema. Vol. 1, Issue 1". UP College of Mass Communication Foundation. Retrieved April 14, 2020 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Special Effects Movie From Cinemax". Manila Standard. Philippine Manila Standard Publishing. June 24, 1997. p. 25. Retrieved May 18, 2022 – via Google News.
- ^ Marchadesch, Barbara (July 3, 1997). "GMA's Cinemax Offers Blueprint for Quality Films". Manila Standard. Philippine Manila Standard Publishing. p. 20. Retrieved May 18, 2022 – via Google News.
- ^ [1], pep.ph, n.d. Accessed last October 24, 2007.
- ^ "'The Road,' bagong horror-suspense movie ng GMA Films". gmanews.tv.
- ^ "Abante Online | Entertainment". Abante. Archived from the original on April 23, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2012.
- ^ Anarcon, James Patrick (March 5, 2019). "Dawn Zulueta returns to GMA-7 as GMA Films makes a comeback". PEP.ph. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
- ^ "Here is the powerhouse cast of 'Family History,' the GMA Pictures project, directed by Michael V". GMA News Online. GMA News. March 5, 2019. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
- ^ "GMA nagbabalik sa paggawa ng pelikula". People's Journal. March 6, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
- ^ "GMA Pictures signs promising deal with Viva Films". Business Mirror. May 5, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
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