What PICTURESTART does

PICTURESTART is an independent media company founded in 2018 by Erik Feig, a former co-president of Lionsgate's Motion Picture Group whose prior films (Twilight Saga, Hunger Games, La La Land) collectively grossed over $13 billion at the worldwide box office. Operating from West Hollywood with a core team of fewer than 10 named executives, the company creates, develops, produces, and finances original stories across film, television, and audio under a stated creative philosophy called "Discovery of Voice," focused on narratives about self-discovery, coming of age, and finding one's place in the world. Its portfolio spans roughly 40+ titles, including released features such as Theater Camp (Sundance Ensemble Award, sold to Searchlight for $8M+), Cha Cha Real Smooth (Sundance Audience Award), Luckiest Girl Alive (#1 on Netflix for two consecutive weeks), Bad Genius (100% on Rotten Tomatoes), Strays, and Borderlands, plus an active development slate including Carrie Soto Is Back (Netflix), Dr. Stone, Bratz, Iron Widow, and Masque of the Red Death (A24).

The company's business model is project-based and B2B: it generates revenue through one-time licensing to streaming platforms and theatrical distributors, co-financing arrangements with capital partners, and backend participation in successful titles. Its distribution is channeled through enterprise customers including Apple TV+, Netflix, Prime Video, Peacock, Max/HBO Max, Starz, Amazon, A24, Searchlight Pictures, New Line Cinema, and Warner Bros. — the last of which is also a strategic co-financing partner. A formal network of joint ventures and multi-picture financing deals extends the company's reach: Scholastic for literary adaptations, Endeavor Content for sales and advisory, BRON Studios for co-production, Nordic Entertainment Group for Nordic distribution, and most recently HarbourView Equity Partners (May 2026) for multi-picture capital alongside Fifth Season and Scott Free Productions.

Name

PICTURESTART

Website

https://picturestart.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PICTURESTART is an independent media company founded by Erik Feig in 2018 that creates, develops, produces, and finances original film, TV, and audio content under its "Discovery of Voice" philosophy, distributing through major streaming platforms and studios including Netflix, Apple TV+, Warner Bros., and A24.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film and Television Production

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (51211)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Pay-TV / Premium Window Distribution (MPADAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Casting & Talent Services (Casting, Background, Talent Holding) (MPADAFAI)

Keywords

• Film production company
• Tv series development
• Content financing
• Independent film studio
• Original content creation

Headquarters

HQ city

West Hollywood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Film & TV Production: Creating, developing, producing, and financing original stories for film, TV, and audio across all platforms. Revenue generated through production fees, co-financing arrangements, and backend participation.
2. Multi-picture Financing Deals: Entering multi-picture financing deals with investment partners like HarbourView Equity Partners, with first films including 'The Peasant' and 'Nightwatching'. Negotiated by Liz Polk of The BALA Firm.
3. Joint Venture Partnerships: Strategic joint ventures with partners including Warner Bros. (co-financing and distribution), Nordic Entertainment Group (Nordic territories), Scholastic (adaptations), Endeavor Content (financing and sales), and BRON Studios. Revenue through partnership arrangements and backend.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

PICTURESTART is an independent media company that creates, develops, produces, and finances original stories for film, television, and audio across all platforms. It delivers content through co-financing arrangements with major studios and streaming platforms, operating its 'Discovery of Voice' slate of youth-culture and self-discovery narratives to distributors such as Apple TV+, Netflix, Prime Video, Peacock, Max, A24, and Warner Bros.

Product overview

PICTURESTART is an independent media company founded by Erik Feig in 2018 that creates, discovers, develops, produces, and finances original stories for all mediums including film, TV, and audio. The company operates with a philosophy called 'Discovery of Voice' focused on stories about self-discovery, coming of age, and finding one's purpose. Their portfolio includes a diverse range of productions spanning feature films, TV series, and documentaries, with content distributed across major streaming platforms including Apple TV+, Netflix, Prime Video, Peacock, Max, and Starz. The company has produced notable franchises including The Hunger Games series, The Twilight Saga, Divergent, and La La Land, while also developing new intellectual property such as Yasuke, Nightwatching, Carrie Soto Is Back, and adaptations of properties like Bratz, Dr. Stone, and Borderlands. PICTURESTART maintains strategic partnerships with Warner Bros., Nordic Entertainment Group, Scholastic, Endeavor Content, and BRON for financing, distribution, and content development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sweethearts Horror comedy about co-dependency starring Dave Franco and Alison Brie, streaming on Apple TV+.
• Theater Camp Sundance Ensemble Award-winning musical comedy about a rundown theater summer camp, produced with Topic Studios and Gloria Sanchez Productions, streaming on Prime Video.
• Luckiest Girl Alive Mila Kunis thriller based on the bestselling novel, streaming on Netflix where it held No. 1 on the Top 10 Film Chart for two consecutive weeks.
• Bad Genius English-language remake of the 2017 Thai hit, a college-admissions heist thriller with a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, streaming on Apple TV+.
• Cha Cha Real Smooth Sundance Audience Award-winning comedy-drama starring Cooper Raiff and Dakota Johnson, distributed by Apple TV+.
• Borderlands Live-action adaptation of the Borderlands video game franchise starring Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Jack Black, streaming on Amazon.
• Strays R-rated comedy about a pack of dogs finding their people and purpose, streaming on Peacock.
• Am I Ok? Drama about two best friends whose bond is tested when one reveals a deeply buried secret, starring Dakota Johnson, streaming on Max.
• Sharper Neo-noir thriller starring Julianne Moore, Sebastian Stan, and John Lithgow about a con artist among Manhattan's billionaire elite, streaming on Apple TV+.
• Unpregnant Comedic road-trip film about two former best friends on a 1000-mile quest through the Bible Belt, streaming on HBO Max.
• Freediver Documentary following 2023 freediving champion Alexey Molchanov's mission to break five world records, streaming on Prime Video.
• Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies TV origin story of the Pink Ladies set before rock 'n' roll ruled Rydell High, streaming on Amazon and Apple TV+.
• I Know What You Did Last Summer (TV Series) Series reboot based on the horror franchise premise, streaming on Prime Video.
• Step Up High Water Dance drama TV series on Starz set before TikTok existed, part of the broader Step Up franchise.

Quantifiable outcome

• Films collectively grossed over $13 billion worldwide at box office
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Scott Free ProductionsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2026Ridley Scott's Scott Free Productions co-producing 'Nightwatching' with Picturestart, starring Mila Kunis and Clancy Brown.
• Warner Bros.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Unique relationship with Warner Bros. includes focus on co-financing and distributing films on a global basis for and with Warner Bros., one of the largest and most prestigious studios in the world.
• Nordic Entertainment GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Meaningful strategic relationship with Nordic Entertainment Group, the leading media company for the Nordic territories.
• ScholasticcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Unique joint venture with Scholastic, the global children's publishing, education and media company, in which Picturestart can adapt Scholastic's beloved titles into other forms of media, and publish original titles under their own imprint, to be distributed by Scholastic.
• Endeavor ContentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Joint venture partnership with Endeavor Content, a division of Endeavor, a global leader in sports, entertainment and fashion operating in more than 30 countries. Endeavor Content specializes in financing, sales and advisory services for television series, documentaries, and feature films.
• BRON StudiosmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Works closely with BRON Studios (BRON Ventures), one of the most entrepreneurial and aggressive independent media companies in the industry.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• New Line Cinema: Major studio division within Warner Bros. that develops theatrical film content. Distribution partner to Picturestart for titles like Sweethearts.
• Lionsgate: Major independent-leaning studio where founder Erik Feig previously served as co-president of the Motion Picture Group. Operates a much larger slate but with comparable genre focus and buyer relationships.
• Endeavor Content: Major financing, sales, and advisory firm for film and television series within the broader Endeavor/WME network. JV partner to Picturestart for sales and advisory services.
• Summit Entertainment: Former independent studio (now part of Lionsgate) where Erik Feig built his early track record on Twilight and Hunger Games. Historical comparable that informs Picturestart's creative positioning.
• Amazon Studios: Major streaming and theatrical studio arm of Amazon that both produces original content in-house and acquires third-party titles. Distribution partner for Borderlands, Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, and Theater Camp.

Direct peers

• A24: Independent film and television production company that develops, produces, and finances original content for theatrical and streaming distribution. Closely comparable business model and buyer relationships to Picturestart.
• BRON Studios: Independent media company that develops, produces, and finances film and television content with a similar boutique-creative model. Listed as a strategic partner to Picturestart.
• Topic Studios: Independent film and television production company focused on original and adaptation content. Co-produced Theater Camp with Picturestart, demonstrating similar creative orientation and buyer mix.
• Fifth Season: Production and financing company for film and television content with a similar independent-developer model. Recently entered multi-picture financing with HarbourView Equity Partners alongside Picturestart.
• Searchlight Pictures: Specialty film label of Disney that develops and produces original theatrical and streaming content with a boutique creative approach. Acquired Theater Camp at Sundance for $8M+, showing overlapping buyer behavior.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/picturestart
• Facebookfacebook.com/picturestartinc
• Instagraminstagram.com/picturestart

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PICTURESTART