14 Best Production Companies In The World

All of us love watching movies, and in fact, most of us have a list ready for the movies we need to watch. Even if you aren’t a hardcore cinephile you most definitely watch at least one or two movies a month, especially if they’re by some of the best production companies in the world!

So, have you ever wondered about these companies that make the wildest of visions come true on the silver screen? Which is the company that made Harry come to life? Or made Riley’s anxiety a known friend? Or helped raise some critical questions through OMG2?

Well, the production companies are the reason we can witness such great storytelling, since they put their faith and money into the story and help the creators weave their magic. So it is only fitting to check a few such companies and understand their contribution to keeping us hooked to our screens.

In this article, we will talk about some of the best production companies to date and see their significant achievement and contribution to the world of cinema.

14 Best Production Companies

Before I begin the list, this is a quick reminder that there is no particular order in which they are ranked. The idea behind this list is to recognize the effort and contributions these worldwide production companies have put in to keep us entertained.

1. Paramount Pictures

Paramount Pictures, or simply Paramount, is the sixth-oldest film studio in the world and the second-oldest in America. The company that we know as Paramount is a merger between Adolph Zukor’s Famous Players Film Company and The Jesse L. Lasky Company which merged to be known as Famous Players – Lasky Corporation in the year 1916. They later partnered with Paramount Pictures and the rest is history.

One interesting anecdote that not most of us know is that the mountain from the logo of this pioneer is a tribute to W.W. Hodkinson’s childhood in Uta. He was the visionary who founded the Paramount Pictures.

On February 15, 2022, they rebranded their image and named the company Paramount Global to assert their global dominance in the world of cinema.

2. Walt Disney Studio

Walt Disney is one of those names in the list that needs no introduction. It is safe to say that most of the significant English animated movies that you see come from the house of Disney. It has been 100 years since Disney has made a home in our hearts as storytellers.

The studio is now a collective force of various world-class production houses which includes some big-shot names like Disney, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Lucasfilm, Marvel Studios, Searchlight Pictures, and 20th Century Studios.

With a penchant for creating relatable stories by weaving the magic of animation backed by a tradition of great movies, Walt Disney is the seventh-oldest film studio in the world.

The first animated feature film by this pioneer was in 1934 with the name Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

3. Warner Bros

Popularly known as WB, Warner Brothers was established by four brothers, namely Harry, Albert, Sam, and Jack Warner, in the year 1923 and has now become an indispensable name. One of the significant pillars of the American film industry, the journey of Warner Brothers started with an urge to tell stories.

This international media production giant has significant subdivisions that are equally dedicated to film and television alike. The flag bearers of Warner Bro’s legacy are Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, Castle Rock Entertainment, DC Studios, and the Warner Bros. Television Group.

To put it in simple words, Marvel is circulated by Disney and DC by Warner Bros, so now you can assess the prowess of these big names.

Do you remember the smart, flamboyant Bugs Bunny? The rabbit that ruled our hearts ever since we were kids? Well, he is Warner Bro’s official mascot.

4. Universal Pictures

If you know Gru and his Minions, you have surely heard of Universal Studios. This oldest film studio in America was founded by Carl Laemmle, Mark Dintenfass, Charles O. Baumann, Adam Kessel, Pat Powers, William Swanson, David Horsley, Robert H. Cochrane, and Jules Brulatour.

It is the first studio in the world to have released 3 billion-dollar films in a single year (2015), with Furious 7, Jurassic World, and Minions. In fact, movies like E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial or Jaws from Universal Studios paved the way for individual movies to break the set records with just brilliant storytelling.

5. Yash Raj Films

When we are talking about the greatest movie studios of all time, it would be a sin to not mention Yash Raj Films on the list. It changed the way cinema is watched and discussed in India and how it tells stories. The onset of Yash Raj into the movie-making scene changed the landscape of Hindi cinema forever and ensured that it became the talk of the town even, with commercially driven narratives.

Founded by the legend Yash Chopra in the year 1970, the production company is led by his son Aditya Chopra after his demise in 2012. Fanna was the first film that was shot in the studio, which is known to produce some excellent talents in India including actors, screenwriters, musicians, and others.

It is primarily known for distributing Hindi films in India and is one of the big-shot names, but it also has multiple tie-ups with many independent companies on various intellectual rights.

6. Red Chillies Entertainment

Established by the king of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan, and his wife Gauri Khan in 2002, Red Chillies Entertainment is a conglomerate that has its presence in multiple fields. Mainly known for the distribution of movies, Red Chillies has a dedicated VFX studio known as Red Chillies VFX.

They have successfully ventured into sports with a subsidiary alliance for the Knight Riders Group for the Indian Premier League. However, the main jurisdiction of Red Chillies Entertainment is creative development, production, marketing, distribution, licensing, merchandising, and successfully distributing cinema all over the world.

7. Dharma Productions

Another gift left behind by the greatest Yash Chopra is Dharma Productions, which is now led by his son, the prodigal Hindi filmmaker Karan Johar. The company has been in existence ever since 1979 and has given the world cult films like Agneepath (Amitabh Bachchan) and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, among many others.

This leading production company helped a great deal in changing the trajectory of Indian cinema and popularized the English concept of romantic comedies in Hindi movies. Dharma Productions is mainly known for distributing Hindi cinema, and has also ventured into the world of advertising with Dharma 2.0. (2016). Moreover, it had the Hindi distribution rights to the magnum opus Bahubaali 1 and 2.

It didn’t shy out from the OTT platforms either, and Dharmatic Entertainment (2018) distributes OTT content for Dharma Productions today.

8. Eros International

Eros International, or Eros India, was founded by Arjan Lulla in 1977 and has currently more than 3,000 films in its library, which include Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and others. Initially, it distributed films through Rishima International Pvt Ltd and merged with Jupiter Enterprise in 1999 to become what it is today.

The company, which has many subsidiaries to its name, started its journey with the film Waqt (2005). In 2012, it branched out to Eros Now, which is a digital entertainment platform and has over 11,000 movies in its library. Eros also tied up with Red Chillies Entertainment for the hit film, Ra.One.

9. Viacom18 Studios

Remember how I started this article talking about the critical questions raised in the movie OMG 2? Well, Viacom 18 was the one who enabled that magic to be unfurled. If you are still not impressed, I was saving the best for the last because it is this magnificent production house which made sure we witness the magic of Gangs of Wasseypur I and II.

So, needless to assert that a result of a merger between MTV Networks Europe and TV18, Viacom18, is one of the few names known by movie goers and businessmen alike.

It not only has a distribution credit for various famous movies but also has JioCinema, which is Viacom18’s OTT platform, and is one of India’s leading streaming services. It is an indispensable part of the RIL group and is currently gathering media headlines due to its merger with The Walt Disney’s Star India.

In its 13 years of existence, it has ventured into movies, sports, and music along with 38 channels across the country for entertainment. With a motto to be the most captivating media company in the country, they are weaving great tales beyond the barrier of language.

10. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

As kids, MGM was the first production house we knew, owing to them producing and distributing one of the greatest cartoons of all time, Tom and Jerry. Founded in the year 1924, it is currently owned by Amazon MGM Studios, a subsidiary of Amazon itself.

The company came into existence with Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures, and Louis B. Mayer Pictures coming together, to form one of the esteemed names in Hollywood film production. Do you remember the fierce Elle Woods being the feminist icon that she is and letting us know getting into Harvard is no big deal? Well, MGM Studios is the reason we could meet our icon.

Even though the company came into the limelight for a sad reason like bankruptcy in 2010, it had seen some magnificent times. Apart from producing over 100 feature films, it has the credit of producing the legendary Ben-Hur to its name. Currently, Amazon owns the studio and has some great movies like Saltburn, and Road House keeping up its legacy.

11. Phantom Studios

The story of how Phantom Studios came into being can be a cinema in itself. Four friends and renowned names in the Hindi film-making industry, Madhu Mantena, Anurag Kashyap, Vikas Bahl, and Vikramaditya Motwane, came together to establish this “director’s” company in 2011. The idea behind its inception was simple: to have a more director-centric approach towards film distribution rather than waiting for producers for approval.

Apart from this fresh approach, Phantom has a reputation for telling stories that have a fresh perspective and narrating them in the most spectacular way possible. This is the same production house that gave us an empowering tale like Queen, along with the gritty and hard-hitting thriller like Ugly.

Phantom started its journey with Lootera and sealed its name forever on the list of great production houses in India.

12. UTV Motion Pictures

Founded by Ronnie Screwvala and Zarina Screwvala, UTV Motion Pictures is one of the largest production studios in South Asia. Founded in the year 1996, it was also responsible for bringing Disney Movies to India by distributing films produced by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

You will be surprised to know that Ronnie Screwala was a cable man by profession, and his current net worth is $1.55 billion.

Apart from a library of cult movies, be it domestic or regional, it has its hands in the overall development of the film from the creative process to distribution, licensing, etc. However, Disney purchased its majority stake in 2008.

UTV Motion Pictures shut down in 2017, after the release of Jagga Jasoos, and focused completely on distributing Hollywood films and continuing their legacy.

13. Balaji Motion Pictures

A subsidiary of Balaji Telefilms, Balaji Motion Pictures is also a brainchild of the Indian soap opera queen Ekta Kapoor. Starting their journey with Kyo Kii… Main Jhuth Nahin Bolta in 2001, the production house has seen its line of rise and fall.

It has many great movies to its credit, but some of them were path-breaking. This includes the likes of Shootout at Lokhandwala and Bhool Bhulaiyaa, for which it had the distribution rights. However, it saw true commercial success with Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, in 2010. It has also ventured into Marathi cinema and seen success there too.

While the production house doesn’t have great masterpieces to its name compared to the other maestros, it is known for its niche story telling genre. However, if you are a 90s kid or someone who has been following Ekta Kapoor’s work, you will know her fascination towards the letter “K”. If you notice carefully, you will see all her work starts with it.

14. Sony Pictures

Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc or formerly known as Columbia Pictures Entertainment Inc, is an American film production company known to distribute shows and movies alike.

The identity of the company took shape on August 7, 1991, after a series of mergers. They have had a fair share of limelight owing to the great movies they have produced and distributed to date. The years 2021 and 2022 saw them signing deals with the big shots like Netflix and HBO for the streaming rights to their pictures.

On January 10, 2024, the production house celebrated its 100 years of foundation and also unveiled a special logo to commemorate the occasion. It is currently a conglomerate dedicated to entertain its audience in all spheres.

Conclusion

The last few decades have been historic when it comes to storytelling, regardless of the language. We are privileged enough to witness some of the greatest storytellers creating the best tales possible for human imagination.

I have also noticed that there is a growing urge to appreciate the filmmakers and distributors more, ever since COVID-19 engulfed us, and we were locked in our homes. I think it is the sense of gratitude for these immortal creations that made life bearable during the darkest of times.

So, a list like this is to give you a quick insight into how powerful the film industry is and how much more it can become. Plus, being a true film lover also entails knowing these numbers on the tip of your tongue and knocking everyone over!

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. How are the best production companies selected?

To select a production company for your independent project or a big-shot movie like Oppenheimer, the criteria to assess it remain the same. The budget of the project and the production house’s timeline flexibility are the key factors in selecting the best production companies.

Moreover, technical expertise will always be another deciding factor for a big-shot director looking for a production house to back her up. At the initial level, it is the biggest challenge a filmmaker has to face when it comes to telling a story. But, with legendary directors, the production has to have credible expertise, reputation, and a creatively accommodating mindset for all to align together.

2. What criteria are used to evaluate production companies?

Like any other sector for a film production company too, its evaluation depends on its portfolio. The kind of work that a production house has done, along with its specialization in technical expertise and client relationship management, goes a long way. Furthermore, any significant award for achievement is only going to forward their cause further.

3. Which production companies have the most impact on the film industry?

Popularly known as the Big Five of Hollywood studios, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures, and Sony Pictures Entertainment have the most impact on the film industry. They are considered the big shots in the line owing to their huge list of commercially successful movies.

4. How do leading production companies contribute to global media trends?

The growing influence of cinema backed by the power of social media has ensured that movies influence global media trends and markets. Globalized storytelling has ensured that the latest trends are dictated by movies, be it through fashion or merchandise. Apart from this, the marketing of the movies has changed the way cinema is looked upon. Currently, a big release is an event in itself as compared to the movie.

5. Who is richer, Bollywood or Hollywood?

Hollywood has a bigger business and hold in the world of cinema. Not only are their actors paid better, but their movies have a bigger market and are distributed on a larger scale. The Hollywood movie scene is the biggest one in the market, with a media consumption that knows no global boundaries.