Random House Studio
FoundedNovember 2005 (2005-11)
Headquarters
New York[1]
Number of locations
2[2]
Key people
Peter Gethers (president)[1]
Jeffrey Levine (Head of Television)[2]
OwnerBertelsmann
Number of employees
10 (2013)[3]
ParentFremantle North America
DivisionsRandom House Films
Random House Television

Random House Studio is a production company responsible for adapting books published by Penguin Random House to film and television. The company, originally owned by Penguin Random House, was transferred to Bertelsmann sister company Fremantle North America in 2016.[4]

History

Random House became involved in the home video market in the early 1980s. Random House Home Video's first project was the acquirement of rights to seventeen years' worth of Sesame Street shows.[5] This branch of Random House lasted until the late 2000s.[6]

Random House established a book-to-film unit, Random House Films, in 2005. A Focus Features deal and a co-finance plan for reasonably budgeted, adult-oriented movies were under development at the same time.[7]

Random House Films soon acquired the book and film rights to One Day from writer David Nicholls, allowing for simplified parallel development with an editor/producer. The book debuted in 2009, at the same time the film had begun production, and the film reached the screens in 2011. The film had a budget of $15 million and grossed $13.8 million domestically and $56.7 million globally; the book sold 1.5 million copies (with an additional 750 thousand copies of the movie edition). One Day was the film unit's most successful production.[7]

The unit made a deal in October 2011 to create a movie franchise of Ross Macdonald's detective Lew Archer, with Joel Silver and Warner Bros.[8]

In July 2012, Random House announced the creation of the Random House Studio (RHS) and Random House Television (RH TV). Random House Studio would contain both the TV and film divisions, and would work with affiliate Fremantle on the TV series developments.[9] RH TV headquarters in Fremantle's Los Angeles offices and its Head of Television is Jeffrey Levine.[2]

On July 1, 2013, RHS's parent company merged with Penguin to form Penguin Random House.[10]

In February 2013, Focus Features and Random House Studio teamed up for film rights, production, and co-financing of Jo Baker's novel Longbourn, with the book to be published in the fall by Transworld Publishers in the U.K., Alfred A. Knopf in the U.S., and Random House in Canada.[11]

In September 2014, Random House Studio signed a first look production deal with Universal Pictures, under which Random House would be producer on the projects developed and filmed based on Penguin Random House books. This buttresses the existing deal between Random House Films and Focus Features, a Universal subsidiary.[12]

Heartland Table, starring chef Amy Thielen, was RH TV's first co-production (with Tavola Productions), and premiered September 14, 2014 on the Food Network. Thielen's companion book, The New Midwestern Table, was issued by Clarkson Potter, a Penguin Random House imprint, on September 24.[3]

The studio and Jupiter Entertainment entered a deal for several unscripted programs, and Jupiter was developing three shows by July 2016.[4]

In July 2016, Fremantle took over the company from Penguin Random House. Fremantle signed Random House Studios with Chinese Meridian Entertainment for theatrical productions while handling TV productions internally. The unscripted programs subsequently moved from Jupiter to Fremantle.[4]

Filmography

Meridian Entertainment co-productions[4]
  • The Silent Land, based on a novel by Graham Joyce
  • Longbourn, an adaptation of a Jo Baker novel
  • City Of Light, based on the nonfiction book Death In The City Of Light by David King

Television

  • Heartland Table (Food Network) (2013–2014) Tavola Productions, Food Network[3]
  • Loving Day (Showtime)[4]
  • Rachel Carson TV movie (HBO)[4]
  • No God But God - unscripted series in development original by Jupiter Entertainment[4]
  • The Knowledge (based on a book by Lewis Dartnell, currently an unscripted series in development originally by Jupiter Entertainment)[4]
  • God Made Me Do It (author Jonathan Merritt, currently an unscripted series in development originally by Jupiter Entertainment)[4]

References

  1. 1 2 Smith, Lynn (November 4, 2005). "Random House, Focus Features teaming up". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 Andreeva, Nellie (July 25, 2012). "Random House Signs First-Look Deal With Fremantle, Starts Random House TV". Deadline. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 Trachtenberg, Jeffrey A. (August 18, 2013). "Publisher Makes TV Play". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Lieberman, David (July 18, 2016). "Fremantle Buys Random House Studio With New TV-Movie Alliance". Deadline. Penske Business Media. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  5. ↑ "'Sesame' Videos Coming Soon". Sun Sentinel. Chicago Tribune. January 17, 1986. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
  6. ↑ "RANDOM HOUSE HOME VIDEO". TradeMarkia. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Lewis, Andy (February 23, 2012). "How Publishers Bolster Their Bottom Line by Retaining Film Rights". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  8. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (October 31, 2011). "Warner Bros, Joel Silver Revive Ross Macdonald's Lew Archer Novel Series With 'The Galton Case'". Deadline. Penske Business Media, LLC. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
  9. 1 2 Deahl, Rachel (July 25, 2012). "Random House Launches TV Division". publishersweekly.com. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  10. ↑ Bosman, Julie (July 1, 2013). "Penguin and Random House Merge, Saying Change Will Come Slowly". New York Times. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  11. ↑ Siegel, Tatiana (February 7, 2013). "Focus Features, Random House Studio Snap Up Big-Screen Rights to New Spin on 'Pride and Prejudice'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
  12. ↑ Gerard, Jeremy (September 24, 2014). "Universal, Penguin Random House In 2-Year First-Look Pact". Deadline. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
  13. ↑ Shayon, Sheila (August 19, 2013). "Penguin Random House Expands Diversification Effort with TV Series". Brand Channel. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
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