Hollywood Studio Cheat Sheet (The Who, What AND Where of the Film Business)

Why Learn About the Studios?

Because there are SEVEN big players in the bizness...

Because knowing what each of them specialize in will help you appear much more connected and film-

savvy than you actually are...

Because knowing what each of the BIG SEVEN are looking for can help you get your script sold...

So, let’s get started...shall we?

Studio #1: 21st Century Fox

Location: West Hollywood

Market Share: 18.8% of U.S. market

Other Divisions: 20th Century Animation, New Regency

What They Like: Sequels, franchises, remakes, best-selling books (who doesn't?)

What They'll Buy: Family-friendly action franchises, edgy thrillers, spy films, quirky action flicks with complicated

heores (not big in comedy)

Studio #2: Walt Disney Studios

Location: San Fernando Valley

Market Share: 15.7% of U.S. market

Other Divisions: Pixar, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, MiraVista

What They Like: Animation (duh!), family-friendly (duh!), anything that helps them sell a crapload of merchandise

What They'll Buy: Nothing (they hardly EVER buy from newbies - unless you've got a feel-good, little guy (or girl) triumphs

over obstacles-type script…or there’s a role for Johnny Depp)

Studio #3: Warner Bros. Entertainement

Location: San Fernando Valley

Market Share: 15.1% of U.S. market

Other Divisions: Castle Rock, HBO Films, New Line Cinema, Turner Entertainment

What They Like: Reboots, known properties, sequels, anything with a superhero or a wizard, dark thrillers, edgy comedies

What They'll Buy: Smart thrillers, fresh detective stories, edgy stuff the other studios won't make, screwed-up hero stories

that A-list stars would love to do

Studio #4: Columbia TriStar/SONY

Location: West Hollywood

Market Share: 12.5% of U.S. market

Other Divisions: Screen Gems, Stage 6 Films, Columbia Pictures, TriStar Pictures

What They Like: Reboots, star-driven action, edgy thrillers, sharp comedies, dumb comedies starring Kevin James

What They'll Buy: Actor-driven epics (especially something for Brad Pitt), vehicles for stand-up comics, edgy comedies they

can't find anywhere else, Oscar-worthy dramas

Studio #5: NBC Universal

Location: San Fernando Valley

Market Share: 11.8% of U.S. market

Other Divisions: Focus Features, Working Title FIlms, Universal Animation

What They Like: Sequels, franchises, remakes, best-selling books (who doesn’t?), anything based on TV material

What They'll Buy: Family-friendly action franchises, edgy thrillers, spy films, quirky action flicks with complicated

heores, (not big in comedy)

Studio #6: Paramount Pictures

Location: West Hollywood

Market Share: 10.1% of U.S. market

Other Divisions: Paramount Vantage, MTV Films, Nickelodeoan Movies

What They Like: Epics, action (stuff blows up), issue-driven projects, broad comedy, edgy fare, franchies, horror

What They'll Buy: Anything…if it’s good, stuff that serves a broad audience, stuff for an eclectic audience, projects with

crazily-talented directors attached

Studio #7: LionsGate Entertainment

Location: West Hollywood

Market Share: 7.4% of U.S. market

Other Divisions: Summit Entertainement, Roadside Attractions, Pantelion Films

What They Like: Tentpoles (but with a twist), anything with vampires or crossbows, edgy fare that can appeal overseas

What They'll Buy: Edgy thrillers, edgy comedies, projects the other studios won’t touch, material that appeals to the YOUNG

demographic, scripts with attitude

Think we missed a studio?

Drop us a line at by leaving a comment on our Facebook page:

facebook.com/ScriptBully