Savoy Pictures
Savoy Pictures was an American independent film company that financed and distributed motion pictures from 1992 until its acquisition by Silver King Communications in 1997.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Savoy Pictures was an American independent motion-picture company formed in 1992 during a period when independent distributors were seeking to compete with the major Hollywood studios. The company was led by Victor A. Kaufman, a former chairman of Columbia Pictures Entertainment and a founder of TriStar Pictures, with Lewis J. Korman serving as vice chairman and executive. Savoy positioned itself as a financing and distribution studio for commercial feature films, initially targeting productions with budgets generally ranging from approximately $12 million to $25 million and committing as much as $15 million to an individual picture. The company also arranged a June 1992 agreement with HBO covering home-video, pay-television, and pay-per-view rights to its films. The company entered the market with ambitions greater than those of a small specialty distributor. It sought recognizable talent and commercially accessible projects, while attempting to build a library that could generate revenue across theatrical, home-video, and television windows. Its film slate included titles such as No Escape, Last of the Dogmen, Exit to Eden, Getting Away with Murder, and A Bronx Tale. Savoy also became associated with projects that were later transferred to other companies, including American History X, A Thin Line Between Love and Hate, The Adventures of Pinocchio, Heaven's Prisoners, Faithful, The Stupids, A Simple Plan, and Private Parts. Savoy's expansion proved difficult. Production budgets increased, while several releases performed poorly and the company was criticized in contemporary accounts for ineffective marketing. The competitive environment also changed as Miramax was acquired by The Walt Disney Company and New Line Cinema was acquired by Turner Broadcasting, giving those independent-oriented operations the financial and corporate support of larger media groups. Savoy responded by considering a broader range of projects, including lower-budget productions and occasional large-scale films, but the strategy did not restore the motion-picture business to stability. A proposed project intended to attract Sylvester Stallone with a reported $20 million fee was never made. To diversify its business and support its film investments, Savoy moved into television broadcasting. In March 1994 it formed SF Broadcasting with Fox Television Stations. The venture acquired WALA-TV in Mobile, Alabama; WLUK-TV in Green Bay, Wisconsin; WVUE in New Orleans, Louisiana; and KHON-TV in Honolulu, Hawaii. These stations became Fox network affiliates. Savoy also established television-production operations, and by 1995 the television side had become increasingly important to the company's strategy. In January 1995 Kaufman appointed Robert N. Fried to run the motion-picture studio. Fried recruited or worked with executives and filmmakers including Alan Sokol, Bob Levin, Cathy Schulman, Stan Brooks, Stan Wlodkowski, Sam Raimi, George Tillman, Rob Weiss, and Peter Chelsom. Later in 1995, Stanley Brooks headed a television division. In September of that year Kaufman announced that Savoy would reduce its emphasis on motion pictures and reposition itself primarily as a television-station holding company. Savoy subsequently offered a large group of film projects and films in various stages of production to other buyers. New Line Cinema acquired several projects, while Paramount Pictures acquired rights connected with other titles. Silver King Communications, associated with Barry Diller, announced an agreement to acquire Savoy in November 1995 for $210 million. The transaction was completed in 1997, ending Savoy's independent corporate operation. Kaufman later became vice chairman and a board member of IAC, while the SF Broadcasting stations were sold to Diller's Silver King Broadcasting. Savoy's film rights have since been fragmented among several companies, including Universal Pictures and Focus Features, Warner Bros. Discovery through New Line Cinema, Paramount Pictures, Pathé, Tribeca Productions, and other rights holders depending on the title and production or distribution arrangement. The Savoy name therefore survives mainly as a historical film-company label and library attribution rather than as an active studio.
History
Savoy Pictures emerged in 1992 as an independent American motion-picture company led by Victor A. Kaufman and Lewis J. Korman. Kaufman brought experience from Columbia Pictures Entertainment and TriStar Pictures, while the new company sought to occupy a middle ground between small specialty distributors and the established Hollywood studios. Savoy planned to finance and distribute films with budgets commonly ranging from $12 million to $25 million, investing up to about $15 million in an individual production. Its business model depended on theatrical releases followed by ancillary revenue from home video, pay television, and pay-per-view. An agreement with HBO in June 1992 covered those downstream rights for Savoy films. The company pursued recognizable commercial properties and released or became associated with a varied group of features. Among the better-known titles connected with the studio were No Escape, Last of the Dogmen, Exit to Eden, Getting Away with Murder, and A Bronx Tale. Savoy's film ambitions became increasingly expensive, however, and its marketing performance was not strong enough to offset a sequence of disappointing releases. The company's difficulties were magnified by changes in the independent-film sector. Miramax and New Line Cinema, two important competitors, gained the financial backing and distribution advantages of major corporate owners when they were acquired by Disney and Turner Broadcasting, respectively. Savoy attempted to broaden its slate, moving between lower-budget films and occasional projects with substantially larger costs. Executives considered attracting major stars, including an unmade project designed around a proposed $20 million payment to Sylvester Stallone. These efforts did not produce a sustainable film operation. In parallel, Savoy diversified into television, creating SF Broadcasting in March 1994 as a venture with Fox Television Stations. SF Broadcasting acquired four stations—WALA-TV, WLUK-TV, WVUE, and KHON-TV—which became Fox affiliates. Savoy also established television-production activities. In 1995 Kaufman recruited Robert N. Fried to oversee the motion-picture studio. Fried's group included executives such as Alan Sokol, Bob Levin, Cathy Schulman, Stan Brooks, and Stan Wlodkowski, as well as filmmakers including Sam Raimi, George Tillman, Rob Weiss, and Peter Chelsom. Stanley Brooks headed a television division established later that year. Despite the personnel changes, Savoy's strategic center of gravity moved away from theatrical films. In September 1995 Kaufman said that the company would reduce its film involvement and reposition itself as a television-station holding company. Savoy then sold or offered a substantial portion of its film roster to other companies. New Line Cinema acquired A Thin Line Between Love and Hate, American History X, The Adventures of Pinocchio, Heaven's Prisoners, Faithful, and The Stupids. Paramount Pictures acquired the right to produce A Simple Plan and distribution rights for Private Parts. Mariette in Ecstasy remained unreleased for many years and eventually received a screening at the 2019 Camerimage International Film Festival. Cineplex Odeon Films handled Canadian distribution for earlier Savoy films, while Alliance Films became the Canadian distributor for later films after New Line became involved with the later slate. Silver King Communications announced its intention to acquire Savoy in November 1995 for $210 million, and the transaction closed in 1997. Kaufman became vice chairman and a board member of IAC, and the SF Broadcasting stations were sold to Diller's Silver King Broadcasting. Subsequent corporate transactions further dispersed Savoy's library. Several titles are associated with Universal Pictures and Focus Features, titles produced by New Line Cinema are associated with Warner Bros. Discovery, and other rights have remained with or reverted to companies such as Paramount Pictures, Pathé, Tribeca Productions, or individual rights holders. Savoy Pictures is therefore defunct as an operating studio, but its short-lived film slate remains part of the history of American independent film distribution in the 1990s.
- 2019
Mariette in Ecstasy receives a festival screening
[1]The previously unreleased Savoy-associated film Mariette in Ecstasy was screened at the Camerimage International Film Festival.
- 1997
Acquisition by Silver King Communications
[1]Silver King completes its acquisition of Savoy, ending the company's independent operation.
- 1995
Robert N. Fried takes charge of the film studio
[1]Fried is appointed to run the motion-picture operation and assembles a new executive and creative team.
- 1995
Strategic shift toward broadcasting
[1]Kaufman announces a reduction in the company's film emphasis and a repositioning around television-station ownership.
- 1994
SF Broadcasting is formed
[1]Savoy and Fox Television Stations establish a broadcasting venture that acquires four television stations.
- 1992
Savoy Pictures begins operations
[1]Victor A. Kaufman and Lewis J. Korman launch Savoy as an American independent film-financing and distribution company.
- 1992
HBO rights agreement
[1]Savoy enters an agreement with HBO covering home-video, pay-television, and pay-per-view rights.
Products and positioning
A commercially oriented American independent film studio that combined feature-film financing and distribution with later expansion into television production and broadcast-station ownership.
Film production and distribution · 1992
Theatrical feature films
Savoy's core business was financing, producing, acquiring, and distributing commercially oriented feature films. Its slate included action, comedy, drama, and family-oriented productions. Notable titles associated with the company include No Escape, Last of the Dogmen, Exit to Eden, Getting Away with Murder, and A Bronx Tale. Other projects were later sold to New Line Cinema or Paramount Pictures as Savoy reduced its film operations.
Television · 1995
Television production
Savoy established a television-production division during its 1995 expansion into broadcasting. The division was headed by Stanley Brooks and formed part of the company's effort to diversify beyond theatrical film financing and distribution.
Broadcast television · 1994
SF Broadcasting
SF Broadcasting was a Savoy venture with Fox Television Stations. It owned WALA-TV in Mobile, WLUK-TV in Green Bay, WVUE in New Orleans, and KHON-TV in Honolulu. The stations became affiliates of the Fox network and were later sold to Silver King Broadcasting.
Brand decisions
1995
Repositioning around television stationsStrategyBackground
Savoy's film business was under pressure from weak releases, escalating budgets, and stronger independent competitors backed by major media companies.
Action taken
Victor A. Kaufman announced that the company would reduce its emphasis on motion pictures and focus more heavily on television-station ownership.
Aftermath
Savoy offered or sold many film projects to New Line Cinema and Paramount Pictures before its acquisition by Silver King Communications.
1995
Agreement to sell Savoy to Silver King CommunicationsM&ABackground
Savoy was transitioning away from its original film-studio strategy and placing greater importance on its broadcast assets.
Action taken
Silver King Communications agreed to acquire Savoy for $210 million; the transaction was completed in 1997.
Aftermath
Savoy ceased operating as an independent studio, and its broadcast stations and film rights were subsequently distributed among different owners.
announced acquisition value. $210 million (1995 announcement)
Recent events
- 1997
Savoy Pictures is acquired by Silver King Communications[1]
M&A
The acquisition ended Savoy's independent corporate operation, while its broadcast assets and film interests were subsequently handled through different owners.
- 1995
Robert N. Fried is appointed to lead the film studio[1]
Leadership change
Savoy appointed Robert N. Fried to run its motion-picture operation and brought in additional executives and filmmakers.
- 1995
Savoy shifts emphasis from films to television stations[1]
Other
After a period of weak film performance and strategic difficulty, Kaufman announced that Savoy would reduce its motion-picture focus and emphasize television-station ownership.
- 1995
Silver King Communications agrees to acquire Savoy Pictures[1]
M&A
Silver King Communications announced a proposed acquisition of Savoy for $210 million; the transaction was completed in 1997.
- 1994
Savoy expands into television broadcasting through SF Broadcasting[1]
Other
Savoy formed SF Broadcasting with Fox Television Stations and acquired four stations that became Fox affiliates.
- 1992
Savoy Pictures is established as an independent film company[1]
Other
Victor A. Kaufman and Lewis J. Korman led the launch of Savoy Pictures, which planned to finance and distribute commercially oriented feature films.
- 1992
Savoy reaches a rights agreement with HBO[1]
Other
The company entered an agreement with HBO for home-video, pay-television, and pay-per-view rights to its films.
Sources1 sources
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