Chances are, if you watch movies in both the cinema and on a streaming platform, you’ve seen the A24 logo. Like Paramount, Universal, and Columbia, it’s a motion picture production company. It began relatively small about 13 years ago, but it has now become one of the most sought-after production companies. How did it become so coveted? Let’s take a look at what the company is all about.
From the Beginning
In New York during the summer of 2012, three movie producers got together. David Fenkel, John Hodges, and Daniel Katz were all filmmakers in their own right, but they decided to combine their efforts to form a small, arthouse-style production company. The name for the motion picture company was inspired by the Italian Motorway (Autostrada A24). Daniel Katz was traveling on it when he decided to start the company.
The fledgling label was funded by Guggenheim Partners, Katz’s former company. The three producers initially had smaller projects, but they hit it big with Spring Breakers. The movie starred James Franco, Selena Gomez, and Vanessa Hudgens. It was a campy, beachy, drug-dealing movie, which had mixed reviews, but still put A24 on the map.
The Rise of A24
Post Spring Breakers, A24 turned to bigger projects. The production company made an effort to steer clear of mainstream, formulaic movies, instead emphasizing auteur-influenced, cult, and satirical comedy pieces. Some of their earlier productions included Enemy, Life After Beth, and the Kevin Smith-directed black comedy/horror Tusk. Soon, bigger films emerged, including the Greta Gerwig-written and directed Lady Bird, the Adam Sandler vehicle Uncut Gems, and the multiple Oscar Award-winning Everything Everywhere All at Once.
Everything Everywhere All at Once took box offices and critics by storm. The film combined absurdism, multi-dimensional storytelling, neurodivergence, and black comedic adventure. With highly acclaimed performances by Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan (who returned after a nearly 20-year break from acting – and is best known as Short Round from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom), Everything Everywhere All at Once was A24’s most successful film. The project undoubtedly established A24 as a recognized name in the industry.
Plans for Television and Other Projects
A24 has expanded to producing television series for both streaming platforms and the USA Network, which include the show Playing House. They have been involved in music production and documentary film production. The documentary branch didn’t perform as well as predicted and was effectively shut down earlier this year so that it could focus on other divisions.
AAA24, another branch of A24, is known as All Access A24. This is where viewers, with a paid membership, can get first looks, receive newsletters, access exclusive movie and celebrity content, and bid on memorabilia from past films. A24 has also done some podcasts.
Comes Toward the Mainstream – A Bit
In 2023, The Wrap published an article about A24 expanding into more commercially driven movies and abandoning their arthouse roots. While this may be true in some cases, they have generally stuck to their more edgy, cultish flicks. The big-budget movie Civil War came out from them in 2024 to positive reviews. A24 has managed to bridge the gap with streaming series like Euphoria while producing films like Uncut Gems and The Whale.
What’s Next?
With 180 films produced and released, and more to come, A24 has been working with visionary directors such as Halina Reijn, Ari Aster, Sean Baker, Robert Eggers, and the Safdie Brothers, among others. The company appears to be showing no signs of slowing down. We’ve seen excellent productions from them go on to win numerous awards. With the acquisition of talent, intelligent planning, and sound financial backing, we anticipate that the motion picture company will achieve great success.
