Sony Pictures and Cross Creek Ink New Deal

A new agreement between Sony and Cross Creek Pictures will cover film financing, production and distribution

Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Columbia Pictures has entered into a three-year, multifaceted co-financing, production, and distribution deal with Cross Creek Pictures. Cross Creek will now bring their award-winning slate of high-profile, commercial films to a new home at Sony Pictures’ motion picture group. The announcement was made by Tom Rothman, chairman of the Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group, and by Cross Creek’s Timmy Thompson and Brian Oliver.

Cross Creek is the company behind such films as Black Mass, Everest, Rush, The Ides of March, and Black Swan, the last of which was made with Rothman at 20th Century Fox. Cross Creek is one of the few successful independent entities that both develop and finance their own films. The deal with Sony Pictures is a broad-ranging, multi-platform arrangement, where in addition to distributing Cross Creek pictures on a worldwide basis, Sony Pictures and Cross Creek will have the opportunity to co-finance certain films, originating in either pipeline.

“Sony Pictures already has an excellent working relationship with Cross Creek,” says Rothman, “and we are jazzed about the upcoming ‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.’ We feel fortunate that Timmy and Brian were open to expanding their relationship with us. They have incredible taste and proven success with smart, commercial movies that serve worldwide audiences, and we know that their films will be a terrific addition to our slate.”

“Tom is doing great things at Sony Pictures,” adds Oliver, “remaking the slate with an eye toward global audiences. We’ve had a terrific relationship with him so far, and we know that the studio’s marketing and distribution team is the best in the business. We’re grateful for this opportunity and confident that Sony Pictures will be a terrific new home for our projects.”

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, directed by Burr Steers and starring Lily James, Sam Riley, Jack Huston, Bella Heathcote, Douglas Booth, Matt Smith, Charles Dance and Lena Headey, hits theaters February 5, 2016.