History[edit]

Producers Mike Medavoy and Arnold Messer founded Phoenix in November 1995 as an independent production company. They acquired financing from Onex Corporation, Pearson Television, and Sony Pictures Entertainment.^[2][3] It struck a deal with CBS to air its movies on network television.^[4] Its business model was based on packaging films to present to studios and to then navigate the films' development.


In 1996, the studio struck an exclusive deal with Showtime Networks to air its networks on pay television.^[5]


Variety said Phoenix Pictures was one of the few companies to produce more than 25 films with the same executive team in place.^[1]