Icon Productions

Infobox_Company
company_name = Icon Productions LLC.
company_
company_type = Motion Picture
foundation = California, USA (1989)
location = California, USA
key_people = Mel Gibson, Bruce Davey
homepage = [http://www.iconmovies.com/ iconmovies.com]

Icon Productions LLC is an American independent production company founded in August 1989 by American-Australian actor/director Mel Gibson and Australian producing partner Bruce Davey. [cite news | url = http://www.uipl.co.uk/info/sales.htm | title = Australian Native Sons Mel Gibson and Bruce Davey of Icon Bring It All Back Home | author = Kim Williamson | publisher = Box Office Magazine | date = August 1997 | accessdate = 2008-03-02]

Icon started when Gibson was having trouble in financing the 1990 film "Hamlet". According to Davey, "Mel wanted to make "Hamlet" and the (Hollywood) agent he had who was helping him with it lasted about five minutes. It's pretty hard to get someone to give you money to make "Hamlet". I told him that if he wanted to make this happen, someone had to roll up their sleeves and find the (financing) and he asked me if I wanted to have a crack at it and I agreed." [cite news | url = http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23700013-7582,00.html | title = Still magic after 20 years with Mel Gibson at Icon| author = Robert Lusetich | publisher = The Australian | date = 2008-05-15 | accessdate = 2008-05-16 ]

Unlike most other independents, Icon internally funds most of its development and packaging costs, mainly by Gibson, allowing it to retain creative control of projects through production. "Felicia's Journey" director Atom Egoyan has praised the company’s creative independence and risk-taking: "Mel's dream was to create an alternative to the studio system and make films free of interference. He's been able to use his celebrity to set up a really viable company. Icon is able to take risks that studios won't broach." [cite news | title = Mad Mel's passion for vengeance | author = Brian D. Johnson | publisher = Maclean’s | date = 2006-12-25]

The company also produces and distributes films in the UK and Australia through its subsidiary Icon Entertainment International. Furthermore, it owns a library of over 250 film titles. [cite news | url = http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000719419
title = Australian Dialogue: Mel Gibson & Bruce Davey | author = Stephen Galloway
publisher = Hollywood Reporter | date = 2004-11-15 | accessdate = 2008-03-02 ] In 2008, Icon entered the exhibition business for the first time by purchasing Dendy Cinemas, Australia's largest independent film distributor and art house cinema chain. [cite news | url = http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/international/news/e3ic1abd1883d215637b1b9f27ac62f5246
title = Icon expands in Australia with Dendy | author = Pip Bulbeck
publisher = Hollywood Reporter | date = 2008-02-23 | accessdate = 2008-03-02 ] Icon Productions has also launched the label “Con Artists Productions.”

In the UK and Australia, its DVDs are usually distributed by Warner Home Video, though some UK DVDs have been released by MGM Home Entertainment. Icon films are currently distributed in DVD, Blu-ray Disc and HD VMD.

After the financial success of "The Passion of the Christ", there was frequent mention of the ability of Icon to function as a mini-studio. However, Bruce Davey has downplayed those expectations, saying, "The last thing we want is to become a studio. We don't want to become that top heavy. We want to be independent and passionate. We don't want to lose the magic." [cite news | url = http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23700013-7582,00.html | title = Still magic after 20 years with Mel Gibson at Icon| author = Robert Lusetich | publisher = The Australian | date = 2008-05-15 | accessdate = 2008-05-16 ]

Gibson has explained that the company’s name was chosen because icon means “image” in Greek, and that the inspiration came from a book on Russian icons in his den.The logo's artwork appears to be a small crop of the Theotokos of Vladimir icon, an Eastern Orthodox icon of Mary, mother of Jesus.

As of January 2008, the executives at Icon are Mel Gibson (president), Bruce Davey (chairman of the board of directors), Mark Gooder (CEO), Vicki Christianson (CFO), David Miercourt, and Ariel Veneziano. [cite news | url = http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i46053bf6151a3fb409f89967a21b0dae
title = Icon raises Gooder to group CEO | author = Gregg Kilday
publisher = Hollywood Reporter | date = 2007-12-13 | accessdate = 2008-03-02 ] Producer Stephen McEveety has also worked many years at Icon.

In September 2008, Davey and Gibson sold the Icon international sales and film distribution arms along with the Majestic library to Stewart Till in a multimillion-dollar deal. Neither Icon Productions nor the Dendy cinemas were part of the acquisition deal. Till’s new company will continue to use the Icon name and will have a three-year first-look deal with Icon Productions to handle the international rights to its productions. [cite news | url = http://business.smh.com.au/business/mel-gibson-lets-go-of-the-steering-wheel-20080909-4cyx.html | title = Mel Gibson lets go of the steering wheel | author = Garry Maddox | publisher = Sydney Morning Herald | date = September 10, 2008 | accessdate = 2008-09-27] [cite news | url = http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ie53ddac733c873cca87f624b4c7962ba | title = Stewart Till takes control of Icon Group| author = Stuart Kemp| publisher = Hollywood Reporter | date = September 8, 2008 | accessdate = 2008-09-27]

Films

*"Hamlet"
*"Forever Young"
*"The Man Without a Face"
*"Airborne"
*"Maverick"
*"Immortal Beloved"
*"Braveheart"
*"On Our Selection"
*"Anna Karenina"
*"187"
*""
*"An Ideal Husband"
*"Ordinary Decent Criminal"
*"Felicia's Journey"
*"Payback"
*"The Million Dollar Hotel"
*"Bless the Child"
*"What Women Want"
*"The Miracle Maker"
*"Paparazzi"
*"We Were Soldiers"
*"The Singing Detective"
*"The Passion of the Christ"
*""
*"Apocalypto"
*"Romance & Cigarettes"
*"Seraphim Falls"
*"Butterfly on a Wheel"
*"A Great and Terrible Beauty"
*"The Black Balloon"

Television

*"The Three Stooges"
*"Evel Knievel"
*"Clubhouse"
*"Complete Savages"
*"Kevin Hill"
*"Carrier"

References