MTV Entertainment Studios (formerly MTV Production Development from 2003 until 2018 and MTV Studios from 2018 until 2021) is an American

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

and

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

production and

distribution Distribution may refer to: Mathematics *Distribution (mathematics), generalized functions used to formulate solutions of partial differential equations *Probability distribution, the probability of a particular value or value range of a varia ...

company and is the film and television production arm of the

MTV Entertainment Group Paramount Media Networks is the division of Paramount Global that oversees the operations of its television channels and online brands. The division was originally founded as MTV Networks in 1984, named after MTV. It would be known under this ...

, itself a subsidiary of the

Paramount Media Networks Paramount Media Networks is the division of Paramount Global that oversees the operations of its television channels and online brands. The division was originally founded as MTV Networks in 1984, named after MTV. It would be known under this ...

division of

Paramount Global Paramount Global (Trade name, d/b/a Paramount) is an American multinational mass media and entertainment Conglomerate (company), conglomerate controlled by National Amusements and Headquarters, headquartered at One Astor Plaza in Times Square, ...

. It primarily produces content aimed at adolescent and adult audiences, including original productions for the namesake cable channel and its siblings, or theatrical films released through

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...

. MTV Entertainment Studios was formed in 2021 as a consolidation of the original MTV Productions founded in 1991, the former MTV Films group established in 1996, the MTV Production Development/MTV Studios group of 2003, and the relaunched MTV Studios of 2018.

History and Background

MTV Productions

MTV Productions was founded in 1991. It went into expansion two years later, with Doug Herzog serving as president, to produce content for theatrical releases, broadcast television and cable, syndication, and the international marketplace. MTV then signed a two-picture deal with Geffen Pictures. MTV Productions also tried for an entertainment strip called ''Real Time'', to be distributed by Viacom Enterprises, and scheduled on air for the 1994–95 season, but never materialized. '' Joe's Apartment'', based on a short aired on

MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

, would be the only film to come out of the Geffen Film deal due to the 1994 acquisition of

by MTV's parent company Viacom. It was later released on July 26, 1996, and grossed $4.6 million on a $13 million budget, making it a box office bomb. Since its acquisition by Viacom, Paramount Pictures began to distribute material from MTV and

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...

. After ''

The Arsenio Hall Show ''The Arsenio Hall Show'' is an American syndicated late-night talk show created by and starring comedian Arsenio Hall. There have been two different incarnations of ''The Arsenio Hall Show''. The original series premiered on January 3, 1989 ...

'' was cancelled, Paramount began distributing and producing MTV's '' The Jon Stewart Show'' for the syndication market. The

Paramount Television The first incarnation of Paramount Television was operated as the television production division of the American film studio Paramount Pictures, until it changed its name to CBS Paramount Television on January 17, 2006. History Desilu Pro ...

Group and MTV Productions signed a deal to develop projects commissioned by MTV in 1994, and gave Paramount the right of first refusal on projects developed by MTV. In the 1997–98 television season, MTV Productions, in conjunction with Paramount Network Television, debuted the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

comedy '' Jenny'', the UPN (then-sister of

) comedy ''

Hitz ''Hitz'' is an American sitcom that aired on UPN from August 26 until November 11, 1997. The series follows two record industry executives (Rick Gomez and Claude Brooks) and their boss (Andrew Dice Clay) at Hitower Records in Los Angeles. Cast ...

'', and the WB drama ''

Three 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious and cultural significance in many societies ...

''. None of these lasted more than one season.

MTV Films

By 1995, David Gale was named head of MTV Films. MTV developed its first feature film in collaboration with Paramount Pictures, ''

Beavis and Butt-Head Do America ''Beavis and Butt-Head Do America'' is a 1996 American adult animation, adult animated comedy film, comedy road movie, road film based on the MTV animated television series ''Beavis and Butt-Head''. The film was co-written and directed by series ...

''. Based on MTV's animated series ''

Beavis and Butt-Head ''Beavis and Butt-Head'' is an American Adult animation, adult animated Animated sitcom, sitcom created by Mike Judge. The series follows Beavis and Butt-Head, both voiced by Judge, a pair of teenage slackers characterized by their apathy, Stupi ...

'', the film grossed $63.1 million on a $12 million budget. On August 21, 1998, MTV Films released '' Dead Man on Campus'', which starred Tom Everett Scott and Mark-Paul Gosselaar. It got negative reviews, and was a box office bomb, grossing $15.1 million on a $14 million budget. MTV Films' next feature project, ''

200 Cigarettes ''200 Cigarettes'' is a 1999 American comedy film directed by Risa Bramon Garcia and written by Shana Larsen. The film follows multiple characters in New York City on New Year's Eve 1981. The film features an ensemble cast consisting of brothers ...

'', released on February 26, 1999, and was also a box office bomb, grossing $6.8 million on a $6 million budget. In 2001, '' Zoolander'' was released under the "

VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...

Films" label, and grossed $60.7 million on a $28 million budget. On August 21, 2006,

Nickelodeon Movies Nickelodeon Movies Inc. is an American Filmmaking, film production company based in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California and owned by Paramount Global. Originally founded in 1995, it serves as both the film production division of Nickelodeon Pro ...

, Comedy Central Films, and MTV Films became labels of the Paramount Motion Pictures Group. Less than eleven years later,

Paramount Players Paramount Players is an American film production label of Paramount Pictures, focusing on "contemporary properties" while working with other Paramount Global brands. The name alludes to the company's earliest origins as Famous Players Film Comp ...

was created in 2017 as a joint venture with MTV Films, Nickelodeon Movies, and BET Films.

Relaunch and consolidation

In 2018, a new production unit under the MTV Studios name was launched to produce revivals of MTV library shows. Over the next two years, MTV Studios would launch its "MTV Documentary Films" label for producing and acquiring documentary features , while MTV Films would be folded into MTV Studios in 2020. In 2021, MTV Studios became MTV Entertainment Studios, now encompassing content for, and based on, all brands within the

Films

Theatrically released

Direct-to-video

Streaming

Television

Television series

Television specials

Television movies

Halted

Television series

Films

Awards and nominations

Academy Awards

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mtv Films Film production companies of the United States Television production companies of the United States Mass media companies established in 1996 Paramount Global subsidiaries Companies based in California Paramount Pictures