A24 Films LLC (A24)

59 major milestones

Independent American entertainment company focused on film and television production and distribution, known for auteur-driven films and a strong cult audience.

Latest Valuation

$3,500,000,000

2 Funding Rounds

Company Timeline

Years 0-4

A24 brand identity and logo created (GrandArmy)

Creative agency GrandArmy designed A24's logo and motion intro, establishing the company's visual brand.

Year 0 • 2012

A24 founded by Daniel Katz, David Fenkel, John Hodges

Daniel Katz, David Fenkel and John Hodges left prior roles to found A24 Films LLC in New York City; name inspired by Italy's A24 autostrada. Guggenheim Partners provided seed money.

Year 0 • 2012

Nicolette Aizenberg hired as Head of Publicity

Nicolette Aizenberg joined from 42West as head of publicity, an early senior hire to build A24's PR capabilities.

Year 0 • 2012

A24 begins theatrical distribution

Company started distributing theatrical releases, marking operational launch into film distribution.

Year 1 • 2013

First theatrical release: A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III

Roman Coppola's A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III was A24's first limited theatrical release.

Year 1 • 2013

Breakout release: Spring Breakers (wide attention)

Harmony Korine's Spring Breakers (2013) gave A24 major early growth and increased industry visibility.

Year 1 • 2013

2013 slate: The Bling Ring, The Spectacular Now, Ginger & Rosa

A24 distributed multiple notable 2013 titles including Sofia Coppola's The Bling Ring and others, building catalog.

Year 1 • 2013

A24 leverages social media & low-cost digital marketing strategy

From launch A24 focused on social media, memes and image-driven campaigns to build passionate fanbase and low-cost promotion for films.

Year 1 • 2013

Entered $40M deal with DirecTV Cinema for day-and-date releases

A24 signed a $40M agreement with DirecTV Cinema to offer day-and-date releases (30 days prior to theatrical), starting with Enemy.

Year 1 • 2013

Multi-year Amazon Prime (Instant Video) distribution deal

A24 signed a deal to have A24-distributed films available on Amazon Instant Video after home release windows, increasing digital reach.

Year 1 • 2013

Picked up U.S. rights to Ex Machina

A24 acquired American distribution rights to Alex Garland's Ex Machina (2014), which later won an Oscar for Visual Effects.

Year 2 • 2014

Acquired U.S. rights to Room; Brie Larson Oscar for Best Actress (2016 awards)

A24 acquired Room (2015) U.S. rights; Brie Larson later won the Academy Award for Best Actress (2016 ceremony) for the film.

Year 3 • 2015

Obtained worldwide rights and theatrically released The Witch

A24 secured worldwide rights and gave Robert Eggers's The Witch a theatrical release in 2015, helping establish A24 in modern horror.

Year 3 • 2015

Launch of A24 Television division announced

A24 announced it would start a television division — producing series such as Playing House and developing pilots like Comrade Detective.

Year 3 • 2015

Sasha Lloyd hired to run international film & TV distribution (Jan 2016)

Sasha Lloyd joined to handle international film/TV distribution and business development.

Year 3 • 2016

Raised bank line of credit from $50M to $125M

With cooperation from Bank of America, J.P. Morgan & Co., and SunTrust, A24 expanded its line of credit from $50M to $125M to scale operations.

Year 3 • 2016

Acquired all foreign rights to Swiss Army Man (first world-rights move)

A24 handled international distribution for Swiss Army Man, marking its first full-world-rights distribution strategy.

Year 3 • 2016

Ex Machina, Amy, Room win Academy Awards (2016 ceremony)

At the 2016 Oscars, A24-backed films won Best Visual Effects (Ex Machina), Best Documentary Feature (Amy), and Best Actress (Brie Larson for Room).

Year 4 • 2016

Name shortened from 'A24 Films' to 'A24'

Company rebranded to the simpler trade name 'A24'.

Year 4 • 2016

Moonlight release and later Best Picture Oscar (2017)

Barry Jenkins's Moonlight (distributed/produced by A24) was released in 2016 and won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2017.

Year 4 • 2016

A24 partners with BitTorrent Now for ad-supported distribution

A24, Oscilloscope, and Honora joined BitTorrent Now (June 2016) to distribute portfolio content on an ad-supported platform.

Year 4 • 2016

A24 wins first Best Picture (Moonlight) recognition for studio profile

Moonlight's Best Picture win (2017 ceremony for a 2016 release) established A24 as a powerhouse in prestige indie cinema.

Year 4 • 2016

A24 produces roughly 18–20 films annually (operational scale)

By the mid-late 2010s A24 scaled operations to producing/distributing ~18–20 films per year (reported figure reflects growth of output).

Year 4 • 2016

A24 acquires U.S. and Chinese rights for Menashe

A24 acquired distribution rights for Menashe — its first foreign-language film acquisition covering U.S. and China.

Year 4 • 2017

Years 5-9

Critical hit slate: Lady Bird, The Florida Project, Good Time, Moonlight recognition

Lady Bird domestic gross ~ $78.99M (included as part of slate)

Year 5 • 2017

Launched 'The A24 Podcast' (Feb 28, 2018)

A podcast featuring long-form discussions between two film industry members (first guests Barry Jenkins & Greta Gerwig).

Year 5 • 2018

Co-founder John Hodges exits A24 (Mar 26, 2018)

John Hodges announced his departure from the company.

Year 5 • 2018

Hereditary release — A24 cements influence in modern horror

Ari Aster's Hereditary (2018) premiered and became a culturally influential 'elevated horror' title and a box-office success for A24.

Year 6 • 2018

Multi-year production partnership announced with Apple (Nov 15, 2018)

A24 and Apple agreed to a multi-year slate of original films to be produced for Apple (not an exclusive first-look).

Year 6 • 2018

Euphoria premieres — A24 television prestige expansion

HBO series Euphoria (2019–present) produced by A24 became a high-profile TV success for the studio.

Year 7 • 2019

Showtime output deal for A24 films (announced Nov 13, 2019)

A premium cable broadcast deal with Showtime covering A24 film releases through Nov 1, 2022 (excluding Apple slate).

Year 7 • 2019

Employees milestone: ~295 employees reported (2021)

LinkedIn/press reporting listed approximately 295 employees at A24 in 2021, showing company growth from a small startup.

Year 9 • 2021

A24 explored sale with asking price $2.5–$3.0 billion (reported)

A24 reportedly shopped a possible buyout in mid-2021 with an indicative price range of $2.5–$3B.

Year 9 • 2021Valuation: $2,500,000,000

J.B. Lockhart hired as Chief Financial Officer (Oct 2021)

Former NBA CFO J.B. Lockhart joined A24 as CFO to oversee finance during growth and expansion.

Year 9 • 2021

Signed 15-year lease at 1245 Broadway, Manhattan

A24 signed a 15-year lease for headquarters space at 1245 Broadway, consolidating New York presence.

Year 9 • 2021

Nick Hall joins to oversee creative for TV (Jan 2022)

Former HBO and Amazon MGM Studios executive Nick Hall joined A24 to run creative for an expanding television slate.

Year 9 • 2022

Launched membership program 'AAA24' (Apr 2022)

A24 introduced AAA24 subscription membership offering early merch drops, discounts, and exclusive zines.

Year 9 • 2022

Years 10-14

Released Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) — commercial & critical milestone

A24 produced/executed EEAAO, which became A24's first film to cross $100M worldwide and a major critical success.

Year 10 • 2022

Reported valuation estimate around $2.5 billion (2022 reports)

Press around 2022 tied to private investment and buyout speculation placed A24's estimated valuation near $2.5B; estimate varies by source.

Year 10 • 2022Valuation: $2,500,000,000

Acquired distribution rights to Pi and Stop Making Sense (restorations)

A24 bought Darren Aronofsky's Pi (1998) and Jonathan Demme's Stop Making Sense (1984) for remastered theatrical reissues.

Year 10 • 2023

Everything Everywhere All at Once wins 7 Oscars including Best Picture (Mar 2023)

At the 95th Academy Awards A24's EEAAO won Best Picture plus six additional Oscars; studio swept major categories, becoming first independent studio to win Best Picture and all four acting categories in a single year.

Year 10 • 2023

Joint label with Leonine Studios for Germany/Austria

A24 and German distributor Leonine formed 'A24 | Leonine Studios' to distribute A24 films in Austria and Germany.

Year 10 • 2023

Peter Rice signs deal to co-finance films with A24 (June 2023)

Former Disney General Entertainment chairman Peter Rice signed as independent producer with A24 to co-finance films for global distribution.

Year 10 • 2023

Box-office milestone: 'Talk to Me' becomes A24's highest-grossing horror domestically (Sept 3, 2023)

Talk to Me surpassed Hereditary's domestic total to become A24's top domestic horror grosser (running total reported at the time).

Year 11 • 2023

Recorded academy nominations & wins milestone (as of 2023)

By 2023 A24 was the most nominated single studio at the Oscars that year (18 nominations across six films) and the most awarded studio with nine awards that night.

Year 11 • 2023

Approved to continue filming during 2023 Hollywood labor disputes

During the 2023 SAG-AFTRA/WGA disputes, A24 was cleared to continue certain indie shoots and promotions because it is not an AMPTP signatory.

Year 11 • 2023

Announced strategic shift to pursue more commercial and IP-driven projects

Reports indicated A24 planned to expand from arthouse films into more commercial genres including action and big-IP projects to diversify slate.

Year 11 • 2023

Exclusive theatrical output deal signed with Happinet Phantom Studios (Japan)

A24 forged its first major international theatrical output deal covering Japan distribution and local brand-building.

Year 11 • 2023

Premiere of Hazbin Hotel series on Prime Video (Jan 19, 2024)

A24, in association with Prime Video and Bento Box, launched Hazbin Hotel — its first animated TV project; Prime Video ordered two seasons.

Year 11 • 2024

A24 distributes Ne Zha 2 (upcoming/announced) — projected highest grossing A24 title

A24 acquired distribution for Chinese animation Ne Zha 2 for an upcoming release, projected to bring A24 its first >$1B global title for a mini-major (reported projection).

Year 12 • 2024

A24 signs development/production deal with United Talent Agency's Civic Center Media (Jan 2024)

A24 partnered with UTA to provide development and production resources for scripted and unscripted TV via Civic Center Media.

Year 12 • 2024

Civil War (Alex Garland) released — A24's most expensive in-house film to date

Civil War (2024) released April 12, 2024 with an in-house production budget reported at approximately $50M — A24's priciest internal production at that time.

Year 12 • 2024

Civil War grosses over $127M worldwide (top grossing 2024 A24 film)

Civil War became one of A24's highest grossing films internationally with reported worldwide box office around $127.3M.

Year 12 • 2024

The Zone of Interest co-produced; wins 2024 Oscars including Best International Feature Film

A24 co-produced Jonathan Glazer's The Zone of Interest (UK-financed); it premiered at Cannes and won Oscars including Best International Feature Film and Best Sound.

Year 12 • 2024

Reported private equity raise and valuation jump (industry reports)

Some industry databases reported a 2024 private equity round (~$75M) and an estimated valuation rise to ~$3.5B—figures are reported but not officially confirmed by A24.

Year 12 • 2024Valuation: $3,500,000,000

Scott Belsky joins leadership as partner for technology & innovation (Jan 2025)

Former Adobe Chief Strategy Officer Scott Belsky was appointed partner overseeing technology and innovation initiatives at A24.

Year 12 • 2025

A24 cumulative Oscar counts (as of 97th Academy Awards)

As of the 97th Academy Awards reporting, A24 had amassed roughly 76 Academy Award nominations and 21 wins cumulatively (press figure).

Year 13 • 2025

The Brutalist achieves major Oscar wins (2025 ceremony)

The Brutalist was nominated for ten Oscars at the 2025 ceremony and won multiple awards including Best Actor and Best Cinematography.

Year 13 • 2025

A24 shuts down documentary division (May 2025)

A24 closed its documentary division, resulting in five layoffs, as part of corporate restructuring.

Year 13 • 2025