Escape Artists

American production company

This article is about the production company. For other uses, see Escape Artists (disambiguation).

"Escape Artists Productions, LLC" redirects here. For the Indian film production company, see Escape Artists Motion Pictures.

Not to be confused with Escape artist (disambiguation).

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Escape Artists Productions, LLC

Company type| Production company
Industry| Film
Television
Predecessors| The Steve Tisch Company
Black & Blu
Founded| 2000; 25 years ago (2000)
Founders| Steve Tisch
Todd Black
Jason Blumenthal
Headquarters| Culver City, California, United States

Key people

| Todd Black
Steve Tisch
David Bloomfield
Jason Blumenthal
Website| escapeartists.com

Escape Artists Productions, LLC, commonly known as Escape Artists, is an American independently financed motion picture and television production company that has a first look non-exclusive deal at Sony Pictures Entertainment, headed by partners Steve Tisch, Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and David Bloomfield.

The company's production office is located in the Astaire Building on the Sony Pictures Studios lot in Culver City, California.

## History

[edit]

In 2000, The Steve Tisch Company merged with Todd Black and Jason Blumenthal's Black & Blu to form Escape Artists. It was originally a film financing company with a deal with Columbia Pictures, and other international backers.[1]

The first produced movie under the Escape Artists banner was A Knight's Tale, starring Heath Ledger in May 2001. In the fall of 2005, Escape Artists released The Weather Man, directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Nicolas Cage and Michael Caine. Their next film, The Pursuit of Happyness, directed by Gabriele Muccino and starring Will Smith, was released in December 2006 and earned over $300 million in worldwide ticket sales, as well as best actor Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Will Smith. Seven Pounds, another Gabriele Muccino-directed film starring Will Smith, was released in December 2008. In 2009, Escape Artists released the Alex Proyas thriller Knowing, starring Nicolas Cage, and The Taking of Pelham 123, directed by Tony Scott and starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta. Escape Artists produced 'The Upside, which was directed by Neil Burger and starring Kevin Hart. It was released through STX Entertainment and Lantern Entertainment on January 11, 2019 in the United States. Escape Artists produced all three film adaptations of The Equalizer, with the most recent being the 2023 film The Equalizer 3. All three movies star Denzel Washington in the main role of Robert McCall.

In February 2013, 12-year veteran David Bloomfield was promoted to partner Escape Artists.[2] In October 2014, the company inks its first-look pact with FX Productions.[3] In August 2019, MGM Television signed its first-look deal with Escape Artists.[4]

## List of films

[edit]

Year  | Title  | Production partners

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2001  | A Knight's Tale | Sony Pictures Releasing
2003  | Alex & Emma | Warner Bros. Pictures, Franchise Pictures, Castle Rock Entertainment and Epsilon Motion Pictures
2005  | The Weather Man | Paramount Pictures
2006  | The Pursuit of Happyness | Sony Pictures Releasing and Overbrook Entertainment
2008  | Seven Pounds
2009  | Knowing | Summit Entertainment
The Taking of Pelham 123 | Sony Pictures Releasing, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Scott Free Productions
2010  | The Back-up Plan | CBS Films
2012  | Hope Springs | Sony Pictures Releasing, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Mandate Pictures
2014  | Sex Tape | Sony Pictures Releasing
The Equalizer | Sony Pictures Releasing and Village Roadshow Pictures
2015  | Unfinished Business | 20th Century Fox and Regency Enterprises
Southpaw | The Weinstein Company
2016  | The Magnificent Seven | Sony Pictures Releasing, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Village Roadshow Pictures
Fences | Paramount Pictures
2017  | Roman J. Israel, Esq. | Sony Pictures Releasing
2018  | The Equalizer 2 | Sony Pictures Releasing
2019  | The Upside | STX Entertainment and Lantern Entertainment
2020  | Troop Zero | Amazon Studios
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom | Netflix
2021  | Being the Ricardos | Amazon Studios
A Journal for Jordan | Sony Pictures Releasing
2022  | The Man from Toronto | Netflix and Sony Pictures Releasing
Emancipation | Apple TV+
2023  | The Equalizer 3 | Sony Pictures Releasing
Cassandro | Amazon Studios
2025  | Highest 2 Lowest[5] | Apple TV+ and A24
2026  | Masters of the Universe[6] | Amazon MGM Studios and Mattel Films
TBA  | Madden | Amazon MGM Studios and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

## List of television shows

[edit]

Year  | Title  | Network  | Production partners

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2019  | Perpetual Grace, LTD | Epix | MGM Television, Chi-Town Pictures, Elephant Pictures and FXP
2019  | Why We Hate | Discovery Channel | Amblin Television and Jigsaw Productions
2019–2023  | Servant | Apple TV+ | Blinding Edge Pictures and Dolphin Black Productions
2021  | Dr. Death | Peacock | Universal Content Productions, Wondery and Littleton Road Productions
2023  | Desperately Seeking Soulmate: Escaping Twin Flames Universe | Amazon Prime Video | Amazon Studios, MGM Television, Dorothy Street Pictures & PMZ Pictures
2025  | Untamed | Netflix | Netflix Studios, John Wells Productions and Warner Bros. Television

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Harris, Claude Brodesser,Dana (October 20, 2000). "Escape hatches". Variety. Retrieved September 4, 2024.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
2. ^ Abrams, Rachel (February 12, 2013). "Escape Artists lifts David Bloomfield to partner". Variety. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
3. ^ Littleton, Cynthia (October 28, 2014). "Escape Artists Inks First-Look Pact with FX Prods". Variety. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
4. ^ Petski, Denise (August 8, 2019). "MGM Television Inks First-Look Deal With Escape Artists". Deadline. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
5. ^ Grobar, Matt (May 5, 2025). "Highest 2 Lowest Trailer: First Look At Spike Lee's Kurosawa Adaptation Starring Denzel Washington". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
6. ^ "Mattel's 'Masters of the Universe' Moves From Netflix to Amazon for Summer 2026 Release, Travis Knight to Direct". Variety. May 1, 2024. Retrieved May 1, 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* Official site Archived February 18, 2015, at the Wayback Machine

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States
* Israel

Other|

* Yale LUX