Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (SPWA) is a specialty film division of Sony Pictures. The company specializes in acquiring and producing films for a wide variety of distribution platforms.
History
The group became a stand-alone division of Sony Pictures in 2007. Originally being called as Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group (SPWAG), the group's name was changed to "Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions" (SPWA) in late 2010. The group had sometimes been called "Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) Worldwide Acquisitions Group".
SPWA produces and acquires about 60 films per year, usually through Stage 6 Films, Affirm Films, and Destination Films. SPWA releases some of its films theatrically; the group would analyze how much a theatrical release would impact a film's TV, VOD and home video revenue, and then the group would determine whether the film should bows theatrically.
In the case of theatrical releases, SPWA will offer the films to Sony's distribution labels (i.e. TriStar Pictures, Screen Gems, Columbia Pictures, and Sony Pictures Classics) firstly; then, if Sony's distribution labels pass on the films, the company will release the films through other distributors.
SPWA also has the rights to the Morgan Creek Entertainment library via Revolution Studios since 2016.
Select United States theatrical releases
2000s
Paprika (2007) (production of Madhouse) Daddy Day Camp (2007) (production of Revolution Studios) Revolver (2007) (production of EuropaCorp. Co-released with Samuel Goldwyn Films) Rise: Blood Hunter (2007) (production of Ghost House Pictures. Co-released with Samuel Goldwyn Films) Seraphim Falls (2007) (production of Icon Productions. Co-released with Samuel Goldwyn Films) Slipstream (2007) (Independently produced. Co-released with Strand Releasing) Southland Tales (2007) (production of Darko Entertainment and Wild Bunch. Co-released with Samuel Goldwyn Films) Tekkon Kinkreet (2007) (production on behalf of Studio 4C) The Nines (2007) (production of Newmarket Films) We Own The Night (2007) (production of 2929 Productions) Dark Streets (2008) (production of Capture Film International. Co-released with Samuel Goldwyn Films) Kabluey (2008) (Independently produced. Co-released with Regent Releasing) Elegy (2008) (production of Lakeshore Entertainment. Co-released with Samuel Goldwyn Films) Fireproof (2008) (production of Sherwood Pictures. Co-released with Samuel Goldwyn Films) Kabluey (2008) (Independently produced. Co-released with Regent Releasing) Married Life (2008) (production of Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and Anonymous Content) The Perfect Holiday (2008) (production of Flavor Unit Films. Co-released with Yari Film Group) Black Dynamite (2009) (production of Ars Nova. Co-released with Apparition) Blood: The Last Vampire (2009) (production of East Wing Holdings Corp. and SAJ. Co-released with Samuel Goldwyn Films) District 9 (2009) (production of WingNut Films and QED International) Moon (2009) (production of Liberty Films UK) Planet 51 (2009) (production of Ilion Animation Studios and HandMade Films) The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day (2009) (Independently produced. Co-released with Apparition) The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009) (production of Davis Films and Infinity Features) The Young Victoria (2009) (production of GK Films. Co-released with Apparition)