Medusa Film

Medusa Film S.p.A., under the name in English as Medusa Movie, formerly Medusa Distribuzione (styled as MEDUSA FILM, now set as Medusa Mediaset Group) is an Italian film studio and distributor/production company co-founded by Felice Colaiacomo and Franco Poccioni, with an extra co-founder Lorenzo Ventavoli. Since the '90s, it has been owned subsidiary of MediaForEurope under the joint of Mediaset and Mediaset Italia all founded by former Italian prime minister and media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi, under license of Warner Bros. Discovery (formerly WarnerMedia, TimeWarner). Medusa Film is known for the best Italian films since the '60s. The logo is Medusa, the goddess of Greek anthology. The titles 
==History==
===(1964–1981)===
Italian film history grew bigger after Titanus Distribuzione was founded by Gustavo Lombardo in 1904. As of 1964, Medusa Film was founded as Medusa Distribuzione by Felice, Franco, and Lorenzo. It was first revealed a logo with the Medusa in Greek anthology.
Medusa acquired both Italian and foreign films to distribute on the market through regional agencies: Colaiacono and Poccioni handled relationships with Italian producers, while Ventavoli took care of co-productions, in particular with France (with whom he co-produced The Unfaithful Lover ), United Kingdom (mostly England) and United States of America . In the United States, Ventavoli maintained an important relationship with National General, which led Medusa to distribute two films with Paul Newman ; Pocket Money and The Man of the Seven Halters.
With the triumphant success of Rambo and other important American films, Medusa established itself as a distribution company, thanks also to the efficiency of the foreign office led by Adriana Chiesa, wife of the director of photography Carlo Di Palma .
Regarding his vocation for a genre of popular, comic and erotic cinema, Lorenzo says:
"It was always about co-productions, that is, financial participations. At the beginning in Italy my partners worked a lot with Luciano Martino , who at that time was Edwige Fenech 's partner . It was a relationship of friendship and topographical proximity... Sergio Martino, Luciano's brother, directed Edwige Fenech, who came from France, where she had acted in films of reasonable interest. It was a partnership that lasted several years."
In 1986 Reteitalia , belonging to the Fininvest group , purchased 49% of the company. The acquisition was completed in 1988.
====Penta Film====
In 1989 Medusa was absorbed into Penta Film, a joint venture between Cecchi Gori Group and Silvio Berlusconi Communications. The two companies coexisted at the distribution level until 1990, but the last films of the Medusa lineup (including The Sheltering Sky , from 1990 ) were distributed under the new brand. Penta purchased, produced and distributed in Italy some of the biggest cinema successes of those years, both Italian and international. Furthermore, a good part of the Italian actors were the prerogative of this distribution house, which could compete with the big Hollywood majors . The company was dissolved in 1995 due to Medusa's focus to other films and in order to compete, Medusa wanted to distribute more Italian films within easy.
=====The relaunch of Medusa Film (1998-present)=====
Following the end of the collaboration with the Cecchi Gori group in Penta Film, in 1994 Fininvest went back on its own in the film market, with the name Mediaset Distribuzione . The first film distributed by the new company was The Crow , an adaptation of the comic book of the same name by James O'Barr directed by Alex Proyas , and also the last work by Brandon Lee . The other films distributed by Mediaset were Stargate , Jonathan of the Bears , Nightmare - New Nightmare and Mollo tutto .
In 1995 the historic Medusa Film brand was restored.
The collaboration between Cecchi Gori and Fininvest ends with some problems regarding some films produced whose distribution in theaters was being contested (an example, the film Il postino ). However, again in 1994, and until spring 1995, some films distributed by Cecchi Gori also featured the Penta Film logo on the posters (two examples among many: the films The Mask and The Shawshank Redemption ), perhaps because they were produced or purchased at the time of the collaboration. Subsequently, for the distribution of some (few) titles, Cecchi Gori Group also collaborated with major studios such as Buena Vista and Warner Bros.
Medusa Film is specialized in the production and distribution of Italian and international films and in home entertainment . Medusa has also developed a vertical integration by entering the market of cinema management and, subsequently, in the direct construction of multiplex cinemas . Previously, it also distributed its films on VHS and DVD (currently its home video rights are owned by Eagle Pictures ).
Since July 2007, the president of Medusa has been Carlo Rossella , former director of TG5 . Previously, Bruno Ermolli held the same position.
==Business sectors==
===Film production and distribution===
Medusa has produced films by directors such as Lucio Fulci , Marco Vicario , Bernardo Bertolucci , Gabriele Muccino , Ferzan Özpetek, Ettore Scola, Giuseppe Tornatore, Franco Zeffirelli, Aldo, Giovanni and Giacomo , Bruno Corbucci , Nando Cicero and distributed films featuring personalities such as Checco Zalone , the duo Pio e Amedeo, Roberto Benigni, Leonardo Pieraccioni, Massimo Boldi, Paolo Virzì (after an agreement with the Cecchi Gori Group ), Federico Moccia.
===Cinema halls===
The company managed a circuit of cinemas in the most important Italian cities, initially through the company Cinema 5, which took over the management and programming, at the end of the 1980s, of the cinemas of the Cannon Films circuit (before that Gaumont , including the newly founded Odeon multiplex in Milan and the Ambrosio cinema in Turin) and later through the subsidiaries Medusa Cinema and Medusa Multicinema, which later merged into The Space Cinema circuit , controlled together with the Benetton family 's 21 Investimenti company .
===Home video===
Through the Medusa Home Entertainment division (until 1999/2000 Medusa Video ), the company was responsible for the publication of films, documentaries, cartoons and television productions on VHS , DVD and Blu-Ray . In 2012, the home video division , including the entire package of titles, was acquired by Warner Bros. Entertainment Italia . The major managed the home video distribution of Medusa productions until 2021. Many catalog titles (especially the older ones), however, were distributed (so far only on DVD) by Mustang Entertainment through a licensing agreement. From 2021, Spyglass Media Group replaces Warner Bros. as the new home video distributor of films produced and/or distributed by Medusa Film. However, Warner Bros. Discovery International still owns the film company Medusa itself.
==Films produced and/or distributed==
===Like Medusa Distribution===
# The Tycoon (1973)
# Lobster for Breakfast (1979)
# Sex and willingly (1982)
# First Class Love (1979)
# The Bersaglieri Are Coming (1980)
# The Thief (1980)
# A Beautiful Sack (1980)
# White, Red and Verdone (1981)
# The Fan, the Referee and the Footballer (1981)
# Two Marines and a General (1966)
# The Spies Come from the Semifreddo (1966)
# Peter Against All (1981)
# Peter Strikes Again ( 1982)
# Eye, Evil Eye, Parsley and Fennel (1983)
# Rimini Rimini (1987)
# Rimini Rimini - One Year Later (1988)
# Nosferatu in Venice (1988)
# Kinski Paganini (1989)
===Like Penta Film===
====Distributed====
# The Boy and the Policeman (1989)
# Under Special Surveillance (1989)
# The Sheltering Sky (1990)
# Total Recall (1990)
# Shocked (1990)
# Nightmare 5 - The myth (1990)
# City Slickers - Life, Love and Cows (1991)
# Anything's Gotta Happen (1991)
# Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
# Nightmare 6 - The End (1992)
# Pink Disarray and Her Lovers (1992)
# Basic Instinct (1992)
# Reservoir Dogs (1992)
====Products====
# I Won the New Year's Lottery (1989)
# Fantozzi to the Rescue (1990)
# Very Tanned (1991)
# Billions (1991)
# You Broke Us Dad (1993)
===Like Medusa Movie===
====Distributed====
# Doll (1996)
# Alaska (1996)
# Three Men and a Leg (1997)
# Nice & Unnice (1998)
# That's Life (1998)
# Radio Arrow (1998)
# Ask Me If I'm Happy (2000)
# What Women Want (2000)
# The Last Kiss (2001) (in production with Fandango )
# The Leopard (1963)
# The Score (2001)
# Don't Say a Word (2001)
# The Legend of Al, John and Jack (2002)
# Pinocchio (2002)
# They Called Him Trinity... (1970)
# ...They Still Called Him Trinity (1971)
# Suddenly Heaven (2003)
# Break Free (2003)
# The Last Dawn (2003)
# Hollywood Homicide (2003)
# Impossible Marriage (2003)
# Open Range (2003)
# ...stronger boys! (1973)
# ...or else we get angry! (1974)
# Turn the Other Cheek (1974)
# I'm for the Hippos (1979)
# Bigfoot the Cop (1973)
# Bigfoot in Hong Kong (1975)
# Bigfoot the African (1978)
# Flatfoot of Egypt (1980)
# Do you know Claudia? (2004)
# The Soldier of Fortune (1976)
# The Return of the Garbage (2005)
# Charleston (2006)
# A Reason to Live, a Reason to Die (2006)
# Joseph Sold by His Brothers (2006)
# The Great Blue Road (2006)
# The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
# The Departed - The Good and the Evil (2006)
# Anplagghed at the cinema (2006)
# Don Camillo (2007)
# The Third Mother (2007)
# A Beautiful Wife (2007)
# It can be done... amigo (1972)
# Villa Borghese (2008)
# The Cosmos on the Dresser (2008)
# No problem (2008)
# A Summer at the Sea (2008)
# Extralarge (1991)
# The True and the False (2009)
# Me & Marilyn (2009)
# Down North (2009)
# A Perfect Alibi (2009)
# The Suitcase on the Bed (2009)
# I Fall From The Clouds (2009)
# A Summer in the Caribbean (2009)
# Kiss Me Again (2010)
# Welcome to the South (2010)
# Winx Club 3D - Magical Adventure (2010)
# Jukebox - Screams of Love (1964)
# Happiness at Last (2011)
# What a Beautiful Day (2011)
# Females vs. Males (2011)
# 10 Days with Santa Claus , directed by Alessandro Genovesi (2020)
# Storm Boy - The Boy Who Could Fly ( Storm Boy ) (2020)
# Another Round ( Druk ) (2020)
# C'mon C'mon (2021)
# The Three Musketeers - D'Artagnan (2023)
# The First Day of My Life (2023)
# Tuesday and Friday (2024)
# A World Apart (2024)
# The Adventures of Jim Bottone ( Jim Knopf und Lukas der Lokomotivführer ) (2018)
===Products===
# A Perfect Family (2012)
# Welcome to the North (2012)
# Come into the world (2012)
# You and Me (2012)
# To Rome with Love (2012)
# The Great Beauty (2013, Academy Award 2014)
# It's All Freud's Fault (2014)
# The Rich Man, the Poor Man and the Butler (2014)
# Average Italian (2015)
# The Laws of Desire (2015)
# Youth (2015)
# Where am I going? (2016)
# Perfect Strangers (2016)
# Tiramisu (2016)
# Escape from Reuma Park (2016)
# Murder Italian Style (2017)
# Mom or Dad? (2017)
# Class Z (2017)
# The Girl in the Fog (2017)
# Treasure Hunt (2017)
# The Place (2017)
# I'm Coming Too (2018)
# You May Kiss the Groom (2018)
# A Party Too Much (2018)
# Tolo Tolo (2020)
# Virus Trafficker (2021)
# All Aboard (2022)
# The Big Day (2022)
# The Usual Idiots 3 - The Return (2024)
# I'm Starting Over From Tac (2024)
====Distributed====
# The Usual Idiots - The Movie (2011)
# The 2 Usual Idiots (2012)
# Gladiators of Rome (2012)
# What I Know About Love (2012)
# Gambit (2012)
# Sun in buckets (2013)
# Friends Like Us (2014)
# Southern Wedding (2015)
# Caribbean Vacation (2015)
# Call Me Francis - The People's Pope (2015)
# The Pills - Always Better Than Working (2016)
# Forever Young (2016)
# A Moment of Madness (2016)
# On Air - Story of a Success (2016)
# Now You See Me 2 (2016)
# The BFG - The Big Friendly Giant (2016)
# Indivisible (2016)
# Fuck you, prof! 2 (2016)
# A Christmas in the South (2016)
# The Babysitters (2016)
# Escape from Reuma Park (2016)
# Daylight Saving Time (2017)
# Murder Italian Style (2017)
# Mom or Dad? (2017)
# Class Z (2017)
# The Girl in the Fog (2017)
# Treasure Hunt (2017)
# The Place (2017)
# Richard Goes to Hell (2017)
# Chef's Christmas (2017)
# Made in Italy (2018)
# I'm Coming Too (2018)
# You May Kiss the Groom (2018)
# A Party Too Much (2018)
# An Enemy Who Loves You (2018)
# No One Like Us (2018)
# Meet Sofia (2018)
# The Vice of Hope (2018)
# If They Are Roses (2018)
# Friends as Before (2018)
# All Right (2019)
# The First Christmas (2019)
# I Hate Summer (2020)
# My Band Plays Pop (2020)
# Lockdown Italian Style (2020)
# Yara (2021)
# Virus Trafficker (2021)
# Superheroes (2021)
# A Night at the Doctor's (2021)
# I'm dropping everything and opening a beach bar (2021)
# The Judgment (2021)
# With All My Heart (2021)
# The Lonely Voices (2022)
# Neighbors (2022)
# All Aboard (2022)
# The Weirdness (2022)
# The Boy and the Tiger (2022)
# Nostalgia (2022)
# A World Under Social (2022)
# A Female (2022)
# The Big Day (2022)
# The Hunt (2023)
# The Grandparents' War (2023)
# The Usual Idiots 3 - The Return (2024)
# Ennio Doris - There's Tomorrow (2024)
# Close to Me (2024)
==Logos==
Medusa's logo represents the logo of the Medusa in Greek anthology. The word "Medusa" has been used in several films rather related to its Italian film studio of the same name.
As seen in Audiovisual Identity Database and Closing Logos by Media Wiki 
* From 1998 until September 2008: In a starry night sky, a film strip appeared from the left , then others appeared more quickly until they formed the logo of Caravaggio 's Medusa . Then, from the right, the letters that make up the word MEDUSA appeared while the logo moved away, also revealing the Mediaset logo (added to the Medusa logo in 1999 ). Almost immediately after, the word MOTION PICTURE appeared . After 2 seconds, a star appeared quickly from the right and positioned itself near the M (it turns out it was an E, transforming MOTION PICTURE into EMOTION PICTURE ). Finally, the entire logo was surrounded by a white beam of light.
* From September 2008 to 2017: It begins in the open sea when suddenly a film reel appears close by followed by others. Then the reels rise up towards a starry night sky where they begin to compose Caravaggio's Medusa while the word MEDUSA moves back making the word MEDIASET GROUP appear with its logo. Finally a yellow circle of light surrounds the logo and causes the background to change and become between sun and clouds .
* From 2017 to today: Same as the previous logo, but the film strips are golden ribbons, also the sky remains night.
==Related entries==
* Holding
* Fininvest
* Mediaset
* Silvio Berlusconi
* Commercial television
Category:Film production companies of Italy
Category:Companies established in 1964
Category:Documentary film production companies
Category:Television companies