CatchPlay
Encyclopedia
CatchPlay is a movie distribution
and production company based in San Jose, Ca
. Founded in 2007, CatchPlay has become a leading distributor of movies primarily in the Taiwan
and Greater China
regions. The company's primary business has been purchasing the exclusive distribution rights to major movies for all media including theatrical releases, DVD
sell-through, DVD rentals, Online (Netflix
Style) Rentals and digital distribution.
In 2008, CatchPlay had signed the rights to only 12 theatrical releases, however the company was able to secure major titles such as Rambo
and Righteous Kill
. In 2009, the company expanded its title inventory to 45 theatrical releases including I Come with the Rain
, Crank: High Voltage, Drag Me to Hell
, K-20: Legend of the Mask
, The Duchess
, and The Wrestler.
CatchPlay experienced similar growth in its DVD and Home Entertainment division. In 2008, the company had 16 titles in total for DVD distribution. In 2009, CatchPlay had secured the rights to 120 DVD titles and launched its online rental service in partnership with 7-11 through its rental portal NT39.com.
CatchPlay is now expanding into production and will premier its first international feature Hesher at the Sundance Film Festival
in Park City, Utah
. Hesher is directed by Spencer Susser and stars Natalie Portman
, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
and Rainn Wilson
.
Film distributor
A film distributor is a company or individual responsible for releasing films to the public either theatrically or for home viewing...
and production company based in San Jose, Ca
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
. Founded in 2007, CatchPlay has become a leading distributor of movies primarily in the Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and Greater China
Greater China
Greater China is a term used to refer to mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. As a "phrase of the moment", the precise meaning is not entirely clear, and people may use it for only the commercial ties, only the cultural actions, or even as a euphemism for the Two Chinas, while others may...
regions. The company's primary business has been purchasing the exclusive distribution rights to major movies for all media including theatrical releases, DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
sell-through, DVD rentals, Online (Netflix
Netflix
Netflix, Inc., is an American provider of on-demand internet streaming media in the United States, Canada, and Latin America and flat rate DVD-by-mail in the United States. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California...
Style) Rentals and digital distribution.
In 2008, CatchPlay had signed the rights to only 12 theatrical releases, however the company was able to secure major titles such as Rambo
Rambo
Rambo is an action film series based on the David Morrell novel First Blood and starring Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo, a troubled Vietnam War veteran and former Green Beret who is skilled in many aspects of survival, weaponry, hand to hand combat and guerrilla warfare...
and Righteous Kill
Righteous Kill
Righteous Kill is a 2008 crime thriller film with elements of a buddy cop film directed by Jon Avnet, and starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. Righteous Kill also features John Leguizamo, Carla Gugino, Donnie Wahlberg, Brian Dennehy, and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson...
. In 2009, the company expanded its title inventory to 45 theatrical releases including I Come with the Rain
I Come with the Rain
I Come with the Rain is a 2009 neo-noir atmospheric thriller written and directed by Vietnamese-born French director Tran Anh Hung, starring American actor Josh Hartnett....
, Crank: High Voltage, Drag Me to Hell
Drag Me to Hell
Drag Me to Hell is a 2009 American horror film, directed by Sam Raimi, with a screenplay by Sam and Ivan Raimi. The plot focuses on loan officer Christine Brown , who tries to impress her boss by refusing to extend a loan to a gypsy woman by the name of Mrs. Ganush...
, K-20: Legend of the Mask
K-20: Legend of the Mask
at film festivals, The Fiend with Twenty Faces on home video in the United States and The Legend of the Black Mask in the United Kingdom) is a 2008 Japanese action feature film written and directed by Shimako Satō and based on a novel by Sō Kitamura and its sequel. The film released worldwide on...
, The Duchess
The Duchess (film)
The Duchess is a 2008 British drama film based on Amanda Foreman's biography of the 18th-century English aristocrat Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire. It was released in September 2008 in the UK...
, and The Wrestler.
CatchPlay experienced similar growth in its DVD and Home Entertainment division. In 2008, the company had 16 titles in total for DVD distribution. In 2009, CatchPlay had secured the rights to 120 DVD titles and launched its online rental service in partnership with 7-11 through its rental portal NT39.com.
CatchPlay is now expanding into production and will premier its first international feature Hesher at the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
in Park City, Utah
Park City, Utah
Park City is a town in Summit and Wasatch counties in the U.S. state of Utah. It is considered to be part of the Wasatch Back. The city is southeast of downtown Salt Lake City and from Salt Lake City's east edge of Sugar House along Interstate 80. The population was 7,558 at the 2010 census...
. Hesher is directed by Spencer Susser and stars Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman
Natalie Hershlag , better known by her stage name Natalie Portman, is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship. Her first role was as an orphan taken in by a hitman in the 1994 French action film Léon, but major success came when she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel...
, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Joseph Leonard Gordon-Levitt is an American actor whose career as both a child and adult has included television series and theatrical films....
and Rainn Wilson
Rainn Wilson
Rainn Dietrich Wilson is an American actor and comedian. He is primarily known for his role as the egomaniacal Dwight Schrute on the American version of the television comedy The Office...
.