PolyGram renames Casablanca Record & Filmworks to PolyGram Pictures MCA Videocassette‚ Inc. (later Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is established
NBC acquires Telemundo and Bravo Studios USA assets are folded into Universal Focus Features is formed Comcast acquires AT&T Broadband for $44.5 billion
2003
Universal becomes the first studio with five summer releases breaking the $100 million mark
In March 2004, Focus Features revived Rogue Pictures as a genre label, which was once used by October Films in the late 1990s. Rogue Pictures would be led by the same team who led the standard Focus management.[12]
On October 2, 2013, James Schamus was fired from his position as CEO of Focus, with the New York offices being shut down in the process. He was succeeded by Peter Schlessel, whose company FilmDistrict would be merged into Focus and folded into the trade name High Top Releasing. This became effective in January 2014, and several titles developed under FilmDistrict would be released under Focus.[13] Under Schlessel, the company began to acquire films with a wider commercial appeal, much like his previous company.[14][15] In May 2015, Gramercy Pictures was revived by Focus as a genre label, that was on action, sci-fi, and horror films.[16]
In February 2016, Focus merged with Universal Pictures International Productions as part of a new strategy to "align the acquisition and production of specialty films in the global market".[17][18][19] Following this, along with several disappointing box office returns, Schlessel was let go from the company and replaced with Peter Kujawski.[20]
In April 2017, Vine Alternative Investments re-acquired the pre-2008 Rogue film library from Focus Features.[21]
Focus World
In August 2011, Focus Features launched Focus World, a label focusing on the video on demand market with initial plans to distribute 15 films per year, with one film being released per month.[22]
As a distributor, Focus' most successful release in North America to date is the 2019 film Downton Abbey, which earned $84.5 million during its first weekend at the box office and surpassing Brokeback Mountain, which earned $83 million at the North American box office.[23] However, this is not counting the domestic total of Traffic, which earned $124.1 million under the USA Films banner. The animated film Coraline was also highly profitable for the company. Although suffering its share of unsuccessful releases, Focus has been consistently profitable, and its international sales arm (unusual among studio specialty film divisions) allows it to receive the foreign as well as domestic revenues from its releases.[24] Its DVD and movie rights revenues are boosted by cult classics including Wet Hot American Summer.