Summit Entertainment

Summit Entertainment was founded in 1991 as The Summit Group by film producers Bernd Eichinger (Constantin Film), Arnon Milchan (Regency Enterprises), and Andrew G. Vajna (Carolco Pictures and Cinergi) to handle film sales in foreign countries. Summit officially launched in 1993 by David Garrett, Patrick Wachsberger, and Bob Hayward under the name Summit Entertainment LP as a distribution and sales organization. By 1995 they were producing and co-financing films, and by 1997 they started fully financing films. Among the company's early successes was American Pie, which Summit distributed outside of English-speaking territories. In 1998, Summit acquired worldwide distribution rights to the entire filmography of Wim Wenders, including the then-upcoming Buena Vista Social Club, from Road Movies Filmproduktion; the deal however excluded The End of Violence, retained by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Ciby 2000. In 2006, it became an independent film studio with over a billion dollars in financing backed by Merrill Lynch. Starting in 2007, Summit Entertainment's home video division was distributed by Universal Studios Home Entertainment.