Gramercy Pictures

1992–2002
Description

A little history: Gramercy Pictures initially was launched in 1992 as a joint venture of PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Universal Pictures. In 1996, PolyGram brought the 50% stake owned by Universal, assuming full control of Gramercy. Seagram acquired PolyGram in 1999, reacquiring Gramercy, which it in turn sold to Barry Diller’s USA Networks, along with another specialty division, October Films. Both companies were merged into USA Films, which morphed into Focus Features in 2002.

Denise Petski, “Focus Revives Gramercy Pictures Label For Genre Films,” Deadline (blog), May 20, 2015, https://deadline.com/2015/05/focus-features-revives-gramercy-pictures-label-genre-films-1201430500/.
Works in catalogue
  • Four people stand in a line, wearing dark clothing and sunglasses with guns in their hands. The background is a moody blue fog, penetrated by downward streaks of computer code which resemble rain. Front and centre in the lineup is Neo, a white man with short black hair in a trenchcoat over a plain black shirt, portrayed by Keanu Reeves. Behind Neo on the right is Trinity, a white woman with short black hair in a latex tank top, portrayed by Carrie-Anne Moss. Behind Neo on the left is Morpheus, a bald black man in a trenchcoat over a well-kept suit and tie, portrayed by Laurence Fishburne. Finally, behind Morpheus on the right is Cypher, a bald white man in a trenchcoat over a run-down suit and tie, portrayed by Joe Pantoliano. The names "Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne" appear at the top of the poster in glowing blue text, and the title "The Matrix" appears at the bottom of the poster in jagged glowing blue text. Beneath the title is the tagline "on March 31st the fight for the future begins," also in glowing blue text.

    The Matrix

    film/video, 1999

    Have you ever had a dream that you were so sure was real? What if you couldn't awaken? How would you know the difference between dream and reality? When a beautiful stranger (Carrie Ann Moss) leads computer hacker Neo (Keanu Reeves) to a forbidding underworld, he discovers the shocking truth--the life he knows is the elaborate deception of an evil cyber-intelligence. Neo joins legendary and dangerous rebel warrior Morpheus (Lawrence Fishburne) in the battle to destroy the illusion enslaving humanity.