An ode to Megan Ellison's Annapurna Pictures

Is there anyone else on this planet with a producing filmography as flawless Megan Ellison's? Ever since she created Annapurna Pictures in 2011, she's graced the world with projects that constantly reaffirm the meaning of quality in cinema. If I was a billionaire, this is exactly how I'd want to spend my money too. In case you're unfamiliar with her work, here's a quick snapshot to get you up to speed:

Lawless (2012)

The Master (2012)

Killing Them Softly (2012)

Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

Spring Breakers (2013)

Her (2013)

The Grandmaster (2013)

American Hustle (2013)

Foxcatcher (2014)

Joy (2015)

Everybody Wants Some!! (2016)

Wiener-Dog (2016)

Sausage Party (2016)

The Bad Batch (2016)

20th Century Women (2016)

To top things off, in 2017 and beyond, she's got projects lined up with Kathryn Bigelow, Alexander Payne, Wes Anderson and Paul Thomas Anderson. If you're not impressed by all this, you're either crazy or fall into that special camp of people who actually enjoy watching The Room in a non-satirical way. Numbers aside (although 14 films in 4 years is pretty damn amazing), it's really the quality of films that make Annapurna Pictures such a unique powerhouse as a production company. Unlike The Weinstein Company, which tends to produce high caliber pictures mixed with obvious awards season grabbers, Megan Ellison's creative endeavours have all been spot on in the quality department. And if you think I'm being harsh to the Weinstein's, their constant schedule shuffling and aggressiveness on the awards circuit pretty much speaks for itself. Many of Ellison's films go on to gain awards recognition (especially in 2013), but the company's mantra isn't to just win trophies. Not that I know Megan Ellison personally, but this is a conclusion one can easily draw by simply watching the movies she's involved in.

Having the money to take creative risks is certainly an asset, but it still takes a level of creativity to make the kind of choices reflected in Annapurna Pictures' impressive resume. And that's what makes Megan Ellison such a unique force in today's cinematic landscape. It's been a while since we've seen a powerhouse producer establish themselves as a household name, and those who are well known right now tend to be invested exclusively in commercial filmmaking (ie. Kathleen Kennedy, Jerry Bruckheimer, Brian Grazer, etc.). The fact that someone like Megan Ellison has come along is a welcome change.