Republic Pictures, an historic movie label founded in 1935 and shuttered in 1967, has been revived by parent company Paramount Global. The banner will function as an acquisitions play, releasing titles acquired by Paramount Global Content Distribution.
“We’ve chosen to revitalize the Republic banner given its storied history of delivering popular movies to a global audience, ” said Dan Cohen, Paramount chief content licensing officer and newly-named president of Republic Pictures. “With our best-in-class global distribution teams working to identify the best homes around the world, we aim to continue that legacy by offering audiences great entertainment across all genres.”
Two films have already been set as Republic Pictures releases. The first is “Winter Spring Summer of Fall,” the feature directorial debut of Tiffany Paulsen. It will star “Scream VI” and “Wednesday” supernova Jenna Ortega and Percy Hines White as two teens who fall in love over four days across the calendar year. The second is “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial,” from the legendary William Friedkin (director of “The Exorcist” and “The French Connection”). The project’s script is 50-years-old and was written by Herman Wouk, adapted from his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Kiefer Sutherland, Jason Clarke and Jake Lacy are set to star.
Republic’s legacy is mostly centered around classic Westerns, many of them starring John Wayne, Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. Founded by Herbert J. Yates, the label also released films from director John Ford (“The Grapes of Wrath”) and Orson Welles (his 1948 take on “Macbeth,” in which he cast himself in the lead role).