Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group

The Sony Motion Picture Group (formerly known as the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group until 2021 and Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group until 2013 and abbreviated as SMPG) is a division of Sony Entertainment to manage its motion picture operations. It was launched in 1998 by integrating businesses of Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. and TriStar Pictures, Inc.

History
The Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group was launched in 1998 as the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, as a current division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, owned by Sony. It also has many of Sony Pictures's current motion picture divisions as part of it. Its divisions at that time were Columbia Pictures, TriStar Pictures, Triumph Films, Sony Pictures Classics, and Sony Pictures Releasing.

On December 8, 1998, SPE resurrected its former animation and television division Screen Gems as a film division of Sony Pictures Entertainment's Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group that has served several different purposes for its parent companies over the decades since its incorporation.

In 2002, Columbia TriStar Television was renamed as Sony Pictures Television. The last three remaining companies, with the "Columbia TriStar" brand in its name, were Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, and Columbia TriStar Marketing Group. Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment and Columbia TriStar Film Distributors became Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and Sony Pictures Releasing International in 2004 and 2005 and Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group became the second-to-last subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment to use the "Columbia TriStar" brand name in its name.

In 2013, TriStar Productions was launched, as a joint venture of Sony Pictures Entertainment and former 20th Century Fox chairman Thomas Rothman.

In October 2013, Sony Pictures renamed its motion picture group as the "Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group". Sony Pictures Animation and Sony Pictures Imageworks were moved from Sony Pictures Digital to its motion picture group.

On June 2, 2016, Doug Belgrad had announced he was to step down as president of the SPMPG and would transition his role to producer at the studio. Belgrad was promoted as president of the SPMPG back in 2014.

Sony Pictures Releasing
Sony Pictures Releasing is an American film distributor owned by Sony. Established in 1994 as a successor to Triumph Releasing Corporation, the company handles theatrical distribution, marketing and promotion for films produced and released by Sony Pictures Entertainment, including Columbia Pictures, TriStar Pictures, Screen Gems, Stage 6 Films, Sony Pictures Animation, Triumph Films, among others, while films released by Sony Pictures Classics are distributed autonomously. It is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group. It also has an international division called Sony Pictures Releasing International, which from 1991 until 2005 was known as Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International.

Financers

 * Village Roadshow Pictures (2001, 2014-2016)
 * Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (2011–2016)
 * LStar Capital and CitiBank (2014–2017)
 * Cross Creek Pictures (2015–present)