Escape Artists

In 2000, The Steve Tisch Company merged with Todd Black and Jason Blumenthal's Black & Blu to form Escape Artists. It was originally a film financing company with a deal with Columbia Pictures, and other international backers.^[1]

The first produced movie under the Escape Artists banner was A Knight's Tale, starring Heath Ledger in May 2001. In the fall of 2005, Escape Artists released The Weather Man, directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Nicolas Cage and Michael Caine. Their next film, The Pursuit of Happyness, directed by Gabriele Muccino and starring Will Smith, was released in December 2006 and earned over $300 million in worldwide ticket sales, as well as best actor Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Will Smith. Seven Pounds, another Gabriele Muccino-directed film starring Will Smith, was released in December 2008. In 2009, Escape Artists released the Alex Proyas thriller Knowing, starring Nicolas Cage, and The Taking of Pelham 123, directed by Tony Scott and starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta. Escape Artists produced 'The Upside, which was directed by Neil Burger and starring Kevin Hart. It was released through STX Entertainment and Lantern Entertainment on January 11, 2019 in the United States. Escape Artists produced all three film adaptations of The Equalizer, with the most recent being the 2023 film The Equalizer 3. All three movies star Denzel Washington in the main role of Robert McCall.

In February 2013, 12-year veteran David Bloomfield was promoted to partner Escape Artists.^[2] In October 2014, the company inks its first-look pact with FX Productions.^[3] In August 2019, MGM Television signed its first-look deal with Escape Artists.^[4]