40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks is the production company of Spike Lee,[1][2] founded in 1979.[3] The company name is a reference to the phrase most often used to refer to the early Reconstruction period policy and episode of events, in which certain recently emancipated black families on the Georgia coast were given lots of land no larger than 40 acres (160,000 m2) and in some cases surplus army mules. The order, issued in 1865 by General Sherman as "Special Field Order 15", was later revoked by Andrew Johnson, and the land was taken away from the freed slaves and returned to previous owners.[4] The company's logo contains a circle with the icon "40a". Later on, it used a parody of the Mark VII Limited logo.
 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks building | |
| Company type | Production company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film, television |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Founders | Spike Lee, Monty Ross |
| Headquarters | South Elliott Place, Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Motion pictures, television programs, commercials |
| Services | Film production, television production |
| Website | 40acres |
History
The company has produced all of Lee's films, starting in 1986 with She's Gotta Have It.[3] After the success of films Do the Right Thing and Malcolm X, Lee expanded the 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks brand by opening clothing stores with merchandise that bore the company's emblem. Lee has also done several collaborations with Nike, Eckō Unltd. and Brooklyn Denim.
40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks also has an advertising division with DDB called Spike DDB located in New York City. They have done Super Bowl, Nike and Lay's commercial spots. They have produced commercials and music videos in addition to Lee's films. The company established a music branch, used to designate records, 40 Acres and a Mule Musicworks in 1993.[5]
In the late 1980s, the company sought a partnership with Universal Pictures, which was reupped in September 1992, and stayed on for five years,[6] which lasted until March 2, 1997, when it was moved to Columbia Pictures.[7] Sam Kitt was named president of production at the Sony-based studio on June 18, 1997.[8]
In 2004, the company moved all of its operations to New York City with headquarters on South Elliott Place in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn.
In December 2021, the company had signed a multi-year creative partnership with Netflix to develop their film and television projects.[9]
Awards and honors
Filmography
| Release Date | Title | Directors | Production partners | Distributors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 8, 1986 | She's Gotta Have It | Spike Lee | Island Pictures | |
| February 12, 1988 | School Daze | Columbia Pictures | ||
| July 21, 1989 | Do the Right Thing | Universal Pictures | ||
| August 3, 1990 | Mo' Better Blues | |||
| June 7, 1991 | Jungle Fever | |||
| November 18, 1992 | Malcolm X | Warner Bros. (United States) Largo International (International) | ||
| May 13, 1994 | Crooklyn | Universal Pictures | ||
| October 28, 1994 | Drop Squad | David C. Johnson | Gramercy Pictures | |
| April 19, 1995 | New Jersey Drive | Nick Gomez | ||
| May 24, 1995 | Tales from the Hood | Rusty Cundieff | Savoy Pictures | |
| September 13, 1995 | Clockers | Spike Lee | Universal Pictures | |
| March 22, 1996 | Girl 6 | Fox Searchlight Pictures | Fox Searchlight Pictures | |
| October 16, 1996 | Get on the Bus | Columbia Pictures | Sony Pictures Releasing | |
| May 1, 1998 | He Got Game | Touchstone Pictures | Buena Vista Pictures | |
| July 2, 1999 | Summer of Sam | |||
| October 22, 1999 | The Best Man | Malcolm D. Lee | Universal Pictures | |
| April 21, 2000 | Love & Basketball | Gina Prince-Bythewood | New Line Cinema | |
| August 18, 2000 | The Original Kings of Comedy | Spike Lee | MTV Productions Latham Entertainment | Paramount Pictures |
| October 6, 2000 | Bamboozled | New Line Cinema | ||
| July 1, 2001 | 3 A.M. | Lee Davis | Prism Leisure Corporation | |
| December 19, 2002 | 25th Hour | Spike Lee | Touchstone Pictures 25th Hour Productions Gamut Films Industry Entertainment | Buena Vista Pictures |
| July 30, 2004 | She Hate Me | Sony Pictures Classics | ||
| March 24, 2006 | Inside Man | Universal Pictures Imagine Entertainment | Universal Pictures | |
| September 26, 2008 | Miracle at St. Anna | Touchstone Pictures RAI Cinema On My Own Produzioni Cinematografiche | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | |
| August 10, 2012 | Red Hook Summer | Variance Films | ||
| November 27, 2013 | Oldboy | Good Universe Vertigo Entertainment | FilmDistrict | |
| January 25, 2015 | Cronies | Michael Larnell | Circa 1978 Productions | |
| February 14, 2015 | Da Sweet Blood of Jesus | Spike Lee | Gravitas Ventures | |
| December 4, 2015 | Chi-Raq | Amazon Studios | Roadside Attractions | |
| April 20, 2018 | Pass Over | Amazon Prime | ||
| August 10, 2018 | BlacKkKlansman | Blumhouse Productions Monkeypaw Productions QC Entertainment Legendary Entertainment Perfect World Pictures | Focus Features (United States) Universal Pictures (International) | |
| October 2, 2018 | Tales from the Hood 2 | Rusty Cundieff Darin Scott | Universal 1440 Entertainment Hood Productions, Inc. | Universal Pictures Home Entertainment |
| May 17, 2019 | See You Yesterday | Stefon Bristol | Netflix | |
| June 12, 2020 | Da 5 Bloods | Spike Lee | Rahway Road Lloyd Levin/Beatriz Levin Production | |
| October 17, 2020 | American Utopia | HBO Films Participant River Road Entertainment Warner Music Entertainment RadicalMedia Todomundo | HBO (United States/Canada) Universal Pictures (International) |
Television
- A Huey P. Newton Story (2001)
- Good Fences (2003)
- When the Levees Broke (2006)
- Kobe Doin' Work (2009)
- If God Is Willing and da Creek Don't Rise (2010)
- She's Gotta Have It (2017–19)
- NYC Epicenters 9/11-2021½ (2021)