The Playtone Company (stylized on-screen as PLAY•TONE; a.k.a. Playtone Productions) is an American film and television production company established on January 23, 1998 by actor Tom Hanks and producer Gary Goetzman, and based in Santa Monica, California.

The company was named after the fictional record company of the same name in the 1996 film That Thing You Do!, written and directed by Hanks; it also uses the same company logo, typically revealed on-screen with a brief instrumental snippet of the titular song itself, with some variations in each film depending on subject matter. The success of the film served as a spring-board to launch an actual Playtone Records label that year, with its first release being the film's soundtrack.

Playtone has had an exclusive television development deal with HBO since the company was formed. Over the course of that time, Playtone's projects for HBO have won 46 Emmy Awards, while garnering 113 Emmy Award nominations.

Filmography

Feature films

YearFilmDirected byCo-production(s)Distributor(s)
Released films
2000Cast AwayRobert ZemeckisImageMovers20th Century Fox (North America) DreamWorks Pictures (International)
2002My Big Fat Greek WeddingJoel ZwickGold Circle Films, HBO Films and MPH EntertainmentIFC Films
2004The Polar ExpressRobert ZemeckisCastle Rock Entertainment, ImageMovers and Shangri-La EntertainmentWarner Bros. Pictures
2005Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the MoonMark CowenIMAX
2006Neil Young: Heart of GoldJonathan DemmeReprise Records and Shangri-La EntertainmentParamount Classics
The Ant BullyJohn A. DavisDNA Productions and Legendary PicturesWarner Bros. Pictures
Starter for 10Tom VaughanBBC Films, HBO Films and Neal Street ProductionsPicturehouse (United States) Icon Film Distribution (United Kingdom)
2007Charlie Wilson's WarMike NicholsParticipant Productions and Relativity MediaUniversal Pictures
2008The Great Buck HowardSean McGinlyBristol Bay Productions and Walden MediaMagnolia Pictures
Mamma Mia!Phyllida LloydRelativity Media and LittlestarUniversal Pictures
City of EmberGil KenanWalden Media20th Century Fox
2009My Life in RuinsDonald PetrieFox Searchlight Pictures
Where the Wild Things AreSpike JonzeLegendary Pictures and Village Roadshow PicturesWarner Bros. Pictures
2011Larry CrowneTom HanksVendôme PicturesUniversal Pictures
2013ParklandPeter LandesmanAmerican Film CompanyExclusive Media Group
2016My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2Kirk JonesGold Circle Films and HBO FilmsUniversal Pictures
A Hologram for the KingTom TykwerX-Filme Creative Pool and Primeridian EntertainmentLionsgate Films Roadside Attractions Saban Films
2017The CircleJames PonsoldtImage Nation Abu Dhabi and Likely StoryEuropaCorp STX Entertainment
2018Mamma Mia! Here We Go AgainOl ParkerLegendary Pictures and LittlestarUniversal Pictures
2020GreyhoundAaron SchneiderSony Pictures, Stage 6 Films, Bron Studios, FilmNation Entertainment, Sycamore Pictures and Zhengfu PicturesApple TV+
News of the WorldPaul GreengrassPretty PicturesUniversal Pictures (United States) Netflix (International)
2023A Man Called OttoMarc ForsterColumbia Pictures, Stage 6 Films, SF Studios, Artistic Films, 2DUX², Big Indie and STXfilmsSony Pictures Releasing
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3Nia VardalosGold Circle Films and HBO FilmsFocus Features
2024The Bloody HundredthMark Herzog Laurent BouzereauAmblin Television and Herzog & Co.Apple TV+

Series

Television series

Year(s)TitleCreated byCo-production(s)DistributorOriginal Network
Released series
2001Band of BrothersTom Hanks and Steven SpielbergDreamWorks TelevisionWarner Bros. TelevisionHBO
2003My Big Fat Greek LifeNia Vardalos and Marsh McCallBrad Grey Productions / Marsh McCall ProductionsSony Pictures TelevisionCBS
2006–2011Big LoveMark V. Olsen and Will SchefferAnima Sola ProductionsWarner Bros. TelevisionHBO
2008John AdamsDavid Coatsworth and Steve ShareshianHigh Noon Productions / Mid Atlantic Films
2010The PacificSteven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Gary GoetzmanDreamWorks Television
2012Game ChangeMark Halperin and John HeilemannHBO Films
2014Olive KitteridgeElizabeth StroutAs Is Productions
The SixtiesTom Hanks, Gary Goetzman and Mark HerzogHerzog & CompanyCNN
2015The Seventies
2016The Eighties
2017The Nineties
2018The 2000s
2019The Movies
2023The 2010s
2024Masters of the AirJohn Shiban and John OrloffAmblin Television / Apple StudiosApple Inc.Apple TV+

Web series

Year(s)TitleCreated byCo-production(s)DistributorOriginal Network
2012Electric CityTom Hanks6 Point Harness / Reliance EntertainmentYahoo!Yahoo! Screen

Playtone Records releases

See also

External links