Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment tops our 2026 list of film production companies owned by celebrities, with three Best Picture Oscar winners to its name. This list covers 10 active companies run by well-known actors and entertainers, from DiCaprio’s Appian Way to Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap.
| # | Celebrity | Company |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brad Pitt | Plan B Entertainment |
| 2 | Leonardo DiCaprio | Appian Way Productions |
| 3 | Margot Robbie | LuckyChap Entertainment |
| 4 | Dwayne Johnson | Seven Bucks Productions |
| 5 | Adam Sandler | Happy Madison Productions |
| 6 | Jordan Peele | Monkeypaw Productions |
| 7 | George Clooney | Smokehouse Pictures |
| 8 | Reese Witherspoon | Hello Sunshine |
| 9 | Will Smith | Overbrook Entertainment |
| 10 | Queen Latifah | Flavor Unit Entertainment |
Many stars you see on screen also own the companies behind the films. Remember our look at the most profitable film studios? These are the celebrity-owned companies that feed them. We rebuilt this list for 2026 and dropped companies that no longer operate.
1. Brad Pitt: Plan B Entertainment
Plan B was founded in 2001 by Brad Pitt, Brad Grey, Kristin Hahn and Jennifer Aniston. After Pitt and Aniston split in 2005 and Grey became CEO of Paramount, Pitt became the sole owner. Dede Gardner has long run it, with Jeremy Kleiner as co-president since 2013.
The Departed, 12 Years a Slave and Moonlight each won the Academy Award for Best Picture. In December 2022 it was reported that Mediawan acquired 60% of the studio. Read more about Brad Pitt’s most expensive movies.
2. Leonardo DiCaprio: Appian Way Productions
DiCaprio founded Appian Way in 2001, naming it after the Roman road. It produced The Aviator and The Revenant, and Academy Award-nominated films such as The Wolf of Wall Street. In 2020 it signed first-look deals with Apple for documentaries and television and with Sony Pictures for features, and in 2023 it was part of Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon.
3. Margot Robbie: LuckyChap Entertainment
Founded in 2014 by Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley, Josey McNamara and Sophia Kerr, LuckyChap focuses on female-driven projects. Its credits include I, Tonya, Promising Young Woman, Barbie and Saltburn. As of 2024 its works had received 25 Academy Award nominations.
4. Dwayne Johnson: Seven Bucks Productions
Johnson and Dany Garcia founded Seven Bucks in 2012, named after the money in Johnson’s pocket after leaving the CFL in 1995. The company has grossed $4.6 billion at the box office as of 2023. It signed a first-look deal with Disney in June 2024 and another with 20th Television in February 2025.
5. Adam Sandler: Happy Madison Productions
Sandler formed Happy Madison in 1999 and named it after Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison. It has made many comedies, and its parent company is run by Sandler’s brother Scott from Manchester, New Hampshire.
6. Jordan Peele: Monkeypaw Productions
Peele launched Monkeypaw in 2012. It is behind Get Out, Us, Candyman, Nope and Wendell and Wild. In October 2019 it signed a five-year exclusivity deal with Universal Pictures.
7. George Clooney: Smokehouse Pictures
Clooney and Grant Heslov founded Smokehouse in 2006 after Section Eight shut down. It has made deals with Warner Bros., Sony, Paramount and MGM, and returned to Warner Bros. for an overall film deal in March 2023.
8. Reese Witherspoon: Hello Sunshine
Witherspoon and Seth Rodsky formed Hello Sunshine in 2016 to tell female-driven stories, and her earlier company Pacific Standard became a subsidiary. In August 2021 she sold part of it to Candle Media for $900 million. It was announced in October 2026 that Witherspoon and Mediawan reacquired the company, reportedly for a fraction of that valuation.
9. Will Smith: Overbrook Entertainment
Smith and manager James Lassiter formed Overbrook in 1998, naming it after his West Philadelphia neighborhood. The company is based in Culver City, California, and produces film, TV and music.
10. Queen Latifah: Flavor Unit Entertainment
Queen Latifah and Shakim Compere founded Flavor Unit in 1995, and it is now based in Miami. Netflix signed an exclusive multi-year licensing deal with it in February 2013, and it was an executive producer on the third season of Scream in 2019.
Special mentions: companies we dropped
- Madonna, Imprint Entertainment: Imprint is owned by Michael Becker, not Madonna. Her Maverick company ended for her in 2004.
- Will Ferrell, Gary Sanchez Productions: dissolved in April 2019.
- Tom Cruise, Cruise/Wagner Productions: Paramount ended its 14-year relationship with Cruise in 2006, and Cruise and Wagner took over United Artists the same year.
- Sofia Vergara, Latin World Entertainment: still operating as a talent management and production company, founded in 1994.
Keep reading
- Most profitable film studios: the studios that distribute these films
- Brad Pitt’s most expensive movies: the star behind number one
FAQ
Which celebrity owns the most successful production company?
Our pick is Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment, whose films The Departed, 12 Years a Slave and Moonlight each won the Oscar for Best Picture.
Does Madonna own Imprint Entertainment?
No. Imprint Entertainment was founded by Michael Becker and Mark Morgan in 2008. Madonna’s own entertainment company was Maverick, which she left in 2004, so we removed her from this list.
What happened to Will Ferrell’s Gary Sanchez Productions?
Will Ferrell and Adam McKay dissolved the partnership on April 8, 2019. McKay later founded Hyperobject Industries.
Who bought Hello Sunshine?
Reese Witherspoon sold part of Hello Sunshine to Candle Media for $900 million in August 2021. It was reported in October 2026 that she and Mediawan reacquired it, reportedly for a fraction of that valuation.
Do celebrity-owned companies produce hit films?
Often, yes. LuckyChap, Margot Robbie’s company, produced Barbie in 2023, and Appian Way, Leonardo DiCaprio’s company, produced The Revenant and Killers of the Flower Moon.
How did you choose these companies?
We selected active film and TV companies founded or co-owned by a famous actor or performer, then ordered them by awards, hits and current deals.
How we put this list together
We selected active companies with a famous owner and checked each against company histories and recent deal announcements. The order is our own judgment of awards, hits and current standing.
Last updated: October 2026.
