Since forming three years ago, Annapurna Interactive has received praise and numerous awards for publishing unique and creative games like Donut Country and What Remains of Edith Finch. Annapurna Interactive is also publishing new and highly anticipated games including Twelve Minutes, and Sayonara Wild Hearts, which received a lot of attention at this year’s E3.
Despite the success of Annapurna’s gaming titles, its parent company Annapurna Pictures is in financial straits. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the independent film company is “retaining a law firm to explore bankruptcy protection.” Annapurna Pictures, founded in 2011 by Megan Ellison, is perhaps best known for the 2013 film Her, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson, as well as American Hustle and The Grandmaster. Combined, these three feature films earned seventeen Academy Award nominations in 2013.
Annapurna’s endeavors have met mixed commercial success, and The Hollywood Reporter says that “rumors of Annapurna’s imminent demise have persisted for the past year.” Ellison’s production company “could no longer sustain the hemorrhaging” of money following box office flops including The Sisters Brothers and Destroyer. Additionally, domestic marketing president Marc Weinstock and film chief Chelsea Barnard recently left Annapurna Pictures.
Responding to fan concerns about what this all means for Annapurna Interactive, the company posted to Twitter that the games division is not “going anywhere,” adding a GIF to help lighten the general mood.
we’re not going anywhere!
— Annapurna Interactive (@A_i) August 9, 2019
— Annapurna Interactive (@A_i) August 7, 2019
The Hollywood Reporter also shared a memo from Ellison to Annapurna staff, sent out after the publication of their story on the potential bankruptcy. The memo assures staff members that restructuring is “not uncommon, yet the process is usually handled with a spotlight on it.”
That said, it is of tremendous importance to me that you all know we are as committed as ever to this company and are in full support of our future.
Most recently, Annapurna Interactive brought 2012 indie hit Journey to iOS and PC devices as a publisher. Twelve Minutes will launch for Xbox One and PC in 2020, and Sayonara Wild Hearts will hit the Nintendo Switch later this year.
