Playtone

American film and television production company


title: "Playtone" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["film-production-companies-of-the-united-states", "television-production-companies-of-the-united-states", "american-record-labels", "playtone-productions", "record-labels-established-in-1996", "mass-media-companies-established-in-1998", "companies-based-in-santa-monica,-california", "1996-establishments-in-california"] description: "American film and television production company" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playtone" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American film and television production company ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox company"]

FieldValue
nameThe Playtone Company
logoPlaytone.svg
typePrivate
industryFilm production
Television production
foundedin Santa Monica, California, United States
foundersTom Hanks
Gary Goetzman
location_citySanta Monica, California
location_countryUnited States
key_peopleTom Hanks (CEO)
Rita Wilson Hanks (CFO)
productsMotion pictures
Television programs
ownerTom Hanks
subsidPlaytone Records
website
::

| name = The Playtone Company | logo = Playtone.svg | type = Private | industry = Film production Television production | founded = in Santa Monica, California, United States | founders = Tom Hanks Gary Goetzman | location_city = Santa Monica, California | location_country = United States | area_served = | key_people = Tom Hanks (CEO) Rita Wilson Hanks (CFO) | products = Motion pictures Television programs | owner = Tom Hanks | num_employees = | parent = | subsid = Playtone Records | website =

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.

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

::data[format=table]

YearFilmDirected byCo-production(s)Distributor(s)Released filmsCast AwayMy Big Fat Greek WeddingThe Polar ExpressMagnificent Desolation: Walking on the MoonNeil Young: Heart of GoldThe Ant BullyStarter for 10Charlie Wilson's WarThe Great Buck HowardMamma Mia!City of EmberMy Life in RuinsWhere the Wild Things AreLarry CrowneParklandMy Big Fat Greek Wedding 2A Hologram for the KingThe CircleMamma Mia! Here We Go AgainGreyhoundNews of the WorldA Man Called OttoMy Big Fat Greek Wedding 3The Bloody HundredthUpcoming filmsBeautifulSpring Awakening
2000Robert ZemeckisImageMovers20th Century Fox (North America)
DreamWorks Pictures (International)
2002Joel ZwickGold Circle Films, HBO Films and MPH EntertainmentIFC Films
2004Robert ZemeckisCastle Rock Entertainment, ImageMovers and Shangri-La EntertainmentWarner Bros. Pictures
2005Mark CowenIMAX
2006Jonathan DemmeReprise Records and Shangri-La EntertainmentParamount Classics
John A. DavisDNA Productions and Legendary PicturesWarner Bros. Pictures
Tom VaughanBBC Films, HBO Films and Neal Street ProductionsPicturehouse (United States)
Icon Film Distribution (United Kingdom)
2007Mike NicholsParticipant Productions and Relativity MediaUniversal Pictures
2008Sean McGinlyBristol Bay Productions and Walden MediaMagnolia Pictures
Phyllida LloydRelativity Media and LittlestarUniversal Pictures
Gil KenanWalden Media20th Century Fox
2009Donald PetrieFox Searchlight Pictures
Spike JonzeLegendary Pictures and Village Roadshow PicturesWarner Bros. Pictures
2011Tom HanksVendôme PicturesUniversal Pictures
2013Peter LandesmanAmerican Film CompanyExclusive Media Group
2016Kirk JonesGold Circle Films and HBO FilmsUniversal Pictures
Tom TykwerX-Filme Creative Pool and Primeridian EntertainmentLionsgate Films
Roadside Attractions
Saban Films
2017James PonsoldtImage Nation Abu Dhabi and Likely StoryEuropaCorp
STX Entertainment
2018Ol ParkerLegendary Pictures and LittlestarUniversal Pictures
2020Aaron SchneiderSony Pictures, Stage 6 Films, Bron Studios, FilmNation Entertainment, Sycamore Pictures and Zhengfu PicturesApple TV+
Paul GreengrassPretty PicturesUniversal Pictures (United States)
Netflix (International)
2023Marc ForsterColumbia Pictures, Stage 6 Films, SF Studios, Artistic Films, 2DUX², Big Indie and STXfilmsSony Pictures Releasing
Nia VardalosGold Circle Films and HBO FilmsFocus Features
2024Mark Herzog
Laurent BouzereauAmblin Television and Herzog & Co.Apple TV+
TBA}}TBA}}Columbia PicturesSony Pictures Releasing
::

Series

Television series

::data[format=table]

Year(s)TitleCreated byCo-production(s)DistributorOriginal NetworkReleased seriesBand of BrothersMy Big Fat Greek LifeBig LoveJohn AdamsThe PacificGame ChangeOlive KitteridgeThe SixtiesThe SeventiesThe EightiesThe NinetiesThe 2000sThe MoviesThe 2010sMasters of the Air
2001Tom Hanks and Steven SpielbergDreamWorks TelevisionWarner Bros. TelevisionHBO
2003Nia Vardalos and Marsh McCallBrad Grey Productions / Marsh McCall ProductionsSony Pictures TelevisionCBS
2006–11Mark V. Olsen and Will SchefferAnima Sola ProductionsWarner Bros. TelevisionHBO
2008David Coatsworth and Steve ShareshianHigh Noon Productions / Mid Atlantic Films
2010Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Gary GoetzmanDreamWorks Television
2012Mark Halperin and John HeilemannHBO Films
2014Elizabeth StroutAs Is Productions
Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman and Mark HerzogHerzog & CompanyCNN
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2023
2024John Shiban and John OrloffAmblin Television / Apple StudiosApple Inc.Apple TV+
::

Web series

::data[format=table]

Year(s)TitleCreated byCo-production(s)DistributorOriginal NetworkElectric City
2012Tom Hanks6 Point Harness / Reliance EntertainmentYahoo!Yahoo! Screen
::

Playtone Records releases

References

References

  1. "The Playtone Company - SI-COMPLETE - 02/08/2016".
  2. Chu, Karen. (2011-06-11). "Tom Hanks' Playtone Productions Announces Neil Gaiman's 'American Gods,' Mattel's 'Major Matt Mason,' Green Day's 'American Idiot' (Exclusive)".
  3. Rice, Lynette. (February 28, 2024). "Apple TV+ Reveals Premiere Date, Trailer For 'The Bloody Hundredth' Doc From Playtone-Amblin".
  4. Guthrie, Marisa. (January 18, 2013). "HBO Developing Third WWII Miniseries with Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg (Exclusive)".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

film-production-companies-of-the-united-statestelevision-production-companies-of-the-united-statesamerican-record-labelsplaytone-productionsrecord-labels-established-in-1996mass-media-companies-established-in-1998companies-based-in-santa-monica,-california1996-establishments-in-california