Editing 20th Century Studios (section)

==History==
=== From founding to 1956 ===
{{see also|Fox Film|Twentieth Century Pictures}}
[[File:Gangs all here trailer.jpg|upright|thumb|230px|right|[[Carmen Miranda]] as Dorita in ''[[The Gang's All Here (1943 film)|The Gang's All Here]]''. In 1946, she was the highest-paid actress in the United States.{{sfn|Livingston|Caracas Garcia|2005|page=101}}]]
[[File:Photo Don Ameche, Alice Faye, and Carmen Miranda in THAT NIGHT IN RIO (1941).jpg|220px|thumb|right|[[Alice Faye]] as Baroness Cecilia Duarte, [[Don Ameche]] as Larry Martin and Baron Manuel Duarte, and [[Carmen Miranda]] as Carmen in ''[[That Night in Rio]]'', produced by Fox in 1941]]
[[File:Again in 1939 ... 20th Century Fox.jpg|thumb|The 20th Century-Fox logo depicted in a 1939 advertisement in ''[[Boxoffice Magazine|Boxoffice]]'']]
[[File:Viva Zapata movie trailer screenshot (3).jpg|thumb|right|220px|From the 1952 film ''[[Viva Zapata!]]'']]

[[Twentieth Century Pictures]]' [[Joseph Schenck]] and [[Darryl F. Zanuck]] left [[United Artists]] over a stock dispute, and began merger talks with the management of financially struggling [[Fox Film]], under President Sidney Kent.<ref name="Cobbles">{{cite web |title=The Formation of Twentieth Century-Fox |url=http://www.cobbles.com/simpp_archive/zanuck-schenck.htm |access-date=April 29, 2016 |website=Cobbles |location=United States}}</ref>{{sfn|Lev|2014|p=7|loc=https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=dA3LcAd5O5gC&pg=PA7#v=onepage}}

[[Spyros Skouras]], then manager of the [[Fox West Coast Theaters]], helped make it happen (and later became president of the new company).<ref name="Cobbles" /> The company had been struggling since founder [[William Fox (producer)|William Fox]] lost control of the company in 1930.<ref>{{cite web |date=August 2, 2018 |title=1935–1940 – Life in the Foxhole: Insiders Recall 83 Years of Scandal and Stardom at 20th Century Fox |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/a-look-at-83-years-20th-century-fox-1131133/item/eulogy-a-studio-1935-1940-1131136 |access-date=March 5, 2019 |website=The Hollywood Reporter}}</ref>

Fox Film Corporation and Twentieth Century Pictures merged in 1935. Initially, it was speculated in ''[[The New York Times]]'' that the newly merged company would be named "Fox-Twentieth Century". The new company, Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation, began trading on May 31, 1935. Kent remained at the company, joining Schenck and Zanuck. Zanuck replaced [[Winfield Sheehan]] as the company's production chief.

The company established a special training school. [[Lynn Bari]], [[Patricia Farr]] and [[Anne Nagel]] were among 14 young women "launched on the trail of film stardom" on August 6, 1935, when they each received a six-month contract with 20th Century-Fox after spending 18 months in the school. The contracts included a studio option for renewal for as long as seven years.<ref>{{Cite news |date=August 6, 1935 |title=The Hollywood Roundup |page=35 |work=The Times |agency=United Press |location=Indiana, Hammond |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5323575/the_times/ |access-date=May 20, 2016 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} {{Open access}}</ref>

For many years, 20th Century Fox identified themselves as having been founded in 1915, the year Fox Film was founded. For instance, it marked 1945 as its 30th anniversary. However, it has considered the 1935 merger as its founding in recent years, even though most film historians agree it was founded in 1915.<ref name="NY Post">{{Cite news |date=February 10, 2010 |title=Is Fox really 75 this year? Somewhere, the fantastic Mr. (William) Fox begs to differ |work=[[New York Post]] |publisher=[[News Corp]] |url=https://nypost.com/2010/02/10/is-fox-really-75-this-year-somewhere-the-fantastic-mr-william-fox-begs-to-differ |access-date=December 19, 2014}}</ref> The company's films retained the 20th Century Pictures searchlight logo on their opening credits as well as its opening fanfare, but with the name changed to 20th Century-Fox.

After the merger was completed, Zanuck signed young actors to help carry 20th Century-Fox: [[Tyrone Power]], [[Linda Darnell]], [[Carmen Miranda]], [[Don Ameche]], [[Henry Fonda]], [[Gene Tierney]], [[Sonja Henie]], and [[Betty Grable]]. 20th Century-Fox also hired [[Alice Faye]] and [[Shirley Temple]], who appeared in several major films for the studio in the 1930s.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Natale |first=Richard |date=February 11, 2014 |title=Shirley Temple, Legendary Child Star, Dead at 85 |work=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2014/film/news/shirley-temple-black-dies-1201097477/ |access-date=March 13, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Natale |first=Richard |date=May 11, 1998 |title=Fox tuner Faye dies at 83 |url=https://variety.com/1998/film/news/fox-tuner-faye-dies-at-83-1117470631/ |access-date=March 13, 2019 |website=Variety}}</ref>

Higher attendance during World War II helped 20th Century-Fox overtake [[RKO]] and [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] to become the third most profitable film studio. In 1941, Zanuck was commissioned as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Signal Corps and assigned to supervise the production of U.S. Army training films. His partner, [[William Goetz]], filled in at 20th Century-Fox.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Behlmer |first=Rudy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8y9K8-ucZAsC&q=william+goetz+took+over+while+zanuck+served+overseas&pg=PA63 |title=Memo from Darryl F. Zanuck: The Golden Years at Twentieth Century-Fox |publisher=Grove Press |year=1993 |isbn=9780802133328}}</ref>

In 1942, [[Spyros Skouras]] succeeded Kent as president of the studio.{{sfn|Troyan|Thompson|Sylvester|2017|p=29|loc=https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=JLCzDgAAQBAJ&pg=PA29#v=onepage}} During the next few years, with pictures like ''[[Wilson (1944 film)|Wilson]]'' (1944), ''[[The Razor's Edge (1946 film)|The Razor's Edge]]'' (1946), ''[[Boomerang (1947 film)|Boomerang]]'', ''[[Gentleman's Agreement]]'' (both 1947), ''[[The Snake Pit]]'' (1948), and ''[[Pinky (film)|Pinky]]'' (1949), Zanuck established a reputation for provocative, adult films. 20th Century-Fox also specialized in adaptations of best-selling books such as [[Ben Ames Williams]]' ''[[Leave Her to Heaven]]'' (1945), starring [[Gene Tierney]], which was the highest-grossing 20th Century-Fox film of the 1940s. The studio also produced film versions of Broadway musicals, including the [[Rodgers and Hammerstein]] films, beginning with the musical version of ''[[State Fair (1945 film)|State Fair]]'' (1945), the only work that the partnership wrote specially for films.

After the war, audiences slowly drifted away. 20th Century-Fox held on to its theaters until a court-mandated "divorce"; they were spun off as Fox National Theaters in 1953.{{sfn|Lev|2013|page=162}} That year, with attendance at half the 1946 level, 20th Century-Fox gambled on an unproven process. Noting that the two film sensations of 1952 had been [[Cinerama]], which required three projectors to fill a giant curved screen, and "Natural Vision" [[3-D film|3D]], which got its effects of depth by requiring the use of polarized glasses, 20th Century-Fox mortgaged its studio to buy rights to a French anamorphic projection system which gave a slight illusion of depth without glasses. President [[Spyros Skouras]] struck a deal with the inventor [[Henri Chrétien]], leaving the other film studios empty-handed, and in 1953 introduced [[CinemaScope]] in the studio's groundbreaking feature film ''[[The Robe (film)|The Robe]]''.<ref>{{cite web |date=March 1, 2008 |title=Zanuck Remembered as a Hollywood Powerhouse |url=https://wahooschools.socs.net/vnews/display.v/SEC/Community%7CWahoo%27s%20Famous%20Sons%3E%3EDarryl%20Zanuck |access-date=April 29, 2016 |website=[[Wahoo, Nebraska|Wahoo School District]]}}</ref>

Zanuck announced in February 1953 that henceforth all 20th Century-Fox pictures would be made in CinemaScope.<ref>{{cite web |date=June 16, 2012 |title=Moving Pictures That Move: House of Bamboo in CinemaScope |url=http://www.northwestchicagofilmsociety.org/2012/07/16/moving-pictures-that-move-house-of-bamboo-in-cinemascope/ |access-date=April 29, 2016 |website=Northwest Chicago Film Society}}</ref> To convince theater owners to install this new process, 20th Century-Fox agreed to help pay conversion costs (about $25,000 per screen); and to ensure enough product, 20th Century-Fox leased access to CinemaScope to any rival studio choosing to use it. Seeing the box-office for the first two CinemaScope features, ''The Robe'' and ''[[How to Marry a Millionaire]]'' (also 1953), Warner Bros., MGM, RKO, [[Universal Pictures|Universal-International]], [[Columbia Pictures|Columbia]], UA, [[Monogram Pictures|Allied Artists]], and [[Walt Disney Studios (division)|Disney]] quickly adopted the process. In 1956, 20th Century-Fox engaged [[Robert Lippert]] to establish a subsidiary company, [[Regal Pictures]], later [[Associated Producers Incorporated]] to film [[B picture]]s in CinemaScope (but "branded" RegalScope). 20th Century-Fox produced new musicals using the CinemaScope process including ''[[Carousel (film)|Carousel]]'' and ''[[The King and I (1956 film)|The King and I]]'' (both 1956).

CinemaScope brought a brief upturn in attendance, but by 1956 the numbers again began to slide.{{sfn|Watson|2015|page=290}}<ref>{{cite web |title='The Modern Miracle You See Without Glasses' – CinemaScope: 1953–1954: 'Twentieth Century-Fox presents A CinemaScope Production': 1953–1954 (Films made in CinemaScope from 1953 to 1956) |url=http://www.davidbordwell.net/books/poetics_10cinemascope.pdf |access-date=April 29, 2016 |website=David Bordwell |page=290 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130430113332/http://www.davidbordwell.net/books/poetics_10cinemascope.pdf |archive-date=April 30, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> That year Darryl Zanuck announced his resignation as head of production. Zanuck moved to Paris, setting up as an independent producer, seldom being in the United States for many years.

=== Production and financial problems ===
[[File:20th Century Fox logo.svg|thumb|right|Logo used as 20th Century Fox from 1986 to 2020.]]
Zanuck's successor, producer [[Buddy Adler]], died a year later.{{sfn|Harris|2011|page=1900}} President Spyros Skouras brought in a series of production executives, but none had Zanuck's success. By the early 1960s, 20th Century-Fox was in trouble. A new version of ''[[Cleopatra (1963 film)|Cleopatra]]'' (1963) began production in 1959 with [[Joan Collins]] in the lead.<ref name="Kamp" /> As a publicity gimmick, producer [[Walter Wanger]] offered $1&nbsp;million to [[Elizabeth Taylor]] if she would star;<ref name="Kamp" /> she accepted and costs for ''Cleopatra'' began to escalate. [[Richard Burton]]'s on-set romance with Taylor was surrounding the media. However, Skouras' selfish preferences and inexperienced micromanagement on the film's production did nothing to speed up production on ''Cleopatra''.

Meanwhile, another remake—of the [[Cary Grant]] hit ''[[My Favorite Wife]]'' (1940)—was rushed into production in an attempt to turn over a quick profit to help keep 20th Century-Fox afloat. The [[romantic comedy]] entitled ''[[Something's Got to Give]]'' paired [[Marilyn Monroe]], 20th Century-Fox's most bankable star of the 1950s, with [[Dean Martin]] and director [[George Cukor]]. The troubled Monroe caused delays daily, and it quickly descended into a costly debacle. As ''Cleopatra''{{'}}s budget passed $10&nbsp;million, eventually costing around $40&nbsp;million, 20th Century-Fox sold its back lot (now the site of [[Century City]]) to Alcoa in 1961 to raise funds. After several weeks of script rewrites on the Monroe picture and very little progress, mostly due to director George Cukor's filming methods, in addition to Monroe's chronic [[sinusitis]], Monroe was fired from ''Something's Got to Give''<ref name="Kamp">{{Cite magazine |last=Kamp |first=David |title=When Liz Met Dick |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/1998/03/elizabeth-taylor-199803 |magazine=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]  |access-date=April 29, 2016}}</ref> and two months later she was found dead. According to 20th Century-Fox files, she was rehired within weeks for a two-picture deal totaling $1&nbsp;million, $500,000 to finish ''Something's Got to Give'' (plus a bonus at completion), and another $500,000 for ''What a Way to Go''. Elizabeth Taylor's disruptive reign on the ''Cleopatra'' set continued unchallenged from 1960 into 1962, though three 20th Century-Fox executives went to [[Rome]] in June 1962 to fire her. They learned that director [[Joseph L. Mankiewicz]] had filmed out of sequence and had only done interiors, so 20th Century-Fox was then forced to allow Taylor several more weeks of filming. In the meantime during that summer of 1962 Fox released nearly all of its contract stars to offset burgeoning costs, including [[Jayne Mansfield]].{{sfn|Ferruccio|2010|page=117}}{{sfn|Strait|1992|page=86}}

With few pictures on the schedule, Skouras wanted to rush Zanuck's big-budget war epic ''[[The Longest Day (film)|The Longest Day]]'' (1962),<ref name="Kamp" /> an accurate account of the [[Normandy Landings|Allied invasion of Normandy]] on June 6, 1944, with a huge international cast, into release as another source of quick cash. This offended Zanuck, still 20th Century-Fox's largest shareholder, for whom ''The Longest Day'' was a labor of love that he had dearly wanted to produce for many years. After it became clear that ''Something's Got to Give'' would not be able to progress without Monroe in the lead (Martin had refused to work with anyone else), Skouras finally decided that re-signing her was unavoidable. But days before filming was due to resume, [[Death of Marilyn Monroe|she was found dead]] at her Los Angeles home and the picture resumed filming as ''[[Move Over, Darling]]'', with [[Doris Day]] and [[James Garner]] in the leads. Released in 1963, the film was a hit.<ref>{{cite web |title=Move Over, Darling |url=http://www.dorisday.net/move-over-darling/ |access-date=April 29, 2016 |website=Doris Day |date=July 25, 2015 |location=United States}}</ref> The unfinished scenes from ''Something's Got to Give'' were shelved for nearly 40 years. Rather than being rushed into release as if it were a B-picture, ''The Longest Day'' was lovingly and carefully produced under Zanuck's supervision. It was finally released at a length of three hours and was well received.

At the next board meeting, Zanuck spoke for eight hours, convincing directors that Skouras was mismanaging the company and that he was the only possible successor. Zanuck was installed as chairman, and then named his son [[Richard Zanuck]] as president.<ref>{{cite web |last=Preston |first=John |date=January 20, 2008 |title=The Napoleon of Sunset Boulevard |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/3670633/The-Napoleon-of-Sunset-Boulevard.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/3670633/The-Napoleon-of-Sunset-Boulevard.html |archive-date=January 10, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=April 29, 2016 |website=[[The Daily Telegraph]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref> This new management group seized ''Cleopatra'' and rushed it to completion, shut down the studio, laid off the entire staff to save money, axed the long-running [[Movietone News]]reel (the archives of which are now owned by [[Fox News]]), and made a series of cheap, popular pictures that restored 20th Century-Fox as a major studio. The saving grace for the studio's fortunes came from the tremendous success of ''[[The Sound of Music (film)|The Sound of Music]]'' (1965),<ref>{{cite web |date=April 13, 2010 |title=Richard D. Zanuck, a Hollywood legend too busy for nostalgia |url=http://herocomplex.latimes.com/uncategorized/richard-d-zanuck-a-hollywood-legend-too-busy-to-look-back/ |access-date=April 29, 2016 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref> an expensive and handsomely produced film adaptation of the [[The Sound of Music|highly acclaimed Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway musical]], which became a significant success at the box office and won five [[Academy Awards]], including [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]] ([[Robert Wise]]) and [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture of the Year]].

20th Century-Fox also had two big science-fiction hits in the decade: ''[[Fantastic Voyage]]'' (1966), and the original ''[[Planet of the Apes (1968 film)|Planet of the Apes]]'' (1968), starring [[Charlton Heston]], [[Kim Hunter]], and [[Roddy McDowall]]. ''Fantastic Voyage'' was the last film made in [[CinemaScope]]; the studio had held on to the format while [[Panavision]] lenses were being used elsewhere.

Zanuck stayed on as chairman until 1971, but there were several expensive flops in his last years, resulting in 20th Century-Fox posting losses from 1969 to 1971. Following his removal and replacement by [[Dennis Stanfill]] as chairman, and after an uncertain period, new management brought 20th Century-Fox back to health. Under president [[Gordon T. Stulberg]] and production head [[Alan Ladd, Jr.]], 20th Century-Fox films connected with modern audiences. Board chairman Dennis Stanfill used the profits to acquire resort properties, soft-drink bottlers, [[Hoyts|Australian theaters]] and other properties in an attempt to diversify enough to offset the boom-or-bust cycle of picture-making.

Foreshadowing a pattern of film production still yet to come, in late 1973 20th Century-Fox partnered with Warner Bros. to co-produce ''[[The Towering Inferno]]'' (1974),<ref>{{cite web |last=Anderson |first=Erik |date=September 28, 2013 |title=Best Supporting Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures' Track Record in the Best Supporting Actor Category |url=http://awardswatch.com/predictions/best-supporting-studio-warner-bros-pictures-track-record-in-the-best-supporting-actor-category/ |access-date=April 29, 2016 |website=Awards Watch |location=United States}}</ref> an all-star action blockbuster from producer [[Irwin Allen]]. Both studios found themselves owning the rights to books about burning skyscrapers. Allen insisted on a meeting with the heads of both studios and announced that as 20th Century-Fox was already in the lead with their property it would be career suicide to have competing movies. Thus the first joint-venture studio deal was struck. In hindsight, while it may be commonplace now, back in the 1970s, it was a risky, but revolutionary, idea that paid off handsomely at both domestic and international box offices around the world.

20th Century-Fox's success reached new heights by backing the most profitable film made up to that time, ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' (1977). Substantial financial gains were realized as a result of the film's unprecedented success: from a low of $6 in June 1976, stock prices more than quadrupled to almost $27 after ''Star Wars'' release; 1976 revenues of $195&nbsp;million rose to $301&nbsp;million in 1977.{{sfn|Solomon|2002|pages=19–20}}

=== Marvin Davis and Rupert Murdoch ===
[[Image:Foxplazafromolympicblvd.jpg|thumb|
[[Fox Plaza (Los Angeles)|Fox Plaza]], [[Century City, California|Century City headquarters]] completed in 1987|alt=]]
With financial stability came new owners, when 20th Century-Fox was sold for $720&nbsp;million on June 8, 1981, to investors [[Marc Rich]] and [[Marvin Davis]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Barton |first=David |date=June 9, 1981 |title=Fox Landslides Into Davis' Arms |magazine=[[Daily Variety]] |page=1}}</ref> 20th Century-Fox's assets included [[Pebble Beach Golf Links]], the [[Aspen Skiing Company]] and a [[Century City, Los Angeles, California|Century City]] property upon which Davis built and twice sold [[Fox Plaza (Los Angeles)|Fox Plaza]].

In 1982, the company decided to try on capitalizing the video game industry by forming the company's first video game division, Fox Video Games, in order to sell cartridges for consoles and computers, under the "Games of the Century" slogan, but the division failed due to the [[video game crash of 1983]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last1=Harmetz |first1=Aljean |last2=Times |first2=Special To the New York |date=1982-07-01 |title=VIDEO GAMES TO TO HOLLYWOOD |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/07/01/business/video-games-to-to-hollywood.html |access-date=2023-10-02 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

By 1984, Rich had become a fugitive from justice, having fled to Switzerland after being charged by U.S. federal prosecutors with tax evasion, racketeering and illegal trading with Iran during the [[Iran hostage crisis]]. Rich's assets were frozen by U.S. authorities.<ref name="Hayes">{{Cite news |last=Thomas C. Hayes |date=June 20, 1984 |title=Rich to Sell Fox Stake to Davis |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/06/20/business/rich-to-sell-fox-stake-to-davis.html}}</ref> In 1984 [[Marvin Davis]] bought out [[Marc Rich]]'s 50% interest in 20th Century-Fox Film Corporation for an undisclosed amount,<ref name="Hayes" /> reported to be $116&nbsp;million.{{sfn|Wolff|2010|page=167}} Davis sold this interest to [[Rupert Murdoch]]'s [[News Corporation]] for $250&nbsp;million in March 1985. Davis later backed out of a deal with Murdoch to purchase [[John Kluge]]'s Metromedia television stations.{{sfn|Wolff|2010|page=167}} Murdoch went ahead alone and bought the stations, and later bought out Davis' remaining stake in 20th Century-Fox for $325&nbsp;million.{{sfn|Wolff|2010|page=167}} From 1985, the [[hyphen]] was permanently deleted from the brand name, with ''20th Century-Fox'' changing to ''20th Century Fox''.{{sfn|Troyan|Thompson|Sylvester|2017|p=[https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=JLCzDgAAQBAJ&pg=PA29 29]}}<ref name="slide">{{Cite book |last=Slide |first=Anthony |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=je4lAAAAQBAJ&q=20th%20century-fox%20hyphen&pg=PA211 |title=The New Historical Dictionary of the American Film Industry |date=1998 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=978-0-8108-6636-2 |page=211 |access-date=April 1, 2020}}</ref>

To gain FCC approval of 20th Century-Fox's purchase of [[Metromedia]]'s television holdings, once the stations of the long-dissolved [[DuMont Television Network|DuMont]] network, Murdoch had to become a U.S. citizen. He did so in 1985, and in 1986 the new [[Fox Broadcasting Company]] took to the air. Over the next 20-odd years the network and owned-stations group expanded to become extremely profitable for News Corporation. Then in 1993, 20th Century Fox bought the superhero rights to the [[X-Men]], while the [[Fantastic Four]] was bought in 1998. Then [[Bryan Singer]] directed the [[X-Men (film)|first film]] and the [[X2 (film)|second film]], while [[Brett Ratner]] was hired to direct the [[X-Men: The Last Stand|third film]] of the original trilogy.

In 1994, 20th Century Fox would establish four new divisions: [[Fox Searchlight Pictures]], [[Fox Family Films]], [[Fox Animation Studios]], and [[Fox 2000 Pictures]]. Fox Searchlight would specialize in the [[Specialty film|specialty]] and [[indie film|indie]] film market, with [[Tom Rothman|Thomas Rothman]], then president of production at [[The Samuel Goldwyn Company]], being brought on to head up the new studio. It was soon given its name with Rothman as its founding president.{{sfn|Tzioumakis|2013|pp=135}}<ref name="BW6">{{cite web|url=http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=1498356&privcapId=6441777&previousCapId=91031&previousTitle=NEWS%20CORP-CLASS%20B|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100518133545/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=1498356&privcapId=6441777&previousCapId=91031&previousTitle=NEWS%20CORP-CLASS%20B|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 18, 2010|title=Executive Profile: Thomas E. Rothman|access-date= February 10, 2022}}</ref> Fox Family Films was tasked with producing films geared towards families, under [[John Matoian]].<ref name="vty-osteen">{{cite news |last=O'Steen |first=Kathleen |title=Matoian firmed at Fox family unit |url= https://variety.com/1994/film/news/matoian-firmed-at-fox-family-unit-118760/ |access-date=February 10, 2022 |work=Variety |date=March 1, 1994 }}</ref> Fox Animation Studios was established on August 9, 1994,<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bates|first1=James|title=Fox Animation Studio Will Be Built in Phoenix: Hollywood: Arizona entices the company with $1 million in job training funds and low-interest loans.|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-08-02-fi-22631-story.html|access-date=April 11, 2022|work=Los Angeles Times|date=August 2, 1994}}</ref> designed to compete with [[Walt Disney Animation Studios|Walt Disney Feature Animation]], whom had found success in the [[Disney Renaissance]]. [[Don Bluth]] and [[Gary Goldman]] of the failing [[Sullivan Bluth Studios]] were appointed to head the new $100&nbsp;million animation studio.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kaye |first=Jeff |title=Company Town : Fox Heats Up the Animation Wars : Movies: Heavyweight Don Bluth discusses the deal that will bring him and Gary Goldman home from Ireland. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-05-06-fi-54640-story.html |access-date=April 11, 2022 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=May 6, 1994}}</ref> Fox 2000 Pictures was formed to specialize in mid-budget-ranging films targeted towards underserved groups of audiences,<ref name="fbs">{{cite news |last1=Mendelson |first1=Scott |title=Thanks To Netflix And YouTube, Fox 2000 Was An Inevitable Casualty Of The Disney-Fox Deal |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2019/03/22/in-our-netflix-and-chill-era-fox-2000-was-an-inevitable-casualty-of-the-disney-fox-deal/ |access-date=February 10, 2022 |work=Forbes |date=March 22, 2019}}</ref> with [[Laura Ziskin]] brought on as president.<ref name="vty0">{{cite news |last1=Littleton |first1=Cynthia |title=Producer Laura Ziskin dies at 61 |url=https://variety.com/2011/film/news/producer-laura-ziskin-dies-at-61-1118038459/ |access-date=February 10, 2022 |work=Variety |date=June 13, 2011 }}</ref>

In August 1997, Fox's Los Angeles-based visual effects company, VIFX, acquired [[majority interest]] in [[Blue Sky Studios]] to form a new visual effects and animation company, temporarily renamed "Blue Sky/VIFX".<ref name=":1">{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/1997/film/news/imaginative-pix-takes-interest-in-blue-sky-1116678868/|title=Imaginative Pix takes interest in Blue Sky|date=August 27, 1997|newspaper=Variety|access-date=April 11, 2022|archive-date=February 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209175443/https://variety.com/1997/film/news/imaginative-pix-takes-interest-in-blue-sky-1116678868/|url-status=live}}</ref> Blue Sky had previously did the character animation of MTV Films' first film ''[[Joe's Apartment]]. ''Following the studio's expansion, Blue Sky produced character animation for the films ''[[Alien Resurrection]]'', ''[[A Simple Wish]]'', ''[[Mouse Hunt]]'', ''[[Star Trek: Insurrection]]'' and ''[[Fight Club]]''.<ref name="ArtOfBlueSky">{{cite book|title=The Art of Blue Sky Studios|date=2014|publisher=Insight Editions|isbn=9781608873173|location=San Rafael, California|last1=Friedman|first1=Jake S.}}</ref> VIFX was later sold to another VFX studio [[Rhythm and Hues Studios]] in March 1999.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Graser |first1=Marc |title=Fox to sell visual F/X division to R&H |url=https://variety.com/1999/digital/news/fox-to-sell-visual-f-x-division-to-r-h-1117491896/ |website=Variety|access-date=February 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219010257/https://variety.com/1999/digital/news/fox-to-sell-visual-f-x-division-to-r-h-1117491896/ |archive-date=February 19, 2017 |url-status=live |date=March 3, 1999}}</ref> According to Blue Sky founder [[Chris Wedge]], Fox considered selling Blue Sky as well by 2000 due to financial difficulties in the visual effects industry in general.

In February 1998, following the success of Fox Animation Studios' first film ''[[Anastasia (1997 film)|Anastasia]]'', Fox Family Films changed its name to [[Fox Animation Studios]] and dropped its live action production. which would be picked up by other production units.<ref name="VarietyFoxRenamedToon">{{Cite news |last=Petrikin |first=Chris |date=February 18, 1998 |title=Fox renamed that toon |work=Variety |url=https://variety.com/1998/film/news/fox-renamed-that-toon-1117467902/ |access-date=March 31, 2018}}</ref> The actual Fox Animation Studios would become a division of the formerly-named Fox Family Films, being referred to as the Phoenix studio. However, Fox Animation Studios in Los Angeles would be renamed to [[20th Century Fox Animation]] between 1998 and 1999. The Phoenix studio would face financial problems, eventually with Fox laying off 300 of the nearly 380 people who worked at the Phoenix studio<ref>{{cite web | last=Lauria | first=Larry | url=https://www.awn.com/animationworld/conversation-new-don-bluth | title=A Conversation With The New Don Bluth | publisher=[[Animation World Network]] | access-date=April 11, 2022}}</ref> to "make films more efficiently". After the box-office failure of ''[[Titan A.E.]]'', Fox Animation Studios would shut down on June 26, 2000.<ref>{{cite news | last=Eller | first=Claudia | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-jun-29-fi-45965-story.html | title=20th Century Fox Closes Its Phoenix Animation Studio | work=[[Los Angeles Times]] | date=June 29, 2000 | access-date=April 11, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=F. Duke|first1=Paul|title=Fox tooning out, closing Phoenix arm|url=https://variety.com/2000/film/news/fox-tooning-out-closing-phoenix-arm-1117783078/|access-date=February 10, 2022|work=Variety|date=June 27, 2000}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last=Linder | first=Brian | url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/06/27/fox-animation-studios-closes-its-doors | title=Fox Animation Studios Closes Its Doors | publisher=[[IGN]] | date=June 27, 2000 | access-date=April 11, 2022}}</ref> Their last film set to be made would have been an adaptation of [[Wayne Barlowe]]'s illustrated novel ''[[Barlowe's Inferno]]'', and was set to be done entirely with [[computer animation]].<ref>{{cite web | last=Snider | first=Mike | url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gamehunters/post/2010/02/concept-artist-wayne-barlowe-on-dantes-inferno-hell-and-video-games/1 | title=Concept artist Wayne Barlowe on 'Dante's Inferno', Hell and video games | newspaper=[[USA Today]] | date=February 9, 2010 | access-date=February 10, 2022}}</ref> Another film they would have made was ''The Little Beauty King'', an adult animated film directed by [[Steve Oedekerk]], which would have been a satire of the films from the [[Disney Renaissance]]. It would predate ''[[Shrek]]'' (2001).<ref>{{cite web | last=Snider | first=Mike | url=https://sites.google.com/site/steveoedekerkinfo/animation/the-little-beauty-king | title=The Little Beauty King - Oedekerk Report - Unofficial fan site of director, producer, writer Steve Oedekerk | access-date=February 10, 2022 | archive-date=February 10, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220210140645/https://sites.google.com/site/steveoedekerkinfo/animation/the-little-beauty-king | url-status=dead }}</ref>

Chris Wedge, film producer Lori Forte, and Fox Animation executive [[Chris Meledandri]] presented Fox with a script for a comedy feature film titled [[Ice Age (2002 film)|''Ice Age'']].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2008/film/features/fox-animation-soars-under-blue-sky-1117984996/|title=Fox animation soars under Blue Sky|last1=Fritz|first1=Ben|date=May 2, 2008|website=Variety|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170628130716/https://variety.com/2008/film/features/fox-animation-soars-under-blue-sky-1117984996/|archive-date=June 28, 2017|url-status=live|access-date=February 10, 2022}}</ref> Studio management pressured staff to sell their remaining shares and options to Fox on the promise of continued employment on feature-length films. The studio moved to White Plains, New York and started production on ''Ice Age''. As the film wrapped, Fox, having little faith in the film, feared that it might bomb at the box office. Fox terminated half of the production staff and tried unsuccessfully to find a buyer for the film and the studio.{{Citation needed|date=June 2018}} Instead, ''Ice Age'' was released by Fox in conjunction with 20th Century Fox Animation on March 15, 2002, to critical and commercial success, receiving a nomination for an [[Academy Award for Best Animated Feature]] at the [[75th Academy Awards]] in 2003.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2003|title=The 75th Academy Awards, 2003|date=October 5, 2014 |publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|access-date=June 10, 2018|archive-date=April 17, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417092738/https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2003|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Ice Age'' would spawn a [[Ice Age (franchise)|franchise]] and bolster [[Blue Sky Studios|Blue Sky]] into producing feature films and becoming a [[wikt:household name|household name]] in feature animation.

[[Image:Foxstudios.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Fox Broadcasting Company]]'s Los Angeles studios in 2005]]
From 2000 to 2010, 20th Century Fox was the international distributor for [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]]/[[United Artists|UA]] releases. In the 1980s, 20th Century Fox – through a joint venture with [[CBS]] called [[CBS/Fox Video]] – had distributed certain UA films on video; thus UA has come full circle by switching to 20th Century Fox for video distribution. 20th Century Fox also makes money distributing films for small independent film companies.

In 2006, 20th Century Fox terminated its production with [[Bad Hat Harry Productions]] for 5 years, because Bryan Singer left ''[[X-Men: The Last Stand]]'' to direct ''[[Superman Returns]]'' (2006) for [[Warner Bros. Pictures]], then he returned to produce the [[X-Men: First Class|first film]] and direct its [[X-Men: Days of Future Past|sequel]] in the prequel trilogy, starting in 2011.

In late 2006, [[Fox Atomic]] was started up<ref name="omd">{{Cite news |last=Walsh |first=Mark |date=July 20, 2006 |title=Fox Atomic Unveils Broadband Site |work=Online Media Daily |url=https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/45787/fox-atomic-unveils-broadband-site.html |access-date=August 8, 2019}}</ref> under [[Searchlight Pictures|Fox Searchlight]] head [[Peter Rice (executive)|Peter Rice]] and COO John Hegeman<ref name="rtr">{{Cite news |last1=Kilday |first1=Gregg |last2=Fernandez |first2=Jay A. |date=April 20, 2009 |title=Fox shutting down youth-focused film unit |work=The Hollywood Reporter |agency=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-fox-idUSTRE53K0HE20090421 |access-date=June 24, 2019}}</ref> as a sibling production division under Fox Filmed Entertainment.<ref name="omd" /> In early 2008, Atomic's marketing unit was transferred to Fox Searchlight and 20th Century Fox, when Hegeman moved to New Regency Productions. Debbie Liebling became president. After two middling successes and falling short with other films, the unit was shut down in April 2009. The remaining films under its Atomic label in production and post-productions were transferred to 20th Century Fox and Fox Spotlight with Liebling overseeing them.<ref name=rtr/>

In 2008, 20th Century Fox announced an Asian subsidiary, [[Star Studios|Fox STAR Studios]], a joint venture with [[Fox Networks Group Asia Pacific|STAR TV]], also owned by News Corporation. It was reported that Fox STAR would start by producing films for the [[Bollywood]] market, then expand to several Asian markets.<ref>{{cite web |date=September 10, 2008 |title=Fox sets Asian movie venture |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2008/09/fox-sets-asian.html |access-date=April 29, 2016 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref> In the same year, 20th Century Fox started [[Fox International Productions]], but the division was closed in 2017.<ref name="hwr1">{{Cite news |last=Siegel |first=Tatiana |date=April 13, 2015 |title=Sanford Panitch Leaving Fox for Top Post at Sony|work=The Hollywood Reporter |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/sanford-panitch-leaving-fox-top-788422/ |access-date=April 11, 2022}}</ref>

[[Chernin Entertainment]] was founded by Peter Chernin after he stepped down as president of 20th Century Fox's then-parent company News Corporation. in 2009.<ref name="vty-Chernin">{{Cite news |last=Vary |first=Adam B. |date=January 17, 2020 |title=Disney and Chernin Entertainment Parting Ways|work=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2020/biz/news/disney-chernin-entertainment-deal-ending-1203470944/ |access-date=January 21, 2020}}</ref> Chernin Entertainment's five-year [[first-look deal]] for the film and television was signed with 20th Century Fox and 20th Century Fox Television in 2009.<ref name="thr-1ld">{{Cite news |last=Siegel |first=Tatiana |date=November 5, 2014 |title=Peter Chernin Nears Renewal of Fox Film Pact; TV Deal to Be Shopped |work=The Hollywood Reporter |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/peter-chernin-nears-renewal-fox-746451/ |access-date=April 11, 2022}}</ref>

=== 21st Century Fox era ===
On June 28, 2012, Rupert Murdoch announced that News Corporation would be split into two publishing and media-oriented companies: a [[News Corp|new News Corporation]] and [[21st Century Fox]], which operated the [[Fox Entertainment Group]] and 20th Century Fox. Murdoch considered the name of the new company a way to maintain the 20th Century Fox heritage.<ref name="verge-21stlogo">{{cite web |last=Welch |first=Chris |date=May 9, 2013 |title=21st Century Fox logo unveiled ahead of News Corp split |url=https://www.theverge.com/2013/5/9/4316444/21st-century-fox-logo-revealed-by-rupert-murdoch |access-date=May 9, 2013 |website=[[The Verge]] }}</ref><ref name="GuardianLogo">{{cite web |last=Rushe |first=Dominic |date=June 18, 2013 |title=Rupert Murdoch splits empire but keeps faith in tomorrow's newspapers |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/jun/18/rupert-murdoch-split-empire-news-corp |access-date=June 18, 2013 |website=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref>

[[Buena Vista Theatrical|Fox Stage Productions]] was formed in June 2013.<ref name="dl">{{Cite magazine |last=Gerard |first=Jeremy |date=July 28, 2015 |title=Fox Names Isaac Robert Hurwitz To Head Live Theater Division |url=https://deadline.com/2015/07/fox-names-hurwitz-head-of-live-theater-division-1201486323/ |magazine=Deadline |access-date=March 28, 2019}}</ref> In August, the same year, 20th Century Fox started a theatrical joint venture with a trio of producers, both film and theater, [[Kevin McCollum]], [[John Davis (producer)|John Davis]] and Tom McGrath.<ref name="vty-cox">{{Cite news |last=Cox |first=Gordon |date=August 8, 2013 |title=Kevin McCollum: Fox Finds Its Stage Coach |work=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2013/film/news/kevin-mccollum-fox-finds-its-stage-coach-1200575611/ |access-date=March 28, 2019}}</ref>

On September 20, 2017, [[Locksmith Animation]] formed a multi-year production deal with 20th Century Fox, who would distribute Locksmith's films under [[20th Century Fox Animation]], with Locksmith aiming to release a film every 12–18 months. The deal was to bolster Blue Sky's output and replace the loss of distributing [[DreamWorks Animation]] films, which are now owned and distributed by [[Universal Pictures]], following [[NBCUniversal]]'s 2016 acquisition.<ref>{{cite web |last=Lang |first=Brent |date=September 20, 2017 |title=Fox, Locksmith Animation Ink Multi-Year Production, Development Deal |url=https://variety.com/2017/film/news/fox-locksmith-animation-ink-multi-year-production-development-deal-exclusive-1202563541/ |access-date=February 15, 2018 |website=Variety}}</ref> The first film to be released under the production company was ''[[Ron's Gone Wrong]]'', which was released on October 22, 2021, by 20th Century Studios and was the only film to be released by the studio.

Technoprops, a VFX company that worked on ''[[Avatar (2009 film)|Avatar]]'' and ''[[The Jungle Book (2016 film)|The Jungle Book]]'', was purchased in April 2017 to operate as Fox VFX Lab. Technoprops' founder Glenn Derry would continue to run the company as vice president of visual effect reporting to Gerard Bevan and John Kilkenny, VFX president.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Giardina |first=Carolyn |date=April 6, 2017 |title=Fox Acquires Virtual Production Firm Technoprops |work=The Hollywood Reporter |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/fox-acquires-virtual-production-firm-technoprops-991788/ |access-date=April 11, 2022}}</ref>

On October 30, 2017, Vanessa Morrison was named president of a newly created 20th Century Fox division, Fox Family, reporting to the chairman & CEO and Vice Chairman of 20th Century Fox. The family division would develop films that appeal to younger moviegoers and their parents both animated films and films with live-action elements. Also, the division would oversee the studio's family animated television business, which produces holiday television specials based on existing film properties, and oversee feature film adaptation of its TV shows.<ref name="Variety">{{Cite news |last=Lang |first=Brent |date=October 30, 2017 |title=Vanessa Morrison Named Head of Fox Family in Animation Division Overhaul |work=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2017/film/news/fox-vanessa-morrison-1202602371/ |access-date=March 26, 2019}}</ref> To replace Morrison at Fox Animation, Andrea Miloro and Robert Baird were named co-presidents of 20th Century Fox Animation.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kilday |first=Gregg |date=October 30, 2017 |title=Fox Animation Names Andrea Miloro, Robert Baird Co-Presidents |work=The Hollywood Reporter |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/fox-animation-names-andrea-miloro-robert-baird-presidents-1052996/ |access-date=April 11, 2022}}</ref>

20th Century Fox issued a default notice in regards to its licensing agreement for the under-construction [[Genting SkyWorlds|20th Century Fox World]] theme park in Malaysia by Genting Malaysia Bhd. In November 2018 Genting Malaysia filed suit in response and included soon to be parent [[the Walt Disney Company]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Stempel |first=Jonathan |date=November 27, 2018 |title=Disney, Fox deny claims in $1 billion Malaysia theme park lawsuit |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-fox-disney-genting-malaysia/disney-fox-deny-claims-in-1-billion-malaysia-theme-park-lawsuit-idUSKCN1NW2FH |access-date=March 25, 2019}}</ref>

=== Disney era ===
{{Further|Acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney}}
On December 14, 2017, Disney announced plans to purchase most of 21st Century Fox, including 20th Century Fox, for $52.4&nbsp;billion.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Snider |first=Mike |date=December 14, 2017 |title=Disney to buy key 21st Century Fox assets for $52.4 billion |work=USA Today |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2017/12/14/disney-21st-century-fox/945309001/ |access-date=August 13, 2019}}</ref> After a bid from [[Comcast]] (owner of [[NBCUniversal]]) for $65&nbsp;billion, Disney counterbid with $71.3&nbsp;billion.<ref name="Comcast bid update">{{Cite news |date=June 13, 2018 |title=Comcast bids $65 billion for 21st Century Fox assets, topping Disney |publisher=[[CNBC]] |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/13/comcast-bids-65-billion-for-21st-century-fox-assets.html |access-date=June 13, 2018}}</ref> On July 19, 2018, Comcast dropped out of the bid for 21st Century Fox in favor of [[Sky (company)|Sky plc]] and [[Sky UK]]. Eight days later, Disney and 21st Century Fox shareholders approved the merger between the two companies.<ref name="Approval" /> Although the deal was completed on March 20, 2019,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hayes |first1=Dade |last2=Patten |first2=Dominic |date=February 27, 2019 |title=Disney-Fox Deal Nears Final Approval After Progress In Brazil And Mexico |url=https://deadline.com/2019/02/disney-fox-deal-nears-finish-line-progress-in-brazil-mexico-1202565767/ |access-date=February 27, 2019 |website=Deadline Hollywood}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2019/03/disney-sets-march-20-closing-date-for-21st-century-fox-acquisition-1202574146/|title=Disney Sets March 20 Closing Date For 21st Century Fox Acquisition|last1=Petski|first1=Denise|last2=Hayes|first2=Dade|date=March 12, 2019|website=Deadline|access-date=March 12, 2019}}</ref> 20th Century Fox was not planning to relocate to [[Walt Disney Studios (Burbank)|Walt Disney Studios]] in [[Burbank, California|Burbank]], but retained its headquarters at the Fox Studio Lot in the [[Century City]] area of Los Angeles, which is currently leased to Disney by 21st Century Fox's successor, [[Fox Corporation]], for seven years.<ref name="vty3">{{Cite news |last=Holloway |first=Daniel |date=December 14, 2017 |title=Disney to Lease Fox Lot for Seven Years (EXCLUSIVE) |work=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2017/biz/news/disney-fox-lot-1202641181/ |access-date=May 3, 2019}}</ref> Various units were moved out from under 20th Century Fox at acquisition in months after the merger along with several rounds of layoffs. The Fox Research Library was folded into the Walt Disney Archives and [[Walt Disney Imagineering]] Archives in January 2020.<ref name="AWN Layoffs">{{Cite web |last=Sarto |first=Dan |date=August 2, 2019 |title=Disney Announces New Round of Layoffs and Closure of Fox Research Library |url=https://www.awn.com/news/disney-announces-new-round-layoffs-and-closure-fox-research-library |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190803133852/https://www.awn.com/news/disney-announces-new-round-layoffs-and-closure-fox-research-library |archive-date=August 3, 2019 |access-date=August 22, 2019 |website=Animation World Network}}</ref><ref name="Lang">{{Cite news |last1=Lang |first1=Brent |last2=Donnelly |first2=Matt |date=August 1, 2019 |title=Disney Layoffs Continue as Key Production, VFX Executives Are Let Go (EXCLUSIVE) |work=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2019/film/news/disney-fox-layoffs-2-1203288499/ |url-status=live |access-date=August 6, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190802140814/https://variety.com/2019/film/news/disney-fox-layoffs-2-1203288499/ |archive-date=August 2, 2019}}</ref> The last film to use the "20th Century Fox" name was ''[[Underwater (film)|Underwater]]'', which was released on January 10, 2020.

After the box office failures of films like ''[[Dark Phoenix (film)|Dark Phoenix]]'' and ''[[Stuber (film)|Stuber]],'' Disney [[Acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney#Aftermath (March 2019–present)|halted development on several projects]], though films such as ''[[Free Guy]]'' and the ''[[Avatar (franchise)|Avatar]]'' sequels managed to continue production. Fox's slate would be reduced to 10 films per year, half of them being made for the [[Hulu]] and then-upcoming [[Disney+]] streaming services. Projects from 20th Century Fox franchises such as ''[[Star Wars]]'', ''[[Home Alone (franchise)|Home Alone]]'', ''[[Cheaper by the Dozen (franchise)|Cheaper by the Dozen]]'', ''[[Night at the Museum (franchise)|Night at the Museum]]'', ''[[Diary of a Wimpy Kid (film series)|Diary of a Wimpy Kid]]'', and [[Ice Age (franchise)|''Ice Age'']] were later announced for Disney+.<ref name="donnelly1">{{Cite news |last=Donnelly |first=Matt |date=August 13, 2019 |title=Fox Feels the Pressure From Disney As Film Flops Mount|work=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2019/film/features/fox-disney-earnings-dark-phoenix-stuber-racing-in-the-rain-1203300260/ |access-date=August 13, 2019}}</ref> These projects would later be fully revealed during Disney's Investor Day in December 2020 as feature films for the aforementioned streaming service.<ref>{{cite web|last=Peters|first=Jay|date=December 10, 2020|title=Here are all the new Marvel, Star Wars, and other projects Disney announced at its investor day|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/10/22167976/disney-investor-day-2020-biggest-announcements-plus-marvel-star-wars-pixar-animation|access-date=December 11, 2020|website=The Verge|archive-date=December 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201211081613/https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/10/22167976/disney-investor-day-2020-biggest-announcements-plus-marvel-star-wars-pixar-animation|url-status=live}}</ref> The first of these projects was ''[[Home Sweet Home Alone]]'', which was released on November 12, 2021.

On January 17, 2020, Disney renamed the studio to "20th Century Studios", which served to help avoid brand confusion with Fox Corporation.<ref>{{cite web|title=2020 Annual Report|url=https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/app/uploads/2021/01/2020-Annual-Report.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=October 2, 2021|website=The Walt Disney Company|page=79|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220106142916/https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/app/uploads/2021/01/2020-Annual-Report.pdf |archive-date=January 6, 2022}}</ref> Similar to other Disney film units, distribution of 20th Century Studios films is now handled in North America by [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures]] and internationally by their sub-division [[Buena Vista International]], while [[Searchlight Pictures]] operates their own autonomous distribution and marketing unit.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |date=January 30, 2020 |title=Emma Watts Leaves Disney's 20th Century Studios |work=Deadline |url=https://deadline.com/2020/01/emma-watts-leaves-disneys-20th-century-studios-1202846855/ |access-date=February 3, 2020 |quote=Post-merger, Fox Searchlight, now re-branded Searchlight Pictures, enjoys a lot of autonomy in the Disney empire, greenlighting pics they know and operating their own distribution, publicity and marketing teams. 20th Century Studios (which recently dropped the Fox) was melded into the bigger Disney fold, fusing all its operations.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=D'Alessandro|first=Anthony|date=January 4, 2022|title=Disney Claims $1.17B, While Sony Says $1B+: The Conundrum Of The 2021 Domestic Box Office Marketshare|work=Deadline|url=https://deadline.com/2022/01/domestic-box-office-2021-marketshare-disney-sony-1234904531/|access-date=January 4, 2022}}</ref> [[Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment]] distributes the films produced by 20th Century and Searchlight in home media under the [[20th Century Home Entertainment]] label. The first film released by Disney under the studio's new name was ''[[The Call of the Wild (2020 film)|The Call of the Wild]]'', which was released on February 21, 2020.<ref name="vty-2CS">{{cite web |last=Vary |first=Adam B. |date=January 17, 2020 |title=Disney Drops Fox Name, Will Rebrand as 20th Century Studios, Searchlight Pictures |url=https://variety.com/2020/film/news/disney-dropping-fox-20th-century-studios-1203470349/ |access-date=January 17, 2020 |website=Variety}}</ref> That same year, ''[[Ford v Ferrari|Ford vs. Ferrari]]'' (2019), among its four Academy Award nominations, earned the studio its first Best Picture nomination post-Disney acquisition.

In the same year, held-over production president Emma Watts left the company.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lang |first=Brent |date=January 30, 2020 |title=Emma Watts Resigns as Twentieth Century Studios Production President |work=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2020/film/news/emma-watts-twentieth-century-studios-disney-1203486971/ |access-date=January 30, 2020}}</ref> On March 12, 2020, Steve Asbell was named president, production of 20th Century Studios, while Morrison was named president, streaming, Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production to oversee live-action development and production of [[Walt Disney Pictures]] and 20th Century Studios for [[Disney+]]. Philip Steuer will now lead physical and post-production and VFX, as president of production at Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production. Randi Hiller will now lead casting as executive VP casting, overseeing both Walt Disney Pictures and 20th Century Studios. Steuer has served as executive VP of physical production for Walt Disney Studios since 2015, and Hiller has led casting for Walt Disney Studios since 2011. Both will dual-report to Asbell and [[Sean Bailey]].<ref name="AsbellPresident">{{cite web |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |date=March 12, 2020 |title=Steve Asbell Takes Over 20th Century Studios Post Emma Watts; Vanessa Morrison Named Walt Disney Studios Streaming Production President |url=https://deadline.com/2020/03/20th-century-studios-disney-steve-asbell-president-emma-watts-departure-vanessa-morrison-walt-disney-streaming-1202881273/ |access-date=March 12, 2020 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref>

On September 1, 2020, the Japanese branch of 20th Century Studios, 20th Century Fox Japan, was absorbed into Disney Japan; 20th Century Studios' previous involvement with [[Toei Company]] as the Japanese co-distributor and Asian distributor for [[List of Dragon Ball films|''Dragon Ball'']] films ended and were later taken over by [[Crunchyroll]] and [[Sony Pictures Releasing]] (via [[Sony Pictures Releasing International]]).<ref name="otakuindustry.biz">{{Cite web |date=2020-09-01 |title=21世紀FOXジャパン、解散公告を官報に掲載 {{!}} オタク産業通信 ：ゲーム、マンガ、アニメ、ノベルの業界ニュース |url=https://otakuindustry.biz/archives/99817 |website=Otakuindustry.biz |language=ja |accessdate=2021-08-14 |archive-date=2021-08-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210804121207/https://otakuindustry.biz/archives/99817 |url-status=live }}</ref>

On February 9, 2021, Disney announced that [[Blue Sky Studios]] was shut down in April 2021, and was succeeded by [[20th Century Animation]].<ref name="DeadlineStudioClose">{{cite web|last=D'Alessandro|first=Anthony|date=February 9, 2021|title=Disney Closing Blue Sky Studios, Fox's Once-Dominant Animation House Behind 'Ice Age' Franchise|url=https://deadline.com/2021/02/blue-sky-studios-closing-disney-ice-age-franchise-animation-1234690310/|access-date=February 9, 2021|website=Deadline|archive-date=February 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209175505/https://deadline.com/2021/02/blue-sky-studios-closing-disney-ice-age-franchise-animation-1234690310/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Giardina">{{cite web|last=Giardina|first=Carolyn|date=February 9, 2021|title=Disney Shutting Blue Sky Animation Studio|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/disney-to-shutter-ice-age-animation-studio-blue-sky-4130226/|url-status=live|access-date=April 11, 2022|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210209202052/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/amp/behind-screen/disney-to-shutter-ice-age-animation-studio-blue-sky  |archive-date = February 9, 2021  }}</ref> A spokesperson for the company explained that in light of the ongoing [[Coronavirus pandemic]]'s continued economic impact on all of its businesses, it was no longer sustainable for them to run a third feature animation studio. In addition, production on a film adaptation of the webcomic ''[[Nimona (film)|Nimona]]'',<ref>{{cite web|last=Amidi|first=Amid |author-link=Amid Amidi|date=July 10, 2017|title=Patrick Osborne's Feature Directorial Debut 'Nimona' Gets 2020 Release Date|url=https://www.cartoonbrew.com/feature-film/patrick-osbornes-feature-directorial-debut-nimona-gets-2020-release-date-152177.html|access-date=October 8, 2020|website=Cartoon Brew|archive-date=February 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209175523/https://www.cartoonbrew.com/feature-film/patrick-osbornes-feature-directorial-debut-nimona-gets-2020-release-date-152177.html|url-status=live}}</ref> originally scheduled to be released on January 14, 2022, was cancelled as a result of its closure. The studio's film library and intellectual properties are retained by Disney. Although Disney did not give an exact date as to when the studio would be closing down initially, former animator Rick Fournier confirmed on April 10 it was their last day of operation,<ref>{{cite tweet |title=A Blue Sky Studios' last day. The plug has been pulled, and we're all off to new adventures. Best wishes to my Blue Sky family. #blueskystudios |user=Project813 |author=Rich Fournier |number=1380947154152357895 |date=April 10, 2021 }}</ref> three days after founder Chris Wedge released a farewell letter on social media.<ref>{{cite tweet |title=A letter from Blue Sky Founder, Chris Wedge. With the news of Blue Sky's closing, we send 34-years worth of gratitude and appreciation to our friends and fans throughout the world. 💙 |user=blueskystudios |author=Blue Sky Studios |author-link=Blue Sky Studios |number=1379822457729785863 |date=April 7, 2021}}</ref> ''[[Nimona (film)|Nimona]]'' would be picked up by [[Annapurna Pictures]] in early 2022 for release on [[Netflix]] in 2023.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lang |first1=Jamie |title='Nimona' Lands at Netflix, Annapurna Producing, DNEG Animating |url=https://www.cartoonbrew.com/feature-film/nimona-netflix-annapurna-dneg-blue-sky-214964.html |website=Cartoon Brew |access-date=April 11, 2022 |date=April 11, 2022}}</ref>

[[File:20th Century Studios (2021).svg|thumb|A horizontal version of 20th Century Studios' current print logo, used for branding films (mainly [[Hulu]]/[[Star (Disney+)|Star]] originals produced by them). The first film to use this was ''[[Vacation Friends]]''.]]
On November 22, 2021, [[Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution]] and [[WarnerMedia]] reached an agreement to allow select 20th Century Studios films be shared between [[Disney+]], [[Hulu]], and [[Max (streaming service)|HBO Max]] through late 2022. The new agreement negotiated by Gerard Devan and John Gelke is an amendment to the original agreement between 20th Century Fox and HBO that Disney inherited after its acquisition of Fox in 2019, and as such, is not expected to be renewed. Following the end of the 20th Century-HBO deal, Disney plans to retain the 20th Century films on their own streaming platforms going forward after 2022.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Spangler |first1=Todd |title=Disney, WarnerMedia Carve Up Fox Film Slate Streaming Rights Through End of 2022 (EXCLUSIVE) |url=https://variety.com/2021/digital/news/disney-warnermedia-fox-movies-streaming-2022-1235117329/ |work=Variety |date=November 22, 2021}}</ref> The first film to this new strategy was ''[[Ron's Gone Wrong]]''. Also in 2021, Disney had launched a video game based-studio 20th Century Games. Similar to its predecessors—[[FoxNext]], [[Fox Interactive]] and 20th Century Fox Games—it acts as a distributor and has partnered with other triple-A game studios. Its first title was ''[[Aliens: Fireteam Elite]]''.<ref name="20thcenturygames">{{cite web | url=https://www.hyperhype.es/disney-crea-20th-century-games-y-nadie-esta-hablando-de-ello/ | title=DISNEY CREA 20TH CENTURY GAMES PERO NADIE HABLA DE ELLO - Hyperhype | date=July 18, 2022 }}</ref>

On February 8, 2022, Steven Spielberg's 2021 film version of ''[[West Side Story (2021 film)|West Side Story]]'', among its seven Academy Award nominations, earned 20th Century Studios its first Best Picture nomination post-rebranding.<ref>{{cite web |first=Tyler |last=Coates |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/power-of-the-dog-oscar-nominations-2022-1235088568/ |title=The Power of the Dog Leads Oscar Nominations 2022 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=September 3, 2019 |access-date=February 9, 2022}}</ref>

In March 2023, it was announced that [[Marvel Comics]] would be launching a 20th Century Studios imprint, which will release comics based on 20th Century franchises. The first comic under the label would be a ''[[Planet of the Apes]]'' comic.<ref name="auto">{{cite news |last1=Couch |first1=Aaron |title=Marvel Launches 20th Century Studios Imprint with 'Planet of the Apes' Comic (Exclusive) |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/marvel-launches-20th-century-studios-planet-of-the-apes-1235339668/ |access-date=4 March 2023 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=March 3, 2023}}</ref>

On February 26, 2024, [[Walt Disney Pictures]] president [[Sean Bailey]] was announced to be stepping down, with Searchlight Pictures president David Greenbaum assuming his position. Greenbaum will lead Walt Disney Pictures and co-lead 20th Century with Steve Asbell as president.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=D'Alessandro |first1=Anthony |last2=Fleming Jr. |first2=Mike |date=February 26, 2024 |title=Disney Shakeup: Sean Bailey Exits As President Of Walt Disney Motion Picture Studios, Searchlight's David Greenbaum Takes Over & Also Will Run 20th |url=https://deadline.com/2024/02/disney-sean-bailey-exits-david-greenbaum-searchlight-1235838865/ |access-date=February 29, 2024 |work=Deadline}}</ref>

In April 2025, Disney announced that it would not renew its lease with Fox Corporation and that it would vacate the Fox Studio Lot in Century City at the end of 2025. As a result, 20th Century will relocate to the [[Walt Disney Studios (Burbank)|Walt Disney Studios]] in Burbank.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Cho |first=Winston |date=April 2, 2025 |title=Disney to Leave Fox Studio Lot, Relocate Teams to Burbank |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/disney-fox-studio-lot-relocate-burbank-1236179527/ |access-date=April 4, 2025 |work=The Hollywood Reporter}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Vincent |first1=Roger |last2=James |first2=Meg |date=April 1, 2025 |title=Disney plans to vacate storied Fox lot in Century City by year's end |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2025-04-01/disney-plans-to-vacate-storied-fox-lot-in-century-city-by-years-end |access-date=April 4, 2025 |work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref>