Participant, the production company behind Oscar award-winning films like Spotlight, Green Book, and Steven Spielberg’s 2018 historical biopic Lincoln, is shutting down after 20 years
According to Variety, Participant’s shuttering was first announced to its roughly 100 employees by founder Jeff Skoll. In a company-wide memo obtained by Variety, Skoll lauded Participant for its history of sparking global conversations and positive social change with films and shows like Contagion, Judas and the Black Messiah, and Netflix’s When They See Us.
Sources close to Participant told Variety that the production company’s sunsetting will result in the dismissal of its employees and a halt in the development and production of new content. As it stands, Participant will exist as a holding company overseeing the interest of its library's 135 films.
Toward the end of the memo, Skoll thanked Participant’s employees for their steadfast hard work and dedication and expressed his hope that they would carry the company’s legacy forward in their future endeavors.
"As this chapter of Participant comes to a close, I am emboldened by the efforts of the next generation of storytellers and content creators who are building upon and reimagining this work,” Skoll wrote. “From philanthropists, to producers, to distributors, to social impact agencies, more and more individuals and organizations all over the world are recognizing and adopting impact models as core to their approaches. The ripple effects of Participant can be felt far and wide – what we have started together is just the beginning."
Although Participant is shutting down, Variety reports it will still be involved in “a handful of projects” like Hulu’s upcoming adaptation of the Charles Yu novel Interior Chinatown. According to Variety, the 10-episode drama series will star comedian Jimmy O. Yang and is being directed by Taika Waititi.
Isaiah Colbert is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow them on Twitter @ShinEyeZehUhh.
