Bleecker Street
Bleecker Street is an American independent film distributor founded in 2014 by Andrew Karpen, a former co-CEO of Focus Features. Its releases include Trumbo, Captain Fantastic, Eye in the Sky and Logan Lucky. After Karpen’s death in 2025 Kent Sanderson became chief executive; in October 2026 the company was acquired by Outerlight Entertainment while it was releasing Alex GibneyAlex GibneyAlex Gibney is an American documentary director and producer who founded Jigsaw Productions in 1982. He won the Academy Award for Documentary Feature for Taxi to the Dark Side and was nominated for Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room. His documentary Musk was selected for the 2026 Venice Film Festival and opened in U.S. theaters in October 2026.Open the full entry’s documentary Musk in U.S. theaters.
Contents9 sections
Key facts
2014Founded by Andrew Karpen
Andrew Karpen, a former co-CEO of Focus Features, founded Bleecker Street in 2014, naming it after the New York street where Focus had its headquarters.[1]
The launch was backed by Manoj Bhargava.[2]
2015Home Entertainment Deal and First Slate
Bleecker Street signed a multi-year agreement under which Universal Pictures Home Entertainment handles U.S. Blu-ray, DVD, electronic sell-through and video-on-demand distribution of its films. The first title was Danny Collins, opening March 20, 2015, followed by Captain Fantastic, Pawn Sacrifice and Trumbo.[3]
2023Kent Sanderson Becomes President
Kent Sanderson became president in 2023 after heading acquisitions.[2]
April 2025Death of Founder Andrew Karpen
In April 2025 the founder and chief executive, Andrew Karpen, died at 59.[1]
June 2025Kent Sanderson Named CEO
In June 2025 Kent Sanderson became chief executive and Tyler DiNapoli president and chief marketing officer, running the main New York office.[2]
2026Releasing Musk
In mid-September 2026 Bleecker Street moved Musk, Alex Gibney’s documentary, up a week, to a limited release on October 9 and a wider one on October 16; VOD pre-order demand later brought its digital release forward to November 6.[4]
As of September 25 the company could not run paid ads for the film on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry, MetaMetaMeta (Meta Platforms, Inc.) is a publicly listed American technology company, renamed from Facebook in 2021, that operates social communication, digital advertising, virtual reality, smart glasses and artificial intelligence businesses.Open the full entry, TikTok or X; YouTube and Meta later reversed course.[5]
October 2026Acquisition by Outerlight Entertainment
In October 2026 Outerlight Entertainment, formerly First Look Entertainment, acquired Bleecker Street on undisclosed terms; Outerlight also owns Topic Studios and Puzzle Pictures. Sanderson and DiNapoli continue to run the company, which operates independently of Topic.[6]
Sanderson said: “Bleecker Street is growing, and our ambition is to continue scaling the company.”[6]
Releases: Notable Films
Its releases include Trumbo, Captain Fantastic, Eye in the Sky and Logan Lucky.[1]
Sources
- Andrew Karpen, Founder and CEO of Bleecker Street, Dies at 59 (opens in a new window)
- Bleecker Street Sets Kent Sanderson as CEO After Death of Andrew Karpen (opens in a new window)
- Bleecker Street signs multi-year pact with Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (opens in a new window)
- Alex Gibney's Musk documentary has already almost vanished from theaters (opens in a new window)
- Alex Gibney's 'Musk' has already gotten under Elon Musk's skin. It goes nationwide this week (opens in a new window)
- Bleecker Street Sells to Outerlight Entertainment (opens in a new window)