Star Cinema (1993–present)
Star Cinema was founded on May 8, 1993,[7] with producer Malou N. Santos becoming the studio's managing director.[8] Even though it was still a new player in the film industry at that time, Star Cinema position itself to be a major competitor of big film studios like Viva Films and Regal Films. The studio collaborated with Regal Films for its first ever film production: Ronquillo: Tubong Cavite, Laking Tondo (1993), an action film starring Bong Revilla and Sheryl Cruz. Its strategies are to reflect the viewer's current taste and trends with a string of films targeted to mainstream viewers with film genres ranging from action, drama, comedy, horror, and fantasy. The films of Star Cinema in the 1990s have been well received with some earning critical acclaim with films like May Minamahal (1993), Maalaala Mo Kaya: The Movie (1994), Madrasta (1996), Magic Temple (1996), and Bata, Bata… Pa'no Ka Ginawa? (1998).
The 1990s also saw the pioneering works of the studio by integrating computer-generated images, special effects and special makeup and prosthetics on some of its films like Patayin sa Sindak si Barbara (1995), Magic Temple (1996), Kokey (1997), Magandang Hatinggabi (1998), Hiling (1998), and Puso ng Pasko (1998) among others. Other notable works were live-action adaptations of popular Japanese anime series like Sarah... Ang Munting Prinsesa (1995) and Cedie (1996), in turn, based on children's novels by English playwright and author Frances Hodgson Burnett, which incorporates stylish production designs and costumes and were shot abroad. From September 1997 to July 1999, former Viva Films executive Eric Cuatico Jr. briefly served as co-managing director of the studio alongside Santos.[8][9][10]
Star Cinema also produced a film adaptations of ABS-CBN's successful TV series like Mara Clara: The Movie, released in 1996 and Mula sa Puso: The Movie, Wansapanataym: The Movie, and Esperanza: The Movie are released in 1999. In 1997, 1998, and 2000, Star Cinema produced Goodbye America, Legacy, and Doomsdayer respectively under the banner of Star Pacific Cinema in an attempt to penetrate the Hollywood B-movie market. The 2000s has been the most successful time for Star Cinema in terms of box office gross. Most of the all-time highest-grossing films in the history of the Philippines are either produced or co-produced by Star Cinema as reported by Box Office Mojo. In 2002, Star Cinema together with Unitel Pictures released the Filipino-American film American Adobo with mixed reviews in the United States. In late 2007, Sky Films, a distribution company previously acquired by ABS-CBN in 2001, was merged with Star Cinema.[11] In 2010, Star Cinema co-financed and released RPG Metanoia, the first 3D computer-animated Filipino film in history. In 2013, Star Cinema co-financed and released Erik Matti's On the Job with mixed to positive reviews abroad. Star Cinema films that were well received by critics in this period were Anak (2000), Tanging Yaman (2000), Bagong Buwan (2001), Dekada '70 (2002), Nasaan Ka Man (2005), Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo (2006), In My Life (2009) and On the Job (2013).
