Sony Pictures Releasing International

Columbia TriStar Film Distributors was the international distribution unit of Sony Pictures Entertainment. The company was formed in 1988 by Columbia Pictures Entertainment to handle international distribution of titles from Columbia Pictures and TriStar Pictures as well as productions from third-parties such as Orion Pictures. The company also distributed local productions being produced by either Columbia or TriStar. In 2005, the company was folded into Sony Pictures Releasing International. It also operated in Japan until 1992 when the Japanese branch of Sony Pictures began taking over distribution of SPE titles in that country.

1st Logo (December 21, 1988-1993)
Nicknames: "Early CT Boxes", "CT Boxes", "Turning CT Boxes", "Print CT Boxes"

Logo: On a nighttime sky background, we see two red boxes fading-in and turning, featuring the '80s print logos of Columbia Pictures and Tri-Star Pictures with "COLUMBIA PICTURES" in between the Torch Lady and on the Tri-Star box, it doesn't have the word "PICTURES" under the triangle. As the boxes faces the center, the print logos appears in solid white. The sky background later turns into a solid black background with the words "Columbia Tri-Star Films" in white lettering (in the Souvenir font used by Columbia in the 1980s-early '90s) fading in below in between the transition effect. The print logo are used in 1993.

Later Variant: The text was later known as "Columbia TriStar Films Italia" by dropping off the hyphen (-) in August 1991 by Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Variants:
 * An Italian variant also exists with the text on the bottom reading "Columbia Tri-Star Films Italia"
 * On the Spanish film Las Historias de Puta Mili, there is text above the logo reading "Distribuida Por" (Distributed By), with the text on the bottom reading "Columbia Tri-Star de España" instead of "TriStar". On the trailer for the film, the logo is tinted blue.
 * One version had a orange and purple gradient background with the text "COLUMBIA TRISTAR" and "INTERNATIONAL" with two boxes featuring the 80s Torch Lady print logo and the "Pegasus over Pyramid" (looking like the 1991 Columbia TriStar Home Video logo) fly in from the left to the middle and the logo shining. It was seen on a video showing Sony Pictures Entertainment's plans for Culver City. It's unknown if this was used on international releases of films and TV shows or it was just something used for promotional purposes.

FX/SFX: The boxes turning, which was produced with slit-scan technology.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Extremely rare. Was seen on international theatrical releases of films released by Columbia and Tri-Star Pictures, but most current prints of these films might use domestic prints or remove it. The print logo makes a surprise on the international trailer for Solo (1996).

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Logo (1992-1993)


Logo: On the black background, we see the text "Distributed by", with "COLUMBIA TRISTAR FILM DISTRIBUTORS INTERNATIONAL" below it in the white lettering (in the Souvenir font used by Columbia in the 1980s-early '90s).

Variants: None.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Ultimately rare. It was seen on the international prints of Fortress (1992), and the foreign trailer and TV spots of Robin Hood: Men in Tights.

Editor's Note: None.

3rd Logo (1993-2001)
Nicknames: "CT Boxes II", "CT Cloudy Boxes"

Logo: We see the text "(DISTRIBUTED BY) COLUMBIA TRISTAR FILMS [country]" fading in first, then we see a Columbia-like cloud background (which looks like the background from the 1993 TriStar Pictures logo, but it has a mirror effect), with the 1992 print logos of Columbia Pictures and TriStar Pictures fading in. The logo and text would fade-out like the 1992 CPT logo.

Variants:
 * A later variant features the cloud background from the 1993 Columbia Pictures logo. The background zooms-out and we later see the 1992 print logos of both Columbia Pictures and TriStar Pictures fading-in with the text "DISTRIBUTED BY COLUMBIA TRISTAR FILM DISTRIBUTORS INTERNATIONAL, INC." below the boxes.
 * An in-credit version exists with the print Torch Lady and Pegasus box logos with company name and SPE byline.
 * Another in-credit version has the print Torch and Pegasus box logos with text "DISTRIBUTED BY COLUMBIA TRISTAR FILM DISTRIBUTORS INTERNATIONAL" and a copyright stamp under the text on the left side of the print logos.
 * On the two Italian films Tutti giù per terra (We All Fall Down; 1997) and Ilcielo è sempre più blu (Bits and Pieces; 1996), the words "FILMS ITALIA" replace "FILM DISTRIBUTORS INTERNATIONAL, INC" while the COLUMBIA TRISTAR text still remains, although it is a different font below the boxes with the same logo and almost similar to the 1988-1993 logo.
 * On the international trailer and TV spots of Escape from Absolom, the logo is brightened than usual.

FX/SFX: The fade in and fade-out, the zoom out.

Music/Sounds: Silent, or the music from any given soundtrack. On the DVD and a Spanish dub of Escape from Absolom (aka No Escape in the US and UK), the Savoy Pictures theme plays at the end of the logo.

Availability: Ultra rare. Was seen on export theatrical prints of films and various foreign productions produced or released by Columbia Pictures and TriStar Pictures, but most now either use U.S. domestic prints, or have removed or plastered this over. The in-credit logo can be found on Guerra de Canudos. On the Australian DVD & Blu-ray of Escape from Absolom, the logo has the widescreen version with its original ratio aspect 2.35:1 (which is the different than the Region 2 and Region 4 DVDs with 1.78:1, which has the Savoy Pictures logo). Also seen on a trailer for The Indian in the Cupboard and foreign prints of Street Fighter. It was spotted on Cronica de un desayuno (A Breakfast Chronicle; 2000)

Editor's Note: None.

4th Logo (October 22, 1999-April 13, 2003)
Logo: On a blue background, we see the text "Distributed by", with "COLUMBIA TRISTAR FILM DISTRIBUTORS INTERNATIONAL" below it in the Bank Gothic MD BT font.

Variants:


 * On an American HBO airing of Spider-Man, the background has a purple gradient to it.


 * A Spanish variant that reads "Distribuida por COLUMBIA TRISTAR FILMS DE ESPAÑA, S.A." exists.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Can be seen on Seeing Double, Bats, international prints of Fortress 2: Re-Entry, and a 2007-era HBO airing of Spider-Man. It was also spotted on the international trailer for American Psycho.

Editor's Note: None.

5th Logo (2001-2005)
Nickname: "The Silver Light"

Logo: On a black background, there is a silver light that gets a little brighter, then the text "COLUMBIA TRISTAR" in Bank Gothic MD BT fades in and zooms out. The silver light later forms a silver line forming "FILM DISTRIBUTORS INTERNATIONAL" in smaller lettering below the line. The logo shines while the entire text zooms in slowly as the light dims inside the line.

Variants: On The Punisher, the logo's text turns red and segues to the 2002 Marvel logo. At the end of the credits, the logo is seen with the text "RELEASED BY" above it and the byline "a SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT company" on the bottom, though it doesn't have a silver line. On Suspect Zero, the logo is in warp speed.

FX/SFX: The light forming, and the name effects.

Music/Sounds: Silent or the film's opening theme.

Availability: Very rare in Europe, but extremely rare in the U.S. Seen on international theatrical prints of films produced or distributed by Columbia/TriStar/Sony. Like the previous logos, most prints either use U.S. domestic versions, have this removed, or plastered this over. Seen on foreign prints of The Punisher, Suspect Zero and Mindhunters. It was also reportedly seen on some foreign copies of Toyko Godfathers, but most prints have ether the Destination Films or Sony Pictures Releasing Japan logos. Around 2005, this was phased out and replaced with the SPR International logo after the demise of the Columbia TriStar label.

Editor's Note: None, it's a clean logo.