TriStar Pictures

Not to be confused with an earlier company of the same name.

Background

TriStar Pictures (originally spelled "Tri-Star") was formed in 1982 as a joint venture between Columbia Pictures (then owned by the Coca-Cola Company), HBO, and CBS, hence the name of the studio. Originally it was known as "Nova Pictures" until the name was changed on May 16, 1983 in order to avoid confusion with PBS's hit science series Nova. CBS was the first joint-owner who dropped out venture on November 15, 1985 and sold its interest to Columbia Pictures for $48 million. In 1986, HBO sold its shares in Tri-Star to Columbia as well and formed HBO Pictures. On December 21, 1987, Tri-Star Pictures, Inc. was renamed to "Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc." and Coke merged Tri-Star and Columbia to become "Columbia/Tri-Star", of which Coca-Cola owned 80% of its stock. In late 1987, most of Tri-Star's releases were copyrighted under the "Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc." name until mid-1988, when it was reverted back to "Tri-Star Pictures, Inc.", as a new entity with that name was incorporated on April 13. In January 1988, CPE's stocks fell a little and Coke decreased its shares in CPE to 49%. On November 8, 1989, Sony Corporation of Japan acquired Columbia Pictures Entertainment for $3.4 billion. On August 7, 1991, under Sony Pictures Entertainment, the hyphen (-) was taken off of the name to refer it to the current CamelCase-style name, "TriStar". Early on, (with a few exceptions), TriStar's films were released on Home Video by either RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (now Sony Pictures Home Entertainment), CBS/FOX/Key Video (now 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment), occasionally Vestron Video/Lightning Video (now Lionsgate Home Entertainment), or Thorn-EMI/HBO/Cannon Video/HBO Video (now HBO Home Entertainment), among other companies. In 1988, following Columbia's buyout of TriStar, Home Video distribution of films produced by the studio moved exclusively to RCA/Columbia. From 1985 until 1994, TriStar also distributed films produced by Carolco Pictures; these were released on the International Video Entertainment and Live Home Video labels (now Lionsgate Home Entertainment), often with TriStar's logo cut. Cliffhanger is the only Carolco film in which the rights were retained by the original distributor.

1st Logo (April 6, 1984-May 28, 1993)

Nicknames: "The Early Pegasus", "Jumping Pegasus", "Pegasus Over Pyramid", "'80s Pegasus", "The Quiet/Loud Music", "Majestic Pegasus", "Pegasus Over a Triangle", "From Stallion to Pegasus", "The TriStar Pegasus"

Logo: On a dark blue/purple evening background with pink skies, a splashed white stallion gallops into view coming from the left. When it gets really close, three stars coming from the left, right, and bottom of the screen crash into each other, forming a "T" in Didot font (the same font used for the CBS text as CBS was one of the joint owners of Tri-Star until 1985). The stallion grows a pair of wings and flies over the "T". It zooms out, revealing two more letters: "R", and "I", and below it is the word "STAR" reading the stacked words, "TRI STAR". The text continues to zoom out. A yellow outline of a triangle zooms out with the spaced-out word "PICTURES" under it, surrounding the text and the background. As this happens, the triangle outline reveals an abstract drawing of a Pegasus "jumping" over the logo.

Trivia:

According to then-TriStar head Victor Kaufman: "One of the advisers in creating the company was Sydney Pollack, who was a famous director and actor, and he helped us put together the logo. The horse for the TriStar logo was the horse from The Electric Horseman, which he directed and made with Robert Redford. And the horse from The Electric Horseman was a dark horse, so he transposed the horse to look white, and put it on the screen, and created a Pegasus and created ... the music and everything ..."
According to Elizabeth Kaye McCall's book The Tao of Horses, the Pegasus was played by a white Arabian gelding named "T-Bone," who was trained by Hollywood horse trainer Corky Randall. The Pegasus sequence was filmed at night in an outdoor arena Randall frequently used. T-Bone, powdered to look whiter, was to run in an especially made L-passage flanked by black curtains. When Randall called him, he galloped through it, and jumped over a fence to reach him, creating the desired effect.
This logo was spoofed on the Family Guy S4 episode "Petergeist", where it shows Joe Swanson riding his wheelchair instead of the Pegasus, and it says "JOE SWANSON THEATRES" instead of "TRI STAR PICTURES".

Variants:

On films shot in 2.35:1 (anamorphic Panavision), the abstract triangle and Pegsaus zooms out further back to accommodate the wider ratio. On VHS and full-screen DVD releases, they might use the full image or use the pan-and-scan version of the zooming Pegsaus by (1.) the screen focusing on the Pegasus when it appears and suddenly shifting when it jumps over the "T", (2) the screen following the Pegasus or (3), the screen starting in the middle and the Pegasus appears shortly before it jumps over the "T". On two Carolco movies in the aforementioned format (in this case, shot in Super 35), Deepstar Six and Air America, the standard logo is stretched to fit the ratio.
On Iron Eagle and The Fisher King, a 1.85:1 version of the shrinking Pegasus was used. A cropped 2.35 version was used on Terminator 2: Judgment Day. The open matte version, which shows more of the top but crops out some of the sides, appears only on the 4:3 version of The Fisher King; Iron Eagle used the full image in its 4:3 version, and Terminator 2: Judgment Day never had a known 4:3 release with the TriStar logo, though it might appear on the Australian VHS of said title.
On many Tri-Star releases in 1985, we can see the Pegasus make it half way and start to grow its wings and jump over the "T".
The text "A TRI-STAR RELEASE" appears on a black background after the end of the Tri-Star logo. The 1984 theme, which appears to be out of sync in this variant, plays over it as well. This was seen on an December 24, 1986 HBO airing of Santa Claus: The Movie.
On 1991-1993 movie trailers and commercials, the words "TRI STAR" are in white over a black background with a little "Pegasus Over Pyramid" logo in the upper right next to "TRI", while the films themselves used the 1984 logo and the newly-formed TriStar Television did use this for their logo.
There was a logo for Producers Sales Organization that began at the end of the Tri-Star logo.
The beginning of Tri-Star Showcase has this logo edited, with the horse galloping. When it jumps over the "T", it fades to the preview of the movie.
On a TV spot for Places in the Heart, the Pegasus outlining and company name appear bolder.
On the VUDU print of Lock-Up, the 2011 StudioCanal logo plays, and after it ends, it cuts in the middle of the TriStar logo when the Pegasus jumps over the "T".

Closing Variants:

May 11, 1984-September 20, 1991, January 29, 1993: Scrolling in the end credits would have the same exact logo, minus the purple triangle with the gold outline color. Above the logo has the phrase "A TRI-STAR RELEASE". On some films such as The Natural, Johnny Handsome, The Freshman, and Sniper, the "A TriStar (or Tri-Star) Release" phrase is below the logo. Flashpoint has the "A TRI-STAR RELEASE" text on the right of the logo. The movie Sweet Dreams, being produced by HBO/Silver Screen Partners, has the text "Presented by HBO Pictures in association with Silver Screen Partners" above the Pegasus-over-Pyramid and the "A TRI-STAR RELEASE" text below. Made in U.S.A (produced by Hemdale) has the text "Released through Tri-Star Pictures".
December 11, 1991-October 16, 1992: The closing variant of the still logo from the movie trailers and the 1991 TriStar Television logo, minus the "TELEVISION" rectangular box below "STAR" nor "PICTURES" below the triangle with the phrase "A TRISTAR RELEASE" minus the hyphen between the TriStar name seen above the logo. Sometimes, the rectangular box is seen below the logo, but it lacks the "TELEVISION" text inside it. Starting in late 1992, there is a new version with "RELEASED BY" above the logo and the rectangular box has a Sony Pictures Entertainment byline. This was seen on Wind and Candyman.
On Avalon, a still version of the finished logo is seen after the end credits and Baltimore Pictures logo.
On a few Carolco films such as Narrow Margin, Jacob's Ladder and L.A. Story, it lacks the "A Tri-Star Release" text as it just has the print logo.

FX/SFX: The wings growing on the horse, the forming of the "T", and the text zooming out.

Music/Sounds: An orchestrated piece done by Dave Grusin. As the horse gallops into view, three low French horn notes play and they repeat. When the Pegasus flies over the "T", more enlightening trumpets play and are combined with the trombone. For the logo formation, a loud brass fanfare is played.

Music/Sounds Variants:

On some films, such as Birdy, Candyman, The Muppets Take Manhattan (The Columbia/TriStar DVD has the fanfare while the Hulu print and CTHV VHS print are silent), a recent Turner Classic Movies (TCM) broadcast of Places in the Heart (also on the Columbia/TriStar DVD of said film), and some streaming prints of the theatrical version of Terminator 2: Judgment Day (save for the Director's Cut), among others, the logo is silent.
On The Principal and Chaplin, the music begins a few seconds before the logo fades in.
Sometimes, the theme echoes after the logo ends.
Strangely, on the 2004 Lionsgate DVD release of Universal Solider, the fanfare is barely audible, likely due to a printing error.
On some prints of Rambo: First Blood Part II (beginning with the 2002 Artisan VHS and DVD release) and other Carolco films, the Carolco theme is heard (one TV airing of the movie had the high-tone version of the theme). This also appeared on a 1995 Australian television broadcast of Iron Eagle II (with the 1988 theme). This is likely due to poor plastering. The original domestic print had the standard TriStar fanfare, as this was the version used on HBO early on, starting in 1986.
A French print of The Hitcher (the 1986 version) had this logo with the music from the Cannon logo, probably thanks to sloppy plastering.
TubiTV's print of Bat*21 uses a master that preserved this logo, but also contains the MGM lion roar due to poor reverse plastering.
TBS's print of Matilda, which features this logo under strange circumstances, has the 1993 jingle playing over this instead due to poor reverse plastering.

Availability: Common.

Can be found on TriStar movies from the '80s and early '90s, particularly The Muppets Take Manhattan, Birdy, Red Heat, Total Recall, Night of the Creeps, Light of Day, Side Out, Air America, The Natural, Places in the Heart, Jacob's Ladder, Short Circuit 1 & 2, Toy Soldiers (1991) (Although it's removed from the Dutch Arrow Film VHS), Volunteers (1985), Tap (1989), Steel Magnolias, The Running Man (except for the 1999 Republic Pictures DVD), Universal Soldier, The Hitcher (1986), Supergirl (1984) (USA Home Video release), Heaven Help Us, Sweet Dreams, Rad, Hook, Glory, Touch and Go (HBO/Cannon VHS only; it is unknown if it appears on the 1999 Trimark Home Video VHS release), The Monster Squad, Mountains of the Moon (the 1999 Artisan/Pioneer DVD), Head Office, Bat*21 (while it's saved on the Media Home Entertainment VHS, it's presumed missing from the MGM DVD; it is unknown if it is preserved on the Kino Lorber Blu-Ray), Q&A (Including the 20th Century Fox DVD from 2003), Every Time We Say Goodbye (though it's skipped on the Video Treasures re-issue), Rambo: First Blood Part II, Rambo III (except the Lionsgate Ultra HD release), L.A. Story, the first two Look Who's Talking movies, Labyrinth (though not on the Embassy video release), and Sniper, among others.
This logo made its first appearance on Where the Boys Are '84 as TriStar's first released film and then on The Natural, TriStar's first produced film and officially ended with Cliffhanger.
Strangely, this logo replaces the 1993 logo on certain airings and prints of Matilda, including TBS, which uses the 1993 music on the 1984 logo likely due to reverse plastering.
The silent version can also be found on the 1999 VHS of The Muppets Take Manhattan.
Many video releases of Carolco productions remove this logo, but it's preserved on some films, such as Pound Puppies and the Legend of Big Paw, DeepStar Six, Universal Soldier, Rambo: First Blood Part II, Basic Instinct, a demo VHS of Red Heat, VUDU and YouTube streaming prints of Homeboy (1988), PlutoTV's print of Johnny Handsome (but not on the Blu-Ray release of said film nor Carolco as it only features StudioCanal, nor on the DVD, which contains Carolco only), current releases of Rambo III, and streaming prints, the 1998 Widescreen LaserDisc release and reportedly, an Encore airing of Terminator 2: Judgment Day (it is unknown if this appears on Australian VHS releases from Columbia TriStar Home Video, although the logo is found on Australian, French and Brazilian DVDs in 1999), as well as being present on the RCA/Columbia Pictures/Hoyts VHS release, and the 2012 UK theatrical re-release of Total Recall.
It was also preserved on French VHS releases of Total Recall and Hamlet (1990).
Also seen on The Kiss (including the Canadian Astral Video VHS), international prints of Fright Night Part II (including the German Blu-Ray), and on the original MGM/UA Home Video VHS release of Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo, a Cannon film released by TriStar originally (the current DVD version has it replaced with the 2001 MGM lion).
Also seen on the British DVD of Iron Eagle II and a foreign Blu-Ray (and some streaming prints) of Extreme Prejudice.
It is retained on the DVD release of Places in the Heart (although the CBS/FOX Home Video VHS release removes this logo).
It's also retained on Paramount's official YouTube print of Ironweed, since it uses the same master found on the Olive Films DVD and Blu-Ray, and was also intact on the Lionsgate DVD, after the third Vestron Video logo, as it used a VHS master.
It may have also been seen on original theatrical prints of the first Silent Night, Deadly Night film, but these particular prints have more than likely been destroyed in the aftermath of that film's controversy and subsequent withdrawal from theaters.
Also may be found on theatrical prints of High Spirits and Santa Claus: The Movie; for both films, don't expect this on the Media Home Entertainment VHS releases. For the latter film, there is a small chance it might be restored on the recent DVD and Blu-Ray releases from Lionsgate, and maybe non-American media, but the odds aren't very likely. However, it was preserved on HBO airings of Santa Claus: The Movie from the late-1980s (Including a Christmas Eve 1986 broadcast), among other possible premium cable prints.
Strangely, on a couple episodes of the TV series Werewolf, this was used in place of the TriStar Television logo and was even retained on Chiller reruns.
It was also retained on VOD prints of Lifeforce, including prints on now-defunct FEARNet, and surprisingly the original UK VHS release from Guild. Don't expect it on the original Vestron Video VHS, the 1997 MGM/UA Movie Time VHS or the 2000 MGM DVD (both of which include the film's international cut, where it probably wouldn't be intact at all anyway), or the U.S. Scream Factory Blu-Ray. It may be intact on the Video Treasures reprint, but the odds aren't likely.
It's also retained on the Scream Factory Blu-Ray of Candyman (with the 1997 Universal logo preceding it).
It is unknown if this was retained on VHS or DVD releases of Hyper Sapien: People from Another Star, the Scorpion DVD of Where the Boys Are '84 (don't expect it on the Blu-Ray), Love at Stake, foreign releases of They Live, or High Tide. Don't expect it on VHS releases of Flashpoint and Made in U.S.A.
The trailer logo is rare and seen on previews of TriStar films from 1991-1993, such as Bugsy, Candyman, Sniper, Cliffhanger, and Sleepless in Seattle (though the latter uses the next logo on the main feature).
Some TV airings of some movies have the closing version plastered with the Sony Pictures Television logo, while others have the closing version intact with the SPT logo playing afterwards, or sometimes not.

Editor's Note: The state-of-the-art animation of the time and the majestic fanfare makes this one of the most iconic movie logos of the 1980s.

2nd Logo (June 25, 1993-September 12, 2015)

Nicknames: "'90s/2000s Pegasus", "Ultra Majestic Pegasus", "The TriStar Pegasus II", "CGI Pegasus", "The Not-So-Quiet/Loud Music", "Pegasus in the Sky", "Pegasus Over Clouds"

Logo: We start out on a black background. Then we see part of a dark background, which slowly fades in and brightens to reveal that it is made up of dark cumulonimbus clouds with fog on the bottom. A white flash of light then starts to glow and gets bright, as it almost fills the background. A Pegasus appears from the far distance, as it spreads its wings out and takes a few steps, causing the fog to flow. "TRISTAR", in a shiny gold chiseled bold font, slowly fades in at the top of the screen with the letters "T" and "S" in a bigger font that the other letters as the flash dims away slowly. The Pegasus stops when its wings are fully spread out and the "TRISTAR" text fully appears. The text slowly shines as the fog still flows and the Sony byline fades in from starting in 1995.

Trivia:

This logo was based on a still image Sony had introduced alongside its sister studio Columbia in 1992. The logo was only used for home video and television until a fully animated logo debuted in the summer of 1993.
This logo was animated by Intralink Film Graphic Design. The footage of the white stallion was shot in a hangar at the Santa Monica Airport. The wings were done by combining real feathers and digitized computing and were merged with the white stallion's image via computer morphing. The footage of the cloud background was shot from the Haleakala Crater on Maui.
This logo was apparently animated in 2.20:1, as even open matte presentations have this logo cropped on both sides.

Bylines:

June 25, 1993-March 12, 1999: (Bylineless)
December 15, 1995-February 21, 2014: "a SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT company" (first seen on Jumanji, the byline is blue.on its first appearance, but starting with Mary Reilly, released on February 23, 1996, the byline is bright yellow or white). However, some post-1995 films continued to use the bylineless version until 1999. Starting with Sparkle on August 17, 2012, the byline appears smaller and a bit darker, but slightly off centered, like the 1996 Columbia logo; last used on Pompeii. However, Moms' Night Out and When the Game Stands Tall still use the byline in tandem until August 2015.)
April 16, 2014-September 12, 2015: "a Sony Company" (seen on Heaven is for Real, Ricki and the Flash, War Room, and the UK theatrical version of The Lady in the Van (the last film to use this logo). In this version, the Sony logo transitions to this logo.

Variants:

During this logo's early years, on movie trailers and commercials, when the Pegasus is spreading out its wings, the "TRISTAR" text is fully transparent, rather than fading in as in the regular version. Also, it doesn't shine.
On Sleepless in Seattle (the first movie to use this logo), the flash dims away earlier before the Pegasus spreads out its wings and the "TRISTAR" text appears.
The brightness of the clouds and the color of the byline vary depending on the film.
A very early trailer and commercial logo has a black background with the stacked words "TRI STAR" and next to it is the box with the Pegasus in front of the cloud. This can be seen on the trailer for Rudy.

Closing Variants:

It's the same current print logo that appeared on movie trailers during its early years, and looking similar to the last print logo. The Pegasus is placed inside a box, with a cloud background overlapping the top. Its wings overlap both ends of the box. Below the logo is the phrase "A TRISTAR RELEASE", or "RELEASED BY" above the logo with the SPE byline underneath. Sometimes, "A TRISTAR RELEASE" isn't there. Sometimes, it's bylineless.
One early variant of such featured the boxed Pegasus logo at center, with "TRISTAR PICTURES" (in Bank Gothic MD BT) and the SPE byline below one another. This particular closing variant happened to appear at the end of the features Chaplin and Cliffhanger, which both used the old logo at the beginning, although the latter was the last movie to use the old logo at the beginning; though this may be unsurprising, since both Columbia and TriStar first introduced their new logos for their home video and television divisions a year earlier in 1992. The movie Wilder Napalm has the "A TriStar Release" text above.
Starting with Heaven is for Real, the Pegasus' wings have the shadows removed, and "A TRISTAR PICTURES RELEASE" is now seen underneath with the byline "a Sony Company". Sometimes, the shadows are still there.

FX/SFX: The light beam forming the Pegasus, the fog flowing, the text fading in and shining.

Music/Sounds: It starts with a xylophone-like tune, then we hear French horns playing the same opening notes as the last logo. The music rises in intensity as we hear more and more instruments come in, ending in a very majestic fanfare. This was composed by Bill Johnson. Starting with the film Godzilla, released on May 20, 1998, the fanfare has been rearranged.

Music/Sounds Variants:

On earlier films with this logo, such as Jury Duty and some prints (such as the 1999 DVD release) of Sleepless in Seattle, the 1984 fanfare plays (it should be of note that on the 1999 DVD release of the latter, that the logo fades out before the music stops).
Sometimes, this logo is silent (found on the international prints of Fortress 2: Re-Entry and Cowboy Bebop: The Movie). Other times, there's music from any movie soundtrack playing over the logo.
On Little Secrets, the logo is high-pitched.

Availability: Common. It's seen on many TriStar releases during this period.

The bylineless version can be found on all 1993-1995 releases including Sleepless in Seattle, Weekend at Bernie's II, Look Who's Talking Now, Philadelphia, Mr. Jones, Mixed Nuts, Legends of the Fall, Jury Duty and Magic in the Water. It was also used on some post-1995 films such as Desperate Measures, 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain, and Baby Geniuses.
The version with the SPE byline made its debut on Jumanji and would be used on all 1995-2014 films such as Matilda, Jerry Maguire, My Best Friend's Wedding, As Good as it Gets, The Mask of Zorro, Madeline, Godzilla and many others.
Strangely, this logo is seen on 1997 VHS prints of The Craft, Multiplicity, Alaska, Fly Away Home, AVON VHS copies of Matilda, later copies of the 1993 VHS of Close Encounters of the Third Kind and 1997 reissue releases of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Matilda, and Annie (1982) instead of the Columbia TriStar Home Video logo (some prints of these tapes do have the CTHV logo instead).
This is also preserved on the LIVE Home Video VHS, DVD and laserdisc releases of Wagons East! (which was the last Carolco film distributed by TriStar Pictures).
The 1984 music is replaced with the 1993 music on early VHS prints of Sleepless in Seattle.
Seen on international printings of Faster and on US video releases.

Editor's Note: This logo is beautiful and has held up over the years, including the music and mind-blowing CGI which was still good for over two decades.

3rd Logo (September 30, 2015- )

Nicknames: "2010s Pegasus", "Ultra Majestic Pegasus II", "The TriStar Pegasus lll", "CGI Pegasus II", "Christian Pegasus"

Logo: After the 2014 Sony logo transitioning to this logo, we see the clouds of the previous logo, only this time, less improved. Then, a light shines up and the clouds brighten, turning into full daylight. Then, we see a Stallion run towards us and later spreading its wings by becoming a Pegasus. It stands up on its hind legs and shows off its wings. Once it has done this, the "TRISTAR" text from the previous logo (only more golden) fades in, then the byline "a Sony Company" from the previous logo fades in after that.

Trivia:

The logo was designed by JAMM Visual of Santa Monica, California. Sony commissioned the updated logo to take advantage of new technologies such as 4K and IMAX 3D, which is why there's an open matte version of this logo available, unlike with the previous logo.
Two videos exist showcasing the development of the logo, with concept art, pre-renders, animation tests, etc. They can be seen here and here.
The logo does not have an HFR version, unlike with the 2011 WB/New Line and 2012 MGM logos. As a result, the 4K UHD version of Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk has noticeable judder during this and the other opening logos.

Variant: On FXM's print of The Walk, a 1.78:1 matted version is used.

FX/SFX: The light shining, and the Pegasus running toward us as the night time turns into the daylight, and the texts fading in, as well as the combination of the elements of the 1993 logo and the Pegasus in the 1984 logo. It's all very nice CGI.

Music/Sounds: The 1998 rearranged fanfare from the previous logo.

Availability: Common. First shown on the IMAX trailer for The Walk (most trailers use the previous logo). The fully animated version debuted on the film itself. Currently seen on recent/new films produced and/or distributed by the company since The Lady in the Van.

Editor's Note: A suitable successor to the previous logo, although some are disappointed as they think it had more potential.