Little Engine Productions (formerly Roundtable Entertainment) is a Los Angeles–based production company started by Gina Matthews in 1998.
History The origin of Little Engine Productions dates back to 1998 when Matthews, the former head of Tavel Entertaintment's literary and feature department, started Roundtable Entertainment. In 2007, Matthews and co-founder Grant Scharbo rebranded Roundtable Entertainment as Little Engine Productions.
The company's first feature film was 1998's Urban Legend, written by Silvio Horta. Other film producing credits include What Women Want, 13 Going on 30, and Isn’t It Romantic.
The company's first television series, Popular, premiered on The WB in 1999. The teen comedy-drama starred Leslie Bibb and Carly Pope and was co-created by Matthews and Ryan Murphy. The show was named one of the "26 Best Cult TV Shows Ever" by Entertainment Weekly.
The team reunited with Horta in 2001 for SyFy's The Chronicle, and again in 2002 for UPN's Jake 2.0. Signing deals to produce TV shows for Viacom Productions in 2002, 20th Century Fox Television in 2005 and ITV Studios in 2016, the company’s television credits during this period include The Gates, Missing, Rush, and Saints & Strangers.
Little Engine ventured into the holiday genre with Hallmark Channel's Holiday Road in 2023 and the limited series Holidazed filmed in 2022.
Filmography
Feature films
1990s YearTitleDirectorDistributorNotes1998Urban LegendJamie BlanksSony Pictures Releasingco-production with TriStar Pictures, Phoenix Pictures and Original Film
2000s YearTitleDirectorDistributorNotes2000What Women WantNancy MeyersParamount Picturesco-production with Icon Productions and Wind Dancer FilmsUrban Legends: Final CutJohn OttmanSony Pictures Releasingco-production with Columbia Pictures, Phoenix Pictures and Original Film200413 Going on 30Gary Winickco-production with Columbia Pictures, Roth/Arnold Productions and Revolution Studios
2010s YearTitleDirectorDistributorNotes2019Isn't It RomanticTodd Strauss-SchulsonWarner Bros. Picturesco-production with New Line Cinema, Bron Creative, Netflix, Camp Sugar and Broken Road Productions
2020s YearTitleDirectorDistributorNotes2026Reminders of HimVanessa CaswillUniversal Picturesco-production with Heartbones Entertainment2027Twilight of the DeadDoron Paz and Yoav PazMagenta Light Studiosco-production with SSS Entertainment and Aanaxion
Television movies/pilots
1990s YearTitleDirectorNetworkNotes1999Summer's EndHelen ShaverShowtimeco-production with Temple Street Productions and Hallmark EntertainmentThe Wishing TreeIvan Passerco-production with Dufferin Gate Productions and Hallmark Entertainment
2000s YearTitleDirectorNetworkNotes2003FubarN/AFXco-production with Viacom Productions2008The OaksMichael CuestaFoxco-production with 20th Century Fox TelevisionBlue BloodBrett RatnerNBC
2020s YearTitleDirectorNetworkNotes2023Holiday RoadMartin WoodHallmark Channelco-production with Timeless Pictures Television series
1990s YearsTitleCreatorsNetworkNotes1999–2001PopularRyan MurphyGina MatthewsThe WBco-production with Ryan Murphy Productions, The Shepherd/Robin Company and Touchstone Television
2000s YearsTitleCreatorNetworkNotes2001–2002The ChronicleSilvio HortaSci-Fi Channelco-production with The Greenblatt/Janollari Studio, Stu Segall Productions, Silent H Productions and 20th Century Fox International Television2003–2004Jake 2.0UPNco-production with David Greenwalt Productions, Silent H Productions and Viacom Productions2004–2005The MountainDavid BarrettGina MatthewsGrant ScharboThe WBuncredited; co-production with Shaun Cassidy Productions, Wonderland Sound and Vision and Warner Bros. Television
2010s YearsTitleCreatorNetworkNotes2010The GatesRichard HatemGrant ScharboABCco-production with Summerland Entertainment and Fox Television Studios2012MissingGregory Poirierco-production with Upcountry Productions and ABC Studios2014RushJonathan LevineUSA Networkco-production with Fancy Films, Pine City Entertainment and Fox 212015Saints & StrangersSeth FisherNational Geographic Channelminiseries; co-production with Sony Pictures Television
References