Participant Media is the closest Hollywood has gotten to a social entrepreneurship film studio. Famed social entrepreneur Jeffrey Skoll is the founder of Participant Media, but despite his great success in other areas he is having trouble turning the venture into a viable company.
After 7 years of existence, the studio is still having trouble sorting out whether a company that makes movies with a message can earn enough to justify its existence in a very competitive industry. "The Beaver" is Participant's latest picture, and it is undeniably a flop. The mental health-themed drama has got the star power of Mel Gibson in the lead role, yet it's taken in less than $1 million at the domestic box office and it cost $20 million to make. Despite accolades at the 2006 Oscars and films like "The Cove" and "An Inconvenient Truth" which later became winners, nothing from the company so far has approached blockbuster status.