Film Institutions

Universal

Universal Studios was founded on April 30th 1912 in New York City as the Universal Film Manufacturing Company. It is the longest running American film company and one of the "big six" Hollywood production studios. Since 2013 it has been owned by the mass-media conglomerate Comcast. Universal both produces and distributes films. 

The first film made at Universal was Damon and Pythias (1914), a silent film based upon the Greek myth. Two of the earliest horror films Universal created were the Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923), their highest grossing silent film, and the Phantom of the Opera (1925). Universal were responsible for the first "cycle" of mainstream horror films, inspired by characters from Gothic horror literature. During the 1930's and 1940's, this included; Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), The Mummy (1932),  Werewolf of London (1935), Bride of Frankenstein (1935), Dracula's Daughter (1936), House of Frankenstein (1944) and House of Dracula (1945). By the 1950's, the audience began finding the plot-lines repetitive and production eventually ceased. Universal still produced many well received and high grossing films in other genres, as opposed to primarily horror. This has continued until present day.

Some of the most popular Universal films of all time are E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial (1982), Jaws (1975), Jurassic Park (1993), How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), Despicable Me (2010), Back to the Future (1985) and Mamma Mia! (2008). A lot of the highest grossing films are family and comedy films, which tend to be the genres the studio invest in most. 

The studio has produced some successful horror films in more recent years, for example; Psycho (1998), Hannibal (2001), Dawn of the Dead (2004), The Skeleton Key (2005), Slither (2006), Dead Silence (2007), Devil (2010),and The Purge (2013).

Twisted Pictures

Twisted Pictures is an independent production company based in America. After the commercial success of Saw (2004), the three co-producers (Hoffman, Burg and Koules) founded the company in the same year. Twisted Pictures mainly concerns itself with horror films, although it does have interests in television, co-producing Fox's Anger Management (2012-present). 

Twisted Pictures is most well known for the Saw Franchise, consisting of seven films and two video games. The Saw films have collectively grossed over $873 million. Being an independent and newer company, the number of films they have released is select, but nearly all well received. Some of these films include; Dead Silence (2007), Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008), Chain Letter (2010) and Texas Chainsaw 3D (2010). 

Universal naturally has the advantage of being a much larger, international media conglomerate and is wealthier than the independent Twisted Pictures, so the film would be released on a wider scale. On the other hand, it does not primarily produce horror films, and Twisted Pictures specialise in producing and distributing films that the target audience and fans of the horror genre would probably enjoy more. Therefore, in my opinion, Twisted Pictures would be the better company to produce a horror film.