The film first opened in limited release in New York and Los Angeles on December 25, 1996 before being released nationwide on January 10, 1997. The film was distributed by Buena Vista Pictures in North America and Latin America , Paramount Pictures (through United International Pictures ) in Germany and Japan , and Summit Entertainment in other countries. A book detailing the film's production, The Making of Evita , was released on December 10, 1996 by Collins Publishers . In 2002, Evita became the first and only American film to be screened at the Pyongyang International Film Festival . Evita was the final feature film produced by Robert Stigwood, who died on January 4, 2016