Hollywood Pictures Company was an American film production label of Walt Disney Studios, founded and owned by The Walt Disney Company. Established in 1989, by Disney CEO Michael Eisner and studio chief Jeffrey Katzenberg, Hollywood Pictures was founded to increase the film output of the Walt Disney Studios, and release films similar to those of Touchstone Pictures. These films, featuring more mature themes, were targeted at adult audiences unlike the family-oriented productions of the studio's flagship Walt Disney Pictures division. After years of hiatus, the label was closed in 2007. The studio's most commercially successful film was M. Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense, which grossed over $670 million worldwide upon its release in 1999.[1]
 | |
| Hollywood Pictures | |
| Company type | Label |
| Industry | Film |
| Founded | February 1, 1989 |
| Founder | Michael Eisner Jeffrey Katzenberg |
| Defunct | April 27, 2007 |
| Fate | Defunct |
| Headquarters | 500 South Buena Vista Street, , U.S. |
| Products | Motion pictures |
| Parent | Walt Disney Studios |
| Divisions | Hollywood Pictures Home Entertainment |
History
editHollywood Pictures Corporation was incorporated on March 30, 1984,[2] and was activated on February 1, 1989. Ricardo Mestres was appointed the division's first president, moving from Disney's Touchstone Pictures. The division was formed to create opportunities for up-and-coming executives and to double Disney's feature-film output in order to fill the gap left by the contraction in the industry, which included the closure of MGM/UA's United Artists and financial problems at Lorimar-Telepictures and De Laurentiis Entertainment Group. With Touchstone aligned with Hollywood Pictures, the two Disney production divisions would share the same marketing and distribution staffs.[3] Hollywood Pictures was expected to be producing 12 films a year by 1991 and to share funding from the Silver Screen Partners IV.[4] The company's first release was Arachnophobia on July 18, 1990.[1]
On October 23, 1990, The Walt Disney Company formed Touchwood Pacific Partners to supplant the Silver Screen Partnership series as their movie studios' primary funding source.[5]
After the collapse of their then-recently renewed deal at Paramount Pictures, Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer moved their production company to Hollywood Pictures on January 18, 1991.[6]
The division issued primarily inexpensive comedies for the first six years with a few box office flops, amongst them Holy Matrimony, Aspen Extreme, Super Mario Bros.,[7] Swing Kids, Blame It on the Bellboy, Born Yesterday and Guilty as Sin. The division only had one box office success, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, and one critical success, The Joy Luck Club, which did not outweigh the general anemic box office record of the division. On April 26, 1994, Mestres was forced to resign after the lackluster performance of the division. Mestres moved to long term production deal with the studio.[8]
On June 27, 1994, Michael Lynton was appointed as new division president after moving from the Disney Publishing Group, where he was senior vice president and oversaw domestic publishing units including Hyperion Books.[9] Mestres left Lynton a few potential hits: Robert Redford's Quiz Show, the Sarah Jessica Parker-Antonio Banderas comedy Miami Rhapsody, and Dangerous Minds, starring Michelle Pfeiffer.[7] In 1997, Lynton left for a position at Penguin Group.[10] By 2001, Hollywood Pictures had produced 80 films, but its operation had been phased out and its management was merged with that of the flagship Walt Disney Pictures studio.[1]
After being dormant for five years, the brand was reactivated for low-budget genre films.[1] Films released by the repurposed Hollywood Pictures were two horror films: Stay Alive (released on March 24, 2006), [1]and Primeval (released on January 12, 2007), and one thriller, The Invisible (released on April 27, 2007). After the latter release, Disney stopped producing and distributing under the label as it announced a focus on the company's core brands of Disney, Touchstone, ABC, ESPN, and Pixar.[11]
Filmography
edit1990s
edit| US Release date | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| July 18, 1990 | Arachnophobia | co-production with Amblin Entertainment |
| August 17, 1990 | Taking Care of Business | co-production with Silver Screen Partners IV |
| February 1, 1991 | Run | |
| April 5, 1991 | The Marrying Man | |
| May 3, 1991 | One Good Cop | |
| July 26, 1991 | V.I. Warshawski | |
| January 10, 1992 | The Hand That Rocks the Cradle | co-production with Interscope Communications and Nomura Babcock & Brown |
| February 7, 1992 | Medicine Man | co-production with Cinergi Pictures; US and German distribution |
| March 6, 1992 | Blame It on the Bellboy | co-production with Silver Screen Partners IV |
| April 3, 1992 | Straight Talk | co-production with Touchwood Pacific Partners I |
| April 24, 1992 | Passed Away | |
| May 22, 1992 | Encino Man | |
| July 17, 1992 | A Stranger Among Us | co-production with Touchwood Pacific Partners I, Propaganda Films and Sandollar Productions |
| September 18, 1992 | Sarafina! | co-production with Miramax Films, Distant Horizon, Vanguard Films and BBC; distribution only |
| October 16, 1992 | Consenting Adults | co-production with Touchwood Pacific Partners I |
| December 4, 1992 | The Distinguished Gentleman | |
| January 22, 1993 | Aspen Extreme | |
| March 5, 1993 | Swing Kids | |
| March 26, 1993 | Born Yesterday | |
| April 16, 1993 | Blood In Blood Out | |
| May 28, 1993 | Super Mario Bros. | produced by Lightmotive and Allied Filmmakers; North American distribution with Cinergi Pictures only |
| June 4, 1993 | Guilty as Sin | |
| July 2, 1993 | Son in Law | |
| August 27, 1993 | Father Hood | |
| September 8, 1993 | The Joy Luck Club | Inducted into the National Film Registry in 2020 |
| September 10, 1993 | Money for Nothing | |
| December 25, 1993 | Tombstone | co-production with Cinergi Pictures; US distribution only |
| January 7, 1994 | The Air Up There | co-production with Interscope Communications, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Nomura Babcock & Brown |
| March 4, 1994 | Angie | co-production with Caravan Pictures |
| April 8, 1994 | Holy Matrimony | co-production with Interscope Communications and PolyGram Filmed Entertainment |
| August 12, 1994 | In the Army Now | |
| August 19, 1994 | Color of Night | co-production with Cinergi Pictures |
| August 26, 1994 | Camp Nowhere | |
| September 14, 1994 | Quiz Show | |
| September 23, 1994 | Terminal Velocity | co-production with Interscope Communications, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Nomura Babcock & Brown |
| October 21, 1994 | The Puppet Masters | |
| November 11, 1994 | The Santa Clause | co-production with Walt Disney Pictures and Outlaw Productions |
| November 23, 1994 | A Low Down Dirty Shame | co-production with Caravan Pictures |
| January 6, 1995 | Houseguest | |
| January 27, 1995 | Miami Rhapsody | co-production with Cantaloupe Production |
| March 3, 1995 | Roommates | co-production with Interscope Communications, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Nomura Babcock & Brown |
| March 31, 1995 | Funny Bones | |
| April 21, 1995 | While You Were Sleeping | co-production with Caravan Pictures |
| April 28, 1995 | A Pyromaniac's Love Story | |
| May 12, 1995 | Crimson Tide | co-production with Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films |
| June 30, 1995 | Judge Dredd | co-production with Cinergi Pictures; North and Latin American distribution only |
| August 11, 1995 | Dangerous Minds | co-production with Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films and Via Rosa Productions |
| September 8, 1995 | The Tie That Binds | co-production with Interscope Communications and PolyGram Filmed Entertainment |
| September 8, 1995 | Unstrung Heroes | |
| October 4, 1995 | Dead Presidents | co-production with Caravan Pictures |
| October 13, 1995 | The Scarlet Letter | co-production with Cinergi Pictures |
| October 27, 1995 | Powder | co-production with Caravan Pictures |
| December 22, 1995 | Nixon | co-production with Cinergi Pictures; distribution in North and Latin America, German-speaking territories and Japan only |
| December 29, 1995 | Mr. Holland's Opus | co-production with Interscope Communications and PolyGram Filmed Entertainment; US distribution only |
| February 2, 1996 | White Squall | co-production with Largo Entertainment and Scott Free Productions; US distribution only |
| February 23, 1996 | Before and After | co-production with Caravan Pictures |
| April 19, 1996 | Celtic Pride | |
| May 24, 1996 | Spy Hard | |
| May 31, 1996 | Eddie | co-production with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Island Pictures |
| June 7, 1996 | The Rock | co-production with Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films |
| August 9, 1996 | Jack | co-production with American Zoetrope |
| September 13, 1996 | The Rich Man's Wife | co-production with Caravan Pictures |
| October 25, 1996 | The Associate | co-production with Interscope Communications and Polygram Filmed Entertainment |
| December 25, 1996 | Evita | co-production with Cinergi Pictures; North and Latin American and Spanish distribution only |
| January 24, 1997 | Prefontaine | |
| January 31, 1997 | Shadow Conspiracy | co-production with Cinergi Pictures; US distribution only |
| April 11, 1997 | Grosse Pointe Blank | co-production with Caravan Pictures and Roger Birnbaum Productions |
| May 30, 1997 | Gone Fishin' | co-production with Caravan Pictures |
| August 1, 1997 | The Wrong Guy | direct-to-video; US distribution only |
| August 22, 1997 | G.I. Jane | co-production with Caravan Pictures, Largo Entertainment, Scott Free Productions and Roger Birnbaum Productions; distribution in North America, France, Germany, Spain, the Benelux, Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan only |
| October 17, 1997 | Washington Square | co-production with Caravan Pictures, Roger Birnbaum Productions and Alchemy Filmworks |
| December 25, 1997 | An American Werewolf in Paris | co-production with Cometstone Pictures; distribution only |
| January 30, 1998 | Deep Rising | co-production with Cinergi Pictures |
| February 27, 1998 | An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn | |
| September 4, 1998 | Firelight | co-production with Carnival Films, Wind Dancer Productions and Miramax Films |
| September 11, 1998 | Simon Birch | co-production with Caravan Pictures and Roger Birnbaum Productions |
| August 6, 1999 | The Sixth Sense | co-production with Spyglass Entertainment and The Kennedy/Marshall Company |
| September 17, 1999 | Breakfast of Champions | co-production with Summit Entertainment |
| October 1, 1999 | Mystery, Alaska |
2000s
edit| US Release date | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| February 4, 2000 | Gun Shy | co-production with Fortis Films |
| September 15, 2000 | Duets | co-production with Seven Arts Pictures and Beacon Pictures |
| April 6, 2001 | Just Visiting | co-production with Gaumont Film Company; US distribution only |
| March 24, 2006 | Stay Alive | co-production with Spyglass Entertainment and Endgame Entertainment; US distribution only (distributed by Universal Pictures in UK) |
| January 12, 2007 | Primeval | co-production with Pariah Entertainment |
| April 27, 2007 | The Invisible | co-production with Spyglass Entertainment |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e Breman, Phil. "Film/TV Companies: Hollywood Pictures". About.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
- ^ Russel, Irwin E. "Articles of Incorporation of Hollywood Pictures Corporation". Business Entity Search. California Secretary of State. Retrieved June 3, 2019.
- ^ Harmetz, Aljean (1988-12-02). "COMPANY NEWS; Disney Expansion Set; Film Output to Double". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-02-17.
- ^ Cieply, Michael (December 2, 1988). "Disney Forms New Film Unit in Plan to Double Output". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
- ^ "Disney, Japan Investors Join in Partnership : Movies: Group will become main source of finance for all live-action films at the company's three studios". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. October 23, 1990. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
- ^ Masters, Kim; Pond, Steve (January 18, 1991). "'Top Gun' Team at Disney". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 25, 2014. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
- ^ a b Eller, Claudia (August 17, 1994). "A Stranger in a Strange Land Is Hollywood Pictures' New Player". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
- ^ Welkos, Robert W. (April 27, 1994). "Mestres Out as President of Disney Unit". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
- ^ "Company Town : Hollywood Pictures Gets New President". Los Angeles Times. June 14, 1994. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
- ^ "AOL Taps Lynton". Los Angeles Times. Times Wire Services. January 6, 2000. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
- ^ Fixmer, Fixmer (April 25, 2007). "Disney to Drop Buena Vista Brand Name, People Say (Update1)". bloomberg.com. Retrieved 28 November 2012.