Hollywood Pictures
| Company type | Film production label |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film production |
| Founded | 1989 |
| Founder | Michael Eisner, Jeffrey Katzenberg |
| Defunct | 2007 |
| Fate | Shut down |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Ricardo Mestres (inaugural president), Michael Lynton (president from 1994), David Vogel (oversaw production) |
| Products | Films (targeting adult audiences with mature content) |
| Owner | The Walt Disney Company |
| Parent | Walt Disney Studios |
Hollywood Pictures Company functioned as a film production label under Walt Disney Studios, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. Established in 1989 by then Disney CEO Michael Eisner alongside studio head Jeffrey Katzenberg, Hollywood Pictures was created to broaden the volume of films produced by Walt Disney Studios, focusing on projects akin to those from Touchstone Pictures. It aimed at adult audiences by featuring more mature content, serving as a complement to the family-friendly offerings of Walt Disney Pictures. After a period of inactivity, the label was ultimately shuttered in 2007. Its highest-grossing release was The Sixth Sense, directed by M. Night Shyamalan, which earned over $670 million globally in 1999.
History
Hollywood Pictures Corporation was legally formed on March 30, 1984, and officially launched on February 1, 1989. Ricardo Mestres, previously associated with Touchstone Pictures, was appointed as its inaugural president. The division was established to boost Disney’s feature film production during a time when the industry was contracting, sharing marketing and distribution resources with Touchstone. The goal was to produce twelve films annually by 1991, with financial backing partly provided by Silver Screen Partners IV. Its debut film release was Arachnophobia on July 18, 1990.
On October 23, 1990, Disney created Touchwood Pacific Partners to succeed Silver Screen Partners as the main financing source for its studios. Following the conclusion of their agreement with Paramount Pictures, producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer transferred their company to Hollywood Pictures in January 1991.
During its initial six years, Hollywood Pictures mainly issued low-budget comedies that generally underperformed at the box office; notable commercial failures included Holy Matrimony, Super Mario Bros., and Swing Kids. The division’s only significant commercial success was The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, while critically acclaimed was The Joy Luck Club. Due to disappointing financial results, Mestres stepped down in April 1994 but continued working with Disney through a production agreement.
In June 1994, Michael Lynton took over as president after serving as senior vice president at Disney Publishing Group. He inherited promising projects such as Robert Redford’s Quiz Show and Dangerous Minds. Lynton left in 1997 to join Penguin Group. Afterward, Hollywood Pictures primarily operated as a distribution label for external productions and films from Caravan Pictures and Cinergi, with development responsibilities shifting to Touchstone Pictures. David Vogel, president of Walt Disney Pictures, reassumed production oversight.
By 1998, Hollywood Pictures had been absorbed into Buena Vista Motion Picture Group; its development projects were transferred to Touchstone. Around 2001, after producing close to eighty films, Hollywood Pictures’ operations merged with Walt Disney Pictures’ management team.
Following a five-year dormancy, the brand was briefly reactivated for low-budget genre movies including horror films such as Stay Alive (2006), Primeval (2007), and the thriller The Invisible (2007). After these releases, Disney retired Hollywood Pictures to concentrate on its primary brands including Disney, Touchstone, ABC, ESPN, and Pixar.
1990s
| US Release date | Title | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| July 18, 1990 | Arachnophobia | joint production with Amblin Entertainment |
| August 17, 1990 | Taking Care of Business | partnership 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 | collaboration with Interscope Communications and Nomura Babcock & Brown |
| February 7, 1992 | Medicine Man | distribution rights for North and South America; co-produced with Cinergi Pictures |
| March 6, 1992 | Blame It on the Bellboy | joint venture with Silver Screen Partners IV |
| April 3, 1992 | Straight Talk | co-produced alongside Touchwood Pacific Partners I |
| April 24, 1992 | Passed Away | |
| May 22, 1992 | Encino Man | |
| July 17, 1992 | A Stranger Among Us | North American distribution; produced in partnership with Touchwood Pacific Partners I, Propaganda Films, and Sandollar Productions |
| September 18, 1992 | Sarafina![note 1] | U.S. distribution only through Miramax Films; production by Distant Horizon, Vanguard Films, and BBC |
| October 16, 1992 | Consenting Adults | collaboration 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. | distribution in North and South America; produced by Lightmotive, Allied Filmmakers and Cinergi Productions |
| June 4, 1993 | Guilty as Sin | — |
| July 2, 1993 | Son in Law | — |
| August 27, 1993 | Father Hood | — |
| September 8, 1993 | The Joy Luck Club | Selected for inclusion in the National Film Registry in the year 2020 |
| September 10, 1993 | Money for Nothing |
2000s
| US Release date | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| February 4, 2000 | Gun Shy | Handled distribution exclusively; production by Fortis Films; international rights managed by Buena Vista Film Sales |
| September 15, 2000 | Duets | Distribution role only; produced through collaboration of Seven Arts Pictures and Beacon Pictures; international licensing through Buena Vista Film Sales |
| April 6, 2001 | Just Visiting | Distribution limited to North America; production by Gaumont |
| March 24, 2006 | Stay Alive | Distributed solely in North America; co-produced with Spyglass Entertainment, Endgame Entertainment, and Wonderland Sound and Vision |
| January 12, 2007 | Primeval | Joint production effort with Pariah Entertainment |
| April 27, 2007 | The Invisible | Distribution outside certain international territories; co-produced alongside Spyglass Entertainment |
See also
References
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