The Geffen Film Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film production and distribution |
| Founded | 1982 |
| Founder | David Geffen |
| Defunct | 1998 (original label) |
| Fate | Absorbed into Warner Bros. film divisions |
| Headquarters | United States , United States |
Key people | David Geffen (founder), Eric Eisner (president) |
| Products | Films, Television series |
| Parent | Warner Bros. |
The Geffen Film Company—also referred to as The Geffen Company, The Geffen Film Company, Inc., and subsequently Geffen Pictures—is a United States-based film distributor and production company. It was established by David Geffen, the entrepreneur behind Geffen Records and co-founder of DreamWorks Pictures. Its distinctive spherical emblem, crafted by Saul Bass, is reminiscent of the logo used by its affiliated record label. Among its acclaimed productions are Risky Business (1983), Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Beetlejuice (1988) along with its 2024 sequel, and Interview with the Vampire (1994).
History
The company was launched in 1982 by David Geffen, appointing Eric Eisner as president. It operated under Warner Bros., distributing films through that studio and functioning as one of its divisions. When it ceased operations in 1998, Warner Bros. retained ownership of most of its film catalog, with the exception of the 1996 comedy Beavis and Butt-Head Do America, which is controlled by Paramount Pictures through Paramount Players and The Geffen Company.
In 1990, the enterprise adopted the name Geffen Pictures.
A collaboration with MTV Productions was initiated in 1993, resulting in a two-film agreement.
David Geffen maintained the Geffen Pictures label until 1998, ending with the release of The Butcher Boy. Subsequently, the brand was absorbed into Warner Bros.' film divisions. The label saw a brief resurgence in 2024 to commemorate the launch of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, paying tribute to the original motion picture.
1980s
| Release date | Title | Director | Notes | Names | Budget | Gross (worldwide) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 5, 1982 | Personal Best | Robert Towne | The Geffen Film Company | $15 million | $5.6 million | |
| August 5, 1983 | Risky Business | Paul Brickman | $6.2 million | $63.5 million | ||
| March 15, 1985 | Lost in America | Albert Brooks | $4 million | $10.1 million | ||
| September 13, 1985 | After Hours | Martin Scorsese | co-produced with Double Play Productions | $4.5 million | $10.6 million | |
| December 19, 1986 | Little Shop of Horrors | Frank Oz | $25 million | $39 million | ||
| March 30, 1988 | Beetlejuice | Tim Burton | $15 million | $74.2 million |
1990s
| Release date | Title | Director | Notes | Names | Budget | Gross (worldwide) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 2, 1990 | Men Don't Leave | Paul Brickman | The Geffen Film Company | $7 million | $6 million | ||||||
| March 22, 1991 | Defending Your Life | Albert Brooks | Geffen Pictures | N/A | $16.4 million | ||||||
| December 13, 1991 | The Last Boy Scout | Tony Scott | co-produced with Silver Pictures | $43 million | $114.5 million | ||||||
| October 1, 1993 | M. Butterfly | David Cronenberg | $17–18 million | $1.4 million | |||||||
| November 11, 1994 | Interview with the Vampire | Neil Jordan | $60 million | $223.7 million | |||||||
| July 26, 1996 | Joe's Apartment | John Payson | co-produced with MTV Entertainment Studios | $13 million | $4.6 million | ||||||
| October 11, 1996 | Michael Collins | Neil Jordan | $25 million | $27.5 million | |||||||
| December 20, 1996 |
co-produced with Paramount Pictures and MTV Productions |
$12 million |
$63.1 million |
- |
July 13, 1997 |
N/A |
$1.96 million |
2020s
September 6, 2024 Beetlejuice BeetlejuiceTim Burton co-produced alongside Plan B Entertainment and Tim Burton Productions The Geffen Company $100 million $451.1 million| Release date | Title | Director | Notes | Names | Budget | Gross (worldwide) |
|---|
Television series
1989–1996 Tales from the Crypt HBO Co-produced with Tales from the Crypt Holdings Uncredited 7 93 1989–1991 Beetlejuice ABC (seasons 1–3) / Fox Kids (season 4) Co-produced with Warner Bros. Television, Warner Bros. Animation, Tim Burton, Inc., and Nelvana The Geffen Film Company (seasons 1–2) / Geffen Pictures (seasons 3–4) 4 94| Years | Title | Networks | Notes | Names | Seasons | Episodes |
|---|
Unproduced projects
In 1994, development began on a feature adaptation of the children's program Barney & Friends, targeting a release in 1995. However, disputes regarding marketing strategies with The Lyons Group, the original series creator, resulted in transferring rights to PolyGram Filmed Entertainment in 1996. PolyGram ultimately released the movie titled Barney's Great Adventure on April 3, 1998.