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De Laurentiis Entertainment Group

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De Laurentiis Entertainment Group
TypeFilm studio
IndustryFilm production and distribution
PredecessorEmbassy Films Associates
Founded1984; 39 years ago (1984)
Defunct1989; 34 years ago (1989)
FateStudio acquired by Carolco Pictures, film assets acquired by Paravision International
SuccessorsLibrary:
StudioCanal
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
HBO Films
Lionsgate
HeadquartersWilmington, North Carolina
Key people
Dino De Laurentiis
ProductsMotion pictures

De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG) was an entertainment production company and distribution studio founded by Italian producer Dino De Laurentiis. The company is notable for producing Manhunter, Blue Velvet, the horror films Near Dark and Evil Dead II, King Kong Lives (the sequel to De Laurentiis' remake of King Kong), and Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, as well as distributing The Transformers: The Movie.

The company's main studios were located in Wilmington, North Carolina, which is now EUE/Screen Gems Studios. The studio's first releases were in 1986. It went bankrupt two years later after Million Dollar Mystery, among other films, failed at the box office.[1] Carolco Pictures acquired DEG in 1989.[2]

Discover more about De Laurentiis Entertainment Group related topics

Film distributor

Film distributor

A film distributor is responsible for the marketing of a film. The distribution company may be the same with, or different from, the production company. Distribution deals are an important part of financing a film.

Dino De Laurentiis

Dino De Laurentiis

Agostino "Dino" De Laurentiis was an Italian and American film producer. Along with Carlo Ponti, he was one of the producers who brought Italian cinema to the international scene at the end of World War II. He produced or co-produced more than 500 films, of which 38 were nominated for Academy Awards. He also had a brief acting career in the late 1930s and early 1940s.

Manhunter (film)

Manhunter (film)

Manhunter is a 1986 American thriller film directed and written by Michael Mann. Based on the 1981 novel Red Dragon by Thomas Harris, it stars William Petersen as FBI profiler Will Graham. Also featured are Tom Noonan as serial killer Francis Dollarhyde, Dennis Farina as Graham's FBI superior Jack Crawford, and Brian Cox as incarcerated killer Hannibal Lecktor. The film focuses on Graham coming out of retirement to lend his talents to an investigation on Dollarhyde, a killer known as the Tooth Fairy. In doing so, he must confront the demons of his past and meet with Lecktor, who nearly killed Graham.

Blue Velvet (film)

Blue Velvet (film)

Blue Velvet is a 1986 American neo-noir mystery thriller film written and directed by David Lynch. Blending psychological horror with film noir, the film stars Kyle MacLachlan, Isabella Rossellini, Dennis Hopper, and Laura Dern, and is named after the 1951 song of the same name. The film concerns a young college student who, returning home to visit his ill father, discovers a severed human ear in a field. The ear then leads him to uncover a vast criminal conspiracy, and into a romantic relationship with a troubled lounge singer.

Evil Dead II

Evil Dead II

Evil Dead II is a 1987 American comedy horror film directed by Sam Raimi, who co-wrote it with Scott Spiegel. The second installment in the Evil Dead film series, it is considered both a remake and sequel to The Evil Dead (1981). It stars Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams, who vacations with his girlfriend to a remote cabin in the woods. He discovers an audio tape of recitations from a book of ancient texts, and when the recording is played, it unleashes a number of demons which possess and torment him.

King Kong Lives

King Kong Lives

King Kong Lives is a 1986 American monster adventure film directed by John Guillermin. Produced by De Laurentiis Entertainment Group and featuring special effects by Carlo Rambaldi, the film stars Linda Hamilton and Brian Kerwin. The film is a sequel to the 1976 remake of King Kong. This was the final Kong film in which the eponymous character was portrayed using suits and practical effects; further films would utilize computer animation.

King Kong (1976 film)

King Kong (1976 film)

King Kong is a 1976 American monster adventure film produced by Dino De Laurentiis and directed by John Guillermin. It is a modernized remake of the 1933 film about a giant ape that is captured and taken to New York City for exhibition. It stars Jeff Bridges, Charles Grodin, and Jessica Lange in her first film role, and features mechanical effects by Carlo Rambaldi and makeup effects by Rick Baker. It is the 5th entry in the King Kong franchise.

King Kong (1933 film)

King Kong (1933 film)

King Kong is a 1933 American pre-Code adventure horror monster film directed and produced by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, with special effects by Willis H. O'Brien. Produced and distributed by RKO Radio Pictures, it is the first film in the King Kong franchise. The film stars Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong and Bruce Cabot. In the film, a giant ape dubbed Kong attempts to possess a beautiful young woman.

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure is a 1989 American science fiction comedy film directed by Stephen Herek and written by Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon. The first installment of the Bill & Ted franchise, it stars Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter and George Carlin. It follows Bill (Winter) and Ted (Reeves), who travel through time to assemble historical figures for their high school history presentation.

EUE/Screen Gems

EUE/Screen Gems

EUE/Screen Gems Ltd. is an American film and television studio production company that owns and operates facilities in Wilmington, North Carolina; Atlanta, Georgia; and Miami, Florida. The company collaborates with other studios and producers for the development, production, marketing, and distribution of entertainment for feature film, television, and digital content.

Million Dollar Mystery

Million Dollar Mystery

Million Dollar Mystery is a 1987 American film released with a promotional tie-in for Glad-Lock brand bags. This was the final feature-length film directed by Richard Fleischer. It starred an ensemble cast of "America's new comic talent". The film was largely inspired by Stanley Kramer's It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.

Carolco Pictures

Carolco Pictures

Carolco Pictures, Inc. was an American independent film studio that existed from 1976 to 1995, founded by Mario Kassar and Andrew G. Vajna. Kassar and Vajna ran Carolco together until 1989, when Vajna left to form Cinergi Pictures. Carolco hit its peak in the 1980s and early 1990s, with blockbuster successes including the first three films of the Rambo franchise, Total Recall, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Basic Instinct, Universal Soldier, Cliffhanger and Stargate. Nevertheless, the company was losing money overall and required a corporate restructuring in 1992. The 1995 film Cutthroat Island, intended to be a comeback for the studio, instead lost $147 million and brought the company to an end.

History

In 1983, Dino De Laurentiis produced Firestarter in Wilmington. The governor of North Carolina, Jim Hunt, claimed that the filming increased economic activity in the state. Hunt used incentives and loans to allow De Laurentiis to buy a local warehouse to convert into a studio. In early 1984, De Laurentiis founded the North Carolina Film Corporation, with Martha Schumacher as president.[3]

In 1985, DEG acquired Embassy Pictures from The Coca-Cola Company,[4] allowing for North American distribution of De Laurentiis' new product. Dino De Laurentiis continued to pre-sell his films for overseas distribution, as he had done in the past. In May 1986, De Laurentiis took DEG public, raising $240 million in the process.[5] The following month, DEG's first slate of films were released. In 1986, De Laurentiis formed an Australian subsidiary, De Laurentiis Entertainment Limited (DEL), which built a studio on the Gold Coast.[3] Although De Laurentiis asserted that the company would make films on par with the major studios, most of DEG's slate consisted of films budgeted at $10 million or less, below the industry standard of $14–16 million, with the notable exceptions of King Kong Lives and Tai-Pan, the only studio-level films DEG financed.[5] Also that year, DEG entered into a strategic partnership with producers Fred Silverman and Gordon Farr to launch the syndicated strip Honeymoon Hotel, with a promise to run it for 100 episodes, and a new starring vehicle for Isabel Sanford.[6] Later that year, DEG also financed another syndicated strip with Silverman and Farr to set up California Girls, with Viacom Enterprises serving as distributor of the series.[7]

By August 1987, DEG was $16.5 million in debt, citing the box-office failures and/or disappointments of its product. Dino De Laurentiis refused offers to sell the company because he wanted to retain controlling interest. Around the same time, De Laurentiis' daughter Raffaella exited her role as DEG's president of production.[5]

De Laurentiis' North Carolina studio would be sold by Carolco Pictures and the Gold Coast studio would be acquired by Village Roadshow.[3]

The De Laurentiis library is currently owned by StudioCanal via its acquisition of the Paravision International library; with some exceptions. Films that were distributed by United Artists are now owned by Amazon, via Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, while films by HBO Pictures are owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. North American home video rights to much of their films are split between MGM Home Entertainment (for the Embassy library via PolyGram) and Lionsgate Films (for the rest). My Little Pony: The Movie and The Transformers: The Movie are now owned by Hasbro after obtaining the rights from Sunbow Entertainment (along with all other animated series based on Hasbro properties).

Discover more about History related topics

Firestarter (1984 film)

Firestarter (1984 film)

Firestarter is a 1984 American science fiction horror-thriller film based on Stephen King's 1980 novel of the same name. The plot concerns a girl who develops pyrokinesis and the secret government agency known as The Shop which seeks to control her. The film was directed by Mark L. Lester, and stars David Keith, Drew Barrymore, Martin Sheen and George C. Scott. Firestarter was shot in and around Wilmington, Chimney Rock, and Lake Lure, North Carolina.

Governor of North Carolina

Governor of North Carolina

The governor of North Carolina is the head of government of the U.S. state of North Carolina. Seventy people have held the office since its inception in 1776. The governor serves a term of four year and chairs the collective body of the state's elected executive officials, the Council of State. The governor's powers and responsibilities are prescribed by the state constitution and by law. They serve as the North Carolina's chief executive and are tasked by the constitution with faithfully carrying out the laws of the state. They are ex officio commander in chief of the North Carolina National Guard and director of the state budget. The office has extensive powers of appointment of executive branch officials, some judges, and members of boards and commissions. Governors are also empowered to grant pardons and veto legislation.

Jim Hunt

Jim Hunt

James Baxter Hunt Jr. is an American politician and retired attorney who was the 69th and 71st Governor of North Carolina. He is the longest-serving governor in the state's history.

Martha De Laurentiis

Martha De Laurentiis

Martha De Laurentiis was an American film producer. De Laurentiis was known for producing films such as Breakdown, U-571, Hannibal, and Red Dragon with her husband Dino De Laurentiis, as well as the television series Hannibal.

Embassy Pictures

Embassy Pictures

Embassy Pictures Corporation was an American independent film production and distribution studio responsible for such films as The Graduate, The Producers, The Fog, The Howling, Escape from New York, and This Is Spinal Tap.

Gold Coast, Queensland

Gold Coast, Queensland

The Gold Coast is a coastal city in the state of Queensland, Australia, approximately 66 kilometres (41 mi) south-southeast of the centre of the state capital Brisbane. With a population over 600,000, the Gold Coast is the sixth-largest city in Australia, the nation's largest non-capital city, and Queensland's second-largest city after Brisbane. The city's Central Business District is located roughly in the centre of the Gold Coast in the suburb of Southport, with the suburb holding more corporate office space than anywhere else in the city. The urban area of the Gold Coast is concentrated along the coast sprawling almost 60 kilometers, joining up with the Greater Brisbane Metropolitan Area to the north and to the state border with New South Wales to the south.

King Kong Lives

King Kong Lives

King Kong Lives is a 1986 American monster adventure film directed by John Guillermin. Produced by De Laurentiis Entertainment Group and featuring special effects by Carlo Rambaldi, the film stars Linda Hamilton and Brian Kerwin. The film is a sequel to the 1976 remake of King Kong. This was the final Kong film in which the eponymous character was portrayed using suits and practical effects; further films would utilize computer animation.

Fred Silverman

Fred Silverman

Fred Silverman was an American television executive and producer. He worked as an executive at all of the Big Three television networks, and was responsible for bringing to television such programs as Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, All in the Family (1971–1979), The Waltons (1972–1981), and Charlie's Angels (1976–1981), as well as the miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man (1976), Roots (1977), and Shōgun (1980). For his success in programming such successful shows, Time magazine declared him "The Man with the Golden Gut" in 1977.

Isabel Sanford's Honeymoon Hotel

Isabel Sanford's Honeymoon Hotel

Isabel Sanford's Honeymoon Hotel is an American sitcom that was broadcast in first-run syndication in January 1987. The stripped series, airing five days a week, was created to showcase Isabel Sanford's comedic skills, but it failed to attract an audience and was quickly cancelled. The title of the series may have likely been inspired by an episode from the tenth season of The Jeffersons called "Honeymoon Hotel".

Isabel Sanford

Isabel Sanford

Isabel Sanford was an American stage, film, and television actress and comedian best known for her role as Louise "Weezy" Mills Jefferson on the CBS sitcoms All in the Family (1971–1975) and The Jeffersons (1975–1985). In 1981, she became the second African-American actress to win a Primetime Emmy Award after Gail Fisher, and so far, the only African-American actress to win for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

Controlling interest

Controlling interest

A controlling interest is an ownership interest in a corporation with enough voting stock shares to prevail in any stockholders' motion. A majority of voting shares is always a controlling interest. When a party holds less than the majority of the voting shares, other present circumstances can be considered to determine whether that party is still considered to hold a controlling ownership interest.

Carolco Pictures

Carolco Pictures

Carolco Pictures, Inc. was an American independent film studio that existed from 1976 to 1995, founded by Mario Kassar and Andrew G. Vajna. Kassar and Vajna ran Carolco together until 1989, when Vajna left to form Cinergi Pictures. Carolco hit its peak in the 1980s and early 1990s, with blockbuster successes including the first three films of the Rambo franchise, Total Recall, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Basic Instinct, Universal Soldier, Cliffhanger and Stargate. Nevertheless, the company was losing money overall and required a corporate restructuring in 1992. The 1995 film Cutthroat Island, intended to be a comeback for the studio, instead lost $147 million and brought the company to an end.

Films released

Release Date Title Notes
June 6, 1986 Raw Deal
June 6, 1986 My Little Pony: The Movie
July 25, 1986 Maximum Overdrive
August 8, 1986 The Transformers: The Movie
August 15, 1986 Manhunter
September 19, 1986 Blue Velvet
Radioactive Dreams
October 24, 1986 Trick or Treat
November 7, 1986 Tai-Pan
December 12, 1986 Crimes of the Heart
December 19, 1986 King Kong Lives
January 30, 1987 The Bedroom Window
February 6, 1987 From the Hip
March 13, 1987 Evil Dead II released through shell company Rosebud Releasing Corporation to bypass MPAA regulations
June 12, 1987 Million Dollar Mystery
October 2, 1987 Near Dark
October 16, 1987 Weeds
November 6, 1987 Hiding Out
November 20, 1987 Date with an Angel
December 4, 1987 The Trouble with Spies distributed only; produced by HBO Pictures. Currently distributed by HBO in USA and worldwide
December 11, 1987 Cobra Verde direct-to-video in U.S.
May 13, 1988 Illegally Yours released by United Artists in U.S.
August 17, 1988 Traxx direct-to-video in U.S.
October 14, 1988 Pumpkinhead released by United Artists in U.S., although DEG did distribute the film outside of North America.
October 21, 1988 Tapeheads released by Avenue Pictures in U.S.
October 1988 Dracula's Widow direct-to-video in U.S.
February 17, 1989 Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure co-produced with Nelson Entertainment, released by Orion Pictures in U.S.
April 1992 Collision Course direct-to-video in U.S.
October 30, 1992 Rampage released by Miramax Films in U.S.

Canadian distribution of DEG releases were done by Paramount Pictures.

DEG had an early version of Total Recall in pre-production with Patrick Swayze as Quaid and Bruce Beresford to direct (David Cronenberg had also been approached), where it was to have been shot in Australia. After DEG's bankruptcy, the film went in turnaround to Carolco Pictures.[8]

Along with the Embassy Pictures library, De Laurentiis Entertainment Group's library was sold to Paravision, a subsidiary of L'Oréal, in 1989. The library was later sold to Canal+ and is currently held by StudioCanal.

Discover more about Films released related topics

My Little Pony: The Movie (1986 film)

My Little Pony: The Movie (1986 film)

My Little Pony: The Movie is a 1986 American animated musical fantasy film based on the Hasbro toyline My Little Pony. Theatrically released on June 6, 1986, by De Laurentiis Entertainment Group, the film features the voices of Danny DeVito, Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman, Rhea Perlman and Tony Randall.

Maximum Overdrive

Maximum Overdrive

Maximum Overdrive is a 1986 American comedy horror film written and directed by Stephen King. The film stars Emilio Estevez, Pat Hingle, Laura Harrington, and Yeardley Smith. The screenplay was inspired by and loosely based on King's short story "Trucks", which was included in the author's first collection of short stories, Night Shift, and follows the events after all machines become sentient when Earth crosses the tail of a comet, initiating a world-wide killing spree.

Manhunter (film)

Manhunter (film)

Manhunter is a 1986 American thriller film directed and written by Michael Mann. Based on the 1981 novel Red Dragon by Thomas Harris, it stars William Petersen as FBI profiler Will Graham. Also featured are Tom Noonan as serial killer Francis Dollarhyde, Dennis Farina as Graham's FBI superior Jack Crawford, and Brian Cox as incarcerated killer Hannibal Lecktor. The film focuses on Graham coming out of retirement to lend his talents to an investigation on Dollarhyde, a killer known as the Tooth Fairy. In doing so, he must confront the demons of his past and meet with Lecktor, who nearly killed Graham.

Blue Velvet (film)

Blue Velvet (film)

Blue Velvet is a 1986 American neo-noir mystery thriller film written and directed by David Lynch. Blending psychological horror with film noir, the film stars Kyle MacLachlan, Isabella Rossellini, Dennis Hopper, and Laura Dern, and is named after the 1951 song of the same name. The film concerns a young college student who, returning home to visit his ill father, discovers a severed human ear in a field. The ear then leads him to uncover a vast criminal conspiracy, and into a romantic relationship with a troubled lounge singer.

Radioactive Dreams

Radioactive Dreams

Radioactive Dreams is a 1985 post-apocalyptic science fiction-comedy film written and directed by Albert Pyun and starring George Kennedy, Michael Dudikoff, Don Murray, and Lisa Blount. The names of the two main characters are homages to noir detective fiction icons Philip Marlowe, Raymond Chandler and Mike Hammer. The film has achieved cult status and has been screened in several cult revival programs around the world.

Crimes of the Heart (film)

Crimes of the Heart (film)

Crimes of the Heart is a 1986 American black comedy-drama film directed by Bruce Beresford from a screenplay written by Beth Henley adapted from her Pulitzer Prize-winning 1979 play of the same name. It stars Diane Keaton, Jessica Lange, Sissy Spacek, Sam Shepard, Tess Harper, and Hurd Hatfield. The film's narrative follows the Magrath sisters, Babe, Lenny and Meg, who reunite in their family home in Mississippi to regroup and settle their past. Each sister is forced to face the consequences of the "crimes of the heart" she has committed.

King Kong Lives

King Kong Lives

King Kong Lives is a 1986 American monster adventure film directed by John Guillermin. Produced by De Laurentiis Entertainment Group and featuring special effects by Carlo Rambaldi, the film stars Linda Hamilton and Brian Kerwin. The film is a sequel to the 1976 remake of King Kong. This was the final Kong film in which the eponymous character was portrayed using suits and practical effects; further films would utilize computer animation.

From the Hip (film)

From the Hip (film)

From the Hip, is a 1987 American courtroom comedy-drama film directed by Bob Clark from a screenplay by Clark and David E. Kelley. The film stars Judd Nelson, Elizabeth Perkins, John Hurt, Ray Walston, and Darren McGavin.

Evil Dead II

Evil Dead II

Evil Dead II is a 1987 American comedy horror film directed by Sam Raimi, who co-wrote it with Scott Spiegel. The second installment in the Evil Dead film series, it is considered both a remake and sequel to The Evil Dead (1981). It stars Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams, who vacations with his girlfriend to a remote cabin in the woods. He discovers an audio tape of recitations from a book of ancient texts, and when the recording is played, it unleashes a number of demons which possess and torment him.

Million Dollar Mystery

Million Dollar Mystery

Million Dollar Mystery is a 1987 American film released with a promotional tie-in for Glad-Lock brand bags. This was the final feature-length film directed by Richard Fleischer. It starred an ensemble cast of "America's new comic talent". The film was largely inspired by Stanley Kramer's It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.

Near Dark

Near Dark

Near Dark is a 1987 American neo-Western horror film co-written and directed by Kathryn Bigelow, and starring Adrian Pasdar, Jenny Wright, Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen and Jenette Goldstein. The plot follows a young man in a small Oklahoma town who becomes involved with a family of nomadic American vampires.

Hiding Out

Hiding Out

Hiding Out is a 1987 American comedy-drama film starring Jon Cryer as a state's witness who disguises himself as a high school student in order to avoid being killed by the mob.

Source: "De Laurentiis Entertainment Group", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2023, January 15th), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Laurentiis_Entertainment_Group.

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References
  1. ^ Adelson, Andrea (1988-08-17). "THE MEDIA BUSINESS; De Laurentiis Entertainment Seeks Chapter 11 Protection". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-09-08.
  2. ^ "Carolco Signs Deal for DEG: Carolco Pictures signed a..." Los Angeles Times. 1989-04-21. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2018-09-08.
  3. ^ a b c Goldsmith, Ben; Ward, Susan; O'Regan, Tom (2010-08-30). Local Hollywood: Global Film Production and the Gold Coast. Univ. of Queensland Press. ISBN 9780702246395.
  4. ^ Friendly, David T. (16 November 1985). "De Laurentiis Rejoins The Ranks--at Embassy". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  5. ^ a b c Knoedelseder, William K. Jr. (1987-08-30). "De Laurentiis : Producer's Picture Darkens". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Archived from the original on 2015-10-23. Retrieved 2018-07-24.
  6. ^ "DEG producing 'instant' strip" (PDF). Broadcasting. 1986-08-25. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
  7. ^ "Silverman-Farr to produce second" (PDF). Broadcasting. 1986-11-03. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
  8. ^ Hammer, Joshua (8 March 1992). "Total Free Fall". Newsweek. Retrieved 24 April 2015.

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