Caravan Pictures
Caravan Pictures, Inc. was an American film production company at Walt Disney Studios, formed by Roger Birnbaum and Joe Roth. Caravan's films were distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.
Type | Subsidiary |
---|---|
Industry | Entertainment |
Fate | Closed |
Successor | Spyglass Entertainment |
Founded | November 17, 1992 |
Founders | Roger Birnbaum Joe Roth |
Defunct | 1999 |
Headquarters | , |
Key people | Roger Birnbaum (chairman, CEO) Jonathan Glickman (president) |
Products | Films |
Number of employees | 7 (1997) |
Parent | The Walt Disney Studios |
Footnotes / references [1][2][3] |
While Disney would sign directors and talent to two- and three-picture deals, Caravan would work with talent based on the project being produced and not lock them into agreements. The production company's slate strategy was to commit to screenwriters as directors, put bankable actors in predictable roles, and low-budget movies with like breakthrough talent. The unit had greenlight authority up to $30 million with the expectation of producing 5 to 7 films a year and did not have salary caps. They also did not have its own full business and legal affairs departments,[2] and executives did not have titles until 1997.[3]
History
Caravan Pictures was founded by Roger Birnbaum and Joe Roth as a production company at Disney in 1992 to fill the Disney Studios' then-yearly 50 to 60 production and distribution slots. Caravan was given a five-year, 25-picture agreement with greenlight authority up to $30 million and an overhead budget of $3 million, and was expected to produce 5 to 7 films per year originally. After just releasing its first picture, The Three Musketeers, on Christmas 1993, Caravan expected to release 10 films in 1994, which could accelerate the end of the deal in 2 1/2 years instead of 5 years.[2] They were able to get the adaptation of Angie, I Says that was in turnaround at Fox, where they have previously worked.[4] In 1993, Jonathan Glickman, who came from the USC's Peter Stark Program, joined Caravan as an intern.[3]
When three out of the next four films flopped at the box office, Roth promised to cover I Love Trouble cost overruns pegged at $15 million if it did poorly. It eventually flopped as well.[5]
Roth moved on to be Disney studio chief on August 24, 1994, leaving Birnbaum in charge.[1] Disney CEO Michael Eisner was so set on replacing Jeffrey Katzenberg as Disney studio chief with Roth that he forgave the cost overrun debt and paid Roth $40 million of fees for 21 unproduced films under the deal.[5]
Caravan was restructured in September 1998 to expand production in quantity and television films. Glickman was promoted to president of Caravan at that time, which led Birnbaum to start giving out titles to executives.[3]
In August 1998, Birnbaum left Caravan to co-found Spyglass Entertainment (with Gary Barber, former vice chairman and COO of Morgan Creek Productions) at Roth's prompting, in which Disney took an equity stake and signed a five-year distribution agreement. With Disney cutting its yearly production output, Roth recommended forming a self-financing production firm similar to New Regency Productions. After Caravan's remaining three films were released, the company went inactive. Caravan's slate of movie projects and an initial financial advance of $10 million to $20 million against future overages were also contributed by Disney.[6]
List of notable Caravan Pictures films
Title | Release Date | Disney label released as | Notes | Budget | Gross |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Three Musketeers[2] | November 12, 1993 | Walt Disney Pictures | co-production with Avnet-Kerner Productions; first film | $17 million | $53,898,845 |
Angie[1] | March 4, 1994 | Hollywood Pictures | co-production with Morra-Brezner-Steinberg-Tenenbaum Productions | $26 million | $9,398,308 |
I Love Trouble[5] | June 29, 1994 | Touchstone Pictures | co-production with Nancy Meyers/Charles Shyer Productions | $45 million | $61,947,267 |
Angels in the Outfield[5] | July 15, 1994 | Walt Disney Pictures | $24 million | $50,236,831 | |
A Low Down Dirty Shame | November 23, 1994 | Hollywood Pictures | $10 million | $29,392,418 | |
Houseguest | January 6, 1995 | Hollywood Pictures | $10.5 million | $26,325,256 | |
The Jerky Boys: The Movie | February 3, 1995 | Touchstone Pictures | $8 million | $7,555,256 | |
Heavyweights | February 17, 1995 | Walt Disney Pictures | $17,689,177 | ||
Tall Tale | March 24, 1995 | Walt Disney Pictures | $32 million | $11,047,627 | |
While You Were Sleeping[3] | April 21, 1995 | Hollywood Pictures | co-production with Roger Birnbaum Productions | $17 million | $182,057,016 |
The Big Green | September 29, 1995 | Walt Disney Pictures | $12 million | $17,725,500 | |
Dead Presidents[3] | October 4, 1995 | Hollywood Pictures | co-production with Underworld Entertainment | $10 million | $24,147,179 |
Powder[3] | October 27, 1995 | Hollywood Pictures | co-production with Daniel Grodnik Productions and Roger Birnbaum Productions | $9.5 million | $30,862,156 |
Before and After | February 23, 1996 | Hollywood Pictures | co-production with Schroeder/Hoffman Productions | $35 million | $8,797,839 |
Celtic Pride | April 19, 1996 | Hollywood Pictures | co-production with Roger Birnbaum Productions | $9,255,027 | |
The Rich Man's Wife | September 13, 1996 | Hollywood Pictures | $8,543,587 | ||
First Kid | December 20, 1996 | Walt Disney Pictures | $5 million | $26,491,793 | |
Metro | January 17, 1997 | Touchstone Pictures | $55 million | $31,987,563 | |
Grosse Pointe Blank[3] | April 11, 1997 | Hollywood Pictures | co-production with Roger Birnbaum Productions, Roth/Arnold Productions and New Crime Entertainment | $15 million | $28,084,357 |
Gone Fishin' | May 30, 1997 | Hollywood Pictures | co-production with Roger Birnbaum Productions | $53 million | $19,736,932 |
G.I. Jane[3] | August 22, 1997 | Hollywood Pictures | co-production with Scott Free Productions, Largo Entertainment, Roger Birnbaum Productions and Moving Pictures | $50 million | $97,169,156 |
RocketMan[3] | October 10, 1997 | Walt Disney Pictures | co-production with Roger Birnbaum Productions and Gold/Miller Management | $16 million | $15,448,043 |
Washington Square[3] | October 17, 1997 | Hollywood Pictures | co-production with Roger Birnbaum Productions and Alchemy Filmworks | $15 million | $1,851,761 |
Six Days, Seven Nights[3] | June 12, 1998 | Touchstone Pictures | co-production with Roger Birnbaum Productions and Northern Lights Entertainment | $70 million | $164,839,294 |
Simon Birch[3] | September 11, 1998 | Hollywood Pictures | co-production with Roger Birnbaum Productions and Laurence Mark Productions | $30 million | $18,252,684 |
Holy Man[3] | October 9, 1998 | Touchstone Pictures | co-production with Roger Birnbaum Productions | $60 million | $12,069,719 |
Inspector Gadget | July 23, 1999 | Walt Disney Pictures | co-production with Avnet/Kerner Productions, Roger Birnbaum Productions and DiC Entertainment; final film | $90 million | $134,403,112 |
References
- "Seasoned Performer Takes Lead Studio Role". Orlando Sentinel. Los Angeles Times. August 28, 1994. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
- Frook, John Evan (January 30, 1994). "Roth, Birnbaum flex muscles at Caravan". Variety. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
- Cox, Dan (September 18, 1997). "Glickman new prexy at Caravan". Variety. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- Eller, Claudia (December 14, 1992). "Madonna faxes Roth her wrath". Variety. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- Masters, Kim (November 14, 2013). "Joe Roth's 'Third Act': From 'Gigli' to Billion-Dollar Producer and Pro Soccer Superstar". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- Eller, Clauida (1998-08-21). "Spyglass Offers Disney Lower-Risk Deals". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2015-03-18.