Wikipedia

Orion Pictures

Orion Releasing, LLC(doing business asOrion) is an Americanfilm productionanddistributioncompany owned by theAmazon MGM Studiossubsidiary ofAmazon.In its original operating period (then-known asOrion Pictures Corporation), the company produced and released films from 1978 until 1999 and was also involved in television production and syndication throughout the 1980s until the early 1990s. It was formed in 1978 as ajoint venturebetweenWarner Bros.and three former senior executives atUnited Artists.From its founding until its buyout by MGM in the late 1990s, Orion was considered one of the largest mini-major studios.[3]

Orion Releasing, LLC
Orion Pictures Corporation
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryFilm,television
FoundedJanuary 1978;46 years ago(1978-01)(original; as Orion Pictures Corporation)
2013;11 years ago(2013)(relaunch; as Orion Releasing, LLC)
Founders
Defunct1999;25 years ago(1999)(original)
FateBankruptcy, sold toMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer(original)
HeadquartersLos Angeles,California,U.S.
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
ProductsMotion pictures
BrandsOrion Classics
OwnerAmazon
Parent
DivisionsOrion Classics

Woody Allen,James Cameron,Jonathan Demme,Oliver Stone,and several other prominent directors worked with Orion during its most successful years from 1978 to 1992. Of the films distributed by Orion, four wonAcademy AwardsforBest Picture:Amadeus(1984),Platoon(1986),Dances with Wolves(1990), andThe Silence of the Lambs(1991).[4]Four other Orion films,Hannah and Her Sisters(1986),Mississippi Burning(1988),Women Talking(2022) andAmerican Fiction(2023), were nominated for the aforementioned category.

Since 1997, Orion has been owned byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer(MGM). In 2013, MGM revived the Orion name for television; a year later, Orion Pictures was relaunched by the studio.

History

1978–1981: Beginnings

In January 1978, three executives ofTransamerica(TA)-owned studioUnited Artists(UA)—Arthur B. Krim(chairman),Eric Pleskow(president and chief executive officer), andRobert Benjamin(chairman of the finance committee)—quit their jobs. Krim and Benjamin had headed UA since 1951 and subsequently turned around the then-flailing studio with a number of critical and commercial successes. Change had begun once Transamerica purchased UA in 1967 and, within a decade, a rift formed between Krim and Transamerica chairmanJohn R. Beckettconcerning the studio's operations. Krim suggested spinning off United Artists into a separate company which was rejected by Beckett.[5]

The last straw came for Pleskow when he refused to collect and deliver the medical records of UA department heads to Transamerica's offices in San Francisco for the sake of confidentiality. The tensions only worsened whenFortunemagazine reported an article on the clash between UA and TA in which Beckett had stated that, if the executives disliked the parent company's treatment of them, they should resign.[5]Krim, Benjamin and Pleskow quit United Artists on January 13, 1978, followed by the exits of senior vice presidents William Bernstein andMike Medavoythree days later. The week following the resignations, according to the websiteReference for Business,63 important Hollywood figures took out an advertisement in a trade paper warning Transamerica that it had made a fatal mistake in letting the five men leave. The 'fatal mistake' came true following the box-office disaster ofHeaven's Gate[6]in 1980 which led to Transamerica selling UA toMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer.[7]

In February 1978, the five men forged a deal withWarner Bros.[8]The executives formed Orion Pictures Company, named afterthe constellationwhich they claimed had five main stars (it actually has seven or eight). The new company intended only to finance projects, giving the filmmakers complete creative autonomy; this ideal had been successfully implemented at United Artists. Orion held a $100 million line of credit and its films would be distributed by theWarner Bros.studio. Orion, however, was contractually given free rein over distribution and advertising as well as the number and type of films the executives chose to invest in.[9]

In late March 1978, Orion signed its first contract, a two-picture deal withJohn Travolta's production company. Contracts with actress and directorBarbra Streisand;actorsJames Caan,Jane Fonda,Peter Sellers,Jon Voight,andBurt Reynolds;directorsFrancis Ford CoppolaandBlake Edwards;writer/directorJohn Milius;singerPeter Frampton;and producerRay Starksoon materialized.[6][10]Orion also developed a co-financing and distribution deal withEMI Films.[6]In its first year, Orion had fifteen films in production and had a dozen more actors, directors and producers lining up to sign with them.[6]

In October 1979, Benjamin died.[11]Orion's first film,A Little Romance,[12]was released in April that year. Later that year, Orion releasedBlake Edwards'10which became a commercial success, the first for Edwards in over a decade (aside from installments ofThe Pink Pantherfranchise). Other films released by Orion over the next two years included a few successes such asCaddyshack(1980) andArthur(1981); critically praised but underperforming films such asThe Great Santini(1979), an adaptation of aPat Conroynovel, andSidney Lumet'sPrince of the City(1981); and pictures by young writer-directors such asPhilip Kaufman'sThe Wanderers(1979) andNicholas Meyer's debutTime After Time(1979); plusMonty Python's Life of Brian(1979) which Orion only distributed in the United States. Out of the 23 films Orion released between April 1979 and December 1981, only a third of them made a profit.[13]Orion executives were conflicted over financing big-budgeted films and passed onRaiders of the Lost Ark(1981) for that reason.[14]

1982–1986: Split from Warner Bros.

By early 1982, Orion had severed its distribution ties with Warner Bros. As part of the deal, the rights to Orion's films made up to that point were sold to Warner Bros. Orion was now looking to have its own distribution network by acquiring another company with such capabilities. The four partners looked intoAllied ArtistsandEmbassy Pictures[15]before settling onFilmways.[16]Orion subsequently purchased Filmways and reorganized the flailing company. New employees were hired and all of Filmways' non-entertainment assets (Grosset & DunlapandBroadcast Electronics) were sold off.[6][16]

Another result of the merger was that Orion entered television production. Orion's biggest TV hit wasCagney & Laceywhich lasted seven seasons on CBS. In 1983, Orion Pictures introduced art-house divisionOrion Classicswith executives who had previously runUnited Artists Classics.[16][17]

Out of the initial 18 films released by the firm under the name of Orion Pictures Corporation, ten made profits, five just managed to cover their costs, and three suffered losses under $2 million.[6]One such film,Francis Ford Coppola'sThe Cotton Club,was mired in legal troubles and Orion lost $3 million of its investment.[6]"We've had some singles and doubles [but haven't] had any home runs," lamented Krim.[6]In September 1984, Orion distributedAmadeus,which garnered many accolades, winning eightAcademy Awards,includingBest Picture.[6]That year, on April 3, 1984, Orion Pictures launched Orion Entertainment Group, that would consist of four groups, Orion Television, Orion Home Video, Orion Pay Television and Orion Television Syndication, and the new organization would produce and distribute product for television, home video, pay and syndicated markets, withJamie Kellnerserving as president.[18]On October 26, 1984, the company released theJames Cameron-directedscience fiction filmThe Terminatorwhich was well received by critics and audience and led to a franchise involving five further films. However, Orion distributed none of the follow-ups.

For Orion, 1985 was a dismal year. All but two films,Desperately Seeking SusanandCode of Silence,made less than $10 million at the United States box office, including an unsuccessful attempt at aJames Bond-type franchise,Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins.[6]Orion's haphazard distribution channels and unsuccessful advertising campaigns made it impossible to achieve a hit. Another factor was that Orion was about to venture into the video business and stopped selling home-use rights to its films. Furthermore, the production of theRodney DangerfieldcomedyBack to Schoolwas put on hold when a co-producer died, taking the film off of its Christmas 1985 release slate.[19]

In January 1986,Mario KassarandAndrew Vajna,producers of theRambofilms (the first film,First Blood,was distributed by Orion) attempted to buy $55 million worth of the studio's stock through the duo's company,Anabasis.Had they succeeded, Kassar and Vajna would have controlled the board and laid off every executive save for Krim.[19]Warburg Pincus subsequently limited its 20% stake in Orion to 5%; the remaining stock was acquired byViacom International.[6]Viacom hoped to use Orion's product for its pay-TV channelShowtime.[20]Orion expanded into home video distribution with the formation of Orion Home Entertainment Corporation in 1985,[21]which began distributing videos under theOrion Home Videolabel in 1987 (before OHV's formation,HBO Videoand their predecessors, as well asVestron VideoandEmbassy Home Entertainment,had been responsible for home media releases of Orion product).[6]

1986–1991: Metromedia era

On May 22, 1986,Metromedia,a television and communications company controlled by billionaire (and a friend of Krim's)John Kluge,which had just divested of its television station group toRupert Murdoch'sNews Corporation(which would form what is now theFox network), purchased a 6.5% stake in Orion. Kluge's investment in the company came at the right time-Back to Schoolwas a success and ultimately earned $90 million at the box office.[6]By March 1987, the studio's fortunes increased dramatically with a succession of critical and commercial hits, includingPlatoon(which ultimately won a Best Picture Oscar), Woody Allen'sHannah and Her Sisters,and the sports filmHoosiers.Orion's 1986 offerings totaled 18 Academy Award nominations, more than any other studio.[6]In 1987, Orion achieved further success withRoboCopandNo Way Out.[6]By this time, Orion's television division had expanded into the lucrative syndicated game show market under the name Century Towers Productions, in reference to Orion's street address at the time. It produced revivals of format inherited fromHeatter-Quigley Productionsafter the Filmways merger (as Filmways had previously acquired HQ in the late 1960s); this includedThe New Hollywood Squares,which ran from 1986 to 1989, and a revival ofHigh Rollerswhich aired in the 1987–88 season. That year, formerCBS/Fox Videoexecutive Len White joined Orion Home Video, in order to become president and CEO of the home video division, in order to oversee home video technology, and Orion had excepted to release its first home video titles to be out in the third or fourth quarter of that year, and reported to Larry Hilford, who joined the home video division two years earlier.[22]

In January 1987, Kluge faced big competition with the arrival ofSumner Redstone.His theater chain,National Amusements,purchased 6.42 percent of the company's stock. National Amusements later acquired Viacom, increasing their Orion stake at 21%, then 26%. Soon Kluge started buying more Orion stock, leading to his and Redstone's battling it out to take over the company.[23][24]Kluge ultimately succeeded when Metromedia took over approximately 67% of Orion on May 20, 1988, effectively giving him control of the studio.[6]One analyst commented on the takeover toThe Wall Street Journal:"This amount is probably so small to Kluge it doesn't matter. He probably burns that up in a weekend."[6]

In 1989, Orion suffered from a disastrous slate of films, placing themselves dead last among the larger Hollywood studios in terms of box office revenue. Among its biggest flops that year wereGreat Balls of Fire!,the biography ofJerry Lee LewisstarringDennis QuaidandWinona Ryder;She-Devil,a dark comedy starringMeryl StreepandRoseanne Barr;Speed Zone,an action-comedy vehicle forSCTValumniJohn Candy,Joe Flaherty,andEugene Levy;andMiloš Forman's adaptation ofLes Liaisons dangereuses,Valmont,which competed withDangerous Liaisons,also based on the same source material. Test screenings of the"Weird Al" YankoviccomedyUHFwere so strong that Orion had high expectations for it. It flopped at first,[6]but it has since attained a strong cult following.[25]Also that year, it signed a deal withNelson Entertainmentto distribute titles on videocassette and theatrically.[26][27]

In February 1990, Orion signed a deal withColumbia Pictures Entertainmentin which the much larger studio would pay Orion $175 million to distribute Orion's movies and television programs overseas. Orion had previously licensed its films to individual distributors territory by territory.[6]That same month, Mike Medavoy left Orion and became head ofTri-Star Pictures.[28]

The box-office returns for Orion's 1990 releases were just as dismal as the previous year, with such failures asThe Hot SpotandState of Grace.The only bright spot that year wasKevin Costner's western epicDances with Wolves.It won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture,[29]and grossed $400 million worldwide. A few months later, Orion garnered another winner withThe Silence of the Lambs,but these two films could not make up for years of losses. Only Kluge's continued infusions of cash were enough to keep the company afloat, but soon he had enough.

1991–1995: Bankruptcy

After failing to sell Orion to businessman (and former20th Century Foxowner)Marvin Davis(Sony,which had recently purchasedColumbia Pictures,was also interested),[30]Kluge took drastic steps. First, Orion shut down production. Second, Kluge ordered the sale of several projects, such asThe Addams Family(which went toParamount,though the international rights to the film were retained by Orion), in order to accumulate much-needed cash. Finally, in the spring of 1991, Kluge's people took over the company, leading to the departure of Arthur Krim.[31]Orion's financial problems were so severe, that at the 63rd Annual Academy Awards in March 1991, hostBilly Crystalmade reference to the studio's debt in his opening monologue, joking that "Reversal of Fortune[is] about a woman in a coma,Awakenings[is] about a man in a coma; andDances with Wolves[was] released by Orion, a studio in a coma. "[32]

It was during this time thatABCstepped in to co-finance and assume production over many of Orion TV's shows it had in production, such asAmerican DetectiveandEqual Justice.After Orion had to shut the television division down, this resulted in projects likeThe Chuck Woolery Show,which was planned to be produced by Orion, instead having to find new production companies (such asGroup W Productionsin the case of Woolery).[33]Gary Nardino, former employee of Orion Television Entertainment, moved on to producing forLorimar Television,taking some of Orion's projects with him, includingBill & Ted's Excellent AdventuresonFox,andHearts are Wild,a co-production withSpelling Television,forCBS;talent deals Orion Television had at the time (withThomas Carter,Robert Townsend,Paul Stajonovich, Clifton Campbell andDeborah Joy Levine) were also taken by Nardino to Lorimar.[34]On November 25, 1991, Orion sold itsHollywood Squaresformat rights toKing World Productionsafter Orion closed down its television division.[35]

On December 11, 1991, Orion filed forChapter 11 bankruptcyprotection.[6]That same month, Orion was in talks withNew Line Cinema,a successful independent film company, to acquire the bankrupt studio. By the following April, Orion and New Line Cinema cancelled their plans on the issue of price.Republic Picturesand the then-newSavoy Picturesalso attempted to buy Orion, but no deal materialized.[36][37]

In February 1992, Bernstein, who was president and chief executive of Orion at that point, resigned from the studio, Bernstein would go on to become executive vice president at Paramount Pictures.[38][39]

At the Academy Awards ceremony, broadcast on March 30, 1992, Crystal made another reference to Orion, this time about its demise:

Take a great studio like Orion: a few years ago Orion releasedPlatoon,it wins Best Picture.Amadeus,Best Picture. Last year, they releasedDances with Wolveswins Best Picture. This yearThe Silence of the Lambsis nominated for Best Picture. And they can't afford to have another hit! But there is good news and bad news. The good news is that Orion was just purchased, and the bad news is it was bought by the House of Representatives.[40]

The Silence of the Lambsswept all five major Academy Awards; however, a majority of key executives, as well as the talent they had deals with, had left the studio. Hollywood observers had doubts that Orion would be resurrected to its former glory.[41]

In May 1992, it was reported that Pleskow was resigning from Orion on July 1 of that year.[42]stating in the New York Times: "There is little for me to do at this point".[43]

On November 5, 1992, Orion reemerged from bankruptcy. Its reorganization plan would allow for Orion to continue producing and releasing films, but financing for the features would be provided by outside sources, with the studio purchasing the distribution rights to them after their completion.[44][45]

Orion's bankruptcy also delayed the release of many films the studio had produced or acquired, among them:Love Field(1992),RoboCop 3(1993),The Dark Half(1993),Blue Sky(1994),Car 54, Where Are You?(1994),Clifford(1994),The Favor(1994), andThere Goes My Baby(1994). Orion started releasing these films after their reorganization.Blue Skywon starJessica Langean Academy Award for Best Actress in 1995.

In August 1994, Orion Home Video partnered withStreamline Picturesin distributing the latter's licensedanimevideo titles to general retailers, which animation historianFred Pattenconsidered a major development in anime's growing popularity in Americanpop culture.[46]

1995–1997: Metromedia International Group

In November 1995, Orion, two other companies controlled by Kluge, and film and TV houseMCEGSterling (producer of theLook Who's Talkingseries) were merged to form the Metromedia International Group.[47]Few of the films released during the four years afterbankruptcy protectionwere successful either critically or commercially.

In 1996, Metromedia acquired production companyMotion Picture Corporation of America,and installed its heads, Brad Krevoy and Steve Stabler, as co-presidents of Orion. Both received a six picture put picture distribution deal as a part of their contracts.[48]

In the years ahead, Orion produced very few films, and primarily released films from other producers, includingLIVE Entertainment.Orion Classics,minus its founders (who had moved toSony Pictures Entertainmentand foundedSony Pictures Classics), continued to acquire popularart-housefilms, such asBoxing Helena(1993), before Metromedia merged the subsidiary withSamuel Goldwyn Entertainmentin 1996.

1997–1999: Acquisition by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

In July 1997, Metromedia shareholders approved the sale of Orion Pictures (as well as Samuel Goldwyn Entertainment andMotion Picture Corporation of America) toMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer(MGM). This led to the withdrawal of 85 employees, including Krevoy and Stabler, while 111 other employees were to be laid off within nine months, leaving 25 of them to work at MGM. Orion Pictures also brought with it a two-thousand film library, ten completed movies and five direct-to-video features for future release[49]and the Krevoy and Stabler movie put picture distribution deal.[48]Krevoy and Stabler retained the right to the Motion Picture Corporation of America name and their three top movies. Metromedia retained Goldwyn Entertainment's Landmark Theatre Group.[49]One Man's Hero(1999) was the last film released by Orion Pictures for 15 years.

MGM kept Orion Pictures intact as a corporation, mostly to avoid its home video distribution agreement withWarner Home Videoand began distributing Orion Pictures films under the Orion Home Video label. MGM acquired the two thirds of the pre-1996PolyGram Filmed Entertainmentlibrary (which included theEpic film library) fromSeagramin 1999 for $250 million, increasing their library holdings to 4,000. The PolyGram libraries were purchased by its Orion Pictures subsidiary so as to avoid its 1990 home video distribution agreement with Warner Home Video.[50]In March 1999, MGM bought out its distribution contract with Warner Home Video for $225 million, effectively ending the distribution problem.[51]

2013–present: Revival

Orion logo used from its revival in 2013 to July 19, 2022.

In 2013, Orion returned to television production (after its original TV unit was shut down during its bankruptcy period) with a new syndicatedcourt show,Paternity Court.[52]

The Orion Pictures name, also as Orion Releasing, was extended in fourth quarter 2014 for smaller multi-platform video on demand and limited theatrical distribution. Its name was first seen again on September 10, 2014, in front of the trailer forThe Town That Dreaded Sundownthat was released in October. The label's first release was the Brazilian filmVestido pra Casar.[53]

In September 2015,Entertainment One Filmsrelaunched theMomentum Picturesbanner with an announced deal with Orion Pictures to co-acquire and co-distribute films in the United States and Canada, and selected foreign markets, such as theUnited Kingdom(Momentum's country of origin). The initial films under the deal wereThe Wannabe,Fort TildenandBalls Out.[54]Other films released by Orion Pictures andMomentum PicturesincludePocket ListingandDiablo.[55][56][57]

Starting in September 2016 withBurn Country,Orion Pictures andSamuel Goldwyn Filmspaired in acquiring several films.[58][59][60][61]

Orion Television launched a second court show in the fall of 2017,Couples Court With The Cutlers,which features married couple Keith and Dana Cutler presiding over romantic and domestic disputes.[62]

On September 6, 2017, MGM officially revitalized the Orion Pictures brand as a standalone, US theatrical marketing and distribution arm with the hiring of John Hegeman, who joined fromBlumhouse Tilt(distributor of Orion'sThe Town That Dreaded SundownandThe Belko Experiment) and incidentally got his start at the original Orion in the 1980s. Hegeman would serve as president of the expanded label and report toJonathan Glickman,president of MGM's motion picture group. Under his leadership, the "new" Orion will produce, market and distribute four to six modestly budgeted films a year across genres and platforms, and both wide and limited releases for targeted audiences. Its first release, the young adult romance dramaEvery Day,was released on February 23, 2018.[4][63][64][65]

In May 2018, it was announced thatOrion Classicswould be revived as a multiplatform distribution label, with 8 to 10 films being released per year.[66]

On February 5, 2019, MGM andAnnapurna Picturesexpanded their US joint distribution venture Mirror, rebranding it asUnited Artists Releasing.Beginning in April 2019, Orion Pictures' upcoming titles would be distributed through the UAR banner and Orion's theatrical distribution staff will move to UAR.[67]The first Orion film to do so was the remake ofChild's Play,[68]which was released on June 21, 2019.

On August 20, 2020, it was announced that Orion would be relaunched again, with its focus shifting to films made by underrepresented filmmakers (including people of color, women, theLGBTcommunity and people with disabilities) as part of the efforts to increase inclusivity in the film industry, both in front of and behind the camera, with the hiring of Alana Mayo as the president, replacing Hegeman by October.[1][2]The first film released with this new focus wasAnything's Possible(previously titledWhat If?), a coming-of-age drama directed byBilly Porterin hisdirectorial debut.[69]This effort continued in 2021 when they, along with Annapurna, acquired the US distribution rights toOn the Count of Threetwo weeks after it premiered at the2021 Sundance Film Festival.[70]

On May 17, 2021, online shopping companyAmazonentered negotiations to acquire MGM and even made a bid for about $9 billion, with the intention to own the studio's library, including Orion's films, to grow theAmazon Prime Videocatalog. The negotiations were made withAnchorage CapitalKevin Ulrich.[71][72]On May 26, 2021, it was officially announced that MGM would be acquired by Amazon for $8.45 billion.[73]The merger was finalized on March 17, 2022.[74]

On March 4, 2023, Amazon shut down UAR's operations and folded them into MGM, resulting in MGM becoming Orion's new domestic distributor, withWarner Bros. Picturesbecoming the studio's new international distributor.[75]In May 2023,Amazon StudioscreatedAmazon MGM Studios Distribution,an internationalfilm and television distributionunit for both MGM and Amazon projects, which will include new projects from Orion.[76]On September 17, 2023,American Fictionbecame the studio's first film to win thePeople's Choice Awardat that year'sToronto International Film Festival.[77]

Film library

Main article:List of Orion Pictures films

Notable films

During the 1980s and early 1990s, Orion's output includedWoody Allenfilms, Hollywood blockbusters such as the firstTerminatorand theRoboCopfilms, comedies such asThrow Momma from the Train,Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,Caddyshack,Something Wild,UHF,and theBill & Tedfilms, and Best Picture Academy Award winnersAmadeus,Platoon,Dances with Wolves,andThe Silence of the Lambs.[78]

Following is a list of the major Academy Awards (Picture, Director, two Screenplay and four Acting awards) for which Orion films were nominated.

Film (Year) Major Oscars Nominee Outcome
The Great Santini(1979) Best Actor Robert Duvall Nominee
Best Supporting Actor Michael O'Keefe Nominee
A Little Romance(1979) Best Adapted Screenplay Allan Burns Nominee
Arthur(1981) Best Actor Dudley Moore Nominee
Best Supporting Actor John Gielgud Winner
Best Original Screenplay Steve Gordon Nominee
Prince of the City(1981) Best Adapted Screenplay Jay Presson AllenandSidney Lumet Nominee
Amadeus(1984) Best Picture Winner
Best Actor F. Murray Abraham Winner
Tom Hulce Nominee
Best Director Miloš Forman Winner
Best Adapted Screenplay Peter Shaffer Winner
Broadway Danny Rose(1984) Best Director Woody Allen Nominee
Best Original Screenplay Woody Allen Nominee
The Purple Rose of Cairo(1985) Best Original Screenplay Woody Allen Nominee
Platoon(1986) Best Picture Winner
Best Director Oliver Stone Winner
Best Original Screenplay Oliver Stone Nominee
Best Supporting Actor Tom Berenger Nominee
Willem Dafoe Nominee
Hannah and Her Sisters(1986) Best Picture Nominee
Best Director Woody Allen Nominee
Best Supporting Actor Michael Caine Winner
Best Supporting Actress Dianne Wiest Winner
Best Original Screenplay Woody Allen Winner
Hoosiers(1986) Best Supporting Actor Dennis Hopper Nominee
Radio Days(1987) Best Original Screenplay Woody Allen Nominee
Throw Momma from the Train(1987) Best Supporting Actress Anne Ramsey Nominee
Bull Durham(1988) Best Original Screenplay Ron Shelton Nominee
Mississippi Burning(1988) Best Picture Nominee
Best Director Alan Parker Nominee
Best Actor Gene Hackman Nominee
Best Supporting Actress Frances McDormand Nominee
Married to the Mob(1988) Best Supporting Actor Dean Stockwell Nominee
The Unbearable Lightness of Being(1988) Best Adapted Screenplay Jean-Claude CarrièreandPhilip Kaufman Nominee
Crimes and Misdemeanors(1989) Best Director Woody Allen Nominee
Best Supporting Actor Martin Landau Nominee
Best Original Screenplay Woody Allen Nominee
Alice(1990) Best Original Screenplay Woody Allen Nominee
Dances with Wolves(1990) Best Picture Winner
Best Director Kevin Costner Winner
Best Actor Nominee
Best Supporting Actor Graham Greene Nominee
Best Supporting Actress Mary McDonnell Nominee
Best Adapted Screenplay Michael Blake Winner
The Silence of the Lambs(1991) Best Picture Winner
Best Director Jonathan Demme Winner
Best Actor Anthony Hopkins Winner
Best Actress Jodie Foster Winner
Best Adapted Screenplay Ted Tally Winner
Love Field(1992) Best Actress Michelle Pfeiffer Nominee
Blue Sky(1994) Best Actress Jessica Lange Winner
Ulee's Gold(1997) Best Actor Peter Fonda Nominee
Women Talking(2022) Best Picture Nominee
Best Adapted Screenplay Sarah Polley Winner
American Fiction(2023) Best Picture Nominee
Best Adapted Screenplay Cord Jefferson Winner
Best Actor Jeffrey Wright Nominee
Best Supporting Actor Sterling K. Brown Nominee

Highest-grossing films

Highest-grossing films worldwide
Rank Title Year

Worldwide Gross

1 Dances with Wolves 1990 $424.2
2 The Silence of the Lambs 1991 $272.7
3 The Addams Family 1991 $191.5
4 First Blood 1982 $125.2
5 The Terminator 1984 $78.3
6 Throw Momma from the Train 1987 $57.2
7 RoboCop 1987 $53.4
8 Dirty Rotten Scoundrels 1988 $42.5
9 Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure 1989 $40.5

Orion's library today

Almost all of Orion's post-1982 releases, as well as most of the AIP and Filmways backlogs and all of the television output originally produced and distributed by Orion Television, now bear the MGM name. However, in most cases, the 1980s Orion logo has been retained or added, in the case of the Filmways and AIP libraries.

Most ancillary rights to Orion's back catalog from the 1978–1982 joint venture period remain with Warner Bros., including such films as10(1979),Caddyshack(1980),Arthur(1981),Excalibur(1981), andPrince of the City(1981). Some post-1982 films originally released by Orion—Lionheart(1987),The Unbearable Lightness of Being(1988), andAmadeus(1984) (the latter two beingSaul Zaentzproductions)—are currently distributed by Warner Bros. as well.HBOalso owns video distribution rights toThree Amigos(1986), as they co-produced the film and owns pay-TV rights. However, MGM owns all other rights and the film's copyright.[citation needed]The Wanderersis owned by the film's producers; however, the copyright is held by MGM/Orion. Orion also retains a controlling interest inThe Cotton Club,although major rights are now withLionsgate,which owns the library of presenting studioZoetrope Corporation.

Woody Allen's filmsA Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy(1982) andZelig(1983) are the only Orion films from the original joint venture period now owned by MGM. Orion releases produced by theHemdale Film CorporationandNelson Entertainmentare included in MGM's library as well, and are incorporated into the Orion library. MGM did not acquire the Hemdale films (which includeThe Terminator,Hoosiers,andPlatoon) or the Nelson films (including theBill & Tedfilms) until MGM bought the pre-1996 library of PolyGram Filmed Entertainment (the "Epic library"), which included both companies' libraries, although the television and digital rights to certain Nelson films are now held byParamount Television(the result of a pre-existing deal Nelson had with Viacom), with television syndication handled on behalf of Paramount Television byTrifecta Entertainment & Media.

Many of the film and television holdings ofThe Samuel Goldwyn Companyhave now also been incorporated into the Orion library (with ownership currently held by MGM), and the copyright on some of this material is held by Orion, exceptThe New Adventures of Flippernow carries the MGM Television Entertainment copyright.[citation needed]

MGM still holds distribution rights to the 1980s revival ofHollywood SquaresandHigh Rollersthe company produced, as well as the remnants of the Heatter-Quigley library that was not erased, including all remaining episodes of the originalSquares;they do not own the rights to the format, which is currently owned byCBS Television Distribution,successor-in-interest to King World, who purchased the format rights in 1991 and produced another syndicated revival from 1998 to 2004.

Orion distributed the firstRambo film,First Blood(1982).[79]That film, like the rest of theRambofranchise, is now owned byStudioCanalas a result of purchasing the library of its co-distributor,Carolco Pictures.[80]

References

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  3. ^Easton, Nina J. (July 19, 1990)."Whither Orion?: The Last of the Mini-Major Studios Finds Itself at a Crossroads".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedDecember 27,2023.
  4. ^abMcNary, Dave (September 6, 2017)."MGM Relaunching Orion Pictures as Distributor".Variety.RetrievedJanuary 3,2018.
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  6. ^abcdefghijklmnopqrst"Orion Pictures Corporation."Reference for Business
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  8. ^Soble, Ronald L. (February 6, 1978). "Ex-United Artists Chief, 4 Others Form Movie Firm".The Los Angeles Times.Page III-7.
  9. ^Medavoy and Young, pp. 95-97
  10. ^Associated Press."Top Stars Join Orion Pictures"Wilmington Morning Star(November 22, 1978; page 10-A). Retrieved November 2, 2011.
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Further reading

  • Medavoy, Mike; Young, Josh (2002).You're Only as Good as Your Next One: 100 Great Films, 100 Good Films, and 100 for Which I Should Be Shot.New York City:Atria Books.
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