Caravan Pictures

Caravan Pictures
Subsidiary
Industry Entertainment
Fate Closed
Successor Spyglass Entertainment
Founded November 17, 1992 (1992-11-17)
Founders Roger Birnbaum
Joe Roth[1]
Defunct 1999 (1999)
Headquarters Santa Monica, California, United States[2][3]
Key people
 Roger Birnbaum (chairman, CEO)
Jonathan Glickman (president)[4]
Products Films
Number of employees
 7 (1997[4])
Parent The Walt Disney Studios
(The Walt Disney Company)[2]

Caravan Pictures, Inc. was an American independent film distributor and film production company of Walt Disney Studios, formed by Roger Birnbaum and Joe Roth. Caravan's films were distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.

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 break through 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.[4]

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[3], 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.[5] In 1993, Jonathan Glickman, who came from the USC's Peter Stark Program, joined Caravan as an intern.[4]

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.[6]

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.[6]

Caravan was restructured in September 1998 to expand production in quantity and to TV films. Glickman was promoted to president of Caravan at that time, which led Birnbaum to start giving out titles to executives.[4]

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.[7]

List of notable Caravan Pictures films

Title Release Date Co-Production with Budget Gross
The Three Musketeers[3][2] November 12, 1993 Walt Disney Pictures $17 million $53,898,845
Angie[1] March 4, 1994 Hollywood Pictures $26 million $9,398,308
I Love Trouble[6] June 29, 1994 Touchstone Pictures $45 million $61,947,267
Angels in the Outfield[6] 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[4] April 21, 1995 Hollywood Pictures $17 million $182,057,016
The Big Green September 29, 1995 Walt Disney Pictures $12 million $17,725,500
Dead Presidents[4] October 4, 1995 Hollywood Pictures $10 million $24,147,179
Powder[4] October 27, 1995 Hollywood Pictures $9.5 million $30,862,156
Before and After February 23, 1996 Hollywood Pictures $35 million $8,797,839
Celtic Pride April 19, 1996 Hollywood Pictures $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[4] April 11, 1997 Hollywood Pictures $15 million $28,084,357
Gone Fishin' May 30, 1997 Hollywood Pictures $53 million $19,736,932
G.I. Jane[4] August 22, 1997 Hollywood Pictures $50 million $97,169,156
RocketMan[4] October 10, 1997 Walt Disney Pictures $16 million $15,448,043
Washington Square[4] October 17, 1997 Hollywood Pictures $15 million $1,851,761
Six Days, Seven Nights[4] June 12, 1998 Touchstone Pictures $70 million $164,839,294
Simon Birch[4] September 11, 1998 Hollywood Pictures $30 million $18,252,684
Holy Man[4] October 9, 1998 Touchstone Pictures $60 million $12,069,719
Inspector Gadget July 23, 1999 Walt Disney Pictures $90 million $134,403,112

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Seasoned Performer Takes Lead Studio Role". Orlando Sentinel. Los Angeles Times. August 28, 1994. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Frook, John Evan (January 30, 1994). "Roth, Birnbaum flex muscles at Caravan". Variety. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 Frook, John Evan (January 30, 1994). "Roth, Birnbaum flex muscles at Caravan". Variety. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Cox, Dan (September 18, 1997). "Glickman new prexy at Caravan". Variety. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  5. ↑ Eller, Claudia (December 14, 1992). "Madonna faxes Roth her wrath". Variety. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  6. 1 2 3 4 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.
  7. ↑ Eller, Clauida (August 21, 1998). Spyglass Offers Disney Lower-Risk Deals. Los Angeles Times. Accessed on March 18, 2015.
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