The Geffen Film Company (also known as The Geffen Company, The Geffen Film Company, Inc., and later Geffen Pictures) was an American film distributor and production company founded by David Geffen, the founder of Geffen Records, and future co-founder of DreamWorks. The spherical Geffen Pictures logo, based on the logo of its record-label counterpart, was created by Saul Bass. Their most famous films are Risky Business (1983), Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Beetlejuice (1988), and Interview with the Vampire (1994).
 Geffen Pictures logo | |
| Company type | Film distributor and production company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Motion pictures |
| Founded | 1982 (Original)[1] 2024 (Revival) |
| Founder | David Geffen |
| Defunct | 1998 (Original) |
| Fate | Closed and split between Warner Bros. and DreamWorks Pictures |
| Successors | Studio: DreamWorks Pictures Library: Warner Bros. Paramount Pictures (through MTV Entertainment Studios) (Beavis and Butt-Head Do America only) Disney–ABC Domestic Television (Tales from the Crypt syndication rights only) |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, California, United States |
Key people | David Geffen Eric Eisner |
| Owner | Warner Bros. |
| Divisions | Geffen Records (1980-1999) Geffen Television |
History
editGeffen founded the company in 1982,[1] having recruited Eric Eisner as president,[2] and distributed its films through Warner Bros.[3] Geffen was operated as a division of Warner Bros. As a result, following the company's shutdown in 1998, Warner Bros. now owns the company's library, with the exception of the 1996 Mike Judge comedy Beavis and Butt-Head Do America, which is owned by Paramount Pictures, via MTV Entertainment Studios.[4]
In 1990, The Geffen Film Company was renamed and reorganized as Geffen Pictures.
In 1993, Geffen and MTV Productions struck a two-picture deal.[5]
The Geffen Pictures brand continued to be used on films by David Geffen until 1998, when it was folded into Warner Bros. Warner Bros. revived the brand for the 2024 release of the Beetlejuice sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.[6]
Filmography
editFeature films
edit1980s
edit| 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-production 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
edit| 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-production with Silver Pictures | $43 million | $114.5 million | |
| October 1, 1993 | M. Butterfly | David Cronenberg | N/A | $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-production with MTV Productions | $13 million | $4.6 million | |
| October 11, 1996 | Michael Collins | Neil Jordan | $25 million | $27.5 million | ||
| December 20, 1996 | Beavis and Butt-Head Do America | Mike Judge | co-production with Paramount Pictures and MTV Productions | $12 million | $63.1 million | |
| April 3, 1998 | The Butcher Boy | Neil Jordan | N/A | $1.96 million |
2020s (credit only)
edit| Release Date | Title | Director | Notes | Names | Budget | Gross (worldwide) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 6, 2024 | Beetlejuice Beetlejuice | Tim Burton | co-production with Plan B Entertainment, Domain Entertainment and Tim Burton Productions | The Geffen Company | $100 million | $449 million |
Television series
edit| Years | Title | Networks | Notes | Names | Seasons | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989–1996 | Tales from the Crypt | HBO | Co-production with Tales from the Crypt Holdings | Uncredited | 7 | 93 |
| 1989–1991 | Beetlejuice | ABC (seasons 1–3) Fox Kids (season 4) |
Co-production 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 |
References
edit- ^ a b "David Geffen Fast Facts". CNN. 8 March 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- ^ Shewey, Don (1985). "On the Go With David Geffen". The New York Times Magazine. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- ^ Cieply, Michael (10 January 1989). "Sean Daniel Quits Universal to Head Geffen's Film Unit". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- ^ Dilworth, John R. (January 1997). "Beavis and Butt-Head Do America". Animation World Magazine. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- ^ Marx, Andy (1993-07-07). "Geffen and MTV pair on 'Apartment'". Variety. Retrieved 2021-10-07.
- ^ James McKeown (2024-09-06). Warner Bros. Pictures and The Geffen Company Opening Logo (2024). Retrieved 2024-11-02 – via YouTube.
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