Caravan Pictures
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryEntertainment
FoundedNovember 17, 1992 (1992-11-17)
FoundersRoger Birnbaum
Joe Roth
Defunct1999 (1999)
FateClosed
SuccessorSpyglass Entertainment
Headquarters
Santa Monica, California
,
United States
Key people
Roger Birnbaum (chairman, CEO)
Jonathan Glickman (president)
ProductsFilms
Number of employees
7 (1997)
ParentThe Walt Disney Studios
Footnotes / references
[1][2][3]

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.

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. The final production credited to Caravan is the 1999 Disney film Inspector Gadget; on a rather ironic note, if not a brief moment of foreshadowing, the Caravan logo at the end of the film shows the man walking as usual before sprouting a propeller from his hat á la Gadget and flying away offscreen, never to be seen again. 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
First Kid August 30, 1996 Walt Disney Pictures $5 million $26,491,793
The Rich Man's Wife September 13, 1996 Hollywood Pictures $8,543,587
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

  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 Frook, John Evan (January 30, 1994). "Roth, Birnbaum flex muscles at Caravan". Variety. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Cox, Dan (September 18, 1997). "Glickman new prexy at Caravan". Variety. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  4. ↑ Eller, Claudia (December 14, 1992). "Madonna faxes Roth her wrath". Variety. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  5. 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.
  6. ↑ Eller, Clauida (1998-08-21). "Spyglass Offers Disney Lower-Risk Deals". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2015-03-18.
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