De Laurentiis Entertainment Group

De Laurentiis Entertainment Group
Industry Film studio
Fate Bankruptcy
Founded 1984
Defunct 1989
Headquarters Wilmington, North Carolina
Key people
Dino De Laurentiis
Products Motion pictures

De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG) was an entertainment production company and distribution unit founded by producer Dino De Laurentiis. The company is notable for producing Manhunter, Blue Velvet, the horror films Near Dark and Evil Dead II, King Kong Lives (the sequel to De Laurentiis' remake of King Kong), and Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, as well as distributing Transformers: The Movie.

The company's main studios were located in Wilmington, North Carolina, which is now EUE/Screen Gems Studios. The studio's first releases were in 1986 but went bankrupt two years later after Million Dollar Mystery, among other films, failed at the box office.

History

In 1983, Dino De Laurentiis produced Firestarter in Wilmington. The governor of North Carolina, James Hunt, claimed that the filming increased economic activity in the state. Hunt used incentives and loans to allow De Laurentiis to buy a local warehouse to convert into a studio. In early 1984, De Laurentiis founded the North Carolina Film Corporation, with Martha Schumacher as president.

In 1985, DEG acquired Embassy Pictures from The Coca-Cola Company.[1]

Films released

Release Date Title Notes
June 6, 1986 Raw Deal
June 20, 1986 My Little Pony: The Movie
July 25, 1986 Maximum Overdrive
August 8, 1986 The Transformers: The Movie
August 15, 1986 Manhunter
September 19, 1986 Blue Velvet
Radioactive Dreams
October 24, 1986 Trick or Treat
November 7, 1986 Tai-Pan
November 21, 1986 Body Slam
December 12, 1986 Crimes of the Heart
December 19, 1986 King Kong Lives
January 30, 1987 The Bedroom Window
February 6, 1987 From The Hip
March 13, 1987 Evil Dead II
June 12, 1987 Million Dollar Mystery
October 2, 1987 Near Dark
October 16, 1987 Weeds
November 6, 1987 Hiding Out
November 20, 1987 Date with an Angel
December 4, 1987 The Trouble with Spies
May 6, 1988 Shakedown released by Universal Pictures in U.S.
May 13, 1988 Illegally Yours released by United Artists in U.S.
August 17, 1988 Traxx direct-to-video in U.S.
October 14, 1988 Pumpkinhead released by United Artists in U.S., although DEG did distribute the film outside of North America.
October 21, 1988 Tapeheads released by Avenue Pictures in U.S.
October 1988 Dracula's Widow direct-to-video in U.S.
February 17, 1989 Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure released by Orion Pictures in U.S.
May 12, 1989 Earth Girls Are Easy released by Vestron Pictures in U.S
April 1992 Collision Course direct-to-video in U.S.
October 30, 1992 Rampage released by Miramax Films in U.S.
October 24, 2000 Cobra Verde direct-to-video in U.S.

Canadian distribution of DEG releases were done by Paramount Pictures.

DEG had an early version of Total Recall in pre-production with Patrick Swayze as Quaid and Bruce Beresford to direct (David Cronenberg had also been approached), where it was to have been shot in Australia. After DEG's bankruptcy, the film went in turnaround to Carolco Pictures.[2]

References

  1. Friendly, David T. (16 November 1985). "De Laurentiis Rejoins The Ranks--at Embassy". Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  2. Hammer, Joshua (8 March 1992). "Total Free Fall". Newsweek. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
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