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Dark Castle Entertainment

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Dark Castle Entertainment
Company typePrivate
IndustryEntertainment
Founded1998; 26 years ago (1998)
Headquarters
Beverly Hills, California[1]
Key people
Hal Sadoff, Norman Golightly, Douglas McClure
ProductsMotion Pictures, television
ParentOEG Inc.
Websitehttps://darkcastle.com

Dark Castle Entertainment is a film, TV, and digital projects production label.[2] It is owned by North American sports and entertainment company, OEG Inc.[3] The firm is led by co-CEOs Hal Sadoff[4] and Norman Golightly.[5]

The majority of Dark Castle films from the late 1990s to mid 2010s were distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.[6] The company’s later films have also been distributed by Paramount Pictures[7] and Shudder/AMC.[4]

History

[edit]

1998 — 2003: Homage to William Castle, the early years

[edit]

Dark Castle was founded in 1998[8] by Joel Silver, Robert Zemeckis, and Gilbert Adler.[9] The Dark Castle name pays homage to William Castle, a horror filmmaker from the 1950s and 1960s.[6] When first formed, the goal of the company was to remake Castle’s horror films. After two remakes, House on Haunted Hill[10] and Thirteen Ghosts,[11] they moved on to producing original material,[12] along with remakes of non-Castle films.[13]

2003 — 2013: More horror, action

[edit]

Gothika, starring Halle Berry and Robert Downey Jr., was Dark Castle’s first original film in 2003.[12] They followed it up with House of Wax, the company’s first remake of a non-Castle film.[9][14]

In 2008, the company moved beyond the horror genre to produce the action film RocknRolla.[15]

Dark Castle released Orphan, a psychological horror film, in 2009.[16] The film grossed $80 million on a $20 million budget.[17] The company produced its first martial arts film, Ninja Assassin, later that year.[18]

In 2010, they produced action film adaptions of The Losers based on the DC Vertigo comic of the same name,[19] and Unknown starring Liam Neeson, which grossed $136 million against its $30 million budget.[20]

After a long relationship with Warner Bros. Pictures as their main distributor,[6] Dark Castle began working with other distributors including Paramount Pictures[7] and Shudder/AMC.[4]

2015—Present: New ownership and commercial success

[edit]

Dark Castle was acquired by Daryl Katz of OEG Inc. in 2015.[2][3] Hal Sadoff was named CEO.[2]

The company released its first film under OEG the following year, neo noir comedy crime movie The Nice Guys, starring Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling.[21]

Next, Dark Castle produced black comedy crime film Suburbicon written by the Coen Brothers, directed by George Clooney, starring Matt Damon and Julianne Moore.[22][23]

In 2018, Dark Castle produced Superfly,[24] a remake of the 1972 film Super Fly.[25]

Dark Castle continued to produce horror films, including Seance, starring Suki Waterhouse,[26] and the prequel to Orphan, Orphan: First Kill, starring Isabelle Fuhrman from the original Orphan movie.[27] In 2020, the company began producing television with the sci-fi horror series The Expecting.[28]

In 2019, Dark Castle produced Last Breath, which is based on the documentary Last Breath and stars Woody Harrelson and Simu Liu.[29]

In 2023, the company filmed Old Guy starring Christoph Waltz,[30] and financed the film Shell, starring Elizabeth Moss and Kate Hudson, directed by Max Minghella.[31]

Filmography

[edit]
Release date Film Director(s) Distributor
June 10, 1989 Tales from the Crypt HBO[32]
October 29, 1999 House on Haunted Hill William Malone Warner Bros. Pictures[10]
October 26, 2001 Thirteen Ghosts Steve Beck[11]

Warner Bros. Pictures/Sony Pictures

October 25, 2002 Ghost Ship Steve Beck[33] Warner Bros. Pictures
November 21, 2003 Gothika Mathieu Kassovitz[34] Warner Bros. Pictures
May 6, 2005 House of Wax Jaume Collet-Serra[35]

Warner Bros. Pictures

April 5, 2007 The Reaping Stephen Hopkins[36] Warner Bros. Pictures
October 16, 2007 Return to House on Haunted Hill Víctor Garcia Warner Premiere[37]
October 8, 2008 RocknRolla Guy Ritchie Warner Bros. Pictures[38]
February 27, 2009 Echelon Conspiracy Greg Marcks After Dark Films[39]
July 24, 2009 Orphan Jaume Collet-Serra Warner Bros. Pictures[16]
September 11, 2009 Whiteout Dominic Sena[40] Warner Bros. Pictures
September 29, 2009 The Hills Run Red Dave Parker Warner Premiere[41]
November 25, 2009 Ninja Assassin James McTeigue Warner Bros. Pictures[18]
April 23, 2010 The Losers Sylvain White[19] Warner Bros. Pictures
June 4, 2010 Splice Vincenzo Natali[42] Gaumont/Warner Bros. Pictures
February 18, 2011 Unknown Jaume Collet-Serra[43] Warner Bros. Pictures
August 24, 2012 The Apparition Todd Lincoln[44] Warner Bros. Pictures
February 1, 2013 Bullet to the Head Walter Hill[45] Warner Bros. Pictures
February 19, 2013 The Factory Morgan O'Neill[46] Warner Bros. Pictures
August 30, 2013 Getaway Courtney Solomon[47] Warner Bros. Pictures
May 11, 2016 The Nice Guys Shane Black Warner Bros. Pictures[48]


October 27, 2017 Suburbicon George Clooney Paramount Pictures[23]
June 13, 2018 Superfly Director X Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group[49]
October 5, 2020 The Expecting Mary Harron Quibi[50]
May 21, 2021 Seance Simon Barrett RLJE Films[51]
August 19, 2022 Orphan: First Kill William Brent Bell Paramount Pictures[52]
September 12, 2024 Shell Max Minghella[53] TBD
October 17, 2024 Old Guy Simon West The Avenue[30]
February 28, 2025 Last Breath Alex Parkinson[54] Focus Features

Lifetime grosses

[edit]
Year Film Budget Domestic Box Office Foreign Box Office Total US DVD sales Total (with DVD sales)
1999 House on Haunted Hill $37 million $40.8 million[55] $3.5 million (A) $44.4 million N/A N/A
2001 Thirteen Ghosts $42 million $41.7 million[56] $26.6 million[57] $68.5 million N/A N/A
2002 Ghost Ship $20 million $30.1 million[58] $38.2 million[58] $68.3 million N/A N/A
2003 Gothika $40 million $59.7 million[59] $81.7 million[59] $141.6 million N/A N/A
2005 House of Wax $40 million $32.1 million[60] $36.7 million[60] $68.8 million N/A N/A
2007 The Reaping $40 million $25.1 million[61] $37.6 million[61] $62.8 million $19.8 million[62] $82.6 million
2008 RocknRolla $15 million $5.7 million[63] $20 million $25.7 million $7.4 million[64] $33.1 million
2009 Orphan $20 million $41,596,251[65] $36,741,122[65] $78,337,373 $12,250,443[65] $90,587,816
2009 Whiteout $35 million $10,275,638[66] $7,565,229[66] $17,840,867 $3,192,934[67] $21,033,801
2009 Ninja Assassin $50 million $38,122,883[68] $23,471,000 $61,593,883 $13,841,623[69] $75,435,506
2010 The Losers $25 million $23,591,432[70] $5,385,903 $28,977,335 $6,462,496[71] $35,439,831
2010 Splice $30 million $17,010,170[72] $6,964,022 $23,974,192 $3,695,686 $27,669,878
Budget Overall Total US DVD Sales Total
$374 million $646 million $62.9 million $708 million

(A) Indicates minimum, as that is only two countries totals merged.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Dark Castle Entertainment | LinkedIn". www.linkedin.com. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
  2. ^ a b c Hipes, Partick (April 27, 2015). "Joel Silver Teams With Financier Daryl Katz, Launches New Company; Hal Sadoff CEO". Deadline.
  3. ^ a b Fisher, Eric (April 6, 2023). "The Next Chapter for Daryl Katz and OEG". NHL.com.
  4. ^ a b c Hipes, Patrick (February 25, 2021). "Simon Barrett-Helmed Horror Pic 'Seance' Scores U.S. Deal Via RJLE Films And Shudder; IFC Films Scare up Right To 'Werewolves Within' – Film Briefs". Deadline.
  5. ^ "Norman Golightly".
  6. ^ a b c Garrahan, Matthew (December 17, 2006). "The Matrix: Recapitalised". Financial Times.
  7. ^ a b Chapman, Wilson (July 13, 2022). "'Orphan: First Kill' Trailer: Isabelle Fuhrman Rerturns as Esther in Long-Awaited Horror Prequel". Variety.
  8. ^ Caddell, Ian (March 28, 2007). "Dark Castle strikes out on its own". The Georgia Straight.
  9. ^ a b Roxborough, Scott (December 7, 2021). "Egyptian Star Mohamed Karim, Dark Castle Team on Horror Film 'Book of Chaos'(Exclusive)". Hollywood Reporter.
  10. ^ a b Carver, Benedict (January 14, 1999). "Oh, the horror!". Variety. Archived from the original on 2023-04-29.
  11. ^ a b Valle, Avi (August 13, 2023). "Thirteen Ghosts Set to be Revived as New 13-Part Spook Filled Series". Movie Web.
  12. ^ a b Craft, Dan (November 29, 2003). "Lunatics running this wacko movie asylum". p. D8 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Guthrie, Luna (June 14, 2023). "2005's 'House of Wax' Introduced Us to Classic Horror While Ushering In a New Era". Collider.
  14. ^ Guthrie, Luna (June 14, 2023). "2005's 'House of Wax' Introduced Us to Classic Horror While Ushering In a New Era". Collider.
  15. ^ Stone, Jay (September 10, 2008). "Ritchie swept away by films". p. B3 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ a b Rodriguez, Rene (October 30, 2009). "Modest little picture's a frightful romp". p. 20G – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ Donnelly, Matt (November 2, 2020). "'Orphan' Prequel Enlists Isabelle Fuhrman to Reprise Role of Esther (Exclusive)". Variety.
  18. ^ a b Fritz, Ben (November 30, 2009). "'Blind Side' No. 2 but takes spotlight from 'New Moon'". p. 20G – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ a b Debruge, Peter (April 21, 2010). "The Losers". Variety.
  20. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (June 29, 2021). "'Unknown' Series Sequel To Movie In Works At TNT With Liam Neeson Producing, Jaume Collet-Serra Directing". Variety.
  21. ^ "The Nice Guys". Dark Castle.com.
  22. ^ Truitt, Brian (October 24, 2017). "Review:George Clooney's messy 'Suburbicon' disappoints as a retro dark comedy". USA Today.
  23. ^ a b Rooney, David (September 2, 2017). "'Suburbicon': Film Review". Hollywood Reporter.
  24. ^ "Superfly". Dark Castle.com.
  25. ^ McNary, Dave (May 25, 2018). "Film News Roundup: Sony Opening Crime Thriller 'Superfly' Two Days Earlier". Variety.
  26. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (October 22, 2019). "Suki Waterhouse To Star In Horror 'Seance' For Dark Castle Entertainment, HanWay & Ingenious – AFM". Deadline.
  27. ^ D’Alessandro, Anthony (November 6, 2020). "Rossif Sutherland Joins eOne &Dark Castle's Horror Prequel 'Orphan: First Kill'". Deadline.
  28. ^ Grater, Tom (June 12, 2020). "Olivia Munn To Star In & Produce Action Pic 'Replay' -Cannes". Deadline.
  29. ^ "Last Breath". Dark Castle.com.
  30. ^ a b Stephan, Katcy (March 12, 2024). "The Avenue Lands North American Rights to 'Old Guy' (Exclusive)". Variety.
  31. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (February 5, 2024). "Arian Moayed, Este Haim, Lionel Boyce, Ziwe & More Join Elisabeth Moss, Kate Hudson & Kaia Gerber In Max Minghella's Thriller 'Shell'(Exclusive)". Yahoo News.
  32. ^ Willman, Chris (June 10, 1989). "TV Reviews: 'Crypt' Tales Subtle as a Sledgehammer". LA Times.
  33. ^ Germain, David (October 25, 2002). "'Ghost Ship' best left on the sea floor". p. D4 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. ^ Rooney, David (November 16, 2003). "Gothika". Variety.
  35. ^ Guthrie, Luna (June 14, 2023). "2005's 'House of Wax' Introduced Us to Classic Horror While Ushering In a New Era". Collider.
  36. ^ Hart, Hugh (April 1, 2007). "Real scare for cast of 'Reaping'". SF Gate.
  37. ^ Garcia, Víctor (2007-10-16), Return to House on Haunted Hill (Crime, Fantasy, Horror), Amanda Righetti, Cerina Vincent, Erik Palladino, Warner Premiere, Dark Castle Entertainment, BUFO
  38. ^ "WarnerBros.com | Rocknrolla | Movies". www.warnerbros.com.
  39. ^ Leydon, Joe (March 2, 2009). "Eschelon Conspiracy". Variety.
  40. ^ Sena, Dominic (2009-09-11), Whiteout (Action, Crime, Mystery), Kate Beckinsale, Gabriel Macht, Tom Skerritt, Warner Bros., Dark Castle Entertainment, StudioCanal
  41. ^ Parker, Dave (2009-09-29), The Hills Run Red (Horror, Mystery, Thriller), Sophie Monk, Tad Hilgenbrink, William Sadler, Warner Premiere, Dark Castle Entertainment, Fever Dreams, retrieved 2024-04-17
  42. ^ D’arcy, David (January 25, 2010). "Splice". Screen Daily.
  43. ^ "AFI|Catalog". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  44. ^ Lincoln, Todd (2012-08-24), The Apparition (Horror, Thriller), Ashley Greene, Sebastian Stan, Tom Felton, Warner Bros., Dark Castle Entertainment, StudioCanal
  45. ^ Kilday, Gregg (June 10, 2011). "Joel Silver's Dark Castle Boards Sylvester Stallone Action Film". Hollywood Reporter.
  46. ^ O'Neill, Morgan (2013-06-01), The Factory (Crime, Mystery, Thriller), John Cusack, Dallas Roberts, Vincent Messina, Dark Castle Entertainment, Mel's Cite du Cinema, Silver Pictures
  47. ^ Foundas, Scott (August 28, 2013). "Film Review: 'Getaway". Variety.
  48. ^ Black, Shane (2016-05-20), The Nice Guys (Action, Comedy, Crime), Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Angourie Rice, Warner Bros., Silver Pictures, Waypoint Entertainment
  49. ^ X, Director (2018-06-13), Superfly (Action, Crime, Thriller), Trevor Jackson, Jason Mitchell, Lex Scott Davis, Columbia Pictures, Silver Pictures, Sony Pictures Releasing
  50. ^ Collis, Cork (October 5, 2020). "A pregnancy turns terrifying in trailer horror show The Expecting". Entertainment Weekly.
  51. ^ Mack, Andrew (February 26, 2021). "Simon Barrett's Seance Heading to Shudder And RLJE Films". Screen Anarchy.
  52. ^ Goff, Oscar (August 19, 2022). "Review"Orphan: First Kill (2022) Dir. William Brent Bell". Boston Hassle.
  53. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (May 4, 2023). "Elisabeth Moss, Kate Hudson & Kaia Gerber To Star In Thriller 'Shell' For Director Man Minghella, Automatik & Black Bear International – Cannes Market Hot Package". Deadline.
  54. ^ Fleming Jr., Mike (May 6, 2022). "Hot Cannes Package: Woody Harrelson, Simu Liu, Djimon Hounsou In 'Last Breath,' Alex Parkinson's Narrative Remake of His Harrowing Docu". Deadline.
  55. ^ House on Haunted Hill (1999)
  56. ^ Thirteen Ghosts (2001)
  57. ^ Thirteen Ghosts (2001) - International Box Office Results
  58. ^ a b Ghost Ship (2002)
  59. ^ a b Gothika (2003)
  60. ^ a b House of Wax (2005)
  61. ^ a b The Reaping (2007)
  62. ^ The Reaping DVD (2007)
  63. ^ RocknRolla (2008)
  64. ^ RocknRolla DVD (2008)
  65. ^ a b c Orphan (2009)
  66. ^ a b Whiteout (2009)
  67. ^ Whiteout DVD (2009)
  68. ^ Ninja Assassin(2009)
  69. ^ Ninja Assassin DVD (2009)
  70. ^ The Losers (2009)
  71. ^ The Losers DVD (2010)
  72. ^ Splice (2010)
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