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Castle Rock Entertainment is an American film and television production company founded in 1987 by director Rob Reiner, Martin Shafer, Andrew Scheinman, Glenn Padnick and Alan Horn. It is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Pictures, a unit of Warner Bros. Discovery.

History[]

Reiner named the company in honor of the real-life Maine town of the same name that serves as the setting of several stories by Stephen King (which was named after Castle Rock itself, a mountain fort, in the William Golding's 1954 novel Lord of the Flies), after the success of his film Stand by Me, which was based on The Body, a novella by King.

Reiner and Scheinman already had a production company. They were friends with Shafer, who worked with Horn at 20th Century Fox at the time. Horn was disappointed at Fox and agreed to join the trio at forming the company. Horn brought along Padnick, who was an executive at Embassy Television. In Castle Rock, Horn became the CEO, Shafer ran the film division, Padnick ran TV, and Reiner & Scheinman became involved in the development of productions.

The company was originally backed by The Coca-Cola Company, the then-parent company of Columbia Pictures. Coke and the company's founders jointly owned a stake in the company. Months after the deal, Coke exited the entertainment business, succeeded by Columbia Pictures Entertainment (now Sony Pictures Entertainment).

In 1989, Castle Rock was supported by another backer, Group W, a subsidiary of Westinghouse. Castle Rock later struck a deal with Nelson Entertainment, the company that owned the domestic home video rights to Reiner's This Is Spinal Tap, The Sure Thing, and The Princess Bride, to co-finance Castle Rock's films.

Under the deal, Nelson also distributed the films on video in North American markets, and handled international theatrical distribution, while Columbia, which Nelson forged a distribution deal with, would receive domestic theatrical distribution rights. Some of Nelson's holdings were later acquired by New Line Cinema, which took over Nelson's duty. Columbia, shortly after the company's formation, thereafter had to re-invest with a substantial change in terms when accumulated losses exhausted its initial funding.

Reiner has stated that Castle Rock's purpose was to allow creative freedom to individuals; a safe haven away from the pressures of studio executives. Castle Rock was to make films of the highest quality, whether they made or lost money.

Castle Rock has also produced several television shows, such as the successful sitcom Seinfeld and the animated sitcom Mission Hill.

Turner purchase and Warner Bros. ownership[]

On August 1993, Turner Broadcasting System agreed to acquire Castle Rock, along with co-financing partner (and eventual Castle Rock corporate sibling) New Line Cinema. The sale was completed on December 22, 1993. The motivation behind the purchase to allow a stronger company to handle the overhead. By 1994, Castle Rock launched a foreign sales operation, Castle Rock International, and planned to produce 12 to 15 films annually. Castle Rock also had aspirations to distribute its own films once its deal with Columbia expired in 1998.

Turner Broadcasting eventually merged with Time Warner in 1996. After a failed attempt to divest the company, Time Warner integrated Castle Rock Entertainment into Warner Bros., and cut its production slate to five films per year. On June 27, 1997, Castle Rock's staff was reduced to 60 employees and Castle Rock International was folded into Warner Bros.

In January 1998, Warner Bros. and PolyGram Filmed Entertainment formed a deal to co-finance and co-distribute Castle Rock films; that deal was taken over by Universal Pictures after the studio's parent company Seagram merged with PolyGram later that year. The Warner Bros./Universal deal expired in 2000.

In April 2002, Warner Bros. reduced Castle Rock's budget following a string of box office bombs. Castle Rock fired 16 of its 46 employees, and Castle Rock's physical production and public relations departments, back-office duties, and remaining employees were absorbed into Warner Bros.

Relaunch; under Warner Bros. Discovery[]

In May 2020, Rob and Michelle Reiner signed a deal with Warner Bros. Television Studios, and on October 1 of that year, it relaunched the company. On October 19, 2021, the feature division company was revived with a $175M film fund under which the studio will develop, produce and finance quality movies for global audiences. Castle Rock will produce films in a first-look deal with Warner Bros. on theatrical content, which has long been its home, in addition to their existing deal with Castle Rock television productions.

Following an addition $170 million investment from Derrick Rossi, Reiner announced his intention to relaunch Castle Rock through two films, one a sequel to his This is Spinal Tap rock-documentary, and the other Albert Brooks: Defending My Life documentary, shopping both films at the 2022 Cannes festival.

Ownership of the Castle Rock library[]

Warner Bros. owns the copyrights and overall rights to most of the pre-2010 Castle Rock films and television shows, with a few notable exceptions. MGM owns the rights to the pre-1994 Castle Rock Entertainment films because of the acquisition of the pre-1996 PolyGram library where Nelson Entertainment was in it. Warner Bros., through Castle Rock, owns its post-1994 library and the TV rights to the pre-1994 library with the exception of Seinfeld and Thea.

[]

It features the silhouette of the lighthouse on the coastal land with its light beam spins in front of the screen, forming the company name as the sun rises behind the lighthouse.

Since 1994, the logo is heavily redone in CGI with the camera zooming out.

Filmography[]

The following is a list of films produced, co-produced, and/or distributed by Castle Rock Entertainment.

1980s[]

Title Release Date Notes
April 14, 1989 Winter People co-production with Columbia Pictures and Nelson Entertainment
July 21, 1989 When Harry Met Sally... co-production with Columbia Pictures and Nelson Entertainment

1990s[]

Release Date Title Notes
March 16, 1990 Lord of the Flies co-production with Columbia Pictures and Nelson Entertainment
October 12, 1990 Spirit of '76 co-production with Columbia Pictures and Commercial Pictures
October 26, 1990 Sibling Rivalry co-production with Columbia Pictures and Nelson Entertainment
November 30, 1990 Misery co-production with Columbia Pictures and Nelson Entertainment
June 7, 1991 City Slickers co-production with Columbia Pictures and Nelson Entertainment
September 20, 1991 Late for Dinner co-production with Columbia Pictures and New Line Cinema
April 24, 1992 Year of the Comet co-production with Columbia Pictures and New Line Cinema
August 28, 1992 Honeymoon in Vegas co-production with Columbia Pictures and New Line Cinema
September 23, 1992 Mr. Saturday Night co-production with Columbia Pictures and New Line Cinema
December 11, 1992 A Few Good Men co-production with Columbia Pictures
March 5, 1993 Amos & Andrew co-production with Columbia Pictures and New Line Cinema
July 9, 1993 In the Line of Fire co-production with Columbia Pictures
August 27, 1993 Needful Things co-production with Columbia Pictures and New Line Cinema
October 1, 1993 Malice co-production with Columbia Pictures and New Line Cinema
November 24, 1993 Josh and S.A.M. co-production with Columbia Pictures and New Line Cinema
June 10, 1994 City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold co-production with Columbia Pictures
June 29, 1994 Little Big League co-production with Columbia Pictures
July 22, 1994 North co-production with Columbia Pictures and New Line Cinema
July 29, 1994 Barcelona co-production with Fine Line Features
September 23, 1994 The Shawshank Redemption co-production with Columbia Pictures
January 27, 1995 Before Sunrise co-production with Columbia Pictures
March 19, 1995 For Better or Worse co-production with Columbia Pictures
March 24, 1995 Dolores Claiborne co-production with Columbia Pictures
May 19, 1995 Forget Paris co-production with Columbia Pictures
August 25, 1995 Beyond Rangoon co-production with Columbia Pictures
September 22, 1995 The Run of the Country co-production with Columbia Pictures
November 17, 1995 The American President co-production with Columbia Pictures and Universal Pictures
December 15, 1995 Othello co-production with Columbia Pictures
December 22, 1995 Dracula: Dead and Loving It co-production with Columbia Pictures
February 16, 1996 A Midwinter's Tale co-production with Sony Pictures Classics
City Hall co-production with Columbia Pictures
June 21, 1996 Lone Star co-production with Columbia Pictures
June 28, 1996 Striptease co-production with Columbia Pictures
August 14, 1996 Alaska co-production with Columbia Pictures
August 23, 1996 The Spitfire Grill co-production with Columbia Pictures
September 27, 1996 Extreme Measures co-production with Columbia Pictures
December 20, 1996 Ghosts of Mississippi co-production with Columbia Pictures
December 25, 1996 Hamlet co-production with Columbia Pictures
Some Mother's Son co-production with Columbia Pictures
January 31, 1997 Waiting for Guffman co-production with Sony Pictures Classics
February 7, 1997 subUrbia co-production with Sony Pictures Classics
February 14, 1997 Absolute Power co-production with Columbia Pictures
January 30, 1998 Zero Effect co-production with Columbia Pictures
February 20, 1998 Palmetto co-production with Columbia Pictures
April 10, 1998 My Giant co-production with Columbia Pictures
April 17, 1998 Sour Grapes co-production with Columbia Pictures
May 29, 1998 The Last Days of Disco co-production with Gramercy Pictures and PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
August 20, 1999 Mickey Blue Eyes co-production with Warner Bros. Pictures
October 15, 1999 The Story of Us co-production with Universal Pictures
December 10, 1999 The Green Mile co-production with Warner Bros. Pictures

2000s[]

Release Date Title Notes
September 15, 2000 Bait co-production with Warner Bros. Pictures
September 29, 2000 Best in Show co-production with Warner Bros. Pictures
October 13, 2000 Lost Souls co-production with New Line Cinema
December 8, 2000 Proof of Life co-production with Warner Bros. Pictures
December 22, 2000 Miss Congeniality co-production with Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures
September 28, 2001 Hearts in Atlantis co-production with Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures
December 21, 2001 The Majestic co-production with Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures
April 19, 2002 Murder by Numbers co-production with Warner Bros. Pictures
April 26, 2002 The Salton Sea co-production with Warner Bros. Pictures
August 16, 2002 The Adventures of Pluto Nash co-production with Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures
December 20, 2002 Two Weeks Notice co-production with Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures
January 17, 2003 Kangaroo Jack co-production with Warner Bros. Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films
March 21, 2003 Dreamcatcher co-production with Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures
May 9, 2003 A Mighty Wind co-production with Warner Bros. Pictures
April 30, 2004 Envy co-production with DreamWorks SKG and Columbia Pictures
July 2, 2004 Before Sunset co-production with Warner Independent Pictures
November 10, 2004 The Polar Express co-production with Warner Bros. Pictures, ImageMovers and Playtone
November 16, 2004 Kangaroo Jack: G'Day U.S.A.! co-production with Warner Bros. Family Entertainment
March 24, 2005 Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous co-production with Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures
November 22, 2006 For Your Consideration co-production with Warner Independent Pictures
February 14, 2007 Music and Lyrics co-production with Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures
April 20, 2007 Fracture co-production with New Line Cinema
April 20, 2007 In the Land of Women co-production with Warner Bros. Pictures
July 27, 2007 No Reservations co-production with Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures
October 12, 2007 Michael Clayton co-production with Warner Bros. Pictures
Sleuth co-production with Sony Pictures Classics
January 8, 2008 The Bucket List co-production with Warner Bros. Pictures
April 11, 2008 Chaos Theory co-production with Warner Bros. Pictures
December 18, 2009 Did You Hear About the Morgans? co-production with Columbia Pictures

2010s[]

Release Date Title Notes
August 6, 2010 Flipped co-production with Warner Bros. Pictures
November 24, 2010 Faster co-production with CBS Films and TriStar Pictures
July 22, 2011 Friends with Benefits Studio-credit-only; co-production with Screen Gems
April 27, 2012 Bernie Uncredited; co-production with Mandalay Vision, Wind Dancer Films and Detour Filmproduction
July 6, 2012 The Magic of Belle Isle co-production with Revelations Entertainment
May 24, 2013 Before Midnight Studio-credit-only; co-production with Sony Pictures Classics and Venture Forth
July 11, 2014 And So It Goes co-production with Clarius Entertainment
October 8, 2014 The Rewrite co-production with Reserve Room and Lionsgate
May 6, 2016 Being Charlie co-production with Jorva Entertainment Productions and Defiant Pictures
November 3, 2017 LBJ co-production with Acacia Entertainment, Savvy Media Holdings, Star Thrower Entertainment, Electric Entertainment and Vertical Entertainment
July 13, 2018 Shock and Awe co-production with Acacia Entertainment and Savvy Media Holdings

2020s[]

Release Date Title Notes
August 6, 2010 Albert Brooks: Defending My Life co-production with HBO Documentary Films and distributed by Max.

Upcoming films[]

  • Daughter of the Bride
  • Pure

Television shows[]

  • Heart & Soul (1988)
  • Seinfeld (1989–1998) (Sony Pictures Television currently owns distribution rights)
  • The Ed Begley, Jr. Show (1989)
  • Julie Brown: The Show (1989)
  • Homeroom (1989)
  • Ann Jillian (1989-1990)
  • New Attitude (1990)
  • Partners in Life (1990)
  • Morton & Hayes (1991)
  • My Old School (1991)
  • Sessions (1991)
  • Please Watch the Jon Lovitz Special (1992)
  • The Powers That Be (1992) (with ELP Communications and Columbia Pictures Television)
  • Great Scott! (1992)
  • Thea (1993–1994) (Sony Pictures Television currently owns distribution rights)
  • The Second Half (1993–1994)
  • 704 Hauser (1994, pilot only)
  • The Single Guy (1995–1997)
  • The Lazarus Man (1996)
  • Boston Common (1996-1997)
  • Reunited (1998)
  • The Army Show (1998)
  • Mission Hill (1999–2002)
  • Movie Stars (1999)
  • The Michael Richards Show (2000–2001)
  • Zero Effect (2001, pilot) (with Warner Bros. Television)
  • Bliss (2002–2004) (with Warner Bros. Television)

Gallery[]

External links[]

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v - e - d
Castle Rock Entertainment-logo
1980s
Winter People | When Harry Met Sally...
1990s
Lord of the Flies | Spirit of '76 | Sibling Rivalry | Misery | City Slickers | Late for Dinner | Year of the Comet | Honeymoon in Vegas | Mr. Saturday Night | A Few Good Men | Amos & Andrew | In the Line of Fire | Needful Things | Malice | Josh and S.A.M. | City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold | Little Big League | North | Barcelona | The Shawshank Redemption | Before Sunrise | For Better or Worse | Dolores Claiborne | Forget Paris | Beyond Rangoon | The Run of the Country | The American President | Othello | Dracula: Dead and Loving It | A Midwinter's Tale | City Hall | Lone Star | Striptease | Alaska | The Spitfire Grill | Extreme Measures | Ghosts of Mississippi | Hamlet | Some Mother's Son | Waiting for Guffman | subUrbia | Absolute Power | Zero Effect | Palmetto | My Giant | Sour Grapes | The Last Days of Disco | Mickey Blue Eyes | The Story of Us | The Green Mile
2000s
Bait | Best in Show | Lost Souls | Proof of Life | Miss Congeniality | Hearts in Atlantis | The Majestic | Murder by Numbers | The Salton Sea | The Adventures of Pluto Nash | Two Weeks Notice | Kangaroo Jack | Dreamcatcher | A Mighty Wind | Envy | Before Sunset | The Polar Express | Kangaroo Jack: G'Day U.S.A.! | Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous | For Your Consideration | Music and Lyrics | Fracture | In the Land of Women | No Reservations | Michael Clayton | Sleuth | The Bucket List | Chaos Theory | Did You Hear About the Morgans?
2010s
Flipped | Faster | Friends with Benefits | Bernie | The Magic of Belle Isle | Before Midnight | And So It Goes | The Rewrite | Being Charlie | LBJ
Upcoming
Daughter of the Bride | Pure | Shock and Awe
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