 | |
| Company type | Label |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film |
| Founded | 1992; 33 years ago (1992) |
| Founder | Bob Weinstein |
| Defunct | July 16, 2018; 7 years ago (2018-07-16) |
| Fate | Bankruptcy |
| Successors | Library: Paramount Pictures (throughMiramax) (pre-2005, with some exceptions) Lionsgate (post-2005, with some exceptions) |
| Headquarters | New York City, New York ,U.S. |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Bob Weinstein (chairman) Robert Katz (president) |
| Products | Motion pictures |
| Parent | Miramax Films (1992–2005) The Weinstein Company (2005–2018) Lantern Entertainment (2018) |
| Divisions | Dimension Home Video (pre-2005 titles) Dimension Home Entertainment (post-2005 titles) Dimension Extreme Dimension Television |
Dimension Films was an American independent film production and distribution label founded in 1992. Formally a brand of one of the American "mini-majors"The Weinstein Company (i.e., small to medium independent television and motion picture production studios), Dimension Films produced and releasedindependent films and genre titles; specificallyhorror andscience fiction films.
Dimension Films was used asHarvey andBob Weinstein's label within the brothers' ownMiramax Films studio, which was acquired byThe Walt Disney Company on June 30, 1993. The Weinsteins took the Dimension Films label with them when they separated from Miramax Films on October 1, 2005, and paired it under their new company,The Weinstein Company (TWC). However, the firing of Harvey Weinstein followingallegations of sexual harassment and rape against him, as well as financial troubles that followed, led to TWC's decline. TWC eventually declared bankruptcy in February 2018, with Lantern acquiring a majority of its film library and assets, and was shut down on July 16, 2018.[1][2]
All films released by Dimension Films before 2005 (as part of Miramax) are currently owned and distributed byParamount Pictures throughParamount Global (nowParamount Skydance Corporation)'s acquisition of a 49% stake in Miramax that was closed on April 3, 2020.[3]
Dimension Films was officially founded in 1992 under its parent companyMiramax Films byBob Weinstein as a label to distributehorror films and other films deemed "disreputable" for release under the Miramax Films title.[4][5] The Weinsteins had released similar titles under a smaller operation called Millimeter Films from 1988 to 1992.[6]
The first release under the Dimension Films label was the sequel filmHellraiser III: Hell on Earth, released theatrically in the United States in 1992,[4] followed byStuart Gordon's sci-fi thrillerFortress,[7] and the sequelChildren of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice, both released the same year.[8]
On June 30, 1993,The Walt Disney Company purchased Miramax Films, who had been facing financial troubles between 1990 and 1992, prior to their acquisition and release ofThe Crying Game, which earned the company US$60 million.[9] The success ofThe Crying Game made Miramax Films attractive to Disney, who officially bought the company in 1993, resulting in Dimension Films becoming a Disney subsidiary.[10]
After the box-office failure ofMother's Boys (1994) starringJamie Lee Curtis, Dimension Films distributed Miramax Films'The Crow (1994), which would garner Dimension Films its first major commercial success.[11] In 1995, Dimension Films acquired the rights to theHalloween film series, releasing the sixth installmentHalloween: The Curse of Michael Myers in September that year.[12] The release ofFrom Dusk till Dawn (1996) would mark the beginning of a working relationship with directorRobert Rodriguez as well as a lucrative franchise, with severalsequels to follow.[13]
Dimension Films would gain greater exposure with its distribution ofWes Craven'sScream, released on December 20, 1996,[14] which became a major box office hit, grossing $173 million worldwide.[15] The company also produced and distributed its sequel,Scream 2, released the following year, which grossed a comparable $172 million.[16][17]
Dimension Films continued its trend of releasing horror and science fiction films, specifically films aimed at teenagers and young adult audiences, with the releases ofPhantoms (1998) and theHalloween sequelHalloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998), the latter of which garnered the company another commercial success.[18] The company released its second film with director Robert Rodriguez, the teen sci-fi filmThe Faculty, on Christmas Day 1998.[19] In 1999, Dimension Films distributedDavid Cronenberg'seXistenZ andScream-writerKevin Williamson's directorial debutTeaching Mrs. Tingle.[20]
Dimension Films' first post-millennium release was the direct-to-videoFrom Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter. Next wasScream 3 (2000), which was theatrically released like its predecessors.[21] In July 2000, the company released theslasherparody filmScary Movie, which grossed a record-breaking $278 million for the company and marked the beginning of another popularfilm series.[22] 2001 saw the release of the Robert Rodriguez-directedSpy Kids, which was the company's first majorchildren's film. The film would spawn another popularfranchise for the company.[22]
Beginning in 2000, Dimension Films began purchasing North American distribution rights to various international productions. Their 2001 release ofThe Others, a Spanish-produced supernatural thriller starringNicole Kidman, was a surprise success for the company.[22] Other international productions purchased by Dimension Films included two additional horror films by Spanish directorJaume Balagueró:The Nameless (1999), andDarkness (2002).[23]Darkness received a North American theatrical release in December 2004 after being shelved for two years, and proved to be a financial success,[24][25] whileThe Nameless was released direct-to-video in 2005. In January 2005, Dimension Films purchased the American distribution rights to the Australian horror filmWolf Creek, which was released in December that year.[26]
For much of the early 2000s, Dimension Films produced and distributed numerous sequels to films released under their branch, including several direct-to-video releases for films such asChildren of the Corn: Revelation (2001),Hellraiser: Hellseeker (2002), andDracula III: Legacy (2005). They also distributed several comedies, such as theTerry Zwigoff-directedBad Santa (2003),[27] andDavid Zucker'sMy Boss's Daughter (2003).
In 2005, the Weinstein brothers purchased the rights to Dimension Films from Disney, and Dimension Films officially became a subsidiary ofThe Weinstein Company (TWC), established the same year.[28]
After its separation from Miramax Films, Dimension Films would co-produce several titles withMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), including the horror remakesThe Amityville Horror (2005),[29]Black Christmas (2006),[30] andHalloween (2007),[31] as well as theStephen King-based thrillers1408 andThe Mist (both 2007).[32] In the spring of 2007, Dimension Films produced and distributed the joint-double feature filmGrindhouse, directed by Robert Rodriguez andQuentin Tarantino. The film was a major box office failure, grossing less than half of its $53 million budget.[33][34]
In 2011,Scream 4, the fourth installment in theScream series, was released and proved to be another box office success in the franchise, earning nearly $100 million in box office receipts.[35] The company released the sci-fi horror filmsApollo 18 (2011) andDark Skies (2013). In 2013, Dimension Films acquired the rights to the independent slasher filmAll the Boys Love Mandy Lane, shot in 2006, and gave the film a limited release in the United States in October.[36]
Dimension partnered withMTV for the television seriesScream, based on the film series.[37] On June 24, 2019, it was announced thatScream would be moving toVH1 ahead of the third season, which Dimension did not produce.[38] Dimension Films also had involvement with One Ball Pictures, who owns the "Funny Or Die" online series. They released their first episode, "A Lesson with John McEnroe", with Dimension Films.[39]
In 2015, Dimension Films lost the rights to theHalloween franchise.[40]
In 2018, TWC was purchased in a bankruptcy auction byLantern Entertainment.
On December 20, 2019,ViacomCBS (now known asParamount Skydance Corporation) announced that they would acquire 49% of Miramax frombeIN Media Group for at least $375 million, withParamount Pictures gaining exclusive worldwide distribution rights to the Miramax library, including the pre-2005 Dimension films.[41] ViacomCBS and Miramax will also co-produce new content based on titles from the Miramax library. The deal closed on April 3, 2020.[42]
The pre-2005 Dimension films were originally released to home video throughBuena Vista Home Entertainment and marketed under the Dimension Home Video label (under theHollywood Pictures Home Entertainment label in some places), while Miramax was owned by Disney. After Disney sold Miramax to Filmyard in 2010, they were distributed from 2011 to 2020 on home video throughLionsgate Home Entertainment, withEcho Bridge Home Entertainment briefly handling some as well. ThroughViacomCBS (nowParamount Skydance Corporation)'s 49% stake in Miramax,Paramount Home Entertainment acquired the home video distribution rights to the pre-2005 Dimension titles. Notable exceptions areThe Others (2001),Mr. 3000 (2004), andThe Amityville Horror (2005).
As of 2024, the post-2005 Dimension Films titles are currently released onDVD andBlu-ray byLionsgate. Before, they were distributed byGenius Products andSony Pictures Home Entertainment.
Beginning in 2008, Dimension introduced the Dimension Extreme label, which released primarily international indie horror andteen film/adult comedy (i.e., "Extreme Movie") titles on DVD.[43]
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