De Laurentiis Entertainment Group

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De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG) was a production company/distribution unit founded by producer Dino De Laurentiis. In February, 1988 DEG acquired Embassy Pictures from The Coca-Cola Company.

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. The company was acquired by Village Roadshow in 1988.^[1]

Films released[edit]

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

References[edit]

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