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Caravan Pictures, Inc. was an American film production company at Walt Disney Studios, formed by Roger Birnbaum and Joe Roth. Caravan's films were distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.

While Disney would sign directors and talent to two- and three-picture deals, Caravan would work with talent based on the project being produced and not lock them into agreements. The production company's slate strategy was to commit to screenwriters as directors, put bankable actors in predictable roles, and low-budget movies with like breakthrough talent. The unit had greenlight authority up to $30 million with the expectation of producing 5 to 7 films a year and did not have salary caps. They also did not have its own full business and legal affairs departments, and executives did not have titles until 1997.

History[]

Caravan Pictures was founded by Roger Birnbaum and Joe Roth as a production company at Disney in 1992 to fill the Disney Studios' then-yearly 50 to 60 production and distribution slots. Caravan was given a five-year, 25-picture agreement with greenlight authority up to $30 million and an overhead budget of $3 million, and was expected to produce 5 to 7 films per year originally. After just releasing its first picture, The Three Musketeers, on Christmas 1993, Caravan expected to release 10 films in 1994, which could accelerate the end of the deal in 2 1/2 years instead of 5 years. They were able to get the adaptation of Angie, I Says that was in turnaround at Fox, where they have previously worked. In 1993, Jonathan Glickman, who came from the USC's Peter Stark Program, joined Caravan as an intern.

When three out of the next four films flopped at the box office, Roth promised to cover I Love Trouble cost overruns pegged at $15 million if it did poorly. It eventually flopped as well.

Roth moved on to be Disney studio chief on August 24, 1994, leaving Birnbaum in charge. Disney CEO Michael Eisner was so set on replacing Jeffrey Katzenberg as Disney studio chief with Roth that he forgave the cost overrun debt and paid Roth $40 million of fees for 21 unproduced films under the deal.

Caravan was restructured in September 1998 to expand production in quantity and to TV films. Glickman was promoted to president of Caravan at that time, which led Birnbaum to start giving out titles to executives.

In August 1998, Birnbaum left Caravan to co-found Spyglass Entertainment (with Gary Barber, former vice chairman and COO of Morgan Creek Productions) at Roth's prompting, in which Disney took an equity stake and signed a five-year distribution agreement. With Disney cutting its yearly production output, Roth recommended forming a self-financing production firm similar to New Regency Productions. After Caravan's remaining three films were released, the company went inactive. Caravan's slate of movie projects and an initial financial advance of $10 million to $20 million against future overages were also contributed by Disney.

List of notable Caravan Pictures films[]

Title Release Date Disney label released as co-production with Notes Budget Gross
The Three Musketeers November 12, 1993 Walt Disney Pictures Avnet-Kerner Productions Caravan Pictures' first film $17 million $53,898,845
Angie March 4, 1994 Hollywood Pictures Morra-Brezner-Steinberg-Tenenbaum Productions $26 million $9,398,308
I Love Trouble June 29, 1994 Touchstone Pictures Nancy Meyers/Charles Shyer Productions $45 million $61,947,267
Angels in the Outfield July 15, 1994 Walt Disney Pictures $24 million $50,236,831
A Low Down Dirty Shame November 23, 1994 Hollywood Pictures $10 million $29,392,418
Houseguest January 6, 1995 Hollywood Pictures $10.5 million $26,325,256
The Jerky Boys: The Movie February 3, 1995 Touchstone Pictures $8 million $7,555,256
Heavyweights February 17, 1995 Walt Disney Pictures $17,689,177
Air Boys February 24, 1995 Touchstone Pictures
20th Century Fox
Elijah Wood Productions and Spelling World Pictures $26 million $19,871,011
Tall Tale March 24, 1995 Walt Disney Pictures $32 million $11,047,627
While You Were Sleeping April 21, 1995 Hollywood Pictures Roger Birnbaum Productions $17 million $182,057,016
Does Fair High July 7, 1995 Touchstone Pictures
Paramount Pictures
$23 million $29,392,418
The Big Green September 29, 1995 Walt Disney Pictures Roger Birnbaum Productions $12 million $17,725,500
Dead Presidents October 4, 1995 Hollywood Pictures Underworld Entertainment $10 million $24,147,179
Powder October 27, 1995 Hollywood Pictures Daniel Grodnik Productions and Roger Birnbaum Productions $9.5 million $30,862,156
Brother of the Home November 10, 1995 Touchstone Pictures Haley Joel Osment Productions, John Goodman Productions and Aaron Schwartz Productions $28 million $275,062,811
The Land Adventure November 17, 1995 Touchstone Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Roger Birnbaum Productions $29 million $203,599,933
The Water of Yours Drinks January 19, 1996 Touchstone Pictures $80 million $54,861,194
Before and After February 23, 1996 Hollywood Pictures Schroeder/Hoffman Productions $35 million $8,797,839
Celtic Pride April 19, 1996 Hollywood Pictures Roger Birnbaum Productions $9,255,027
The Brick Hotel July 3, 1996 Touchstone Pictures
Paramount Pictures
$90 million $183,311,410
Big and Let's Go July 5, 1996 Walt Disney Pictures
Amblin Entertainment
Jonathan Taylor Thomas Productions
The Rich Man's Wife September 13, 1996 Hollywood Pictures Roger Birnbaum Productions $8,543,587
Tall Wish Kid September 20, 1996 Touchstone Pictures
Columbia Pictures
$12 million $242,398,410
First Kid December 20, 1996 Walt Disney Pictures Roger Birnbaum Productions $5 million $26,491,793
Metro January 17, 1997 Touchstone Pictures $55 million $31,987,563
Tom God Freeze Hold February 14, 1997 Touchstone Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Drop Productions and Top Clocks Productions $43 million $71,011,192
Grosse Pointe Blank April 11, 1997 Hollywood Pictures Roger Birnbaum Productions, Roth/Arnold Productions and New Crime Entertainment $15 million $28,084,357
Gone Fishin' May 30, 1997 Hollywood Pictures Roger Birnbaum Productions $53 million $19,736,932
Cats Gonna Cat July 18, 1997 Touchstone Pictures
Paramount Pictures
$35 million $59,366,428
G.I. Jane August 22, 1997 Hollywood Pictures Scott Free Productions, Largo Entertainment, Roger Birnbaum Productions and Moving Pictures $50 million $97,169,156
RocketMan October 10, 1997 Walt Disney Pictures Roger Birnbaum Productions and Gold/Miller Management $16 million $15,448,043
Washington Square October 17, 1997 Hollywood Pictures Roger Birnbaum Productions and Alchemy Filmworks $15 million $1,851,761
Six Days, Seven Nights June 12, 1998 Touchstone Pictures Roger Birnbaum Productions and Northern Lights Entertainment $70 million $164,839,294
Does Fair High 2 July 3, 1998 Touchstone Pictures
Paramount Pictures
$40 million $35,394,421
Big Bad Pirates July 24, 1998 Touchstone Pictures
Columbia Pictures
$33 million $365,839,900
Simon Birch September 11, 1998 Hollywood Pictures Roger Birnbaum Productions and Laurence Mark Productions $30 million $18,252,684
Holy Man October 9, 1998 Touchstone Pictures Roger Birnbaum Productions $60 million $12,069,719
Tom God Freeze Hold 2 February 12, 1999 Touchstone Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Drop Productions and Top Clocks Productions $45 million $80,102,191
Air Boys 2 February 26, 1999 Touchstone Pictures
20th Century Fox
Elijah Wood Productions and Spelling World Pictures $40 million $23,192,120
Wherever the Trail May Lead April 9, 1999 Touchstone Pictures
Paramount Pictures
$67 million $12,898,199
This Small We Size May 12, 1999 Touchstone Pictures
Universal Pictures
$50 million $10,099,311
Red Rooster May 14, 1999 Touchstone Pictures
DreamWorks Pictures
$20 million $41,621,719
Inspector Gadget July 23, 1999 Walt Disney Pictures Avnet/Kerner Productions, Roger Birnbaum Productions and DiC Entertainment Caravan Pictures' final film $90 million $134,403,112
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