Interscope Communications Explained

Interscope Communications, Inc.
Fate:	Merged with October Films and Gramercy Pictures to become USA Films and later consolidated into Focus Features
Defunct:
Location:	United States
Industry:	Film studio
Key People:	Ted Field Robert W. Cort Scott Kroopf
Parent:	Independent (1982–1994) PolyGram Filmed Entertainment (1994–1998) Universal Studios (1998–1999) USA Films (1999–2002)
Subsid:	Interscope Records (1990–1996)

Interscope Communications, Inc. (also known as Interscope Pictures) was a motion picture production company founded in 1982 by Ted Field. It soon became a division of PolyGram Filmed Entertainment.

In 1999, after Seagram merged PolyGram into Universal Pictures, Interscope Communications was sold to USA Networks and merged into the recently formed USA Films, which in 2002, would later be merged with other film labels after being acquired by Universal to become Focus Features.^[1]

History

Interscope Communications (the studio shared its name for a former racing team, "Interscope Racing") was founded in 1982 by media mogul Ted Field, who aimed to create films with mass appeal. Field acted as a producer or executive producer on a number of films in Interscope's filmography. The company's first film, Revenge of the Nerds, was released in 1984 and was a box office success.^[2] That same year, Robert W. Cort, a former executive of 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures, joined Interscope and became the president of the company. Cort also co-produced a number of films.^[3]

On November 13, 1984, the company received an agreement with The Walt Disney Studios for a two-year term, to become the company's first independent supplier within the studio, after several years working with an agreement at 20th Century-Fox in order that Interscope would finance films for the studio.^[4]

On December 10, 1986, Interscope Communications inked a three-picture domestic feature pact with United Artists Pictures, whereas production would be jointly financed by UA and Interscope, and that Interaccess Film Distribution and Vestron Inc. would participate in Interscope's share of financing, and domestic videocassette rights to Interscope's features going to Vestron Video, and foreign theatrical, TV and home video distribution of Interscope's films going to Interaccess Film Distribution.^[5]

On May 20, 1987, Interscope Communications rises into the rank as a film supplier, in order to set films from different major film studios, mostly MPAA members, which included five of the films that were donated by Interscope to the major motion picture studios, such as Touchstone Pictures, Tri-Star Pictures, Warner Bros., Orion Pictures, 20th Century Fox and De Laurentiis Entertainment Group, as well as his involvement with a $1 million in-house development kitty.^[6]

In early July 1987, Interscope Communications decided to accelerate its TV production phase from four productions from its first four years of existence to a slate of 13 new projects for the next eighteen months, and which include two movies-of-the week, a miniseries and a conventional series for NBC, and Patricia Clifford runs the company's television operations for Interscope's television division, acknowledged a markedly pronounced greater receptivity than in previous years to telefilms dealing with black experience in the U.S., and offered a series of failed pilots and television movies on the air.^[7]

In 1990, Nomura Babcock & Brown (NBB) invested $250 million in a joint venture with The Walt Disney Company and Interscope Communications. The deal called for NBB to co-produce and finance^[8] films for Interscope and Disney for four years. The joint venture produced five films between 1992 and 1995, all of which were marketed and released under two of Disney's production banners, Touchstone Pictures and Hollywood Pictures.^[9] The most successful film co-produced by Interscope and NBB was The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992), while other films produced by the joint venture were critical and commercial failures.^[3]

Also that year, it purchased Marble Arch Productions from ITC, and decided that ITC Entertainment would co-finance the projects for U.S. and foreign distribution.^[10]

PolyGram

In 1992, PolyGram bought a controlling interest in Interscope Communications' film unit. Production and marketing budgets were to be paid by PolyGram.^[8] Robert W. Cort, president of Interscope, left the company at the end of 1995 believing that PolyGram "took on much more of a corporate environment than it had before and that consequently his role had become more like an executive's than a producer's." Field purchased Cort's 12% stake in the corporation.^[3]

Beginning in 1996, Interscope began using PFE's PolyGram Filmed Entertainment Distribution for distribution.^[11]

USA Films merger and shut down

In 1998, after PolyGram was bought by Universal Studios,^[12] Interscope's film unit was retained as a subsidiary of Universal until in 1999, it was sold off to Barry Diller's USA Networks, which later merged Interscope Communications with October Films and Gramercy Pictures to become USA Films. In 2001, Universal acquired USA and its divisions from Diller,^[13] resulting in USA Films combining its operations with Universal Focus and Good Machine to become Focus Features. Interscope Communications managed to remain in-name-only until it was shut down in 2003. Remaining films that were intended to be produced under the Interscope Communications name were drafted to Focus Features.

Interscope Records, however, still exists as part of the Interscope Geffen A&M faction of Universal Music Group (whose predecessor, MCA, purchased Atlantic's stake in the label in 1995).

Filmography

Interscope Communications has produced 56 films. Of the 56 films produced, only 14 are direct-to-video or made-for-television productions. Currently, all of the films that Interscope produced for Orion Pictures, and De Laurentiis Entertainment Group between 1989 and 1991, as well as PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Gramercy Pictures before March 31, 1996, are owned by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), which acquired the studios in separate transactions.^[14] Films produced for PolyGram or Gramercy after April 1, 1996, are now owned by Universal Studios or its division Focus Features. Note that in all cases the distributor or distributors are also co-producers. The box office column reflects the worldwide gross for the theatrical release of the films in United States dollars.

Year	Title	Director	Co-production company(s)	Distributor(s)	Box office
	Revenge of the Nerds			20th Century Fox	$40,874,452
	Turk 182			20th Century Fox	$3,594,997	^[15]
	American Geisha ^2	Lee Phillips		CBS
1987	Critical Condition	Michael Apted		Paramount Pictures	$20,240,752	^[16]
	Outrageous Fortune		Silver Screen Partners II	Touchstone Pictures	$52,864,741	^[17]
	Stillwatch ^2			CBS
				20th Century Fox	$30,063,289	^[18]
	Three Men and a Baby		Silver Screen Partners III	Touchstone Pictures	$167,780,960	^[19]
				TriStar Pictures	$18,875,011	^[20]
	Cocktail		Silver Screen Partners III	Touchstone Pictures	$171,504,781	^[21]
	Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure		Nelson Entertainment	Orion Pictures	$40,485,039	^[22]
	Collision Course ^1			DEG
	Renegades		Morgan Creek Productions	Universal Pictures	$9,015,164	^[23]
	Blind Fury			TriStar Pictures	$2,692,037	^[24]
	My Boyfriend's Back ^2	Paul Schneider		NBC
			Silver Screen Partners III	Touchstone Pictures	$20,047,604	^[25]
	^2	John Patterson		Walt Disney Television		^[26]
		Robert Resnikoff	Nelson Entertainment	Orion Pictures	$22,424,195
	Bird on a Wire			Universal Pictures	$138,697,012	^[27]
	^1		Lightning Pictures	Vestron Pictures
	Three Men and a Little Lady			Touchstone Pictures	$71,609,321	^[28]
	Eve of Destruction		Nelson Entertainment	Orion Pictures	$5,451,119	^[29]
	^2			ABC
	Aftermath ^2			CBS
	Class Action			20th Century Fox	$28,277,918	^[30]
	Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey		Nelson Entertainment	Orion Pictures	$38,037,513	^[31]
	Paradise	Mary Agnes Donahue	Touchwood Pacific Partners I	Touchstone Pictures	$18,634,643	^[32]
			Nomura Babcock & Brown	Hollywood Pictures	$88,036,683	^[33]
				Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer	$25,105,517	^[34]
			Nomura Babcock & Brown	Touchstone Pictures	$3,721,911	^[35]
	Out on a Limb			Universal Pictures	$1,659,542	^[36]
	Foreign Affairs ^2	Jim O'Brien		TNT		^[37]
			PolyGram Filmed Entertainment/ Nomura Babcock & Brown	Hollywood Pictures	$21,011,318	^[38]
	Holy Matrimony		PolyGram Filmed Entertainment	Hollywood Pictures	$713,234	^[39]
	Terminal Velocity		PolyGram Filmed Entertainment/ Nomura Babcock & Brown	Hollywood Pictures	$16,487,349	^[40]
	^2	David Madden		PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
	Roommates		PolyGram Filmed Entertainment/ Nomura Babcock & Brown	Hollywood Pictures	$12,096,881	^[41]
	Separate Lives	David Madden		Trimark Pictures	$961,147	^[42]
	Body Language ^2	Eric Harlacher		HBO
	Operation Dumbo Drop		PolyGram Filmed Entertainment	Walt Disney Pictures	$24,670,346	^[43]
			PolyGram Filmed Entertainment	Hollywood Pictures	$5,830,454	^[44]
	Two Much		PolyGram Filmed Entertainment/ Sogetel	Touchstone Pictures	$1,141,556	^[45]
	Jumanji			TriStar Pictures	$262,322,000	^[46]
	Mr. Holland's Opus		PolyGram Filmed Entertainment	Hollywood Pictures	$106,269,971	^[47]
	Boys	Stacy Cochran	PolyGram Filmed Entertainment	Touchstone Pictures	$516,349	^[48]
	Kazaam		PolyGram Filmed Entertainment	Touchstone Pictures	$18,937,262	^[49]
			PolyGram Filmed Entertainment	Hollywood Pictures	$12,844,057	^[50]
	Dead Silence ^2		Alliance Communications	HBO Pictures
	Gridlock'd		PolyGram Filmed Entertainment	Gramercy Pictures	$5,571,205	^[51]
	^2	Michael Cohn	PolyGram Filmed Entertainment	Gramercy Pictures
				PolyGram Filmed Entertainment	$147,773	^[52]
	Very Bad Things		Initial Entertainment Group/ Ballpark Productions	PolyGram Filmed Entertainment	$9,898,412	^[53]
	What Dreams May Come			PolyGram Filmed Entertainment	$55,382,927	^[54]
	Runaway Bride		Lakeshore Entertainment	Paramount Pictures/ Touchstone Pictures	$309,457,509	^[55]
	Teaching Mrs. Tingle	Kevin Williamson	Konrad Pictures	Dimension Films	$8,951,935	^[56]
	Pitch Black		PolyGram Filmed Entertainment	Gramercy Pictures/ USA Films	$53,187,659	^[57]
	^2		Icon Entertainment International	Columbia TriStar Television
	The Pianist		Studio Canal+/ Canal+/ Studio Babelsberg	Focus Features	$120,072,577
Box office total:					$3,037,962,100	—'

¹ Direct-to-video release.
² Released as a made-for-television film

Notes and References

1. Web site: 2023-10-09 . Interscope Communications . 2023-10-09 . Audiovisual Identity Database . en.
2. Web site: Revenge of the Nerds (1984) – Box Office Mojo. . . August 20, 2013.
3. Web site: ENTERTAINMENT : Interscope President to Resign; Parting Amicable, Partner Says . Claudia Eller. September 27, 1995. Los Angeles Times. September 4, 2013.
4. News: 1984-11-14. Interscope Disney's First Indie Supplier. 3. Variety.
5. News: 1986-12-10. UA To Distribute 3 Interscope Films. 5, 40. Variety.
6. News: Tusher . Will . 1987-05-20 . Intersccope Into Front Ranks As Film Supplier; Sets 5 For Majors . 39 . Variety.
7. News: Tusher . Will . 1987-07-08 . Interscope Picks Up TV Stream With 13 Projects In Production: Made-Fors, Miniseries & Skeins . 55, 73 . Variety.
8. Web site: Polygram to Buy 51% Stake in Interscope's Film Division – New York Times. The New York Times. Geraldine Fabrikant. 11 August 1992. 31 January 2013.
9. Web site: Japanese Will Invest Up to $250 Million in Disney Filmmaking . Alan Citron. 14 September 1990. Los Angeles Times. 16 February 2012.
10. News: 1990-05-28. Syndication Marketplace. Broadcasting. 2021-10-25.
11. Web site: PolyGram Unit to Distribute Films in U.S. . Los Angeles Times . 1997-05-03 . 2012-10-22.
12. https://money.cnn.com/1998/12/10/companies/seagram/ Seagram swallows PolyGram
13. Web site: Staff Reports . Verrier . Richard . Hofmeister . Sallie . 2001-12-17 . UNIVERSAL'S OWNER, USA NETWORKS OK DEAL . 2023-10-09 . Orlando Sentinel . en-US.
14. Web site: MGM Owner Said to Offer $300 Million to Buy Orion – New York Times. Gerald Fabrikant. August 11, 1992. The New York Times. September 4, 2013.
15. Web site: Turk 182 (1985) – Box Office Mojo. . . September 4, 2013.
16. Web site: Critical Condition . 2022-03-02 . Box Office Mojo.
17. Web site: Outrageous Fortune (1987) . . September 4, 2013.
18. Web site: Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise (1985) – Box Office Mojo. . . September 4, 2013.
19. Web site: Three Men and a Baby (1987) – Box Office Mojo. . . September 4, 2013.
20. Web site: The Seventh Sign (1988) . . August 31, 2013.
21. Web site: Cocktail (1988). . . September 4, 2013.
22. Web site: Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989) . . . September 4, 2013.
23. Web site: Renegades (1989). . . September 4, 2013.
24. Web site: Blind Fury (1990) – Weekend Box Office Results – Box Office Mojo. September 4, 2013. IMDb. Box Office Mojo.
25. Web site: An Innocent Man (1989) – Box Office Mojo. September 4, 2013. . IMDb.
26. Web site: Mother's Courage, A: The Mary Thomas Story (1989) - Overview - TCM.com. September 4, 2013. Turner Entertainment Networks. Turner Classic Movies.
27. Web site: Bird on a Wire (1990) – Box Office Mojo. September 4, 2013. . IMDb.
28. Web site: Three Men and a Little Lady (1990) – Box Office Mojo. September 4, 2013. . IMDb.
29. Web site: Eve of Destruction (1991) – Box Office Mojo. September 4, 2013. . IMDb.
30. Web site: Class Action (1991) – Box Office Mojo. September 4, 2013. . IMDb.
31. Web site: Eve of Destruction (1991) – Box Office Mojo. September 4, 2013. . IMDb.
32. Web site: Paradise (1991) – Box Office Mojo. September 4, 2013. . IMDb.
33. Web site: The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992) – Box Office Mojo. September 4, 2013. . IMDb.
34. Web site: The Cutting Edge (1992) – Box Office Mojo. September 4, 2013. . IMDb.
35. Web site: The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag (1992) – Box Office Mojo. September 4, 2013. . IMDb.
36. Web site: Out on a Limb (1992) – Box Office Mojo. September 4, 2013. . IMDb.
37. Web site: Foreign Affairs (1993) - Overview - TCM.com. September 4, 2013. Turner Entertainment Networks. Turner Classic Movies.
38. Web site: The Air Up There (1994) – Box Office Mojo. September 4, 2013. . IMDb.
39. Web site: Holy Matrimony (1994) – Box Office Mojo. September 4, 2013. . IMDb.
40. Web site: Terminal Velocity (1994) – Box Office Mojo. September 4, 2013. . IMDb.
41. Web site: Roommates (1995) – Box Office Mojo. September 4, 2013. . IMDb.
42. Web site: Separate Lives (1995) – Box Office Mojo. September 4, 2013. . IMDb.
43. Web site: Operation Dumbo Drop (1995) – Box Office Mojo. September 4, 2013. . IMDb.
44. Web site: The Tie That Binds (1995) – Box Office Mojo. September 4, 2013. . IMDb.
45. Web site: Two Much (1995) – Box Office Mojo. September 4, 2013. . IMDb.
46. Web site: Jumanji (1995) – Box Office Mojo. September 4, 2013. . IMDb.
47. Web site: Mr. Holland's Opus (1995) – Box Office Mojo. September 4, 2013. . IMDb.
48. Web site: Boys (1996) – Box Office Mojo. September 4, 2013. . IMDb.
49. Web site: Kazaam (1996) – Box Office Mojo. September 4, 2013. . IMDb.
50. Web site: The Associate (1996) – Box Office Mojo. September 4, 2013. . IMDb.
51. Web site: Gridlock'd (1997) – Box Office Mojo. September 4, 2013. . IMDb.
52. Web site: The Proposition (1998) – Box Office Mojo. September 4, 2013. . IMDb.
53. Web site: Very Bad Things (1998) – Box Office Mojo. September 4, 2013. . IMDb.
54. Web site: What Dreams May Come (1998) – Box Office Mojo. September 4, 2013. . IMDb.
55. Web site: Runaway Bride (1999) – Box Office Mojo. September 4, 2013. . IMDb.
56. Web site: Teaching Mrs. Tingle (1999) – Box Office Mojo. September 4, 2013. . IMDb.
57. Web site: Pitch Black (2000) – Box Office Mojo. September 4, 2013. . IMDb.