Horror fans have had the pleasure of watching Shout! Factory branch out into the realms of theatrical distribution and original content development in recent years, and they're continuing to push forward in an exciting direction with their acquisition (along with ACE Film HK) of 270 movies from Roger and Julie Corman's New Horizons Picture library.
In the colossal deal approved by Roger and Julie Corman, Shout! Factory acquired all North American, European, Australian, and Russian rights to 270 movies (and one action sci-fi TV series) from the New Horizons library, while ACE Film HK picked up the rights for those same titles in China, Asia, Africa, and South America. These rights include the ability to remake, expand upon, and syndicate the 270 titles, which include Slumber Party Massacre, Piranha (1978), Galaxy of Terror, Humanoids from the Deep, Forbidden World, Battle Beyond the Stars, and many more horror, action, and sci-fi films.
To learn more about the acquisition, we have the official press release below, and stay tuned to Daily Dead for further updates on Shout! Factory's projects. Is there a movie from the New Horizons library that you would like to see remade or continued in a sequel?
Press Release: Los Angeles, CA – March 15, 2018 – Shout! Factory, a multi-platform media company, and China-based Ace Film HK Company Limited (ACE) have purchased the New Horizons Picture library, encompassing 270 Roger Corman films and an action sci-fi TV series from Roger and Julie Corman for an undisclosed sum. This deal grants Shout! Factory all rights to the iconic New Horizons library in North America, Europe, Australia, and Russia. ACE secured all rights for China, Asia, Africa, and South America. Popular Corman properties include Rock‘N’Roll High School, Battle Beyond the Stars, Piranha, Galaxy of Terror, Bloodfist, Black Scorpion, Eat My Dust!, Humanoids from the Deep, Slumber Party Massacre, and Forbidden World. The announcement was made by Shout! Factory’s founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos, and Henry Luk and Adam Yuchen Ren, CEO and COO of Ace Film HK Company Limited.
Shout! Factory and Ace Film plan to support these 270 titles with a long-term growth strategy that entails new content development, remakes, merchandise licensing programs, digital media initiatives, and content syndication (streaming, TV, EST, and VOD) to domestic and international territories. Future endeavors on the movie/series remake of select film properties will be developed, produced, and distributed either by Shout’s filmed entertainment production and distribution arm, Shout! Studios or ACE and its various strategic partners in Asia.
“We’ve been huge fans of the Cormans. Their great ingenuity and independent spirit have inspired us throughout our careers. We’ve loved working with them over the last 8 years and are thrilled to now be the custodians of these beloved films, making sure that film buffs and fans everywhere discover them like we did,” stated Shout! Factory’s founders in a joint statement.
“We have been fortunate to be professionally and personally associated with Roger and Julie for the past decade and the purchase of their film library means our relationships will not only continue, but accelerate,” said Henry Luk, CEO of ACE.
"During the past decade our personal and professional relationships with Shout! Factory's Bob Emmer, Richard and Garson Foos, and Ace Film's Henry Luk and Adam Yuchen Ren have shown us that their independent, entrepreneurial spirit, respect for our work and creative methods of distribution and production make them especially well-suited to carry on with the New Horizons film library," stated Roger and Julie Corman.
The New Horizons Picture library acquisition follows Shout’s home entertainment and digital distribution endeavors for Roger Corman’s Cult Classics branded content since 2010, which demonstrates the company’s unique ability to identify, reinvigorate, and expand the financial potential of entertainment content, and to create additional long-term value for pop culture brands.
The saga of legendary producer-director Roger Corman, recipient of a 2009 Honorary Academy Award®, ranks as one of the most amazing motion picture success stories. Having produced more than 350 films and directed 60 others, his influence on American film goes far beyond his own energetic, creative low-budget movies. He is arguably one of Hollywood’s most gifted and masterful filmmakers, having launched the career of many others.
Noted for his keen ability to spot young talent, Corman’s most lasting legacy will undoubtedly be the legion of producers, directors, writers and actors he has fostered, among them: Jack Nicholson, Francis Ford Coppola, Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese, James Cameron, Ron Howard, Peter Fonda, Jonathan Demme, Gale Anne Hurd, Diane Ladd, Tommy Lee Jones, Harry Dean Stanton, Sandra Bullock, Bruce Dern, Talia Shire, Charles Bronson, Joe Dante, Peter Bogdanovich and Sally Kirkland.
Julie Corman's career spans 45 years with New Horizons. As the producer of over 35 films she has worked with: Jonathan Demme, John Sayles, Catherine Hardwicke, Robert King, Bill Pullman, Martin Sheen, Peter Billingsley, Jon Lovitz, and Mario Van Peebles, among others. She was Chair of the Graduate Film Department at NYU.
The deal was negotiated by Shout’s Bob Emmer and Bruce David Eisen of Media Advisory Services, Inc., for Shout! Factory, Henry Luk for ACE, and Alan Schwartz and Robert Sherman of Greenberg Traurig, LLP on behalf of Roger and Julie Corman.
About ACE Film HK Company
ACE Film HK Co. Ltd was formed in 2017 with majority ownership by HAINING NEWTIMING HONGKONG Ltd. NewTiming is affiliated with its China parents which specialize in funding and producing medium to big budget Chinese TV drama. ACE is NewTiming’s co-operative venture with Henry Luk and Adam Ren for film production and distribution outside of China.Henry Luk spent twenty years on Wall Street in the 1980’s and 1990’s before returning to his family business (his father was a Hong Kong film director). Luk specialized in producing TV and feature film content that can have markets in both China and the West. Recent Luk projects include 2014 Jean Claude Van Damme’s POUND OF FLESH and 2018 Scott Adkin’s ABDUCTION.
Adam Yuchen Ren also came from a film family. He studied film in Vancouver film school before joining his parent’s TV production company in Soochow. In 2017 Adam teams up with Henry to produce ABDUCTION and to acquire international film content, culminating in the acquisition of the Cormans’ film library.
About Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory, LLC is a diversified multi-platform media company devoted to producing, uncovering, preserving and revitalizing the very best of pop culture. Founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos have spent their entire careers sharing their music, television and film favorites with discerning consumers the world over. Shout! Factory’s entertainment offerings serve up feature films, classic and contemporary TV series, animation, live music and comedy specials. In addition, Shout! Factory maintains a vast entertainment distribution network which delivers culturally relevant programming, movie and audio content to all the leading digital service providers in North America and across multiple platforms. Shout! Factory owns and operates Shout! Studios, Scream Factory, Shout! Factory Kids, Mystery Science Theater 3000, and Shout! Factory TV. These riches are the result of a creative acquisition mandate that has established the company as a hotbed of cultural preservation and commercial reinvention. Shout! Factory is based in Los Angeles, California. For more on Shout! Factory, visit shoutfactory.com.
Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.
When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.
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