Cannon Films: Difference between revisions

{{PageCredits|description=mr3urious|capture=CannonFilms, Eric S., snelfu, filmbaza.net, Supermarty-o, Paperking99, indycar and TheEriccorpinc|edits=Henrynguye5 and Livin'‎|video=CannonFilms, Peakpasha, DudeThatLogo, LogicSmash and cimarronpob}}{{Infobox company|founded=1967 ({{age|1967|10|23}} years ago)|country=[[:Category:United States|United States]]|name=The Cannon Group, Inc.|fate=Ceased operations and folded into Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|defunct=1994 ({{age|1994|1|21}} years ago)|founder=Dennis Friedland<br>Christopher C. Dewey|image=Cannon Films logo.png|successors=}}

'''Cannon Films''' (also known as '''The Cannon Group, Inc.''' and '''Cannon Pictures''') was a film studio that produced low-to medium-budget films from 1967 to 1993. The studio was formed by Dennis Friedland and Christopher C. Dewey on October 23, 1967. In 1979, Cannon was sold to Israeli cousins Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus, who had produced a few Israeli films such as ''Operation Thunderbolt'' (''Mivtsa Yonatan'', English translation: "''Operation Jonathan''") and the teen comedy ''Lemon Popsicle'' (''Eis am Steil'') before coming to the United States in 1979. During that year, they bought a controlling interest in Cannon Films and forged a business model of buying "bottom-barrel" scripts and putting them into production. In 1989, Cannon was acquired by Giancarlo Parretti and was renamed as Pathé Communications (this company was not connected with the French studio [[Pathé]], although Parretti gave the company its name because he was going to purchase the latter studio, but was blocked by the French government). Parretti later acquired [[MGM/UA Communications Co.]] in 1990 and the two companies were merged to form "MGM-Pathé Communications Co.". Menahem Golan left the company to form a new studio, [[21st Century Film Corporation]]. In 1993, Cannon was folded into [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios|Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]].

Most of the library of the American arm of Cannon Films is owned by MGM, who also owns home media and international television rights. [[Warner Bros. Pictures|Warner Bros]]. owns the North American theatrical and home media rights to their co-productions with Cannon, such as ''Cobra'', ''Over the Top'', ''The Hanoi Hilton'', ''Bloodsport'', ''Masters of the Universe'', and ''Superman IV: The Quest for Peace'' (for which Warner Bros. also owns international home media rights). As of 2016, North American television rights to most of the Cannon library is owned by [[Paramount Pictures]], having acquired the rights after being purchased by [[Paramount Global|Viacom]] (now Paramount Global), who in turn, previously remained in charge of TV syndication for the Cannon library.