Lightstorm Entertainment

Last updated
Lightstorm Entertainment, Inc.
Company type Private
Industry Film
Television
Founded1990;35 years ago (1990)
Founder James Cameron
Lawrence Kasanoff
Headquarters
Key people
James Cameron (CEO)
Products

Lightstorm Entertainment, Inc. [1] is an American independent film and television production company founded by filmmaker James Cameron [2] [3] and producer Lawrence Kasanoff in 1990. The company's films include the sci-fi film Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), the action-comedy film True Lies (1994), the romantic-drama film Titanic (1997), the Avatar film series, and the sci-fi film Alita: Battle Angel (2019); Cameron has employed other filmmakers to produce and direct films under the Lightstorm banner. Based in Santa Monica, California, the company established a first look deal with 20th Century Fox (currently known as 20th Century Studios) in 1995, [4] who has since distributed a majority of the company's films. [5] [6]

Contents

In 1993, Cameron would meet his future Titanic and Avatar co-producer Jon Landau during the production of True Lies, and would persuade Landau to join the company. [7]

The company's logo depicts a bowman using a lightning bolt as an arrow.

Filmography

Feature films

Released

TitleRelease dateDirectorWriter(s)DistributorCo-production companiesBudgetWorldwide grossReferences
Terminator 2: Judgment Day July 3, 1991 James Cameron James Cameron
William Wisher
TriStar Pictures Carolco Pictures
Pacific Western Productions
$94–102 million$520.8 million [8]
The Abyss: Special Edition February 26, 1993 James Cameron 20th Century Fox Pacific Western Productions $43–47 million$89.8 million [9]
True Lies July 15, 1994screenplay by:
James Cameron
story by:
Randall Frakes
James Cameron
20th Century Fox (United States, Canada, France, and Italy)
Universal Pictures (International)
N/A$100–120 million$378.9 million [10]
Strange Days October 6, 1995 Kathryn Bigelow screenplay by:
James Cameron
Jay Cocks
story by:
James Cameron
$42 million$8 million [11]
Titanic December 19, 1997 James Cameron Paramount Pictures (United States and Canada)
20th Century Fox (International)
$200 million$2.256 billion [12]
Solaris November 29, 2002 Steven Soderbergh screenplay by:
Steven Soderbergh
based on Solaris by:
Stainslaw Lem
20th Century Fox$47 million$30 million [13]
Avatar December 18, 2009 James Cameron Dune Entertainment
Ingenious Film Partners
$237 million$2.923 billion [14]
Alita: Battle Angel February 14, 2019 Robert Rodriguez screenplay by:
James Cameron
Laeta Kalogridis
based on the manga Gunnm by:
Yukito Kishiro
Troublemaker Studios
TSG Entertainment
$170 million$404.9 million [15]
Terminator: Dark Fate November 1, 2019 Tim Miller screenplay by:
David S. Goyer
Justin Rhodes
Billy Ray
story by:
James Cameron
Charles H. Eglee
Josh Friedman
David S. Goyer
Justin Rhodes
based on characters created by:
James Cameron
Gale Anne Hurd
Paramount Pictures (United States and Canada)
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures (through Buena Vista International, international)
20th Century Fox
Skydance Media
Tencent Pictures
TSG Entertainment
$185–196 million$261.1 million [16]
Avatar: The Way of Water December 16, 2022 James Cameron screenplay by:
James Cameron
Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver
story by:
James Cameron, Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver, Josh Friedman and Shane Salerno
based on characters created by:
James Cameron
20th Century Studios TSG Entertainment$350 million [17] $2.320 billion [18] [19] [20]

Upcoming

TitleRelease dateDirectorWriter(s)DistributorCo-production companiesReferences
Avatar: Fire and Ash December 19, 2025 James Cameron screenplay by:
James Cameron, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver
story by:
James Cameron, Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver, Josh Friedman and Shane Salerno
based on characters created by:
James Cameron
20th Century Studios TSG Entertainment [20]
Avatar 4 December 21, 2029screenplay by:
James Cameron
Josh Friedman
story by:
James Cameron
Josh Friedman
Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver
and Shane Salerno
based on characters created by:
James Cameron
TBA
Avatar 5 December 19, 2031screenplay by:
James Cameron Shane Salerno
story by:
James Cameron
Josh Friedman
Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver
Shane Salerno
based on characters created by:
James Cameron

Television series

TitleFirst air dateLast air dateCreatorNetworkCo-production companiesReferences
True Lies March 1, 2023May 17, 2023 Matt Nix CBS 20th Television
Anthony Hemingway Productions
Flying Glass of Milk Productions
Wonderland Sound and Vision
[21] [22] [23]

References

  1. "LIGHTSTORM ENTERTAINMENT, INC". Dun & Bradstreet . Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  2. "James Cameron". Variety .
  3. Gardner, Eriq (2014-01-20). "James Cameron Wins Yet Another 'Avatar' Theft Lawsuit". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  4. "Cameron's Lightstorm Docks At Fox". Variety. 1995-12-18. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
  5. James Cameron Biography - Yahoo Movies
  6. Van Gelder, Lawrence (31 August 1990). "At the Movies". NY Times. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  7. Thomas, Carly (July 8, 2024). "James Cameron, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet and More Remember Jon Landau: "He Gave Everyone a Sense of Purpose and Belonging"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  8. Ian Failes (August 24, 2017). "Converting a Classic: How Stereo D Gave Terminator 2: Judgment Day a 3D Makeover". VFX Voice. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  9. Fox Locks In Cameron With a 5-Year Deal Worth $500 Million from The New York Times
  10. Thompson, Anne (29 July 1994). "5 True Lies about James Cameron". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on 16 March 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  11. Deborah Jermyn; Sean Redmond (January 2003). "Strange Days: A Case History of Production and Distribution in Hollywood". The Cinema of Kathryn Bigelow: Hollywood Transgressor. Wallflower Press. pp. 144–158. ISBN   978-1903364420 . Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  12. "Titanic (1997)". Film & TV Database. British Film Institute. Archived from the original on January 14, 2009. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  13. "Solaris: Sci-fi with a Soderbergh Difference". Urban Cinefile. February 27, 2003. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  14. "Avatar". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  15. "Film releases". Variety Insight . Retrieved April 30, 2017.
  16. Fleming, Mike Jr. (2017-01-21). "He's Back! James Cameron To Godfather 'Terminator' With 'Deadpool' Helmer Tim Miller". Deadline. Retrieved 2018-01-21.
  17. "Box Office: 'Avatar: The Way of Water' Lands Coveted China Release". The Hollywood Reporter. November 22, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  18. "Avatar: The Way of Water". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved January 1, 2023. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  19. "Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) - Financial Information". The Numbers. December 16, 2022. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  20. 1 2 McNary, Dave (2017-09-30). "'Avatar' Sequel Release Dates Set, Starting in December 2020". Variety.com. Retrieved 2017-04-22.
  21. Otterson, Joe (13 May 2022). "'True Lies' Series Adaptation Ordered at CBS". Variety . Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  22. White, Peter (November 14, 2022). "True Lies & RuPaul's Lingo Land Premieres As CBS Unveils Midseason Schedule". Deadline Hollywood . Penske Media Corporation . Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  23. "New CBS Drama "True Lies" Will Now Premiere on Wednesday, March 1". The Futon Critic. December 9, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.