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Strike Entertainment

Strike Entertainment was an American company founded in 2002 by producers , Eric Newman, and Thomas Bliss. The company operated primarily out of , where it developed and produced a range of genre films, including , , and titles. Among its most notable productions were the zombie horror remake Dawn of the Dead (2004), directed by Zack Snyder; the dystopian thriller Children of Men (2006), directed by Alfonso Cuarón; the body horror comedy Slither (2006); the vampire film Let Me In (2010); the time-travel heist In Time (2011); and the action remake RoboCop (2014). Strike Entertainment's output often featured high-concept stories and collaborations with established directors, contributing to its reputation in the mid-2000s independent and studio landscape. In 2013, Abraham and Newman dissolved the company after more than a decade of partnership to pursue separate projects.

History

Founding

Strike Entertainment was established in 2002 by producers , Thomas Bliss, and Eric Newman as an production company. The company was initially based at under a four-year , which provided priority access to scripts, development resources, and partial financing from alongside international partnerships. This arrangement allowed Strike to operate off-lot while leveraging 's infrastructure for business affairs and production support. From its inception, Strike Entertainment focused on genre-driven films, with an emphasis on , , and projects designed as mid-budget productions targeted for wide theatrical release. The founders aimed to create "big, intelligent, finely crafted tentpole movies" that balanced commercial appeal with narrative depth, drawing on their prior experience in the industry to develop original and adapted properties. This strategy positioned the company to produce around 13 films over the deal's duration, prioritizing accessible yet ambitious storytelling in established genres. Strike's first production involvement came with the 2003 action-comedy , directed by and starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and , which marked the company's entry into high-energy adventure films. Produced in association with , , and Films, the project exemplified Strike's early commitment to blending action with comedic elements for broad audience appeal.

Growth and notable projects

Following the initial establishment of Strike Entertainment in 2002, the company experienced significant growth through a series of commercially and critically successful releases, particularly in the mid-2000s. One of its early breakthroughs was the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead, directed by and produced in collaboration with . This achieved substantial box office success, grossing $102 million worldwide against a $26 million budget, marking a key financial milestone that bolstered the company's reputation for delivering profitable genre fare. Building on this momentum, Strike Entertainment ventured into more ambitious projects, including the 2006 dystopian thriller , directed by . The film was praised for its innovative long-take sequences and prescient themes of and , earning three Academy Award nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Film Editing. Despite a modest worldwide gross of $70.6 million on a $76 million , its critical acclaim and lasting influence on cinematic techniques underscored Strike's ability to support auteur-driven storytelling. The company further diversified into horror with projects like the 2006 creature feature Slither, marking director James Gunn's feature debut and produced in partnership with . This comedic horror entry, while grossing $12.8 million worldwide on a $15.25 million budget, gained a for its blend of gore and humor, exemplifying Strike's strategy to cultivate emerging talent in genre filmmaking. By the late 2000s, operational expansion was evident, enabling a broader slate that included both studio-backed releases and independent ventures, all distributed primarily through .

Dissolution and aftermath

In March 2013, Strike Entertainment announced its dissolution after 11 years as a based at . The closure marked the end of the company's first-look deal with , prompting founders and Eric Newman to pursue independent paths in film production. Abraham shifted focus toward directing and producing select projects on his own, while Newman established the production company Grand Electric in 2014, backed by for film and television development. Although Strike ceased new operations, in-development projects like the 2014 remake were completed and released under the company's banner, with Abraham and Newman retaining producer credits through residual arrangements. No further productions were initiated under Strike following the dissolution.

Organization

Leadership

Strike Entertainment was founded in 2002 by , Eric Newman, and Thomas Bliss, who served as the core leadership team guiding the company's focus on genre-driven film productions. , as co-founder and president, brought extensive experience from co-founding in 1990, where he rose to president of production and oversaw successful genre films such as and End of Days. At Strike, Abraham played a pivotal role in acquiring and developing high-concept genre scripts, emphasizing action, horror, and projects that aligned with the company's output. Eric Newman, a co-founder and key executive, contributed prior expertise as senior vice president of development at Beacon Pictures. His responsibilities at Strike centered on script development, financing strategies, and production oversight, helping to secure deals that enabled films like Dawn of the Dead and Children of Men. Following Strike's dissolution in 2013, Newman independently produced the Netflix series Narcos. Thomas Bliss, the third co-founder and , provided essential creative oversight and expertise in deal-making, drawing from his tenure as and executive vice president at since 1990. Though less prominent publicly, Bliss was instrumental in forging the early operational and partnership foundations that supported 's initial projects. Mid-level executives, such as development and production head Gabrielle Neimand, managed daily operations including script evaluation and project coordination from 2004 to 2012, contributing to the execution of key releases like . Under this leadership, prioritized bold genre selections that influenced its distinctive portfolio during the company's growth phase.

Partnerships and distribution

Strike Entertainment formed its primary partnership with in 2002 via a four-year , which provided the company with financing support and priority access to projects for and worldwide ; this arrangement was extended and lasted until the company's dissolution in 2013. Under the deal, Universal co-financed a majority of Strike's output, enabling the production of mid-budget genre films while retaining rights. The company pursued co-production deals to expand its slate, including collaborations with Hit and Run Productions for the dystopian thriller (2006), which combined Strike's resources with international expertise. For horror titles, Strike partnered with New Amsterdam Entertainment on the zombie remake (2004), sharing production costs and creative input to leverage genre appeal. Distribution logistics under the Universal partnership centered on the studio handling North American theatrical releases for key films like Dawn of the Dead and Children of Men. International markets were covered through Universal's alliances, such as United International Pictures for broad territorial rollout. In the late 2000s, as the first-look deal wound down, Strike shifted toward independent financing, exemplified by Let Me In (2010), which received North American distribution from Overture Films while maintaining Strike's production oversight.

Filmography

2000s productions

Strike Entertainment's productions in the 2000s established the company as a key player in genre filmmaking, focusing on , and titles that often leveraged established intellectual properties through remakes and adaptations. The company's early slate emphasized high-concept projects with broad commercial appeal, building on initial partnerships with studios like for distribution and financing. The , released in 2003, was an action-comedy directed by , starring and as a bounty hunter and archaeologist in a jungle adventure; Strike Entertainment served as a entity, contributing to its development and financing. The film grossed approximately $80.9 million worldwide against an $85 million budget, highlighting Strike's ability to deliver entertaining, star-driven fare. In 2004, Strike produced the direct-to-video sequel Bring It On Again, a cheerleading comedy directed by Damon Santostefano that followed new students forming a rival squad; the company handled production alongside Beacon Pictures, expanding the franchise's low-stakes, youth-oriented humor. Later that year, Dawn of the Dead, a horror remake directed by Zack Snyder from James Gunn's screenplay, depicted survivors fleeing a zombie apocalypse; Strike co-financed and developed the project with New Amsterdam Entertainment, resulting in a global box office of $102.4 million on a $26 million budget. The film earned a 77% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, praised for its tense pacing and modern take on George A. Romero's 1978 original. By 2006, Strike diversified into comedy with Let's Go to Prison, directed by and starring and in a satirical tale of revenge and incarceration; the company produced the film in association with Carsey-Werner, though it underperformed with $4.6 million in domestic earnings. That same year, , a sci-fi drama directed by and adapted from P.D. James's novel, explored and in a dystopian future; Strike financed and developed the ambitious production, which achieved critical acclaim with a 92% score for its innovative long takes and thematic depth. Also in 2006, Slither, James Gunn's horror-comedy about an in a small town, starred and ; Strike co-produced alongside , blending gore and humor to earn an 87% rating. This decade's output, particularly the remakes like Dawn of the Dead and adaptations such as , underscored Strike's strategy to capitalize on proven IPs for both artistic and financial impact, laying the groundwork for the company's portfolio.

2010s productions

During the , Strike Entertainment's output reflected a transitional phase, building on the company's earlier horror successes from the 2000s while increasingly embracing remakes, sequels, and genre expansions into amid financial and operational challenges leading to its dissolution in March 2013. The period saw six key productions released between 2010 and 2014, with a pronounced shift toward high-concept and films, often involving established intellectual properties to mitigate risks during the company's wind-down. These projects highlighted Strike's partnerships with major studios like , , and , though critical reception was mixed, and results varied from breakout hits to modest performers. The Last Exorcism (2010), a found-footage directed by , marked Strike's strong entry into the decade with its low-budget tale of a skeptical minister confronting demonic possession. Produced in collaboration with and distributed by , the film faced no major production hurdles but capitalized on the style popularized by . It earned positive reviews for its tense buildup and on , holding a 71% approval rating on . Commercially, it grossed $70.2 million worldwide against a $1.8 million budget, establishing significant returns and paving the way for sequels. In Time (2011), a written and directed by , starred and in a dystopian world where time is used as currency and the rich can live forever. Co-produced with New Regency Productions and distributed by 20th Century Fox, the film explored themes of and mortality with high-stakes chases and . It received mixed reviews, with a 36% score praising its premise but critiquing execution. Box office performance was solid, grossing $174 million worldwide on a $40 million budget. In 2011, Strike co-produced The Thing, a prequel to John Carpenter's 1982 classic, directed by Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. and starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead as a paleontologist uncovering an alien organism in Antarctica. Partnering with Morgan Creek Productions and Universal Pictures, the film encountered challenges in balancing practical effects with CGI to homage the original's creature designs, resulting in debates over fidelity to the source material. Critics praised its visuals and atmosphere but criticized narrative redundancies, yielding a 34% Rotten Tomatoes score. Box office performance was underwhelming, totaling $31.5 million globally on a $38 million budget, underscoring the risks of horror prequels in a saturated market. Shifting toward action, The Man with the Iron Fists (2012), RZA's directorial debut co-written with , blended , , and aesthetics in a 19th-century setting. collaborated with Pictures and , facing production hurdles from its ambitious fight choreography and ensemble cast including and . Reviews highlighted its stylistic flair and but noted uneven pacing, with a 52% rating. The film earned $21.8 million worldwide on a $15 million budget, reflecting moderate success driven by cult appeal rather than broad commercial dominance. The Last Exorcism Part II (2013), directed by Ed Gass-Donnelly, continued the franchise by following survivor Nell Sweetzer's (Ashley Bell) relocation to New Orleans, where possession resurfaces. Produced with and distributed by , the sequel abandoned found-footage for traditional horror, addressing fan feedback on the original's abrupt ending but struggling with tonal inconsistencies during post-production. It received poor critical marks, scoring 16% on for its convoluted plot and lack of scares. Financially, it underperformed with $15.4 million domestic on an estimated $5 million , signaling for the series amid Strike's closure. Strike's final major release, (2014), a remake of Paul Verhoeven's 1987 satire directed by , reimagined the cyborg cop narrative with as Alex Murphy in a drone-warfare era. Co-produced with and , the project navigated controversies over toning down the original's violence for a PG-13 rating and extensive reshoots to enhance action sequences. Critics offered mixed verdicts, appreciating updated themes on media and but lamenting the loss of satirical edge, with a 50% score. It achieved solid success, grossing $242.7 million worldwide on a $100-130 million budget, providing a capstone to Strike's legacy despite the company's prior dissolution.

References

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