Dark Castle Entertainment
Dark Castle Entertainment is an American film production label whose name pays homage to William Castle, a horror filmmaker from the 1950s and 1960s. Notable films include the psychological thriller Orphan (2009) directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, the supernatural horror film directed by Mathieu Kassovitz Gothika (2003), House of Wax (2005), the Reaping (2007), Ghost Ship (2002) and the hooror film Thirteen Ghosts (2001). The company, founded in 1999, is based in Burbank, California and operates as a subsidiary of Silver Pictures Inc.
Key Executives For Dark Castle Entertainment
Mr. Andrew Rona: Co-President
Mr. Joel Silver: Chairman (Silver Pictures Inc.)
Mr. Alex Heineman: Senior Vice President
Dark Castle, named for iconic horror director William Castle, is more known for a string of highly successful horror films in the early 00s’, like House on Haunted Hill or Ghost Ship. According to FanSided.com their earlier films have been described as 'fun to watch, excellent cinematic horror experiences that were nothing short of memorable'. They at first created only horror films, and their remakes, but have since received much less success venturing into the action genre. Their decision to take another route and pursue making films in other genres started with RocknRolla. Initially, most of the company's films were mostly critically panned, however recently their film Splice has received better reviews by critics.
Films like Whiteout (2009), Ninja Assassin (2009), and The Losers (2010) have been less successful and a disadvantage to the company’s credibility. Some argue that had Dark Castle Entertainment stayed loyal to their original cause, paying homage to William Castle and satisfying the niche in Hollywood for horror films, they would have remained successful.
