The Guber-Peters Entertainment Company was a film and television production company formed by Peter Guber and Jon Peters in 1982 when they left PolyGram Pictures. It is best known for Rain Man, The Color Purple and Batman, among others. The company was sold to Columbia Pictures Entertainment in 1989 when Sony Corporation of America bought out the studio, and it was dissolved as its production entity in 1991.
History In 1982, Jon Peters and Peter Guber decided to sell their stakes in their production company PolyGram Pictures following a series of flops. Therefore they launched its own independent company at Warner Bros., while continuing their relationship with Universal Pictures, but its relationship with Universal never lasted long. One of their first projects were Six Weeks and D.C. Cab, two of the projects initially started under PolyGram's contract with Universal via the producers. Like their tenure at PolyGram Pictures, many of the company's films had flopped at the box office.
In 1984, the company launched their television unit, sometimes called Guber-Peters Video. Many of their productions was in partnership with Centerpoint. Only three out of them in the partnership were the 1984 CBS television movie The Toughest Man in the World, the CBS television series Dreams and the NBC documentary series OceanQuest.
The company's first major hit was The Color Purple (1985). Guber-Peters owned the property of the book and hired Steven Spielberg to direct the film. Spielberg had barred the duo from the set. The company's next hits were The Witches of Eastwick, Rain Man, and Batman, all of which were box office hits. In 1986, the company partnered with Mark Damon to start Vision International, a film sales financing, but Guber and Peters decided to sell their stakes later.
In January 1988, Barris Industries merged with the Guber-Peters Company to form Barris/Guber-Peters. Guber-Peters made an aborted attempt to buy MGM/UA Communications Co. in 1988, but it failed. On March 31, 1989, Burt Sugarman sold his shares of Barris Industries to Westfield Group and Northern Star Holdings Ltd., the owners of Network Ten of Australia owned by Frank Lowy for $34.5 million."New York Times" COMPANY NEWS; Sugarman Sells Barris Stake nytimes.com, Retrieved on December 5, 2012WILLIAM K. KNOEDELSEDER Jr. "Los Angeles Times" April 1, 1989 Australian Group Buys 24.4% Stake in Barris From Sugarman articles.latimes.com, Retrieved on February 3, 2013GEORGE GARTIES "AP News Archive" March 31, 1989 INVESTOR SELLS STAKE IN TV PRODUCTION COMPANY TO AUSTRALIAN NETWORK apnewsarchive, Retrieved on February 3, 2013
On September 7, 1989, Barris Industries was renamed as the Guber-Peters Entertainment Company, Barris Program Sales was renamed as Guber-Peters Program Sales, and Barris Advertising Sales was renamed as Guber-Peters Advertising Sales.Barris Industries Has New Name. On September 29, 1989, a day after Sony Corporation of Japan announced to acquire Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Sony announced to acquire the Guber-Peters Entertainment Company for $200 million.Sony Buys Guber-Peters The sale was completed on November 9, 1989 after Sony's acquisition of Columbia Pictures Entertainment a day earlier.
As a result, many of the films Guber-Peters was developing at Warner Bros., including The Bonfire of the Vanities, Batman Returns, This Boy's Life, With Honors, and Contact, was kept by the studio, although Guber and Peters were demoted to executive producers. During the time, when the studio was based at Columbia Pictures, the studio signed such talent deals like Laura Ziskin, who was a longtime friend of producer Jon Peters.
On November 5, 1990, CPE folded its first-run syndication unit Guber-Peters Television into Columbia Pictures Television Distribution. After the end of Guber-Peters, Peters went on to form his solo company Peters Entertainment in 1991, while Peter Guber formed Mandalay Entertainment in 1994.
Productions
Films TitleRelease dateDistributorNotesBudgetBox officeSix WeeksDecember 17, 1982Universal Picturesco-production with PolyGram Pictures$9 million$6.7 millionD.C. CabDecember 16, 1983co-production with RKO Pictures$8 million$16 millionVision QuestFebruary 15, 1985Warner Bros.N/A$13 millionThe Legend of Billie JeanJuly 19, 1985Tri-Star Pictures$3.1 millionClueDecember 13, 1985Paramount Picturesco-production with PolyGram Pictures and Debra Hill Productions$15 million$14.6 millionThe Color PurpleDecember 18, 1985Warner Bros.co-production with Amblin Entertainment and Quincy Jones Productions$15 million$98.4 millionHead OfficeDecember 29, 1985Tri-Star Picturesco-production with HBO Pictures$9-12 million$3.3 millionThe Clan of the Cave BearJanuary 17, 1986Warner Bros. (North America)Producers Sales Organization (International)co-production with Jozak/Decade Productions and Jonesfilm$18 million$2 millionYoungbloodJanuary 30, 1986MGM/UA Entertainment Co.co-production with United Artists$8 million$15.4 millionThe Witches of EastwickJune 12, 1987Warner Bros.co-production with Kennedy Miller$22 million$103 millionInnerspaceJuly 1, 1987co-production with Amblin Entertainment$27 million$95 millionWho's That GirlAugust 7, 1987$17-20 million$19 millionCaddyshack IIJuly 22, 1988$20 million$11.8 millionGorillas in the MistSeptember 23, 1988Universal Pictures (North America)Warner Bros. (International)co-production with Arnold Glichmer Productions$22 million$61.1 millionMissing LinkNovember 25, 1988Universal Picturesco-production with Kane InternationalN/AN/ARain ManDecember 16, 1988MGM/UA Communications Co.co-production with United Artists and Star Partners II Ltd$25 million$354.8-$429.4 millionBatmanJune 23, 1989Warner Bros.co-production with PolyGram Pictures$48 million$411.6 millionJohnny HandsomeSeptember 29, 1989Tri-Star Picturesco-production with Carolco Pictures$20 million$7 millionTango & CashDecember 22, 1989Warner Bros.$54 million$120.4 million
Television series TitleYearsNetworkNotesDreams1984CBSco-production with CenterpointOceanQuest1985NBCco-production with Centerpoint and Ocean Images ProductionsQuiz Kids Challenge1990First-run syndicationco-production with Chillmark Productions
Television movies/specials/pilots TitleAir dateNetworkNotesTelevision and the PresidencyJune 18, 1984First-run syndicationco-production with Ailes Communications and On the AirThe Toughest Man in the WorldNovember 7, 1984CBSco-production with CenterpointBrotherhood of JusticeMay 18, 1986ABCco-production with Phoenix Entertainment Group, Margot Winchester Productions and Taper Media EnterprisesClue: Movies, Murder & MysterySeptember 17, 1986First-run syndicationco-production with Paramount TelevisionBay CovenOctober 25, 1987NBCco-production with Phoenix Entertainment Group and Jerlor ProductionsSuperman's 50th AnniversaryFebruary 29, 1988CBSco-production with Warner Bros. Television Distribution and Broadway VideoNightmare at BittercreekMay 24, 1988co-production with Phoenix Entertainment Group and Swanton FilmsFinish LineJanuary 11, 1989TNTco-production with Phoenix Entertainment GroupKenny, Dolly and Willie: Something Inside So StrongMay 20, 1989NBCco-production with Kenny Rogers-BarrisBatman: The Making of a HeroJune 1989First-run syndicationco-production with Mindseye Films and Warner Bros. Television DistributionKenny Rogers Classic WeekendAugust 10, 1989ABCco-production with Kenny Rogers-BarrisChristmas in AmericaDecember 13, 1989NBCco-production with Atlantis Films, Kenny Rogers-Barris and King World ProductionsCountdownUnaired (taped: September 18, 1990)First-run syndicationco-production with Katie Face ProductionsChristmas on Division StreetDecember 15, 1991CBSco-production with Procter & Gamble Productions, Morrow-Heus Productions, Western International Communications and Columbia Pictures Television
References