RLJ Entertainment (formerly Image Entertainment) is an American film production company and home video distributor headquartered in Chatsworth, California. It is majority owned by AMC Global Media.
The company's catalog includes approximately 3,200 exclusive DVD titles, and approximately 340 exclusive CD titles in domestic release, and approximately 450 programs internationally via sublicense agreements. For many of its titles, Image had exclusive audio and broadcast rights as well as digital download rights to approximately 2,100 video programs and over 400 audio programs containing more than 6,000 tracks.
History As Image Entertainment
Founded in 1981, Image Entertainment began as a distributor of LaserDiscs, whose sound and picture quality surpassed that of VHS and Beta, the dominant tape formats of the time. In its earlier years, the company originally distributed X-rated titles in addition to mainstream titles. Image successfully secured exclusive output deals with major studios such as Universal, Fox, Orion, and Disney, and grew to become the dominant distributor of the format. The company traded on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the symbol "DISK".
In August 1994, Image entered the CD-ROM market, releasing movies on the CD-ROM format.
As the 1990s came to a close and Laserdiscs gave way to DVDs, Image re-focused on the fledgling format that quickly came to dominate the home video marketplace. While studios were busy managing the transition from VHS to DVD, Image began to acquire DVD rights to long-form music concert programs, television programming, foreign films and a broad array of special interest programming from GRB Entertainment, 20th Television/Foxstar Productions, Orion Pictures, Playboy Home Entertainment and Universal Pictures, all of which were being ignored by the major studios and music labels.
In 2005, Image signed a distribution deal with Bandai Visual to distribute select anime titles under the Honneamise label. The deal ended in March 2007, when Bandai Visual switched over to Geneon USA.
Image continued to work with its long-term partner, Criterion Collection, as well as hundreds of independent content producers and rights holders to bring products to the marketplace. In 2008, Image began to expand its release schedule to include feature films.
On August 31, 2010, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment partnered with Image Entertainment in a multi-year agreement, marketing and distributing some DVDs and Blu-rays by Image. Image retains its own sales and marketing."BusinessWire" Image Entertainment Partners with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment businesswire.com, Retrieved on January 9, 2013 The deal was expired in April 2012, when Mill Creek Entertainment agreed to release the most of Sony Pictures libraries. On April 27, 2011, Image Entertainment made a long-term agreement with Lakeshore Entertainment to distribute their film library on home media. This also gave them access to the New World Pictures library which Lakeshore acquired in 1996, with many of the titles not issued on Blu-ray at the time.
Acquisition and merger with RLJ On April 2, 2012, it was announced that RLJ Acquisition, Inc. had entered into an agreement to acquire Image Entertainment, as well as Acorn Media, and planned to merge the two companies. The two companies operate under the banner RLJ Entertainment. The company was then renamed RLJ Entertainment. In 2014, RLJ acquired British media distributor Acorn Media UK, this deal also included 64% in Agatha Christie Limited.
On July 30, 2018, AMC Networks reached a definitive agreement to acquire RLJ Entertainment where AMC would pay $59 million for the remaining RLJE shares not owned by AMC or Robert L. Johnson. The transaction was approved by RLJ Entertainment's stockholders on October 31, and AMC Networks completed the acquisition on November 1. RLJ Entertainment became a privately owned subsidiary of AMC Networks, with Johnson and his affiliates owning a 17% stake.
Selected releases Feature films 2010s TitleRelease dateEvery DayJanuary 14, 2011The Way BackJanuary 21, 2011Passion PlayMay 6, 2011The DoubleOctober 28, 2011Beneath the DarknessJanuary 6, 2012Lovely MollyMay 18, 2012Home Run ShowdownJuly 27, 2012GoatsAugust 10, 2012The Tall ManAugust 31, 2012BarrymoreNovember 14, 2012Day of the FalconMarch 1, 2013Tomorrow You're GoneApril 5, 2013The Numbers StationApril 26, 2013EvidenceJuly 19, 2013StrandedJuly 26, 2013BloodAugust 9, 2013Winnie MandelaSeptember 6, 2013The ColonySeptember 20, 2013ParadiseOctober 18, 2013Last LoveNovember 1, 2013Black CoffeeJanuary 10, 2014The SuspectThe OutsiderFebruary 7, 2014Odd ThomasFebruary 28, 2014SparksMarch 7, 2014Devil's KnotMay 9, 2014Wolf Creek 2May 16, 2014All Cheerleaders DieJune 13, 2014RageJuly 11, 2014AftermathJuly 18, 2014Cabin Fever: Patient ZeroAugust 1, 2014Drive HardOctober 3, 2014The Houses October BuiltOctober 10, 2014The RewriteFebruary 13, 2015Digging Up the MarrowFebruary 20, 2015The CobblerMarch 13, 2015BlackbirdApril 24, 2015Burying the ExJune 19, 2015Dark Was the NightJuly 24, 2015Return to SenderAugust 14, 2015Some Kind of HateSeptember 18, 2015Pay the GhostSeptember 25, 2015A Christmas Horror StoryOctober 2, 2015Bone TomahawkOctober 23, 2015CondemnedNovember 13, 2015Criminal ActivitiesNovember 20, 2015NinaApril 22, 2016The PhenomJune 24, 2016The Mind's EyeAugust 5, 2016Kickboxer: VengeanceSeptember 2, 2016I.T.September 23, 2016Dog Eat DogNovember 4, 2016KnuckleheadDecember 6, 2016Once Upon a Time in VeniceJune 16, 2017PilgrimageAugust 11, 2017Ruin MeAugust 27, 2017BushwickAugust 25, 2017The Limehouse GolemSeptember 8, 2017The Houses October Built 2September 22, 2017Brawl in Cell Block 99October 6, 2017The Osiris ChildMayhemNovember 10, 2017Another WolfCopDecember 1, 2017I Kill GiantsMarch 23, 2018TerminalMay 11, 2018Puppet Master: The Littlest ReichAugust 17, 2018ArizonaAugust 24, 2018MandySeptember 14, 2018Beyond the SkySeptember 21, 2018RideOctober 5, 2018GalvestonOctober 19, 2018Monster PartyNovember 2, 2018The Standoff at Sparrow CreekJanuary 18, 2019The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the BigfootFebruary 8, 2019Plus OneJune 14, 2019Into the AshesJuly 19, 2019A Score to SettleAugust 2, 2019GwenAugust 16, 2019Satanic PanicSeptember 6, 2019MaryOctober 11, 2019TrickOctober 18, 2019Adopt a HighwayNovember 1, 2019The ShedNovember 15, 2019
2020s TitleRelease dateColor Out of SpaceJanuary 24, 2020VFWFebruary 14, 2020The Postcard KillingsMarch 13, 2020You Don't NomiJune 9, 2020The Tax CollectorAugust 7, 2020SpreeAugust 14, 2020The Pale DoorAugust 21, 2020The OwnersSeptember 4, 2020The SuperdeepSeptember 4, 20202067October 2, 2020The Opening ActOctober 16, 2020The Dark and the WickedNovember 6, 2020Always and ForeverNovember 20, 2020Castle FreakDecember 4, 2020ArchenemyDecember 11, 2020PG: Psycho GoremanJanuary 22, 2021The ReckoningFebruary 5, 2021SonMarch 5, 2021Shoplifters of the WorldMarch 26, 2021The Water ManMay 7, 2021SeanceMay 21, 2021Great WhiteJuly 16, 2021No Man of GodAugust 27, 2021Prisoners of the GhostlandSeptember 17, 2021South of HeavenOctober 8, 2021The Spine of NightOctober 29, 2021ApexNovember 12, 2021Silent NightDecember 3, 2021Last LooksFebruary 4, 2022Creation StoriesFebruary 25, 2022 Offseason March 11, 2022DualApril 15, 2022The CellarThe TwinMay 6, 2022White ElephantJune 3, 2022Murder At Yellowstone CityJune 24, 2022The Reef: StalkedJuly 29, 2022AllegoriaAugust 1, 2022Section EightSeptember 23, 2022Old ManOctober 14, 2022Slash/BackOctober 21, 2022The LairOctober 28, 2022NoceboNovember 4, 2022The Friendship GameNovember 11, 2022TaurusNovember 18, 2022Christmas with the CampbellsDecember 2, 2022Christmas Bloody ChristmasDecember 9, 2022The ApologyDecember 16, 2022Kids vs. AliensJanuary 20, 2023 Sympathy for the Devil July 28, 2023 The Dive August 25, 2023 Suitable Flesh October 27, 2023 It's a Wonderful Knife November 10, 2023 No Way Up February 16, 2024 (USA/Canada/International distribution only through Warner Bros. Pictures) Arcadian April 12, 2024The Last BreathJuly 26, 2024Little BitesOctober 4, 2024LevelsNovember 1, 2024 (US only)Bloody Axe WoundDecember 27, 2024AshMarch 21, 2025Neighborhood WatchApril 25, 2025Clown in a CornfieldMay 9, 2025 Descendent August 8, 2025Muzzle: City of WolvesNovember 14, 2025Night PatrolJanuary 16, 2026
Other releases
Sony Pictures/20th Television releases
Special interest The Criterion Collection IMAX programming
Television series
Stand-up comedy
Music programs
Notes
External links