Amblin Entertainment is an American film and television production company
founded by director and producer Steven Spielberg and film producers Kathleen
Kennedy and Frank Marshall in 1981. Overview
Amblin is named after Spielberg's first commercially released film, Amblin', a
short independent film about a man and woman hitchhiking through the desert.
The film, which cost $15,000 to produce, was shown for Universal Studios and won
Spielberg more directing roles. Although Amblin is an independent production
company, Universal distributes many Amblin productions, and Amblin operates
out of a building on the Universal lot. Its logo features the silhouette of E.T.
riding in the basket on Elliott's bicycle flying in front of the moon from
the 1982 movie, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
In addition to various Spielberg films, Amblin has produced movies by other
directors such as Joe Dante, Robert Zemeckis, Brian Levant, Matthew Robbins,
Penelope Spheeris, Brad Silberling, Don Bluth, Clint Eastwood, Gil Kenan, Martin
Campbell, Richard Donner, Jan de Bont, Barry Sonnenfeld, Martin Scorsese, Joe
Johnston, J. J. Abrams, The Coen Brothers, and Simon Wells.
Most of these directors are close friends of Spielberg, who has an
executive producer or producer credit on many but not all of the films that
Amblin's produced and were not directed by Spielberg. Amblin's most critically
acclaimed production is Schindler's List, which was nominated for twelve
Academy Awards, winning seven, including Best Picture. A companion study guide
for it, Facing History, was prepared through a grant from Amblin and
Universal. Amblin's television series credits
include Amazing Stories, Tiny Toon Adventures, seaQuest DSV, Animaniacs,
Earth 2, Pinky and the Brain, ER, Freakazoid!, Back to the Future, Family
Dog, The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper, Fievel's American Tails, The
Land Before Time and Men in Black: The Series. The animated title Fievel's
American Tails and others were produced by Amblin's animation division
Amblimation, which was active from 1991 until 1995. Another studio which has
distributed many Amblin productions is Warner Bros. Entertainment. DreamWorks
has distributed a number of Amblin productions since 1994.
The Walt Disney Studios has also collaborated with Amblin in such films
as Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Arachnophobia, Noises Off, A Far Off
Place, War Horse, Lincoln, The Hundred-Foot Journey, Bridge of Spies,
and The BFG. Motion pictures
Asterisked films indicate that Steven Spielberg is uncredited or uninvolved.
Short films Tummy Trouble
Roller Coaster Rabbit Trail Mix-Up
I'm Mad Direct-to-video
Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation
Wakko's Wish Television films
Class of '61 Television shows
= Live-action= = Animated=
With Universal Animation Studios Back to the Future: The Animated Series
A Wish for Wings That Work Fievel's American Tails
Casper The Land Before Time
With Warner Bros. Animation Tiny Toon Adventures
The Plucky Duck Show Animaniacs
Freakazoid! Pinky and the Brain
Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain With Universal, WB and Nelvana
Family Dog With Columbia Tristar Television
Men in Black: The Series Theme park attractions
While Amblin has never had its own theme park, theme parks have made rides based
on Amblin films and co-productions. Back to the Future: The Ride, a
simulator ride at Universal Studios Japan. Also existed at Universal Studios
Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood. Gremlins Invasion, a ride at Warner
Bros. Movie World and Warner Bros. Movie World Germany.
Jurassic Park: The Ride, a water ride at Universal Studios Hollywood.
Men in Black: Alien Attack, a dark ride at Universal Studios Florida.
Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin, a dark ride in Mickey's Toontown, a land at
Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland. Twister...Ride it Out, a simulator ride
at Universal Studios Florida. E.T. Adventure, a dark ride at Universal
Studios Florida. Also existed at Universal Studios Hollywood and
Universal Studios Japan. References
External links Amblin Entertainment at the Internet
Movie Database