RLJ Entertainment (formerly Image Entertainment) is an American film production company and home video distributor, distributing film and television productions in North America, with 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 has 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. The company is headquartered in Chatsworth, California.

History

Image's final logo (2009–2015)

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. 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.

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 date
Every DayJanuary 14, 2011
The Way BackJanuary 21, 2011
Passion PlayMay 6, 2011
The DoubleOctober 28, 2011
Beneath the DarknessJanuary 6, 2012
Lovely MollyMay 18, 2012
Home Run ShowdownJuly 27, 2012
GoatsAugust 10, 2012
The Tall ManAugust 31, 2012
BarrymoreNovember 14, 2012
Day of the FalconMarch 1, 2013
Tomorrow You're GoneApril 5, 2013
The Numbers StationApril 26, 2013
EvidenceJuly 19, 2013
StrandedJuly 26, 2013
BloodAugust 9, 2013
Winnie MandelaSeptember 6, 2013
The ColonySeptember 20, 2013
ParadiseOctober 18, 2013
Last LoveNovember 1, 2013
Black CoffeeJanuary 10, 2014
The Suspect
The OutsiderFebruary 7, 2014
Odd ThomasFebruary 28, 2014
SparksMarch 7, 2014
Devil's KnotMay 9, 2014
Wolf Creek 2May 16, 2014
All Cheerleaders DieJune 13, 2014
RageJuly 11, 2014
AftermathJuly 18, 2014
Cabin Fever: Patient ZeroAugust 1, 2014
Drive HardOctober 3, 2014
The Houses October BuiltOctober 10, 2014
The RewriteFebruary 13, 2015
Digging Up the MarrowFebruary 20, 2015
The CobblerMarch 13, 2015
BlackbirdApril 24, 2015
Burying the ExJune 19, 2015
Dark Was the NightJuly 24, 2015
Return to SenderAugust 14, 2015
Some Kind of HateSeptember 18, 2015
Pay the GhostSeptember 25, 2015
A Christmas Horror StoryOctober 2, 2015
Bone TomahawkOctober 23, 2015
CondemnedNovember 13, 2015
Criminal ActivitiesNovember 20, 2015
NinaApril 22, 2016
The PhenomJune 24, 2016
The Mind's EyeAugust 5, 2016
Kickboxer: VengeanceSeptember 2, 2016
I.T.September 23, 2016
Dog Eat DogNovember 4, 2016
KnuckleheadDecember 6, 2016
Once Upon a Time in VeniceJune 16, 2017
PilgrimageAugust 11, 2017
Ruin MeAugust 27, 2017
BushwickAugust 25, 2017
The Limehouse GolemSeptember 8, 2017
The Houses October Built 2September 22, 2017
Brawl in Cell Block 99October 6, 2017
The Osiris Child
MayhemNovember 10, 2017
Another WolfCopDecember 1, 2017
I Kill GiantsMarch 23, 2018
TerminalMay 11, 2018
Puppet Master: The Littlest ReichAugust 17, 2018
ArizonaAugust 24, 2018
MandySeptember 14, 2018
Beyond the SkySeptember 21, 2018
RideOctober 5, 2018
GalvestonOctober 19, 2018
Monster PartyNovember 2, 2018
The Standoff at Sparrow CreekJanuary 18, 2019
The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the BigfootFebruary 8, 2019
Plus OneJune 14, 2019
Into the AshesJuly 19, 2019
A Score to SettleAugust 2, 2019
GwenAugust 16, 2019
Satanic PanicSeptember 6, 2019
MaryOctober 11, 2019
TrickOctober 18, 2019
Adopt a HighwayNovember 1, 2019
The ShedNovember 15, 2019

2020s

TitleRelease date
Color Out of SpaceJanuary 24, 2020
VFWFebruary 14, 2020
The Postcard KillingsMarch 13, 2020
You Don't NomiJune 9, 2020
The Tax CollectorAugust 7, 2020
SpreeAugust 14, 2020
The Pale DoorAugust 21, 2020
The OwnersSeptember 4, 2020
The SuperdeepSeptember 4, 2020
2067October 2, 2020
The Opening ActOctober 16, 2020
The Dark and the WickedNovember 6, 2020
Always and ForeverNovember 20, 2020
Castle FreakDecember 4, 2020
ArchenemyDecember 11, 2020
PG: Psycho GoremanJanuary 22, 2021
The ReckoningFebruary 5, 2021
SonMarch 5, 2021
Shoplifters of the WorldMarch 26, 2021
The Water ManMay 7, 2021
SeanceMay 21, 2021
Great WhiteJuly 16, 2021
No Man of GodAugust 27, 2021
Prisoners of the GhostlandSeptember 17, 2021
South of HeavenOctober 8, 2021
The Spine of NightOctober 29, 2021
ApexNovember 12, 2021
Silent NightDecember 3, 2021
Last LooksFebruary 4, 2022
Creation StoriesFebruary 25, 2022
OffseasonMarch 11, 2022
DualApril 15, 2022
The Cellar
The TwinMay 6, 2022
White ElephantJune 3, 2022
Murder At Yellowstone CityJune 24, 2022
The Reef: StalkedJuly 29, 2022
AllegoriaAugust 1, 2022
Section EightSeptember 23, 2022
Old ManOctober 14, 2022
Slash/BackOctober 21, 2022
The LairOctober 28, 2022
NoceboNovember 4, 2022
The Friendship GameNovember 11, 2022
TaurusNovember 18, 2022
Christmas with the CampbellsDecember 2, 2022
Christmas Bloody ChristmasDecember 9, 2022
The ApologyDecember 16, 2022
Kids vs. AliensJanuary 20, 2023
Sympathy for the DevilJuly 28, 2023
The DiveAugust 25, 2023
Suitable FleshOctober 27, 2023
It's a Wonderful KnifeNovember 10, 2023
No Way UpFebruary 16, 2024 (USA/Canada/International distribution only through Warner Bros. Pictures)
ArcadianApril 12, 2024
The Last BreathJuly 26, 2024
Little BitesOctober 4, 2024
LevelsNovember 1, 2024 (US only)
Bloody Axe WoundDecember 27, 2024
AshMarch 21, 2025
Neighborhood WatchApril 25, 2025
Clown in a CornfieldMay 9, 2025
DescendentAugust 8, 2025
Muzzle: City of WolvesNovember 14, 2025
Night PatrolJanuary 16, 2026
Motor City2026

Other releases

Sony Pictures/20th Television releases

Special interest

Television series

Stand-up comedy

Music programs

Notes

External links