FOUNDED: 1978
TWO-SENTENCE HISTORY: Formed by five executives from United Artists (who resented the control of the studio’s corporate owners following the Heaven’s Gate debacle), Orion was a brash upstart: in its first year alone, it had no less than 15 films in production. Even with several Oscar-winning films under their belt, Orion had a tough time paying its bills. After barely surviving bankruptcy in the mid ’90s, what little remained of the studio was sold to MGM in 1998.
MEMORABLE FILMS INCLUDE: First Blood (1982), Amadeus (1984), Platoon (1986), Dances with Wolves (1990) and The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
THE LOGO: The five founding members chose the constellation Orion as their name and symbol (ignoring the fact, in true Hollywood fashion, that the actual constellation is made up of seven stars).
VERSIONS: Click here to watch a pre-constellation version of the Orion logo from 1979’s Prince of the City.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJSHCUMrvfU]