In 1994, Cannon Films closed it’s doors and the cult film world lost one of it’s biggest production companies. Popular for such films as Breakin’, Lifeforce, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and Masters of the Universe, Cannon was known for producing low-to-medium budget films with heavy emphasis on camp, action and sex.
In 2014 it seemed as if Cannon would be opening it’s doors again to start producing films again. Richard Albiston, who (according to his IMDB page) helped write a sequel to King Solomon’s Mines with Cannon founder Menahem Golan, started Cannon Films Ltd. and already claims to have films in the pipeline such as Bastion and Zombi: They Live.
For many who were fans of the old Cannon library this would appear to be good news. Here we have an old (supposed) co worker of Golan’s resurrecting the legendary production company, but that may not exactly be accurate.
According to a press release from the new Cannon Films Ltd:
“The company is in no way a resurrection of Mr. Golan’s previous company, The Cannon Group Inc., or any other institution as it has been incorrectly reported.”
This may come as a shock to some, as the same press release announces titles like American Ninja Apprentice and Return of the Delta Force. But Cannon Films Ltd. assures us that these are in no way sequels to the original 80’s Cannon films American Ninja or Delta Force, but rather, “new and original motion pictures with no connection to The Cannon Group properties.”
Considering that The Cannon Group library is under MGM’s ownership, this is probably a good move on their part. That’s one lion you probably don’t want to anger. And by lion I mean legal representation which is probably far more vicious.