Buena Vista is a brand name which was historically often used for divisions and subsidiaries of The Walt Disney Company, whose primary studios, the Walt Disney Studios, are located on Buena Vista Street in Burbank, California (and the company's corporate offices, Team Disney Burbank, are located on the Burbank studio lot). The logos for the various Buena Vista brands featured the "Buena Vista" wordmark superimposed over the Disney Castle image to signal the affiliation between Buena Vista and Disney.
The brand was originally used for the Buena Vista Distribution company by Walt Disney in 1953 after the release of Peter Pan to distribute his film and television productions, thus ending a 16-year affiliation with RKO Pictures. Some films were distributed by RKO until 1956 because of preexisting contracts. Disney semi-retired the Buena Vista name in May 2007, although this name is, to the present day, used for most home video and DVD distribution. The name means, literally, "good view" in Spanish.
Prior to 1953, Walt Disney's productions were distributed by Columbia Pictures, United Artists and RKO Radio Pictures. However, a dispute over the value of Disney's True-Life Adventures series of live-action documentary featurettes in 1953 led to Walt and his older brother Roy Oliver Disney to form its wholly owned subsidiary, the Buena Vista Film Distribution Company, Inc. (BVDC), to handle the U.S. distribution of their own product. Buena Vista's first release was the Academy Award–winning live-action feature The Living Desert on November 10, 1953 along with Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom, Buena Vista's first animated release.
In April 1960, the company dropped "Film" from its name. In 1961, Disney incorporated Buena Vista International (BVI),' distributing its first PG rated film, Take Down, in January 1979. In July 1987, Buena Vista changed its name to 'Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc. (BVPD).
In August 1996, Disney and Tokuma Shoten Publishing agreed that Disney would distribute internationally Studio Ghibli animated films. In September 1996, following Disney's acquisition of Capital Cities/ABC, Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc. was merged into ABC, Inc., the parent company of that group.
In 2002, Disney signed a four animated film deal with Vanguard Animation, however, only one film was released under that negotiation.
Buena Vista International agreed to a distribution deal with MegaStar Joint Venture Company Limited in April 2006 for the Vietnam market.
In April 2007, Disney discontinued using the Buena Vista moniker in its distribution branding.
List of Die Hard Scenario Film Releases[]
- The Rock (Distributed thru Hollywood Pictures and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer Films)
- Con Air (Distributed thru Touchstone Pictures and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer Films)
- Air Force One (International Distribution)
- Flightplan (Distributed thru Touchstone Pictures and produced by Imagine Entertainment)