“Making wholesome movies is not only good citizenship, it’s good business” is the mission statement of Avalon Family Entertainment. They strive to produce quality family-friendly movies that are completed at a fraction of the cost of the movies made at the standard movie studio.
Many people would be shocked to know that family movies are the biggest money makers. According to the Dove Foundation, family movies bring in an average gross profit of $94 million. That is way above the average for rated R movies: $11 million. As well as theater ticket sales, family-orientated movies also bring in profit through merchandising. Just think of the movies “Finding Nemo,” “Shrek,” “The Lion King,” and “Toy Story.” They have brought in huge profit through product endorsements and the selling of clothing, toys, and other products. DVDs, soundtracks, and Pay-Per-View movies also add further profit.
As President and CEO of Avalon Family Entertainment, Gary DePew was involved in the successful movie “Hansel and Gretel.” He has worked with several studios before joining Avalon, and applies his experience and drive to every project. The company’s current project is “Jack & the Beanstalk,” which features Colin Ford as “Jack.” Many famous actors are in the film: James Earl Jones, Katey Segal, Christopher Lloyd, Gilbert Gottfried, and Chevy Chase. Another movie that Avalon has in production is “Snow White.”
Avalon has many fairy tales on their list of potential upcoming projects. Titles include “The Three Little Pigs,” “Robin Hood,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Cinderella,” “The Pied Piper of Hamlin,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “Gulliver’s Travels.” Producing these movies is profitable because they are familiar to the general public and people would enjoy seeing their favorite fairy tales brought to life. They are also profitable because the fairy tales are public domain; therefore there are no costs to obtain story rights.