Dark Horse has announced a strategic partnership with home video producer and distributor Image Entertainment to produce, distribute and share ownership of theatrical features, direct-to-video projects, animated content and soundtrack albums for worldwide distribution.  Through the relationship, Image and Dark Horse will produce projects '...ranging from limited theatrical releases to direct-to-video product, spanning genres from horror and science fiction to superhero adventures.'  The two companies are forming Dark Horse Home Entertainment, a new video imprint, which will release the jointly produced films on DVD.

One of the first joint projects undertaken by Image Entertainment and Dark Horse will be a horror film written and directed by John Landis (Animal House, An American Werewolf in London).  Other projects announced, but not detailed, include unnamed directorial efforts by cult favorite actor Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead) and by novelist and comic book scribe Neil Gaiman.

Don't expect all Dark Horse projects to fall under this particular corporate umbrella -- note the reference to 'limited theatrical releases' -- Dark Horse's really big projects like Hellboy, Son of the Mask, Criminal Macabre, etc., will continue to be produced at Hollywood's major studios.  But Dark Horse and Image are hoping to get a chunk of the direct-to-video business, much of which is concentrated in what is loosely termed 'genre' entertainment (fantasy, science fiction, superheroes, etc.).  Another area in which the two companies could exploit their strategic agreement could be anime.  Image has recently expanded into anime and Dark Horse, which has published a number of topflight manga (including Lone Wolf & Cub, Akira, Trigun, Hellsing, Ghost in the Shell, and Blade of the Immortal), has excellent connections in Japan.