1990
Universal Studios opens in Orlando, Florida.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, directed by Steve Baron and released by New Line Cinema, becomes the highest-grossing independent film of all time.
The MPAA agrees to a new NC-17 rating to replace the X-certificate.
1991
Computer “morphing” special effects are introduced in James Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgement Day (TriStar).
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is the studio’s 30th animated feature film and the first animated film to receive a Best Picture Oscar nomination.
1992
Widescreen versions of films are made availble on video.
Dolby Digital’s six-channel stereo sound system is launched.
1993
Steven Speilberg’s Jurassic Park (Universal) becomes the highest-grossing film of all time.
Disney buys Miramax Pictures.
1994
Dreamworks, the first new major Hollywood studio in 60 years, is formed by Steven Speilberg, David Geffen and Jerry Katzenberg.
Disney’s The Lion King becomes the highest-grossing animated film in history.
MGM celebrates its 70th anniversary.
1995
Carolco Pictures goes bankrupt and sells most of its major assets to 20th Century Fox.
Universal’s Waterworld, directed by Kevin Reynolds, is the most expensive film ever made but fails to recoup its costs during its theatrical release.
Disney’s Toy Story is the first feature film produced by Pixar and the first entirely computer-animated feature film.
1996
Wes Craven’s Scream (Dimension Films) begins a revitilzation of the horror genre in American film.
Independence Day (20th Century Fox) is a huge blockbuster. A massive marketing campaign includes a trailer broadcast during the Super Bowl, kickstarting a trend for future blockbusters.
1997
Despite highly publicized production difficulties, James Cameron’s Titanic (Paramount) becomes the highest-grossing film of all time.
Dreamworks becomes the first studio to offer profit-share deals to screenwriters and technical crew members.
1998
The dissapointing box-office performance of Godzilla leads to cutbacks in the production of high-budget special-effects driven films.
Warner Bros. celebrates its 75th anniversary.
The release of Steven Speilberg’s Saving Private Ryan (Dreamworks) leads to a revial of interest in WWII media.
1999
After considerable Internet hype, The Blair Witch Project becomes the most successful independent film of all time, grossing on $248.6 million on a cost of $35,000.
The Star Wars franchise is revived with the hugely-anticipated release of Star Wars: Episode 1: The Phantom Menace. The Wall Street Journal reports that many companies closed on the opening day due to the number of workers attending screenings.
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