Castle Rock Entertainment is an American independent film and television production company founded in 1987[2] by Martin Shafer, director Rob Reiner, Andrew Scheinman, Glenn Padnick and Alan Horn.

The then-new company, originally called Castle Rock Productions, was targeted to a minimum of 15 features over a 5-year period at a 3-picture a year pace, with support from then-Columbia Pictures CEO David Puttnam, following the box office success of the film Stand by Me, which was produced by Act III Communications (controlled by Reiner's colleague Norman Lear; the film had been in production at Embassy when Lear sold Embassy to Columbia and Lear subsequently paid for production to continue).

[7] Shortly after formation, Castle Rock appointed Nelson Entertainment, the company that owned the domestic home video rights to Reiner's This Is Spinal Tap, The Sure Thing, and The Princess Bride, to join a five-year, eighteen-picture joint venture; this was in addition to a pre-existing pact between Nelson and Columbia Pictures for a 3-year, 12-feature deal, in which Columbia Pictures would serve as the co-financing entity; Castle Rock would produce fourteen films, while Nelson produced four films themselves.

Columbia Pictures, shortly after the company's formation, thereafter had to re-invest with a substantial change in terms when accumulated losses exhausted its initial funding.

Reiner has stated that Castle Rock's purpose was to allow creative freedom to individuals; a haven away from the pressures of studio executives.

[17] On June 19, 2000, after the expiration of the Universal deal, Spanish player Telefónica Media took over its take in the Castle Rock production company.

[18] On July 20, 1998, Castle Rock Television took over production of The WB's midseason show Movie Stars, which was set to be in development at Studios USA.

[19] In 2001, Castle Rock Television had set up Mission Hill writers Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein with an overall deal, producing several projects, like an unsold family concept pitch at ABC.

Castle Rock Entertainment fired 16 of its 46 employees, and Castle Rock Entertainment's physical production and public relations departments, back-office duties, and remaining employees were absorbed into Warner Bros.[21] In May 2020, Rob and Michelle Reiner signed a deal with Warner Bros. Television Studios, and on October 1 of that year, it relaunched the company.