Overseas Filmgroup decided to pay $3 million in order to set up operations for different areas worldwide such as Spain, Arizona, Texas, Taiwan, Italy, southern California and Colorado in the mid-1980s, and by 1986, the company became active, setting up a number of domestic theatrical, home video and television syndication sales with New World Pictures and other distributors.

[3] Films ranged from genre titles such as Blue Tiger (starring Virginia Madsen) and No Way Back (starring New Zealand actor Russell Crowe) to art house films, including Antonia's Line, Mrs. Dalloway, The Secret of Roan Inish, Waking Ned Devine, and Titus.

In January 2001, as part of a restructuring and to reflect the company's expansion into domestic film and home video distribution, Internet content development and television commercial production, Overseas Filmgroup was renamed First Look Media (not to be confused with the news organization of the same name).

Following the acquisition, Nu Image and its production/distribution arm Millennium Films were given an outlet for home video and theatrical distribution[16] In January 2008, First Look Studios started releasing titles on Blu-Ray.

Millennium Entertainment, a new sister company formed by Nu Image, acquired most of First Look's assets and inherited many of the former key management and staff.