The line was launched by MGM in March 2001 following its acquisition of Orion Pictures, which bought out Filmways, the owner of American International Pictures.

AIP had a library of B movies from the 1950s and 1960s that were primarily science fiction, horror, and exploitation films.

[1] The "Midnite Movies" line continued as MGM Home Entertainment switched distributors twice in the mid-2000s, first to Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and then to 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment; under Fox's tenure, the banner was expanded to include Fox library titles.

All double feature titles released during the Fox era were two-disc packages.

Factory (and sub-label Scream Factory), Kino Lorber Studio Classics, Twilight Time and Olive Films have licensed MGM-owned titles from the former Midnite Movies line for Blu-ray release.