Dennis the Menace (released in the United Kingdom as Dennis to avoid confusion with an identically-named character) is a 1993 live-action American family film based on the Hank Ketcham comic strip of the same name. The film was directed by Nick Castle, written and produced by John Hughes, and distributed by Warner Bros., which released the film under its Family Entertainment banner. It concerns the misadventures of a mischievous child (Mason Gamble) with a cowlick and a grin who wreaks havoc on his next door neighbor, Mr. Wilson (Walter Matthau), usually hangs out with his friends, Joey (Kellen Hathaway) and Margaret (Amy Sakasitz), and is being followed everywhere by his dog, Ruff. The film premiered on June 25, 1993. It is known simply as Dennis in the UK to avoid confusion with an unrelated British comic strip, also called "Dennis the Menace," which debuted in 1951. A direct-to-video sequel called Dennis the Menace Strikes Again was later released in 1998. The film was also followed by a Saturday morning cartoon series called All-New Dennis the Menace. This is not the first live-action Dennis the Menace film.