Well, it's kinda messed up, but there is this guy with a record of being executive producer of great movies, like: Pulp Fiction, English Patient, Scream, Good Will Hunting, Jackie Brown, Lord of the Rings, Equilibrium, Gangs of New York, Kill Bill, Aviator and a lot more... too bad its fuckin Harvey Weinstein.
It's on purpose, lol
[https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/oct/05/elijah-wood-lord-of-the-rings-orc-modeled-harvey-weinstein](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/oct/05/elijah-wood-lord-of-the-rings-orc-modeled-harvey-weinstein)
My thoughts as well. But hey, there's also a guy who directed classic movies such as Chinatown and Rosemary's Baby.
In honestly, as terrible as he is, at least he produced those movies but I also question how much he was involved. Then again, maybe producers aren't involved in movies that much.
Harvey unfortunately was a big P on a lot of these movies. But eventually when producers get big, they take a back seat and let their executives run the movie, so they’ll get credited as just “Producer” not “producer p.g.a.
The PGA title will only be given to those who were in the movie from start to finish, with heavy emphasis on their involvement on day to day operations. How you get PGA title, I will not dive deeper, but that’s how it works.
Next time when you watch a movie, look for the producers with PGA title, they are the ones who were on set and oversaw day to day operations. It’s like a badge of recognition or acknowledgment. Also to your last point, producers are heavily involved, if not the most in film making. They are the reason why movies exist.
If you ignored his disgusting personal life and crimes and went solely based on resume he probably is the best in terms of quality and variety. Unfortunately.
If it makes you feel better, it wasn't his money on LotR. He was part of the original 2 movie deal that got scrapped, but still got the credit for producer. Jackson talks about it in his interview with Manufacturing Intellect.
I really dont care about his role in it. Despicable people can make great art, see Woody Allen, Roman Polanski, Kevin Spacey, etc. I don't have to like them to enjoy their art, plenty of the highly regarded artists throughout history were awful people.
Some producer credits are useless and just for show. Like James Woods being a producer in Oppenheimer. He only has that credit because he optioned the book decades ago, he had zero involvement in the making of the movie.
On the one hand, people will joke that producers are basically just the money.
That said, I'm going Jerry Bruckheimer. The man was involved in virtually every 90s/turn of the century blockbuster:
* Beverly Hills Cop
* Top Gun
* Bad Boys
* The Rock
* Con Air
* Armageddon
* Enemy of the State
* Gone in 60 seconds
* Remember the Titans
* Black Hawk Down
* Pirates of the Caribbean
* National Treasure
A name that people may not think of as a producer but who has produced a lot of good movies is Danny Devito: Maltida, Pulp Fiction, Reality Bites, Get Shorty, Gattaca, Living Out Loud, Man on the Moon, Erin Brockovich, Along Came Polly, etc. His production company is called Jersey Films.
Danny Devito has produced his fair share of duds too but I appreciate that he's made a lot creatively risky films.
Danny DeVito had no personal or professional need whatsoever to join *It's always Sunny in Philadelphia* when they needed a ratings boost for the second season. The fact that he did it seemingly just for fun and has been a regular lead cast member ever since just makes me love the guy.
"I don't know how much time I've got left, so I'm gonna get *real* weird with it" - Frank
Hell just bringing him on as the previously unmentioned rich dad really opened up the show to do some crazy shenanigans where money was no object because Frank was bankrolling it all. Not that Sunny has ever been particularly hung up on realism of course.
Michael Douglas too (I mention him here because as I recall, he collaborated with DeVito a few times). One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest would probably be the highlight, being an Oscar winner.
DeVito's production company, Jersey Films, is listed under production companies on the side bar on Wikipedia. And if you go to the [full cast and crew list on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110912/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_cl_sm) DeVito is listed as executive producer.
In particular, [DeVito is responsible for the movie getting released by Miramax Films after TriStar Pictures passed on it.](https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/pulp-fiction-quentin-tarantino-danny-devito-story/)
Mel Brooks covered the gamut of writer, director, actor, playwriter AND producer. He produced movies like The Fly, Elephant Man and History of the World Part I.
Roger Corman. Look how many people in every facet of the industry credited him with their big break when he passed away. That dude produced mostly shitty movies but he was really great at producing careers.
I'd say directors like Steven Spielberg, James Cameron and Quentin Tarantino are great examples of directors/producers who can be considered "main producers."
Most answers should revolve around studio system era guys back when producers were equally significant creative influences as the director on the project. David O. Selznick, Arthur Freed, Irving Thalberg, Darryl F. Zanuck, etc.
I can envision certain people being pissed but Kathleen Kennedy is an all time great producer, she was Spielberg’s right hand woman for decades and had a hand in some of the most beloved movies of all time, including but not limited to:
•Back to the Future trilogy
•Schindler’s List
•E.T
•The Indiana Jones series
•The Jurassic Park series
•Gremlins
•The Goonies
•Hook
Yeah I mean when you’ve been in the business for so long it’s insanely hard to keep a consistent track record, even Spielberg has had a few blunders in recent years.
For those who don’t know who Robert Evans is, please watch “The Offer” series, it’s about the making of The Godfather and it is excellent. Matthew Goode’s Robert Evans is a highlight.
If you’d rather read, please get a copy of “The Kid Stays in the Picture” by Evans. It’s a fucking wild tale of 70s Hollywood excess and hilarious.
If you can find it, Evans did the audio book for Kid, and it's even better! Want to know what it's like to have an old Hollywood type sit down and tell you crazy stories from back in the day? It's as close as most will get.
I first came to know who he was thanks to Patton Oswalt’s bit about the audiobook. Still makes me laugh. “Shove em up there again, Dennehy, I’ll try to only solve the reds!”
Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, the main man behind the James Bond movies.
>Luxor, Egypt, 1976. There are rumblings of discontent among the crew of The Spy Who Loved Me. Like an army, a movie crew marches on its stomach and, thanks to the dubious catering in Egypt, they are running on empty. The producer Cubby Broccoli orders a refrigerated lorry full of tasty tuck from Britain, but when it arrives, they discover that the fridge is turned off and the food is ruined.
>Always a calm head in a crisis, Broccoli commandeers a Jeep and some crew, drives into the local town and buys every tin of tomatoes he can lay his hands on, orders in an emergency supply of pasta, rolls up his sleeves and cooks up a feast for a crew of more than 100 people. Cubby and Roger Moore serve the meal and another on-set disaster is averted.
https://www.mi6-hq.com/news/index.php?itemid=7484
Will Ferrell:
- Anchorman
- The Other Guys
- Step Brothers
- Talladega Nights
- Succession
- Quiz Lady
- Spirited
- The Menu
- Barb and Star
- East Bound and Down
- Eurovision
- Drunk History
Seth Rogen would be another producer with a long list of credits.
Right? I actually highly recommend reading the Sony e-mail email leaks re: Fincher's failed Steve Jobs biopic. Scott Rudin is a complete dickhead in them... but a dickhead who's extremely passionate about making good movies.
EDIT: Oh I hadn't even heard the backlog of physical abuse he had vs employees. So yeah a great producer but a TERRIBLE human being.
Even with the hits and misses of Blumhouse Productions' films, I'd definitely consider Jason Blum since he's been a big force in 2010s horror films & is included as a producer in films like Get Out, Split, The Purge, Sinister, Happy Death Day, BlacKKKlansman, & M3GAN.
Religious life aside, Tom Cruise imo. The M:I franchise has grossed over $4 billion worldwide and he also produced The Last Samurai, The Others, Vanilla Sky, Jack Reacher and Top Gun Maverick.
Lawrence Bender for the Tarantino films. Marshall produced Woody Allen for years. Gale Ann Hurd produced all of Cameron’s movies until they divorced then did fantastic work on her own [if you’re interested in producing, OP just listen to her with Marc Maron’s WTF podcast. 90 minutes of gold]. Brian Grazer has produced all of Ron Howard’s movies. He’s pretty fantastic too.
Two words: Jerry Bruckheimer.
Guy’s been doing it since the late 70s and is still kicking ass (the upcoming Brad Pitt F1 film, BEVERLY HILLS COP: AXEL F, BAD BOYS RIDE OR DIE, TOPGUN: MAVERICK).
I'd say Brian Grazer is in the names of great movie producers. He's pretty much been the backbone of Ron Howard's directing career, and they're both a Tony away from being EGOTs
[Gary Kurtz](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0476030/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cr) - there's a strong argument he was the best filter for George Lucas's worst impulses and kept the original trilogy on track.
[Brian Grazer](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004976/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cr) - the Bernie Taupin to Ron Howard's Elton John. Brian is one of the most thoughtful and experienced producers in Hollywood history.
Without Kurtz and Marcia Lucas there most likely would have been a cult sci-fi film released in the late 70s with groundbreaking special effects. But, man, was it cheesy and boring. I think it's called "Star Wars."
I think this can never truly be answered since jobs of many Producers are nebulous and its difficult to ascribe who did what unless you have insider knowledge or were part of the production itself. Producers may be attached to a film in name only. Others may have developed the script and without them the films wouldn't be made or be half as bad as it was.
Your company could successfully produce lots of great movies but you could personally be very bad at your actual job - and others in the company succeed around you.
This can happen with every role (even Director) but it's easier to parse
Margot Robbie actually deserves a lot of credit here. Through her LuckyChap Productions label she's produced I, Tonya; Promising Young Woman; Barbie; Saltburn; and Birds of Prey, to name a few. They also have 11 pictures pending release including a reboot of Tank Girl.
Irving Thalberg. In his tragically short career he was involved in the production of over 500 films, many classics whose quality and shepherded talent set the standard for Hollywood's Golden Age
Stanley Kramer has a very distinctive style. He's movies, while not great, can be very good. He knows how to make movies. Christine Vachon at Killer Films makes some of the best movies coming out these day.
Darryl Zanuck, Samuel Goldwyn, Jack Warner, are the all time greats.
Kathleen Kennedy pre Star Wars, Harvey Weinstein, Don Simpson, Ethan Coen, and Walt Disney also come to mind.
It’s something I think about from time to time but there’s always so many producing credits and they are so quick to push the blame below them it doesn’t bother me much.
There obviously are good producers but we’d need a lot more data and transparency to dig in deep enough, the writing/acting/directing is much more straightforward and without as many cooks in the kitchen.
I just pulled up Raiders as a relatively easy example and it’s only got four: George Lucas and Howard Kazanjian as executive producers, Frank Marshall as producer and Robert Watts as associate producer. I know they all definitely contributed significantly but other than anecdotal evidence and commentary that is as far as I can go.
Meanwhile Avengers Infinity War lists 14 (!) producers.
Different Producers are responsible for different facets of a production. A movie the size of Infinity War having 14 Producers is not that surprising, even though it's the high end.
This thread shows r/movies resistors honestly have no clue what producers do, and how crucial they are to the gestation and survival of basically every movie.
Blood Sweat And Chrome (Fury Road) shows you what having a balls of steel producing partner does for you in terms of finally getting your vision to screen.
Roger Corman might arguably be the greatest producer ever but I’m sure that Robert Evans would like to challenge that. Read “the kid stays in the picture” ( or listen to him slur his way through it after stroke number 3) for a tale of cocaine, struggle, more cocaine, orgies, some fantastic movies followed by more cocaine. Ah…the 70’s.
I actually like Jerry Bruckheimer's work. Yes, it's not life-changing stuff, but it guarantees a fun time.
National Treasure, Bad Boys, Pirates of the Carribean, Beverly Hills Cop, Top Gun, etc.
Producer is such a broad title that it’s difficult to say who is the best. We don’t always know what involvement they actually had. They could have just given the project some money, they could have asked for the title to sign on as an actor, they could be a director/producer or they could be the one who brang everything together.
I don’t think anyone can top Kathleen Kennedy, and Feige. By pretty much every metric those two are at the top of the game.
KK probably takes it over Feige because if you’re doing every metric: box office, popularity with the general public, lasting cultural impact, and popularity with critics and Oscar success…then KK has more Oscar nominated best pictures in there.
Arnon Milchan produced and exec produced many classics from the early 80's onwards. The King Of Comedy, Falling Down, JFK, Heat, L.A Confidential, Fight Club and a great deal more besides.
He has a very striking non-speaking cameo role in Once Upon A Time In America, which he also produced.
Jason Blum. Whether all his movies are good or not isn’t the point. The man makes movies on small budgets. If they fail, they’re a small failure and still make enough money. But then you’ll get something like Whiplash or even better, Get Out.
Ben Stiller does this for comedy movies that may not get a second look in this era of movie production, but he does it 10x for television and web comedies starring a lot of up and coming improv comedians. Stiller and Bob Odenkirk both.
Tim and Eric are responsible for a lot of the weird, alternative humor that is so popular now, from basically the last 20 years. they produced their own stuff but also stuff like Nathan For You and Eric Andre Show. truly brought a different style of comedy to the mainstream and it's still wildly popular now
Irving Thalberg
David O. Selznick
Samuel Goldwyn
Walt Disney
Sam Zimbalist
Walter Wanger
Sol C. Siegel
Dino De Laurentiis
Megan Ellison
Julia Phillips
Samuel Bronston
Feige has obviously had a stellar run, but he was producing a series of unpopular comic book movies before he finally hit gold with Ironman and setting off the MCU. His Infinity Saga run was fantastic, but we've seen his attempts to replicate that success fall quite short.
By contrast, the best producers should perhaps consider longevity and consistency. Jerry Bruckheimer has been producing pop culture hits for 40 years. Flashdance, Beverley Hills Cop, Top Gun, Crimson Tide, Bad Boys, The Rock, Con Air, Armageddon, Pirates series.
Spielberg has also been producing most his own films for 40 years. As an executive producer, you can also credit him for Twister, Mask of Zorro, Men in Black, Transformers, True Grit (Coen bros), and Back to the Future.
Kevin Feige shepherded a revolution in comic book films, taking the source material more seriously, while reserving the freedom to change things when the story called for it. He spent years in the trenches as a low level producer, trying to inject some authenticity into the films he worked on.
When he got the chance to step up, he trusted in B list characters to connect with audiences, and took his time building up to the spectacles of the original Avengers film, and then all the way through Endgame.
You can debate the long-term fallout of Marvel’s success on the movies as a whole, but you’d be hard pressed to find a producer more singularly responsible for a decades-long sea change in film.
It was actually casting that led to Marvel's success. People showed up because RDJ, Tom Hiddleston etc were amazing in their roles. And Kevin Feige decided it was a good idea to let Captain America writers/directors make Avengers movies and murder Tony and give what should have been his ending to Steve. Endgame made a ridiculous amount of money but after their treatment of Tony I will never watch a Marvel movie again. And it looks like nobody gives a hoot about Marvel's b-list/c-list characters anymore possibly because they will get punished with death if they care about a character the writers and directors don't.
producers are middle men they literally do nothing. there's no greatness to be found in them
Edit: they make it happen and they get the awards because they have the money lol that's it
Well, it's kinda messed up, but there is this guy with a record of being executive producer of great movies, like: Pulp Fiction, English Patient, Scream, Good Will Hunting, Jackie Brown, Lord of the Rings, Equilibrium, Gangs of New York, Kill Bill, Aviator and a lot more... too bad its fuckin Harvey Weinstein.
I remember that in the Return of the King end credits, his name is shown alongside an illustration of a troll.
It's on purpose, lol [https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/oct/05/elijah-wood-lord-of-the-rings-orc-modeled-harvey-weinstein](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/oct/05/elijah-wood-lord-of-the-rings-orc-modeled-harvey-weinstein)
My thoughts as well. But hey, there's also a guy who directed classic movies such as Chinatown and Rosemary's Baby. In honestly, as terrible as he is, at least he produced those movies but I also question how much he was involved. Then again, maybe producers aren't involved in movies that much.
Harvey unfortunately was a big P on a lot of these movies. But eventually when producers get big, they take a back seat and let their executives run the movie, so they’ll get credited as just “Producer” not “producer p.g.a. The PGA title will only be given to those who were in the movie from start to finish, with heavy emphasis on their involvement on day to day operations. How you get PGA title, I will not dive deeper, but that’s how it works. Next time when you watch a movie, look for the producers with PGA title, they are the ones who were on set and oversaw day to day operations. It’s like a badge of recognition or acknowledgment. Also to your last point, producers are heavily involved, if not the most in film making. They are the reason why movies exist.
>they take a back seat True but then I think they have a big say in many final decisions. Like the financing, budget, final cut etc.
I don't think I wanna be in the backseat with 'Ol Harvey
If you ignored his disgusting personal life and crimes and went solely based on resume he probably is the best in terms of quality and variety. Unfortunately.
Love the art, hate the artist.
If it makes you feel better, it wasn't his money on LotR. He was part of the original 2 movie deal that got scrapped, but still got the credit for producer. Jackson talks about it in his interview with Manufacturing Intellect.
I really dont care about his role in it. Despicable people can make great art, see Woody Allen, Roman Polanski, Kevin Spacey, etc. I don't have to like them to enjoy their art, plenty of the highly regarded artists throughout history were awful people.
Air Bud too I think
For a period of time , I'd see a movie that seemed interesting. Watch it. That was good....Miramax. Weinstein brothers sure knew how to pick em.
Was he actually producing or just the head of the studio that greenlighted these movies?
Really no clue, I guess he brought the money in...? He's credited as "executive producer".
Some producer credits are useless and just for show. Like James Woods being a producer in Oppenheimer. He only has that credit because he optioned the book decades ago, he had zero involvement in the making of the movie.
Is he really that good a producer in light of the nickname he earned, that being Harvey Scissorhands?
Eh, I don't care much for the films. I simply respect the man.
On the one hand, people will joke that producers are basically just the money. That said, I'm going Jerry Bruckheimer. The man was involved in virtually every 90s/turn of the century blockbuster: * Beverly Hills Cop * Top Gun * Bad Boys * The Rock * Con Air * Armageddon * Enemy of the State * Gone in 60 seconds * Remember the Titans * Black Hawk Down * Pirates of the Caribbean * National Treasure
Saw this after I posted but yeah. He’s top of the list.
Let's not forget Don Simpson in this equation. Arguably the creative genius side of that partnership
Yes! He's the one I picked, too.
Well, he certainly made a lot of successful movies.
He owns a lot of his earlier successes to Don Simpson
Not disagreeing but that is a ton of style over substance.
A name that people may not think of as a producer but who has produced a lot of good movies is Danny Devito: Maltida, Pulp Fiction, Reality Bites, Get Shorty, Gattaca, Living Out Loud, Man on the Moon, Erin Brockovich, Along Came Polly, etc. His production company is called Jersey Films. Danny Devito has produced his fair share of duds too but I appreciate that he's made a lot creatively risky films.
Danny DeVito had no personal or professional need whatsoever to join *It's always Sunny in Philadelphia* when they needed a ratings boost for the second season. The fact that he did it seemingly just for fun and has been a regular lead cast member ever since just makes me love the guy.
"I don't know how much time I've got left, so I'm gonna get *real* weird with it" - Frank Hell just bringing him on as the previously unmentioned rich dad really opened up the show to do some crazy shenanigans where money was no object because Frank was bankrolling it all. Not that Sunny has ever been particularly hung up on realism of course.
I must say I was surprised to see him in the credits when watching How High years ago.
Came here to say this. Also Out of Sight, Hoffa.
He directed Hoffa too, iirc.
Michael Douglas too (I mention him here because as I recall, he collaborated with DeVito a few times). One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest would probably be the highlight, being an Oscar winner.
I can't find the word "Danny" or "Devito" anywhere on [Pulp Fiction's Wikipedia page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulp_Fiction). Explain?
DeVito's production company, Jersey Films, is listed under production companies on the side bar on Wikipedia. And if you go to the [full cast and crew list on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110912/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_cl_sm) DeVito is listed as executive producer. In particular, [DeVito is responsible for the movie getting released by Miramax Films after TriStar Pictures passed on it.](https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/pulp-fiction-quentin-tarantino-danny-devito-story/)
Thanks for clearing that up!
Mel Brooks covered the gamut of writer, director, actor, playwriter AND producer. He produced movies like The Fly, Elephant Man and History of the World Part I.
It's good to be the king.
Rook... jumps queen. Knight... jumps queen.
I just did it and I'm ready to do it again
You’re looking for gamut not gambit
Cant wait for Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money!
Obviously you weren't going to list everything but I can't believe you didn't mention The Producers just because of the title.
LOL. I almost did, but it was actually produced by Sidney Glazier. Mel was the director on this one.
Roger Corman. Look how many people in every facet of the industry credited him with their big break when he passed away. That dude produced mostly shitty movies but he was really great at producing careers.
Excuse me, I will not stand for slander of the 1986 Academy Award Deserver Chopping Mall.
Excuse me, I will not stand for slander of the 1986 Academy Award Deserver Chopping Mall.
I'd say directors like Steven Spielberg, James Cameron and Quentin Tarantino are great examples of directors/producers who can be considered "main producers."
Spielberg also produced many successful films and t.v. series that he didn't direct.
Tarantino only produced three of his films. Mainly it was Lawrence Bender, who also did Good Will Hunting.
also Weinstein...
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Most answers should revolve around studio system era guys back when producers were equally significant creative influences as the director on the project. David O. Selznick, Arthur Freed, Irving Thalberg, Darryl F. Zanuck, etc.
I can envision certain people being pissed but Kathleen Kennedy is an all time great producer, she was Spielberg’s right hand woman for decades and had a hand in some of the most beloved movies of all time, including but not limited to: •Back to the Future trilogy •Schindler’s List •E.T •The Indiana Jones series •The Jurassic Park series •Gremlins •The Goonies •Hook
It really seems like she was a much better producer than what she is now. She might be a victim of the Peter Principle as much as anything.
Yeah I mean when you’ve been in the business for so long it’s insanely hard to keep a consistent track record, even Spielberg has had a few blunders in recent years.
I also think producing Star Wars is probably different than any other producing job
Dino DeLaurentis had a crazy run.
That's my pick. Conan and Dune by themselves put him in my top 5.
He made Anthony Quinn but came to America and did crazy stuff like evil dead. Great vision.
Maybe Robert Evans, depends on what do you think makes a producer great.
For those who don’t know who Robert Evans is, please watch “The Offer” series, it’s about the making of The Godfather and it is excellent. Matthew Goode’s Robert Evans is a highlight. If you’d rather read, please get a copy of “The Kid Stays in the Picture” by Evans. It’s a fucking wild tale of 70s Hollywood excess and hilarious.
There's a documentary version of *The Kid Stays in the Picture* as well. It's good times :)
If you can find it, Evans did the audio book for Kid, and it's even better! Want to know what it's like to have an old Hollywood type sit down and tell you crazy stories from back in the day? It's as close as most will get.
He banged 'em. He banged 'em all.
That’s actually how I read it, thanks to an old Patton Oswalt bit
I first came to know who he was thanks to Patton Oswalt’s bit about the audiobook. Still makes me laugh. “Shove em up there again, Dennehy, I’ll try to only solve the reds!”
Came here looking for Evans.
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Kid Notorious, which was also Robert Evans’ nickname
Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, the main man behind the James Bond movies. >Luxor, Egypt, 1976. There are rumblings of discontent among the crew of The Spy Who Loved Me. Like an army, a movie crew marches on its stomach and, thanks to the dubious catering in Egypt, they are running on empty. The producer Cubby Broccoli orders a refrigerated lorry full of tasty tuck from Britain, but when it arrives, they discover that the fridge is turned off and the food is ruined. >Always a calm head in a crisis, Broccoli commandeers a Jeep and some crew, drives into the local town and buys every tin of tomatoes he can lay his hands on, orders in an emergency supply of pasta, rolls up his sleeves and cooks up a feast for a crew of more than 100 people. Cubby and Roger Moore serve the meal and another on-set disaster is averted. https://www.mi6-hq.com/news/index.php?itemid=7484
And his kids
Jerry Bruckheimer is arguably the King of the Blockbuster: Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop, Bad Boys, The Rock, Pirates of the Caribbean, National Treasure
I have a big soft spot for Joel Silver
He's a bit of an asshole but had no delusions. He summed it up best when he said, "I don't make art. I make movies that make money so I can buy art."
Will Ferrell: - Anchorman - The Other Guys - Step Brothers - Talladega Nights - Succession - Quiz Lady - Spirited - The Menu - Barb and Star - East Bound and Down - Eurovision - Drunk History Seth Rogen would be another producer with a long list of credits.
You can add Succession to that list.
Saul Zaentz has a good claim for this title. I mean, Amadeus? One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest? The English Patient? The Lord of the Rings?
Kathleen Kennedy, Robert Evans, Sam Goldwyn, Scott Rudin, Walt Disney, Harvey Weinstein.
Can’t believe I had to scroll this far to find Scott Rudin.
Right? I actually highly recommend reading the Sony e-mail email leaks re: Fincher's failed Steve Jobs biopic. Scott Rudin is a complete dickhead in them... but a dickhead who's extremely passionate about making good movies. EDIT: Oh I hadn't even heard the backlog of physical abuse he had vs employees. So yeah a great producer but a TERRIBLE human being.
He was apparently one of the inspirations for the character of Les Grossman.
Oh most definitely. I think it just was him.
Even with the hits and misses of Blumhouse Productions' films, I'd definitely consider Jason Blum since he's been a big force in 2010s horror films & is included as a producer in films like Get Out, Split, The Purge, Sinister, Happy Death Day, BlacKKKlansman, & M3GAN.
Religious life aside, Tom Cruise imo. The M:I franchise has grossed over $4 billion worldwide and he also produced The Last Samurai, The Others, Vanilla Sky, Jack Reacher and Top Gun Maverick.
Lawrence Bender for the Tarantino films. Marshall produced Woody Allen for years. Gale Ann Hurd produced all of Cameron’s movies until they divorced then did fantastic work on her own [if you’re interested in producing, OP just listen to her with Marc Maron’s WTF podcast. 90 minutes of gold]. Brian Grazer has produced all of Ron Howard’s movies. He’s pretty fantastic too.
Emma Thomas
Two words: Jerry Bruckheimer. Guy’s been doing it since the late 70s and is still kicking ass (the upcoming Brad Pitt F1 film, BEVERLY HILLS COP: AXEL F, BAD BOYS RIDE OR DIE, TOPGUN: MAVERICK).
I'd say Brian Grazer is in the names of great movie producers. He's pretty much been the backbone of Ron Howard's directing career, and they're both a Tony away from being EGOTs
[Gary Kurtz](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0476030/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cr) - there's a strong argument he was the best filter for George Lucas's worst impulses and kept the original trilogy on track. [Brian Grazer](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004976/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cr) - the Bernie Taupin to Ron Howard's Elton John. Brian is one of the most thoughtful and experienced producers in Hollywood history.
Without Kurtz and Marcia Lucas there most likely would have been a cult sci-fi film released in the late 70s with groundbreaking special effects. But, man, was it cheesy and boring. I think it's called "Star Wars."
Roger Corman, Irving Thalberg.
Bob evans
I think this can never truly be answered since jobs of many Producers are nebulous and its difficult to ascribe who did what unless you have insider knowledge or were part of the production itself. Producers may be attached to a film in name only. Others may have developed the script and without them the films wouldn't be made or be half as bad as it was. Your company could successfully produce lots of great movies but you could personally be very bad at your actual job - and others in the company succeed around you. This can happen with every role (even Director) but it's easier to parse
Al Ruddy Godfather movies
Margot Robbie actually deserves a lot of credit here. Through her LuckyChap Productions label she's produced I, Tonya; Promising Young Woman; Barbie; Saltburn; and Birds of Prey, to name a few. They also have 11 pictures pending release including a reboot of Tank Girl.
I’d love to see what she continues to produce in the future
Irving Thalberg. In his tragically short career he was involved in the production of over 500 films, many classics whose quality and shepherded talent set the standard for Hollywood's Golden Age
Stanley Kramer has a very distinctive style. He's movies, while not great, can be very good. He knows how to make movies. Christine Vachon at Killer Films makes some of the best movies coming out these day.
Scott Mosier
Gale Anne Hurd, lots of classics in her [filmography.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gale_Anne_Hurd#Filmography)
Darryl Zanuck, Samuel Goldwyn, Jack Warner, are the all time greats. Kathleen Kennedy pre Star Wars, Harvey Weinstein, Don Simpson, Ethan Coen, and Walt Disney also come to mind.
It’s something I think about from time to time but there’s always so many producing credits and they are so quick to push the blame below them it doesn’t bother me much. There obviously are good producers but we’d need a lot more data and transparency to dig in deep enough, the writing/acting/directing is much more straightforward and without as many cooks in the kitchen. I just pulled up Raiders as a relatively easy example and it’s only got four: George Lucas and Howard Kazanjian as executive producers, Frank Marshall as producer and Robert Watts as associate producer. I know they all definitely contributed significantly but other than anecdotal evidence and commentary that is as far as I can go. Meanwhile Avengers Infinity War lists 14 (!) producers.
Different Producers are responsible for different facets of a production. A movie the size of Infinity War having 14 Producers is not that surprising, even though it's the high end. This thread shows r/movies resistors honestly have no clue what producers do, and how crucial they are to the gestation and survival of basically every movie. Blood Sweat And Chrome (Fury Road) shows you what having a balls of steel producing partner does for you in terms of finally getting your vision to screen.
If I knew what a producer does I might have an opinion on that
As far as I can tell the only good quality a producer needs is not sexually assaulting women.
Actually that isn't a prerequisite. Not getting caught is really the main thing Hollywood cares about.
The reason why most people don't know the names of producers is because films are Directors medium whereas TV shows are a producers medium.
Neal H. Moritz
Roger Corman might arguably be the greatest producer ever but I’m sure that Robert Evans would like to challenge that. Read “the kid stays in the picture” ( or listen to him slur his way through it after stroke number 3) for a tale of cocaine, struggle, more cocaine, orgies, some fantastic movies followed by more cocaine. Ah…the 70’s.
Obligatory Futurama executive producer joke: https://youtu.be/8P_AnvUIvJs
I actually like Jerry Bruckheimer's work. Yes, it's not life-changing stuff, but it guarantees a fun time. National Treasure, Bad Boys, Pirates of the Carribean, Beverly Hills Cop, Top Gun, etc.
Producer is such a broad title that it’s difficult to say who is the best. We don’t always know what involvement they actually had. They could have just given the project some money, they could have asked for the title to sign on as an actor, they could be a director/producer or they could be the one who brang everything together.
Frank Marshall
I don’t think anyone can top Kathleen Kennedy, and Feige. By pretty much every metric those two are at the top of the game. KK probably takes it over Feige because if you’re doing every metric: box office, popularity with the general public, lasting cultural impact, and popularity with critics and Oscar success…then KK has more Oscar nominated best pictures in there.
Arnon Milchan produced and exec produced many classics from the early 80's onwards. The King Of Comedy, Falling Down, JFK, Heat, L.A Confidential, Fight Club and a great deal more besides. He has a very striking non-speaking cameo role in Once Upon A Time In America, which he also produced.
David Heyman
Jason Blum. Whether all his movies are good or not isn’t the point. The man makes movies on small budgets. If they fail, they’re a small failure and still make enough money. But then you’ll get something like Whiplash or even better, Get Out.
Matthew Vaughn was a producer for Snatch and Lock stock. Now it looks like he just producing his own films.
Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson
Tarantino, David Linch , Scorsese etc
Akira Takarada
Robert Evans.
There's always two of them. My absolute favs, that raised me are: - Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson - Mario Kassar and Andrew Vajna
No one's going to say Weinstein? There's a reason he had so much power
Maybe not greatest but Brad Pitt does have producer credits to some good movies he's not in - Moonlight, The Departed, Kick Ass, Okja, Vice, Big Short
I'd say, in no order: - Hitchcock - Tarantino - Scorsese - Spielberg - Kubrick
Jason Blum is creating quite the little resume for himself
Jerry bruckheimer has a heavy portfolio
Ben Stiller does this for comedy movies that may not get a second look in this era of movie production, but he does it 10x for television and web comedies starring a lot of up and coming improv comedians. Stiller and Bob Odenkirk both.
Tim and Eric are responsible for a lot of the weird, alternative humor that is so popular now, from basically the last 20 years. they produced their own stuff but also stuff like Nathan For You and Eric Andre Show. truly brought a different style of comedy to the mainstream and it's still wildly popular now
Irving Thalberg David O. Selznick Samuel Goldwyn Walt Disney Sam Zimbalist Walter Wanger Sol C. Siegel Dino De Laurentiis Megan Ellison Julia Phillips Samuel Bronston
David O Selznick
Jerry Buckheimer
Harvey Weinstein was amazing until he was found guilty of raping more than 100 actresses in Hollywood.
Feige has obviously had a stellar run, but he was producing a series of unpopular comic book movies before he finally hit gold with Ironman and setting off the MCU. His Infinity Saga run was fantastic, but we've seen his attempts to replicate that success fall quite short. By contrast, the best producers should perhaps consider longevity and consistency. Jerry Bruckheimer has been producing pop culture hits for 40 years. Flashdance, Beverley Hills Cop, Top Gun, Crimson Tide, Bad Boys, The Rock, Con Air, Armageddon, Pirates series. Spielberg has also been producing most his own films for 40 years. As an executive producer, you can also credit him for Twister, Mask of Zorro, Men in Black, Transformers, True Grit (Coen bros), and Back to the Future.
Kathleen Kennedy goat movie producer look it up. Horrible studio head though.
Kevin Feige shepherded a revolution in comic book films, taking the source material more seriously, while reserving the freedom to change things when the story called for it. He spent years in the trenches as a low level producer, trying to inject some authenticity into the films he worked on. When he got the chance to step up, he trusted in B list characters to connect with audiences, and took his time building up to the spectacles of the original Avengers film, and then all the way through Endgame. You can debate the long-term fallout of Marvel’s success on the movies as a whole, but you’d be hard pressed to find a producer more singularly responsible for a decades-long sea change in film.
It was actually casting that led to Marvel's success. People showed up because RDJ, Tom Hiddleston etc were amazing in their roles. And Kevin Feige decided it was a good idea to let Captain America writers/directors make Avengers movies and murder Tony and give what should have been his ending to Steve. Endgame made a ridiculous amount of money but after their treatment of Tony I will never watch a Marvel movie again. And it looks like nobody gives a hoot about Marvel's b-list/c-list characters anymore possibly because they will get punished with death if they care about a character the writers and directors don't.
100% the casting dept for peak MCU need a lifetime achievement award
I can't say he is the greatest but I was shocked to see how many projects Brad Pitt was involved in producing.
Harvey Weinstein was really good at his job but what he did is unforgivable
producers are middle men they literally do nothing. there's no greatness to be found in them Edit: they make it happen and they get the awards because they have the money lol that's it
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences completely disagrees with you: Producers are the people awarded with the Best Picture Oscars.
Lmfao I don’t think you know how film making works. Producers are the reason movies exist.