Film producers are some of the most creative, business-minded members of the film industry, working their magic behind the scenes to keep us entertained.
Many of us have heard of the heavyweight directors of Hollywood – the Steven Spielbergs and Martin Scorsese of the world – and of course, the actors in front of the camera get the lion’s share of the attention. But there are countless movie producers who rarely get their props, even though they are responsible for hiring the prop makers on set.
So, what exactly do movie producers do? Film producers are responsible for overseeing all phases of production, hiring the creative team (often including the director and other key leadership roles), and are usually the main person when the actors and crew need help.
Jerry Bruckheimer
Jerry Bruckheimer is one of the most successful film producers of all time, with a resume that boasts such works as Pirates of the Caribbean and the Bad Boys series.
Bruckheimer started out making commercials for the advertising firm BBDO New York. He then left the advertising industry to pursue film production. His first critical and box office success came with the 1980s film American Gigolo, starring Richard Gere. Shortly thereafter, Bruckheimer collaborated with Don Simpson, and together they became the driving force behind some of the most notable films of the 1980s and early 1990s, including Flashdance, Top Gun, and the first two Beverly Hills Cop films. .
Roger Corman
Roger Corman has made over 300 films, creating a wide range of films ranging from period and science fiction to independent films. Corman’s early days in the world of film included working as a supervisor at 20th Century Fox, from where he worked his way up to become a story reader and screenwriter.
Corman is perhaps best known as the ultimate Hollywood creator of what we now call the “B movie.” From 1954’s Monster from the Bottom of the Ocean to 1978’s Piranha and the Sharktopus series of exploitation screamers, Corman is behind some of the most esoteric and beloved cult classics of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Juan de Dios Larraín
Juan de Dios Larraín is one of the most influential Latin American producers. Together with his brother, director Pablo Larraín, the duo opened their production company Fabula in Los Angeles in 2017. Larraín was the producing force behind the 2021 film Spencer, a surreal “fable from a true tragedy” about the late Princess Diana starring Stuart Stewart. Kristen Stewart is nominated for an Oscar.
Larrain’s films are festival favorites, including Sebastian Lelio’s Gloria’s Call starring Julianne Moore and John Turturro, and his brother Pablo’s Ema starring Gael Garcia Bernal. He also produced Lelio’s A Fantastic Woman, the first Chilean film to win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Dino De Laurentiis
Dino De Laurentiis helped shape the international sale of films. He was one of the first producers to reach out to foreign audiences and recognize the value of their contribution to box office. Over the course of his career, de Laurentiis directed more than 180 films, including La Strada and Nights of Cabiria for the renowned director Federico Fellini, both of which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.