The New York Times profiles Hollywood producer Jason Blum who is redefining the economics of the film business all because he’s haunted by the success of his own father. Seriously:
Mr. Blum, a son of the art dealer Irving Blum, is hyper, witty, serially punctual and charming. He can be a bit of a gossip. One of his best friends is Ethan Hawke, who has starred in two of his films. People often describe Mr. Blum as “quirky,” which is not entirely accurate, although he did spend $25,000 to turn an old Chevy Astro van into a mobile office. An assistant chauffeurs him between studio meetings while he answers e-mail, talks on his cellphone and screens film on a 36-inch flat-screen TV.
“I’m visiting studios; I’m visiting agencies — television. I’m out pitching a lot of TV at the moment, a ton, actually,” he said in his mile-a-minute way on a recent trip down Venice Boulevard, his feet propped up on a cushion.
Mr. Blum is trying to expand his low-cost, share-in-the-rewards business model to the small screen. He has two series on the air and seven scripted and unscripted shows in the works at various networks.
People close to him say his motivation seems to go beyond money. Mr. Blum’s father helped change the art world by giving Andy Warhol one of his first shows; he wants to prove that he can change Hollywood, or at least a corner of it.
Spinning Horror Into Gold (NYTimes)
