Richard Arlook

In 1986, at the age of 24, Arlook founded High Bar Pictures and hired his first talent clients. In 1989 he produced his first feature film, After Midnight, for MGM. While a low budget anthology thriller, the film's camera department was led by future Academy Award-nominated cinematographer Phedon Papamichael (Nebraska). Future two-time Academy Award winner Janusz Kamiński (Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan) served as key grip; while eventual Academy Award winner and noted director Wally Pfister served as the gaffer (Inception). Mauro Fiore, who served as best boy, won an Academy Award for his work on Avatar.

In 1990, Arlook joined the Gersh Agency as a literary agent, eventually becoming a partner and head of the Motion Picture Literature department.[1]

In 2008 Arlook founded The Arlook Group, a talent management, production, and consulting company. Arlook specializes in managing writers and directors as well as advising on development projects. The group employs several full-time managers who represent actors and talent including Jack Greenbaum, Kieran Maguire, and Galit Mantell. Greenbaum runs The Arlook Group's New York office[2]

Arlook's first feature as executive producer came in 2010 with Waiting For Forever, starring Blythe Danner and Richard Jenkins. In 2012, he produced Goats, starring David Duchovny and Vera Farmiga. In 2009, Arlook produced his first documentary feature: Lucky Ducks, with writer and director Tracey Jackson, which sets out to answer the question of why today's privileged teens are the most unhappy and dysfunctional demographic in America. In 2014, Arlook produced a second feature documentary entitled, Turn it Up!, a celebration of the electric guitar with a unique perspective on people's passion for the instrument, hosted by Kevin Bacon. The film features such legends as Slash, B.B. King, Paul Stanley, as well as one of the final interviews given by Les Paul before his death.

Arlook completed I Smile Back, starring Sarah Silverman in her first leading dramatic role, which led to her first SAG nomination. The film was released October 23, 2015 and was distributed by Broad Green Pictures. With his client, Morgan Spurlock, Arlook executive produced The HALO Effect on Nickelodeon.[3] It premiered in January 2016.

Arlook's film Journey is the Destination, based on the life of photojournalist Dan Eldon, premiered at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival.[4] He also produced It Had To Be You, starring Tony Award-winning actress Cristin Milioti, which was released October 21, 2016 by Samuel Goldywn Films.[5]

Arlook is currently developing Saints and Sinners, a series for HBO Max based on Pulitzer Prize winner Lawrence Wright’s book. Together, Arlook and Greenbaum are developing Popular with Berlanti Productions for HBO Max, The Tip with TriStar Pictures, and The Big Hack with Solstice Studios. In 2020, two Arlook Group clients received Emmy Award nominations: Arlook’s client Amy Talkington as a co-executive producer on Little Fires Everywhere.