Robert Shaye
Robert Kenneth Shaye (born March 4, 1939) is an American businessman, film producer, actor, director, and writer. He is the founder of New Line Cinema, a film production studio that distributed successful blockbuster films such as A Nightmare on Elm Street, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and The Lord of the Rings. In 2008, New Line was merged with Warner Bros. Pictures.[2]
Robert Shaye | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Robert Kenneth Shaye March 4, 1939 |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan Columbia Law School |
| Occupation | Film producer, film director, writer, actor |
| Years active | 1967 – present |
| Known for | Founder of New Line Cinema |
| Spouse(s) | Eva G. Lindstern (m. 1970) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Lin Shaye (sister) |
Biography
Early life
Shaye was born to a Jewish[3][4] family in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Dorothy and Max Mendle Shaye, a supermarket owner and artist.[1] His mother was an immigrant from Russia.[3] He is the brother of actress Lin Shaye.[3]
Shaye graduated from Detroit's Mumford High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Michigan and a J.D. degree from Columbia Law School. He also graduated from the University of Stockholm as a Fulbright scholar. Shaye is a member of the New York State Bar Association, and he has served on the board of trustees for the Neurosciences Institute, the Legal Aid Society, the American Film Institute, and the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation.[2]
New Line Cinema
In 1967, Shaye formed New Line Cinema. The company started with a package of feature films and shorts rented to colleges. From there, New Line expanded to re-releases such as Reefer Madness and first-run domestic distribution of foreign films such as Get Out Your Handkerchiefs. New Line famously released blockbuster films such as A Nightmare on Elm Street and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
On January 28, 1994, New Line Cinema was acquired by the Turner Broadcasting System for $500 million, with Shaye earning more than $100 million.[5][6]
In 1998, when New Zealand director Peter Jackson brought his 25-minute pitch reel for a big screen adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy classic The Lord of the Rings to New Line, hoping to turn the three volumes into two films, Shaye suggested Jackson make three films instead. He subsequently greenlit a simultaneous production for all three installments.[2] The Lord of the Rings was nominated a total of thirty Academy Awards, winning 17, including 11 awards for The Return of the King. At the box office, all three films are among New Line's highest-grossing films, earning a combined total of nearly $3 billion worldwide.
Unique Features
In June 2008, Shaye and company co-chairman Michael Lynne departed New Line and formed an independent film company, Unique Features. The company's recent projects include The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (Sony/Constantin), the TV series Shadowhunters (Freeform Television), When the Bough Breaks (Screen Gems), and Ambition, directed by Shaye.[7]
Filmography
He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.
Film
- As an actor
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | A Nightmare on Elm Street | Newsreader / KRGR Radio Announcer | Voice role |
| 1985 | A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge | Bartender | |
| 1986 | Quiet Cool | Franklin | |
| 1987 | The Hidden | Man in Silver Mercedes Picking Up a Gorgeous Girl | |
| 1988 | A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master | Lecturer | |
| 1991 | Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare | Ticket Seller | |
| 1993 | Loaded Weapon 1 | Interrogation Room Person | |
| Man's Best Friend | Mobile Mechanic | ||
| 1994 | Wes Craven's New Nightmare | Himself | |
| 2001 | Festival in Cannes | Bert Shuster | |
| 2003 | Freddy vs. Jason | Principal Shaye | |
| 2004 | Cellular | Detective Looking Guy |
- As director
| Year | Film | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | Image | Short film |
| 1965 | On Fighting Witches | Short film |
| 1990 | Book of Love | |
| 2007 | The Last Mimzy | |
| 2019 | Ambition |
- As writer
| Year | Film |
|---|---|
| 1977 | Stunts |
| 1982 | Alone in the Dark |
- As cinematographer
| Year | Film | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | On Fighting Witches | Short film |
- Second unit director or assistant director
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | A Nightmare on Elm Street | Director: melting staircase sequence |
- Thanks
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Spawn | Thanks |
| Boogie Nights | Special thanks | |
| 1998 | Dark City | Thanks |
| 1999 | Magnolia | Special thanks |
| 2006 | Kill Your Darlings | Thanks |
| 2007 | Run Fatboy Run | |
| 2008 | The Women | Special appreciation |
Television
| Year | Title | Credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | The Freddy Krueger Special | Television special | |
| 1988−90 | Freddy's Nightmares | Executive producer | |
| 2016−19 | Shadowhunters | Executive producer |
- As an actor
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Freddy's Nightmares | The Minister |
See also
References
- "Robert Shaye Biography". Filmreference.com.
- DiGiacomo, Frank (February 4, 2009). "The Lost Tycoons". Vanity Fair.
- Sheridan, Patricia (June 1, 2015). "Patricia Sheridan's Breakfast With ... Lin Shaye". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- "Celebrity Jews". J. The Jewish News of Northern California. March 23, 2007.
“Last Mimzy” is from a sci-fi story that was a childhood favorite of director Robert Shaye. The screenplay is by seasoned Jewish writers Toby Emmerich and Bruce Joel Rubin (who won an Oscar for his script for “Ghost’). Shaye told the Detroit Jewish News that he met Emmerich when they were kids attending a Conservative synagogue in suburban Detroit
- "New Line to Join Ted Turner Empire Today : Film: With more money, the company is likely to add a few big movies to its annual production schedule". Los Angeles Times. January 28, 1994. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
- "Robert Shaye". Daily Variety (61st anniversary ed.). January 12, 1995. p. 28.
- Busch, Anita (March 16, 2016). "Robert Shaye And Michael Lynne Pair For New Film 'Gifted'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
