William Horberg
William Horberg is an American film producer and chair emeritus of the Producers Guild of America on the East coast. He is executive producer of The Queen's Gambit, a television miniseries released on Netflix for streaming on October 23, 2020. Some of Horberg's films include Anthony Minghella's adaptations of the novels The Talented Mr. Ripley[1] and Cold Mountain.[2] He also produced the Fallen Angels series for Showtime from 1993-1995.[3]
William Horberg | |
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Born | |
Nationality | American |
Occupation | Film producer |
Early career
Horberg was born in Chicago where, in his first venture into film, he owned and operated the downtown repertory Sandburg Movie Theatre from 1979 to 1981.[4] Earlier, he graduated high school from the Latin School of Chicago in 1976.
He moved into production starting his company, FutureVision, Inc., and was a producer on Cheap Trick: Live At ChicagoFest for MTV, Chicago Blues,[5] a thirteen-part series featuring legendary blues performers for subscription TV, and was an Associate Producer on Miami Blues,[6] and Executive Producer on A Rage in Harlem[7] for Miramax Films.
Horberg began his career in 1987 as a creative executive at Paramount Pictures and later a Senior Vice President of Production. While at Paramount he oversaw the development and production of such films as Ghost, The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear, Dead Again, Regarding Henry, Soapdish, The Addams Family and The Godfather Part III.
In 1993, Horberg joined producer/director Sydney Pollack's company, Mirage, where he produced such films as Cold Mountain based on the best-selling novel by Charles Frazier, The Talented Mr. Ripley, based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith, The Quiet American[8] based on the novel by Graham Greene, Heaven[9] and Searching for Bobby Fischer,[10] the directorial debut of Oscar-winning screenwriter (Schindler's List) Steven Zaillian.
During that time, he also created and produced the Showtime anthology series Fallen Angels which featured Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, Steven Soderbergh and Alfonso Cuaron. He also produced the HBO film Poodle Springs based on the unfinished novel by Raymond Chandler and adapted by Tom Stoppard, along with Charlie Countryman.
Later career
In 2005, Horberg became President of Production at Sidney Kimmel Entertainment[11] where he produced or executive produced Talk To Me,[12] Death at a Funeral, Married Life,[13] Lars and the Real Girl,[14] Synecdoche, New York[15] the directorial debut of Oscar-winning screenwriter Charlie Kaufman, The Kite Runner[16] based on the best-selling book by Khaled Hosseini, and Milk.[17]
Most recently he founded an independent company, Wonderful Films which co-produced Death at a Funeral[18] and Don't Be Afraid of the Dark. He also announced plans to co-produce, with Marc Forster, the drama film Disconnect directed by Henry Alex Rubin.[19]
Filmography
- 2020 The Queen's Gambit
- 2019 The Burnt Orange Heresy (producer)
- 2017 Crash Pad (producer)
- Flavia de Luce (TV Series) (co-producer)
- 2016 The Promise (producer - produced by, p.g.a.)
- 2015 Parched (co-executive producer)
- 2013 Black Nativity (producer)
- 2013 In Secret (producer)
- 2013 Charlie Countryman (producer)
- 2012 Disconnect (producer)
- 2010 Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (executive producer)
- 2010 Death at a Funeral (producer)
- 2009 Adventureland (executive producer)
- 2008 Milk (executive producer)
- 2008 Management (executive producer)
- 2008 Synecdoche, New York (executive producer)
- 2007 The Kite Runner (producer)
- 2007 Lars and the Real Girl (executive producer)
- 2007 Married Life (executive producer)
- 2007 Charlie Bartlett (executive producer)
- 2007 Talk to Me (executive producer)
- 2007 Death at a Funeral (executive producer)
- 2007 Breach (executive producer)
- 2003 Cold Mountain (producer)
- 2002 The Quiet American (producer)
- 2002 Heaven (producer)
- 2001 Blow Dry (producer)
- 1999 The Talented Mr. Ripley (producer)
- 1998 Poodle Springs (TV Movie) (executive producer)
- 1998 Muddy Waters at Chicagofest (TV Movie documentary) (producer - as Bill Horberg)
- 1998 Sliding Doors (producer)
- 1993-1995 Fallen Angels (TV Series) (producer - 10 episodes)
- Red Wind (1995) ... (producer)
- The Black Bargain (1995) ... (producer)
- Tomorrow I Die (1995) ... (producer)
- Fly Paper (1995) ... (producer)
- A Dime a Dance (1995) ... (producer)
- 1993 Searching for Bobby Fischer (Innocent Moves) (producer)
- 1991 A Rage in Harlem (executive producer)
- 1990 Miami Blues (associate producer)
References
- "Stealing a New Life, Carnal, Glamorous and Worth the Price," The New York Times December 24, 1999
- "Lovers Striving for a Reunion, with a War in the Way," The New York Times review December 25, 2003
- Variety review September 3, 1993
- Sandburg Theatre, Cinema Treasures, http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/5765
- "Synecdoche - Production Notes" (PDF). p. 23.
- "Cop, Thief and Prostitute in Miami," The New York Times April 20, 1990
- "Panning For Gold in 1950's Harlem, Via Himes Novel," The New York Times May 3, 1991
- "A Jaded Affair in a Vietnam Already at War," The New York Times November 22, 2002
- "When Fate Intrudes, Death on Screen as Well as Off," The New York Times October 4, 2002
- "Blessing (or Burden?) of a Child's Chess Gift," The New York Times August 11, 1993
- "And the Film Deals Goes to an Outsider," The New York Times September 17, 2005
- "A Pioneer Shock Jock, but with a Big Heart," The New York Times July 13, 2007
- "Harry and Pat and Kay and Richard 1949," The New York Times March 7, 2008
- A Lonely Guy Plays House with a Mail-Order Sex Doll," The New York Times October 12, 2007
- "Dreamer, Live in the Here and Now," The New York Times October 24, 2008
- "From Memories, There's No Escape," The New York Times December 14, 2007
- "Freedom Fighter in Life Becomes Potent Symbol in Death," The New York Times, November 26, 2008
- "Remaking an Ancient Farce from 2007," The New York Times April 16, 2010
- Fleming, Mike. "'Murderball' Helmer Henry-Alex Rubin Takes On 'Disconnect'". Deadline.com. Retrieved 2013-04-06.