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Erik Feig

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Erik Feig
Born
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Alma materVanderbilt University
Columbia University (BA)
OccupationFilm executive
Years active1997–present
TitleFounder and CEO of Picturestart
Spouse
Susanna Felleman
​
(m. 2002)​
Children2

Erik Feig is an American film executive and producer.

Feig, a graduate of Columbia University, began his career in film as an independent producer. He worked for Summit Entertainment during the 2000s, before becoming president of production for Lionsgate. He left the company in 2018. In May 2019, Feig launched Picturestart, an independent production company.[1]

Early life and education

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Feig was born in Los Angeles, California, and raised in Westport, Connecticut.[2][3] He attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, for one year. After taking a year off to travel, he transferred to Columbia University in New York City, graduating with a BA in English in 1992.[3][4] At Columbia, Feig lived in East Campus and studied under James S. Shapiro, Annette Insdorf, and David Denby.[5]

Career

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Independent producing (1997-2000)

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Feig began his career as an independent producer, working with Sony Pictures producing films including I Know What You Did Last Summer, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer and Slackers, all for Sony Pictures.[4][6][7] He had a producing deal with Artisan Entertainment, before being recruited to run the film department at Summit Entertainment.[6]

Summit Entertainment (2001-11)

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In 1998 Summit Entertainment, a sales agent at the time, launched its own production department with Splendor and Kill the Man, and by 2001, Feig joined Summit as president of production and acquisitions.[2] He became a partner in 2007.[6][8]

Feig brought the Twilight book series to Summit after Paramount Pictures passed on it.[6] Although at the time the book had sold only 4,000 copies, Feig noted its strong following online, and its potential to be a franchise for the new studio.[8][9] He pursued the project and was able to make a deal with author Stephenie Meyer.[10] Feig secured the rights to all four books in February 2006.[8]

Lionsgate (2012-2019)

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Summit was sold to Lionsgate for $412.5 million in 2012,[11] and Feig was named president of production for Lionsgate Motion Picture Group.[4] In February 2014, he was promoted to co-president of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, overseeing film production and development for the Lionsgate and Summit labels.[12]

Feig first learned of La La Land at the Sundance Film Festival in 2014, when he met with Damien Chazelle, who pitched him his script for a Hollywood musical. At the time, the script was in development at Focus Features. Feig secured a $30 million budget for Lionsgate to produce the film, gambling on the unusual undertaking of an original Hollywood musical. Chazelle's first feature Whiplash had not yet been released when the deal was made.[13][14][15]

In February 2018, it was reported that Feig would be leaving Lionsgate, and that he has raised money to launch a new company focused on youth-oriented projects. Lionsgate is expected to be one of the investors in the new company.[16][17]

Picturestart

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In May 2019, Feig announced the launch of Picturestart, a "new media" company. Scholastic granted the company access to its IP.[18][1][19] Picturestart intends to produce four to six films and four to six TV series per year.[20]

Personal life

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Feig lives in Los Angeles, California, with his wife Susanna Felleman and their two children. They were married in New York in 2002.[2][3]

Filmography

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Producer

Executive producer

References

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  1. ^ a b Fleming, Mike Jr. (May 2, 2019). "Ex-Lionsgate Chief Erik Feig Launches Funded Production Shingle Picturestart; Warner Bros, Endeavor Content, BRON Key Backers". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 4, 2019. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c "Weddings; Susanna Felleman, Erik Feig," Archived 2017-10-27 at the Wayback Machine The New York Times, May 19, 2002.
  3. ^ a b c "Take Five with Erik Feig '92," Archived 2017-12-26 at the Wayback Machine Columbia College Today, 2017.
  4. ^ a b c Block, Alex Ben (2012-02-09). "Erik Feig to Head Movie Production at Combined Summit-Lionsgate". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2022-08-09. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
  5. ^ "Take Five with Erik Feig '92". Columbia College Today. 2017-09-15. Archived from the original on 2022-06-18. Retrieved 2022-05-14.
  6. ^ a b c d Finke, Nikki (2012-02-09). "EXCLUSIVE: Summit's Erik Feig To Be Named President Of Production Of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group". Deadline. Archived from the original on 2022-10-23. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
  7. ^ "Erik Feig," Archived 2018-02-16 at the Wayback Machine Variety. Accessed October 27, 2017.
  8. ^ a b c Barnes, Brooks (2008-11-19). "For Studio, Vampire Movie Is a Cinderella Story". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2023-05-30. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
  9. ^ Likhtman, Asya (2015-03-18). "Erik Feig tells us his Hollywood life story". The Oxford Student. Archived from the original on 2021-08-04. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
  10. ^ Sperling, Nicole (16 July 2008). "'Twilight' hits Hollywood". EW.com. Archived from the original on 2014-10-24. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
  11. ^ McNary, Dave (2012-01-13). "Lionsgate buys Summit for $412.5 million". Variety. Archived from the original on 2023-05-08. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
  12. ^ Miller, Daniel (2014-02-25). "Erik Feig named co-president of Lionsgate's film group". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2021-01-23. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
  13. ^ Anthony D'Alessandro, "Encore: How 'La La Land' Director Damien Chazelle, His Team & Lionsgate Faced The Music & Resurrected The Original Hollywood Musical," Archived 2019-12-29 at the Wayback Machine Deadline.com, February 17, 2017.
  14. ^ Ryan Faughnder, "With 'La La Land,' which hauled in 14 Oscar nominations, Lionsgate's gamble is paying off big," Archived 2020-02-14 at the Wayback Machine Los Angeles Times, January 24, 2017.
  15. ^ Peter Bart, "'La La Land,' Starz Deal Leaves Lionsgate Singing About Future," Archived 2019-09-09 at the Wayback Machine Deadline.com, December 21, 2016.
  16. ^ McNary, Dave (2018-02-20). "Lionsgate Film Execs Erik Feig, Patrick Wachsberger Plan Exit". Variety. Archived from the original on 2022-05-12. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
  17. ^ Masters, Kim (2018-02-20). "Lionsgate Shake-Up: Top Film Execs Plan Exit (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2022-09-30. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
  18. ^ Kroll, Justin (May 2, 2019). "Veteran Producer and Exec Erik Feig Launches Media Company Picturestart". Variety. Archived from the original on May 2, 2019. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
  19. ^ Kit, Borys (May 2, 2019). "Former Lionsgate Film Exec Erik Feig Launches New Production Banner". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 7, 2019. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
  20. ^ Faughnder, Ryan (May 2, 2019). "Former Lionsgate executive Erik Feig gets Warner Bros. backing for new company". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 7, 2019. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
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