Neal H. Moritz

Neal H. Moritz (born June 6, 1959) is an American film producer and founder of Original Film. He has produced over 70 major motion pictures which have grossed a total of over $11 billion worldwide as of 2021. He is best known for the Fast & Furious franchise, the Jump Street and Sonic the Hedgehog films, as well as the television series Prison Break and Emmy-nominated The Boys. His early credits include I Know What You Did Last Summer, Urban Legend and Cruel Intentions.

Neal H. Moritz
Moritz at the 2010 San Diego Comic Con
Born (1959-06-06) June 6, 1959 (age 64)
Alma materUSC School of Cinematic Arts
OccupationFilm producer
SpouseSarah Trimble Moritz

Life

Neal H. Moritz was born in Los Angeles, California, to Milton Moritz and Barbara (née Levin). His paternal grandfather, Joseph Moritz, owned movie theaters in Pittsburgh and was an early investor in American International Pictures (AIP). Milton Moritz was born in Pittsburgh and moved to California after falling ill with rheumatic fever at age eight, when his doctor suggested the family move to a better climate. He was head of marketing at AIP and was later CEO and president of the National Association of Theatre Owners of California/Nevada. Moritz is from a Jewish family.[2][3][4][5]

Moritz grew up in Westwood and graduated from UCLA, where he participated in a Semester at Sea program. When he came back, he gave away several backpacks that were popular with Chinese students. He had so many requests for the backpacks that he and a friend began a company importing purses and bags from Taiwan. He sold the company to an investor, and returned to school.[3] He earned a master's degree from the Peter Stark Producing Program at the University of Southern California's School of Cinema-Television in 1985. He is a member of the school's Alumni Development Council. As of 2021, Moritz has been married for 20 years and has two children, aged 19 and 16.

Career

Moritz has more than 70 films to his credit, including Juice starring Tupac Shakur, I Know What You Did Last Summer, the first two films of the Urban Legend franchise, Cruel Intentions, The Skulls, the Fast & Furious franchise, Not Another Teen Movie, the first two films of the XXX film series, being XXX and XXX: State of the Union, S.W.A.T., Evan Almighty, I Am Legend, Made of Honor, Sweet Home Alabama, Total Recall and the Jump Street films, being 21 Jump Street and 22 Jump Street.

More recent credits include Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Spenser Confidential, Bloodshot, Escape Room, Goosebumps and Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween.

He has also produced the television series The Boys, S.W.A.T., Preacher, Happy, Prison Break, and The Big Break.

In September 2017, Moritz and Original Film signed a first-look deal for Paramount Pictures that began on January 1, 2019, leaving his longtime home, Sony Pictures, after over 20 years. However, he still maintains his overall deal at Sony Pictures Television.  

In October 2018, Moritz filed a lawsuit against Universal Pictures in Los Angeles County Superior Court for breach of oral contract and committing promissory fraud after the distributor removed him as lead producer on Hobbs & Shaw. On September 2, 2020, the California Court of Appeal for the Second Appellate District filed a published opinion affirming the trial court's denial of Universal's motion to compel arbitration of Moritz's claims.[6] On September 10, 2020, it was reported that the parties had reached an amicable settlement.[7] Moritz went on to receive producer credit for the 2021 film F9 and the 2023 film Fast X.

Filmography

He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.

Film

Sony Pictures

YearTitleDirectorNotes
1997I Know What You Did Last SummerJim GillespieUnder Columbia Pictures
1998I Still Know What You Did Last SummerDanny Cannon
Urban LegendJamie BlanksUnder TriStar Pictures
1999Cruel IntentionsRoger KumbleUnder Columbia Pictures
Blue StreakLes Mayfield
2000Urban Legends: Final CutJohn Ottman
2001Saving SilvermanDennis Dugan
The Glass HouseDaniel Sackheim
Not Another Teen MovieJoel Gallen
2002SlackersDewey NicksUnder Screen Gems
XXXRob CohenUnder Columbia Pictures
2003S.W.A.T.Clark Johnson
2005XXX: State of the UnionLee Tamahori
StealthRob Cohen
2006ClickFrank Coraci
Gridiron GangPhil Joanou
2008Vantage PointPete Travis
Made of HonorPaul Weiland
Prom NightNelson McCormickUnder Screen Gems
2010The Bounty HunterAndy TennantUnder Columbia Pictures
2011The Green HornetMichel Gondry
Battle: Los AngelesJonathan Liebesman
201221 Jump StreetPhil Lord and Christopher Miller
Total RecallLen Wiseman
201422 Jump StreetPhil Lord and Christopher Miller
2015GoosebumpsRob LettermanUnder Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation
2016PassengersMorten TyldumUnder Columbia Pictures
2018Goosebumps 2: Haunted HalloweenAri SandelUnder Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation
2019Escape RoomAdam RobitelUnder Columbia Pictures
2020BloodshotDavid S. F. Wilson
2021Escape Room: Tournament of ChampionsAdam Robitel

NBCUniversal

YearTitleDirectorNotes
2000The SkullsRob CohenUnder Universal Pictures
2001The Fast and the Furious
20032 Fast 2 FuriousJohn Singleton
2006The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo DriftJustin Lin
2007Evan AlmightyTom Shadyac
2009Fast & FuriousJustin Lin
2011Fast Five
The Change-UpDavid Dobkin
2013Fast & Furious 6Justin Lin
R.I.P.D.Robert Schwentke
2014Search PartyScot ArmstrongUnder Focus World
2015Furious 7James WanUnder Universal Pictures
2017The Fate of the FuriousF. Gary Gray
2021F9Justin Lin
2023Fast XLouis Leterrier

Lionsgate

YearTitleDirectorNotes
1994The Stoned AgeJames MelkonianUnder Trimark Pictures
1999Held UpSteve Rash
2001Soul SurvivorsStephen CarpenterUnder Artisan Entertainment
2011The Music Never StoppedJim KohlbergUnder Lionsgate Films and Roadside Attractions
2018Hunter KillerDonovan MarshUnder Lionsgate Films and Summit Premiere

The Walt Disney Studios

YearTitleDirectorNotes
1997VolcanoMick JacksonUnder 20th Century Fox
2002Sweet Home AlabamaAndy TennantUnder Touchstone Pictures
2019The Art of Racing in the RainSimon CurtisUnder 20th Century Fox
2022The PrincessLe-Van KietUnder 20th Century Studios and Hulu

Warner Bros. Discovery

YearTitleDirectorNotes
2004TorqueJoseph KahnUnder Warner Bros.
2007I Am LegendFrancis Lawrence
2013Jack the Giant SlayerBryan SingerUnder Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema

Paramount Global

YearTitleDirectorNotes
1992JuiceErnest R. DickersonUnder Paramount Pictures
2020Sonic the HedgehogJeff Fowler
2022Sonic the Hedgehog 2
2024Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Other studios

YearFilmDirectorStudio
2003Out of TimeCarl FranklinMGM Distribution Co.
2013Dead Man DownNiels Arden OplevFilmDistrict
2020Spenser ConfidentialPeter BergNetflix
TBAShadow RunCédric JimenezSolstice Studios[8]

Direct-to-video

As an actor

YearFilmRole
2001The Fast and the FuriousFerrari Driver
20032 Fast 2 FuriousSwerving Cop
S.W.A.T.Luxury Car Driver

Thanks

Television

All works, he was executive producer unless otherwise noted.

TV Movies

TV Pilots

References

External links