Marc Abraham

Marc Abraham is an American film producer, director, and former president of Strike Entertainment, a production company he launched in early 2002 with a multi-year, first look arrangement with Universal Pictures.

Marc Abraham
Abraham at the Flash of Genius film premiere in September 2008
Occupations

Career

Abraham began his career as a copywriter for Young & Rubicam in New York City after graduating from the University of Virginia. He left advertising to pursue a full-time writing career and worked as a freelance sportswriter for several newspapers and magazines. He also wrote two books on the International Olympic Games for Universal Press.

Abraham's entry into film began with the documentary, Playing to Win, an inside look at the Cuban athletic system. He wrote several screenplays for studios and networks including 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros. and CBS. He also wrote for the popular series 21 Jump Street and Moonlighting.

He was a founding partner, along with Armyan Bernstein, at Beacon Communications, a financing and production company founded in 1990.

Abraham brought to the big screen Flash of Genius, released by Universal Pictures in Fall 2008, which marked his directorial debut and stars Greg Kinnear and Lauren Graham.[1] Based on a true story, the movie tells the story of a small-time inventor who takes on the Detroit automakers. Also for Universal Pictures, Abraham is producing Trouble is My Business, an adaptation of Raymond Chandler's detective-noir classic, starring Clive Owen.[2] He produced the remake of The Thing for Strike Entertainment alongside Eric Newman.[3][4]

Even with the disestablishment of Strike Entertainment in 2013, Abraham and Newman still produced the 2014 film RoboCop under the Strike Entertainment name since it started production in 2012.[5]

Abraham directed, wrote and produced the 2015 Hank Williams biopic I Saw the Light, which starred Tom Hiddleston. It was based on Colin Escott's 1994 book Hank Williams: The Biography.[6]

Beacon Pictures
Main article: Beacon Pictures

During its first few years, Beacon Communications produced award-winning films like The Commitments which was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy in 1992[7] and also went on to win four BAFTA awards; and Keith Gordon's A Midnight Clear, starring Ethan Hawke.

In a co-venture with Turner Pictures, Abraham executive produced David Mamet's A Life in the Theatre. Beacon also produced Sugar Hill, starring Wesley Snipes; Princess Caraboo, starring Phoebe Cates and Kevin Kline; The Road to Wellville, directed by Alan Parker and starring Anthony Hopkins; and The Baby-Sitters Club, based on the best-selling series of books from Scholastic.

Strike Entertainment
Main article: Strike Entertainment

Abraham and fellow producers Thomas Bliss and Eric Newman founded Strike Entertainment in 2002. They produced such films as Children of Men, The Rundown (2003), Slither (2006), Flash of Genius (2008), The Thing (2011), and RoboCop (2014) under Strike's production name.

In March 2013, Abraham, Bliss and Newman dissolved Strike Entertainment after 11 years as a Universal-based production company. The Universal first-look deal dissolved the company is Spring 2013, which marked the end of a 15-year tenure at the studio for Abraham, Bliss and Newman. Abraham and Newman said the partnership simply ran its course and that the parting is amicable. They will continue to work together on a projects they still have percolating under the Strike banner.[8]

Awards and affiliations

Abraham is a member of the Writer's Guild, the Producer's Guild, and on the board of the Virginia Film Festival and the Violence Policy Center. He has been honored with the Spirit of Chrysalis Award, which recognized Abraham for his outstanding commitment to helping change lives through jobs, and helping thousands of disadvantaged and homeless individuals and families in Los Angeles.[9]

Filmography

He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.

Film

As producer

As executive producer
As writer
Year Film
2015I Saw the Light
As director
Year Film
2008Flash of Genius
2015I Saw the Light
As an actor
Year Film Role
1999Trippin''Mission Life' Speaker
2002Red DragonDinner Guest
Soundtrack
Year Film Role
2015I Saw the LightWriter: "Even Though You Let Me Go"

Television
Year Title Credit Notes
1993A Life in the TheatreExecutive producerTelevision film
2005Untitled David Diamond / David Weissman ProjectTelevision film
As writer
Year Title Notes
198921 Jump Street
Moonlighting
1990The Earth Day SpecialTelevision special

References
  1. Michael Fleming (June 14, 2007). "Kinnear, Graham get 'Flash of Genius'". Variety. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  2. Michael Fleming (June 19, 2007). "Frank Miller takes on 'Trouble'". Variety. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  3. Patrick Goldstein; James Rainey (March 14, 2010). "Can 'The Thing' remake help stop Universal's losing streak?". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  4. Brad Miska (March 16, 2010). "Strike Entertainment Producers Call Making 'The Thing' "Irresistible"". Bloody-Disgusting. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  5. Dave McNary (August 16, 2012). "'Robocop' books Marianne Jean-Baptiste". Variety. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  6. Sean Michaels (June 13, 2014). "Tom Hiddleston set to play country icon Hank Williams in new biopic". The Guardian. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  7. "The 49th Annual Golden Globe Awards (1992)". Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  8. Mike Fleming Jr. (March 12, 2013). "Producing Partners Marc Abraham And Eric Newman Dissolve Strike Entertainment". Deadline. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  9. Charles Lyons (August 29, 2000). "Chrysalis Award fete Abraham, Shepherd". Variety. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
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