Robert Shaye
Robert Kenneth Shaye 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.
Biography
Early life
Shaye was born to a Jewish family in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Dorothy and Max Mendle Shaye, a supermarket owner and artist. His mother was an immigrant from Russia. He is the brother of actress Lin Shaye.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.
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.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. The Lord of the Rings was nominated a total of thirty Academy Awards, winning 17, including 11 awards for . 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 TV series Shadowhunters, When the Bough Breaks, and Ambition, directed by Shaye.Filmography
All films, he was producer unless otherwise noted.Film
;As an actor| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1984 | A Nightmare on Elm Street | Newsreader / KRGR Radio Announcer | Voice role |
| 1985 | ' | Bartender | |
| 1986 | Quiet Cool | Franklin | |
| 1987 | The Hidden | Man in Silver Mercedes Picking Up a Gorgeous Girl | |
| 1988 | ' | Lecturer | |
| 1991 | Ticket Seller | ||
| 1993 | Loaded Weapon 1 | Interrogation Room Person | |
| 1993 | 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 | Notes |
| 1977 | Stunts | Scenario |
| 1982 | Alone in the Dark | Story |
;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 | Notes |
| 1997 | Spawn | Thanks |
| 1997 | Boogie Nights | Special thanks |
| 1998 | Dark City | Thanks |
| 1999 | Magnolia | Special thanks |
| 2006 | Kill Your Darlings | Thanks |
| 2007 | Run Fatboy Run | Thanks |
| 2008 | The Women | Special appreciation |
Television
;As an actor| Year | Title | Role |
| 1988 | Freddy's Nightmares | The Minister |