Brian Robbins
American businessman From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Brian Robbins (born Brian Levine, November 22, 1963) is an American filmmaker and businessman. He is the Co-CEO of Paramount Global; President and Chief Executive Officer of Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon; and Chief Content Officer, Movies & Kids & Family, Paramount+. As President & CEO of Paramount Pictures, Robbins oversees the filmed entertainment division's creative strategy and worldwide business operations including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.[1]
Brian Robbins | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Robbins in 2019 | |
| Born | Brian Levine November 22, 1963 New York City, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1982–present |
| Spouses | Laura Cathcart (div. 2013)Tracy Robbins (m. 2014) |
| Children | 3 |
| Father | Floyd Levine |
Early life
Robbins was born on November 22, 1963 in New York City and raised in the Marine Park, Brooklyn neighborhood. Robbins was born to a Jewish family. His father is the actor Floyd Levine.[2] When he was 16, he moved with his family to Los Angeles.[3] He graduated from Grant High School in 1982.[4]
Following his father into acting,[2] Robbins made his television debut on an episode of Trapper John, M.D.[4] He guest starred on a number of television series and had a recurring role on General Hospital.[4] As an actor, he is perhaps best known for his role as Eric Mardian on the ABC sitcom Head of the Class.[4] He also hosted the children's version of the TV game show Pictionary in 1989. In the 1990s, Robbins started producing the show All That and its spin-offs on Nickelodeon.[2] He has produced several sports films including Coach Carter and Hardball (2001). He produced Smallville and also One Tree Hill. He has often collaborated with producer Michael Tollin.[2]
Career
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Robbins is the founder of AwesomenessTV, a YouTube channel aimed at teenagers. The channel spun off into a TV series, on which Robbins served as executive producer.[5] DreamWorks Animation acquired the company in 2013.[6] On February 22, 2017, following NBCUniversal/Comcast's acquisition of DreamWorks Animation, Robbins stepped down as AwesomenessTV's CEO, ending his five-year run with the company.[7]
Robbins first joined Paramount in 2017 as the first president of Paramount Players, after which he became president of Nickelodeon in 2018, and then president of Kids & Family Entertainment, for ViacomCBS (now Paramount).[8] On October 1, 2018, he left his position as the president of Paramount Players after Viacom chose him to be the president of Nickelodeon, ending his 16-month run at the studio.[9] Despite leaving the studio, he remained involved with Paramount Players division Nickelodeon Movies.[10]
Robbins became head of Paramount Pictures in September 2021.[11][12] In this role, he is focused on driving Paramount's multi-platform strategy and theatrical success through a diversified portfolio of films. Robbins is also at the forefront of securing strategic filmmaker partnerships to expand the studio's global franchise business across live-action features, animation, consumer products and themed entertainment.[13][14][15][16][17] Robbins brings unique experience and an unconventionally diversified and entrepreneurial background, with vast experience on both the business and creative sides of the industry including as an actor, writer, producer, director and company founder; poising him to help lead an entertainment entity at the scale of Paramount Global.
As President and CEO of Paramount Pictures, Brian Robbins has expanded and revitalized beloved franchises such as Transformers, Sonic the Hedgehog, Mission: Impossible, A Quiet Place, Scream, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and PAW Patrol, with the latter two earning a combined $2.5B in consumer products revenue in 2023 alone.[18] Robbins has emphasized allowing intellectual property-driven brands to drive other lines of business, particularly consumer products. Robbins has been instrumental in leading a multi-platform franchise strategy including greenlighting both a third Sonic The Hedgehog film and the spinoff series Knuckles. Most recently, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 surpassed the $405 million box offie record of the previous film and the film franchise surpassed $1.2 billion in worldwide box office gross across its three movies.[19] Following its debut, Knuckles, in its first 28 days streaming on Paramount+, earned over 11M total global hours and is the #1 Kids & Family series ever in terms of hours.[20]
Under Robbins' tenure, Paramount Pictures has to-date earned over $6B in worldwide box office gross and boasted numerous #1 hits, including Top Gun: Maverick, the studio's biggest film ever. In 2024, Robbins oversaw the theatrical release of five #1 openings, including Sonic The Hedgehog 3, Smile 2, Bob Marley: One Love, Mean Girls, and IF.
Robbins has been recognized for his strategic approach to theatrical release windows relative to streaming.[21] As an example of this, he shifted the release strategy of Smile from streaming to theatrical, with Smile becoming the top-grossing original horror film of that year and becoming the studio's third most profitable film in a decade.[22] ' Robbins has also strengthened Paramount Animation and Paramount's consumer products division through the success of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and PAW Patrol. Robbins has emphasized allowing intellectual property-driven properties to drive other lines of business, particularly consumer products.[18]
On April 29, 2024, Robbins, along with George Cheeks and Chris McCarthy, became co-CEOs after Bob Bakish stepped down from his role.[23]
Robbins is a board member of the Motion Picture Association; a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; sits on the board of trustees for the AFI and is the recipient of a Directors Guild Award, a Peabody Award, and the Pioneer Prize from the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.[24]
Personal life
He married publicist Laura Cathcart and they had two sons together before divorcing in 2013. He married stylist Tracy James in 2014.[25] They have a daughter, and live with his sons in the Hancock Park neighborhood of Los Angeles.[25][26]
Filmography
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Film
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | The Show | Yes | Yes | Documentary film |
| 1997 | Good Burger | Yes | Yes | Also executive soundtrack producer |
| 1999 | Varsity Blues | Yes | Yes | |
| 2000 | Ready to Rumble | Yes | No | |
| 2001 | Hardball | Yes | Yes | |
| 2004 | The Perfect Score | Yes | Yes | |
| 2006 | The Shaggy Dog | Yes | No | |
| 2007 | Norbit | Yes | Executive | Nominated- Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director |
| 2008 | Meet Dave | Yes | No | |
| 2012 | A Thousand Words | Yes | Yes | Filmed in 2008 |
Producer only
- Summer Catch (2001)
- Big Fat Liar (2002) (Also story writer)
- Radio (2003)
- Coach Carter (2005)
- Wild Hogs (2007)
- The To Do List (2013)
- Before I Fall (2017)
- Bigger Fatter Liar (2017) (executive producer)
- The Loud House Movie (2021) (executive producer)
Acting roles
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Cellar Dweller | Phillip Lemley |
| 1989 | C.H.U.D. II: Bud the C.H.U.D. | Steve Williams |
Television
| Year | Title | Director | Executive Producer |
Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Head of the Class | No | No | Yes | Episode "Will the Real Arvid Engen Please Stand Up?" |
| 1994 | All That | No | Yes | Yes | Also creator |
| 1996 | Kenan & Kel | Yes | Yes | No | 5 episodes |
| 1998-2001 | Cousin Skeeter | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also creator; Wrote "A Family Thing", directed "Skeeter's Toy Story" |
| 1999 | Popular | Yes | No | No | Episode "The Phantom Menace" |
| 2001 | The Nightmare Room | Yes | Yes | No | Episode "Four Eyes" |
| 2002 | Birds of Prey | Yes | Yes | No | Episode "Pilot" |
| 2005 | All That 10th Anniversary Reunion Special | No | No | Yes | TV special |
| 2010 | Blue Mountain State | Yes | Yes | No | 2 episodes |
| 2011 | Supah Ninjas | Yes | Yes | No | 2 episodes |
Executive producer only
- The Amanda Show (2000–2001)
- Smallville (2001–2011)
- The Nick Cannon Show (2002)
- What I Like About You (2002–2006)
- One Tree Hill (2003–2012)
- Crumbs (2006)
- Sonny with a Chance (2009–2011)
- Fred: The Movie (2010)
- So Random! (2011–2012)
- AwesomenessTV (2013–2015)
Thanks credits
- Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (2019)
- The Loud House (2019–present)
- SpongeBob SquarePants (2019–present)
- Middle School Moguls (2019)
- Blaze and the Monster Machines (2019–present)
- Are You Afraid of the Dark? (2019)
- The Casagrandes (2019–2022)
- Blue's Clues & You! (2019–2024)
- It's Pony (2020–2022)
- Glitch Techs (2020)
- Santiago of the Seas (2020–2023)
- Baby Shark's Big Show! (2020–present)
- Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years (2021–present)
- Rugrats (2021–present)
- The Patrick Star Show (2021–present)
- Middlemost Post (2021–2022)
Acting roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Harper Valley PTA | Charlie's Nephew | Episode "The Return of Charlie's Chow Palace" |
| Archie Bunker's Place | Danny Ferguson | Episode "Double Date" | |
| The Facts of Life | Ben | Episode "For the Asking" | |
| Taxi[27] | Young Man | Episode "Alex the Gofer" | |
| 1983 | Teachers Only | Vinnie Minetti | Episodes "Praise the Lord and Pasta Ammunition" & "Rex, the Wonder Husband" |
| Three's Company | Mark Furley | Episode "Janet's Little Helper" | |
| Knight Rider | Randy Merritt | Episode "Soul Survivor" | |
| 1984 | Diff'rent Strokes | Skyhigh | Episode "Undercover Lover" |
| Newhart | Rob | Episode "The Fan" | |
| 1985 | Charles in Charge | Todd Baldwin | Episode "Mr. President" |
| Growing Pains | Mitch | Episode "Dirt Bike" | |
| 1986 | The Gladiator | Jeff Benton | TV movie |
| Mr. Belvedere | Eric | Episode "The Dropout" | |
| 1986–1991 | Head of the Class | Eric Mardian | 114 episodes |
| 1987 | Kids Incorporated | Brian | Episode "Win a Date with Renee" |
| 1990 | Camp Cucamonga | Roger Berg | TV movie |
| 1992 | Full House | David Janolari | Episodes "Captain Video: Part 1" and "Captain Video: Part 2" |
| 1997 | Kenan & Kel | Risotto | Episode "Safe and Sorry" |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Heartland Film Festival | Won | Crystal Heart Award | Hardwood Dreams (shared with Mike Tollin) |
| 1995 | Emmy Award | Nominated | Outstanding Informational Special | Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream (shared with Debra Martin Chase, Fredric Golding, Dorian Harewood, David Houle, Tom McMahon, Pat Mitchell, Jack Myers, Vivian Schiller, Mike Tollin, Denzel Washington) |
| 1996 | CableACE Award | Won | Children's Special - 7 and Older | Sports Theater with Shaquille O'Neal (shared with Leonard Armato, Bruce Binkow, Robert Mickelson, Shaquille O'Neal, Mike Tollin, For the special "4 Points") |
| 1997 | Directors Guild of America Award | Nominated | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children's Programs | Sports Theater with Shaquille O'Neal (for the special "4 Points") |
| 1998 | Won | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children's Programs | Sports Theater with Shaquille O'Neal (shared with W. Alexander Ellis, Cynthia Riddle, Brad Uecker: for episode "First Time") | |
| 2005 | Black Movie Awards | Nominated | Outstanding Motion Picture | Coach Carter (shared with David Gale, Mike Tollin) |
| 2016 | Emmy Award | Nominated | Outstanding Children's Series | Project Mc²: Season 1 |
References
External links
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