Robert Shaye
Robert Kenneth Shaye is an American businessman, actor, and filmmaker. Shaye is the founder of New Line Cinema, a film production studio that was most successful for distributing The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, based on the classic fantasy novel of the same name by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. He stepped down from New Line in 2008 after the studio was restructured as a unit of 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 Stockholm University 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. In the 1980s and early 1990s, New Line released blockbuster films such as A Nightmare on Elm Street and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. In 1994, New Line was acquired by the Turner Broadcasting System for $500 million, with Shaye earning more than million. In 1996, Turner Broadcasting System became part of Time Warner.In 1998, when New Zealand director Peter Jackson brought his 36-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 that Jackson should make three films instead. Shaye subsequently greenlit a simultaneous production for all three installments. At the box office, the three films are among New Line's highest-grossing and most popular films, earning a combined total of nearly $3 billion worldwide. They were nominated for a total of thirty Academy Awards, winning seventeen, including eleven for The Return of the King at the 76th Academy Awards ceremony.
Investing career
Independently and through his family office Lemoko Management Company he is an active investor in companies like Brat TV.Unique Features
In February 2008, Shaye and New Line co-chairman Michael Lynne were dismissed from the company as part of a significant restructuring ordered by then-Time Warner CEO Jeffrey Bewkes. That June, Shaye and Lynne formed a new independent film company called Unique Features. The company's projects include The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, the TV series Shadowhunters, When the Bough Breaks, Ambition, directed by Shaye, The Liberator, their first animated project, Night Teeth, Space Oddity, Reunion, although Shaye never produced the film, and their upcoming film High in the Clouds.Filmography
He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.Film
; As an actor| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1984 | A Nightmare on Elm Street | Newsreader / KRGR Radio Announcer | Voice role Uncredited |
| 1985 | A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge | Bartender | Uncredited |
| 1986 | Quiet Cool | Franklin | |
| 1987 | The Hidden | Man in Silver Mercedes Picking Up a Gorgeous Girl | Uncredited |
| 1988 | A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master | Lecturer | |
| 1991 | Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare | Ticket Seller | |
| 1993 | Loaded Weapon 1 | Interrogation Room Person | Uncredited |
| 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 | |
| 2013 | Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th | Himself | Documentary film |
; As director
| Year | Film | Notes |
| 1963 | Image | Short film |
| 1965 | On Fighting Witches | Short film |
| 1973 | The Best of the New York Erotic Film Festival | |
| 1990 | Book of Love | |
| 2007 | The Last Mimzy | |
| 2019 | Ambition |
; As writer
| Year | Film |
| 1977 | Stunts |
| 1982 | Alone in the Dark |
; 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 | Uncredited |
; Thanks
| Year | Film | Role |
| 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 |
| 2019 | Girl Blood Sport | Special thanks |
| 2019 | Motherless Brooklyn | The director wishes to thank |
Television
; As an actor| Year | Title | Role |
| 1988 | Freddy's Nightmares | The Minister |
; Production manager
| Year | Title | Role |
| 2011 | SpongeBob SquarePants | Executive in charge of production |