Brian Robbins | |
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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 James (m. 2014) |
Children | 3 |
Relatives | Floyd Levine (father) |
Brian Robbins (born Brian Levine, November 22, 1963) is an American businessman, film and television producer, director, executive and current co-CEO of Paramount Global. He has been the president and CEO of Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon since 2021. He was named the co-CEO of Paramount Global in April 2024. [1]
Robbins was born in New York City's Brooklyn borough into a Jewish family on November 22, 1963, the son of 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]
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, 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] During his tenure, Robbins has overseen releases that have garnered more than $5 billion in global box office. [13]
As President and CEO of Paramount Pictures, Brian Robbins has focused on securing production deals with prominent filmmakers and revitalizing franchises such as Transformers , Sonic the Hedgehog , Mission: Impossible , A Quiet Place , Scream , Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles , and PAW Patrol . [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] These partnerships have contributed to Paramount Pictures' $5 billion-plus global box office revenue, with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and PAW Patrol alone generating $2.5 billion in consumer products revenue in 2023. [19]
Robbins has been recognized for his strategic approach to theatrical release windows relative to streaming. [13] He shifted the release strategy of Smile and Mean Girls from streaming to theatrical, with Smile becoming the top-grossing original horror film of 2022, earning $217 million worldwide and becoming the studio's third most profitable film in a decade. [20] Mean Girls grossed $107 million globally and led the domestic box office for three consecutive weeks. [21] 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. [19]
On April 29, 2024, Robbins, along with George Cheeks and Chris McCarthy, became co-CEOs after Bob Bakish stepped down from his role. [22]
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. [23]
He married publicist Laura Cathcart and they had two sons together, Miles and Justin, before divorcing in 2013. He married stylist Tracy James in 2014. [24] They have a daughter named Stella and live with his sons in the Hancock Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. [24] [25]
Year | Title | Director | Producer | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1995 | The Show | Yes | Yes | Documentary film |
1997 | Good Burger | Yes | Yes | |
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
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
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 [26] | 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" |
1988 | Cellar Dweller | Phillip Lemley | |
1989 | C.H.U.D. II: Bud the C.H.U.D. | Steve Williams | |
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" |
Year | Award | Result | Category | Film or series |
---|---|---|---|---|
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) |
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production and distribution company and the namesake subsidiary of Paramount Global. It is the sixth-oldest film studio in the world, the second-oldest film studio in the United States, and the sole member of the "Big Five" film studios located within the city limits of Los Angeles.
The second incarnation of Viacom Inc., was an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate with interests primarily in film and television. It was established on December 31, 2005, as one of two companies which succeeded the original Viacom, alongside the second CBS Corporation. The controlling shareholder of both companies was National Amusements, a theater company headed by businessman Sumner Redstone. The split was structured so that the original Viacom changed its name to CBS Corporation and spun out its cable and film interests as a new Viacom.
Paramount Media Networks is an American mass media division of Paramount Global that oversees the operations of many of its television channels and online brands. Its related international division is Paramount International Networks.
Flix is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by Showtime Networks, a subsidiary of Paramount Global operated through its Paramount Media Networks division. Its programming consists solely of theatrically released motion pictures released from the 1970s to the present day, interspersed with some films from the 1950s and 1960s.
MTV Entertainment Studios is the film and television production arm of MTV Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Founded in 1991 as MTV Productions, it is a consolidation of the former MTV Films group established in 1996 and the MTV Production Development/MTV Studios group of 2003–2021, it has produced original television shows like Beavis and Butt-Head, Æon Flux, Jackass, My Super Sweet 16, Daria, Celebrity Deathmatch, Clone High and The Real World and films such as Election, Joe's Apartment and Napoleon Dynamite. Its films are released by fellow Paramount Global division Paramount Pictures. The MTV Films unit was part of Paramount Players until 2020.
The second incarnation of CBS Corporation was an American multinational media company with interests primarily in commercial broadcasting, publishing, and television production. It was formed on December 31, 2005, as the legal successor of the original Viacom, following the spin-off of the second incarnation of Viacom; both CBS Corporation and the second Viacom were controlled by National Amusements, a theater company owned by billionaire Sumner Redstone.
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Paramount Television Studios, formerly the second incarnation of Paramount Television, is the television arm of American film studio Paramount Pictures, a division of Paramount Global, founded on March 4, 2013 by its predecessor, Viacom, following an emerging vigorous business with the technological expansion of television via streaming services. Paramount also recognized that television could give them little to fall back on when films fail, except for studio stage rentals.
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James N. Gianopulos is an American businessman. He served as chairman and CEO of 20th Century Fox and most recently as chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures until his departure in September 2021.
All That is an American sketch comedy children's television series created by Brian Robbins and Mike Tollin. The series originally aired on Nickelodeon from April 16, 1994, to October 22, 2005, lasting ten seasons, and was produced by Tollin/Robbins Productions and by Schneider's Bakery in season ten. The pilot episode was originally shown as a special "sneak peek" on April 16, 1994, with the show officially debuting as a regular series on January 21, 1995.
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Awesomeness, formerly and best known as AwesomenessTV, is an American digital media and entertainment network company owned by Paramount Digital Studios, a division of Paramount Global. Established in July 2012 by Brian Robbins and Joe Davola, the company operated a network initially focused on children’s programs, teen dramas, comedies, live events and music videos targeting adolescents and young adults.
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Robert Marc Bakish is an American business executive. He became the president and CEO of Paramount Global on December 4, 2019, formerly holding the same position at Viacom before the merger with CBS Corporation. He stepped down on April 29, 2024.
The Loud House Movie is a 2021 American animated musical comedy film based on and featuring characters from the Nickelodeon series The Loud House. Produced by Nickelodeon Movies, it was directed by Dave Needham in his directorial debut, from a screenplay by Kevin Sullivan and Chris Viscardi, and starring the voices of David Tennant, Michelle Gomez, Katy Townsend, and the regular voice cast of the series; consisting of Asher Bishop, Jill Talley, Brian Stepanek, Catherine Taber, Liliana Mumy, Nika Futterman, Cristina Pucelli, Jessica DiCicco, Grey Griffin, Lara Jill Miller, and Andre Robinson, who reprise their respective roles. The first film in the franchise, set between the fourth and fifth seasons of The Loud House, it tells the story of the Louds going to Scotland, where they learn that they are descended from royalty and own a castle, while contending with an evil plot.
Paramount Global is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate controlled by National Amusements and headquartered at One Astor Plaza in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The company was formed on December 4, 2019, as ViacomCBS through the merger of the second incarnations of CBS Corporation and Viacom. The company took its current name on February 16, 2022.
The 2019 merger of CBS Corporation and Viacom was announced on August 13, 2019, and was completed on December 4, 2019. The merger of equals reunited CBS Corporation and Viacom into a single company known as ViacomCBS after their separation from the first incarnation of Viacom on December 31, 2005. Both companies were owned by the theater company National Amusements, which remains the owner of the merged entity.