Allan Loeb

Last updated
Allan Loeb
Born (1969-07-25) July 25, 1969 (age 54)
Highland Park, Illinois, U.S.
OccupationScreenwriter, Movie Producer, Television Creator/Producer
Alma mater Ithaca College
Period2004–present
Notable works 21
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

Allan Loeb (born July 25, 1969) is an American screenwriter and film and television producer. He wrote the 2007 film Things We Lost in the Fire and created the 2008 television series New Amsterdam . He wrote the film drama 21 , which also was released in 2008. Among his other credits, he wrote and produced The Switch (2010). He also co-wrote Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010), and wrote The Dilemma (2011), and Just Go with It (2011). He performed a rewrite for the musical Rock of Ages (2012), and the mixed martial arts comedy Here Comes the Boom (2012).

Contents

Life and career

Loeb was born to a Jewish family [1] in Highland Park, Illinois, [2] the son of Elsie and Henry Loeb. He attended Ithaca College in New York from 1988 to 1992, [3] dropping out to work at the Chicago Board of Trade. [2] He relocated to Los Angeles, California in 1993 to pursue a career in screenwriting. [3] [4] In 2004, after graduating from the University of California, Los Angeles, [5] he moved to New York to write the script for The Only Living Boy in New York , which was eventually made into a 2017 film. Loeb returned to Los Angeles and continued writing his script with the help of Little Miss Sunshine producers Albert Berger and Ron Yerxa. He also joined Gamblers Anonymous to address his gambling addiction, which he claims changed his writing for the better. [4] Around this time, Loeb began work on his next script, Things We Lost in the Fire.

Things We Lost in the Fire was met with mixed reviews and was a box office failure grossing only around $8 million worldwide. In 2008, Loeb shared 'screenplay' credit with Peter Steinfeld on the film 21 (2008 film), produced by and starring Kevin Spacey. In 2010, Loeb wrote The Switch , [4] which premiered in August 2010. The film received relatively poor reviews and grossed nearly $50 million worldwide. He also co-wrote Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps directed by Oliver Stone. The film received generally favorable reviews and earned $135 million worldwide at the box office. In addition, he wrote a pair of 2011 films, The Dilemma and Just Go With It, which grossed $67 and $215 million, respectively.

Loeb rewrote the $75 million 1980s rock musical Rock of Ages , starring Tom Cruise, which Loeb received a shared 'screenplay' credit on. The film was a box office disappointment grossing only $56 million worldwide upon its release in June 2012. [6] Additionally Loeb co-wrote, along with Kevin James, the script to the mixed martial arts comedy Here Comes the Boom.

Loeb also rewrote the 2015 earthquake disaster 3D project San Andreas at New Line Cinema, and the action comedy The Machine, with Vin Diesel attached to produce and star at MGM. [7]

In 2015, Allan Loeb's long-developing script Out of This World, a project he had been writing since 2007, finally moved forward. Retitled The Space Between Us , the film was released in 2017. He sold his spec script, Collateral Beauty (2016), to Palm Star Media, with Will Smith cast in the lead. [8] [9]

Personal life

Loeb was a compulsive gambler from the age of ten until he joined Gamblers Anonymous in 2005, claiming: "Literally the minute I quit gambling my writing changed. It was magical. I had been giving so much emotional energy to gambling that only half of myself was out there writing. Gambling was a time suck, an energy suck, a creativity suck. I started going to GA meetings every Thursday night, and the writing flourished. It had so much more energy and passion." [4] He lost up to $30,000 to his gambling addiction in a single weekend and he was eventually left with $150,000 in credit-card debt. [4] Loeb is a keen follower of rock band Grateful Dead, which he compares to the film industry in its fanbase. [2]

Filmography

YearTitle Writer Producer Notes
2007 Things We Lost in the Fire YesExecutive
2008 21 YesNoCo-wrote with Peter Steinfeld
2010 The Switch YesCo-producer
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps YesNoCo-wrote with Stephen Schiff
2011 The Dilemma YesNo
Just Go with It YesNoCo-wrote with Timothy Dowling
2012 Rock of Ages YesNoCo-wrote with Chris D'Arienzo and Justin Theroux
Here Comes the Boom YesNoCo-wrote with Kevin James
So Undercover YesYesCo-wrote with Steven Pearl
2015 The Abandoned NoExecutive
2016 Collateral Beauty YesYes
2017 The Space Between Us YesExecutiveCo-wrote with Stewart Schill and Richard Barton Lewis
The Only Living Boy in New York YesNo
2020 Last Moment of Clarity NoYes

Related Research Articles

<i>The Rock</i> (film) 1996 American action thriller film by Michael Bay

The Rock is a 1996 American action thriller film directed by Michael Bay, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, and written by David Weisberg, Douglas S. Cook and Mark Rosner. The film stars Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage and Ed Harris, with Michael Biehn and William Forsythe co-starring. In the film, the Pentagon assigns a team comprising an FBI chemist and a former SAS captain with a team of SEALs to break into Alcatraz, where a rogue general and a rogue group of Marines have seized all the tourists on the island and have threatened to launch rockets filled with nerve gas upon San Francisco unless the U.S. government pays $100 million to the next-of-kin of 83 men who were killed on missions that the general led and that the Pentagon denied.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Norton</span> American actor (born 1969)

Edward Harrison Norton is an American actor. Norton was drawn to theatrical productions at local venues as a child. After graduating from Yale College in 1991 with a degree in history, he worked for a few months in Japan before moving to Manhattan to pursue an acting career. He gained immediate recognition and critical acclaim for his debut in Primal Fear (1996), which earned him a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and an Academy Award nomination in the same category. His role as a redeemed neo-Nazi in American History X (1998) earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. He also starred in the film Fight Club (1999), which garnered a cult following.

<i>Grease</i> (film) 1978 musical romantic comedy film by Randal Kleiser

Grease is a 1978 American musical romantic comedy film directed by Randal Kleiser from a screenplay by Bronté Woodard and an adaptation by co-producer Allan Carr, based on the stage musical of the same name by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The film depicts the lives of greaser Danny Zuko and Australian transfer student Sandy Olsson, who develop an attraction for each other during a summer romance.

<i>Reality Bites</i> 1994 film by Ben Stiller

Reality Bites is a 1994 American romantic comedy-drama film written by Helen Childress and directed by Ben Stiller in his feature directorial debut. It stars Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke, and Stiller, with supporting roles by Janeane Garofalo and Steve Zahn. In the film, Lelaina (Ryder), an aspiring videographer, works on a documentary about the disenchanted lives of her friends and roommates.

<i>Hulk</i> (film) 2003 superhero film directed by Ang Lee

Hulk is a 2003 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Produced by Universal Pictures in association with Marvel Enterprises, Valhalla Motion Pictures, and Good Machine, and distributed by Universal, it was directed by Ang Lee and written by James Schamus, Michael France, and John Turman, from a story conceived by Schamus. The film stars Eric Bana as Bruce Banner and Hulk, alongside Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott, Josh Lucas, and Nick Nolte. The film explores Bruce Banner's origins. After a lab accident involving gamma radiation, he transforms into a giant green-skinned humanoid with superhuman strength known as the Hulk whenever stressed or emotionally provoked. The United States military pursues him, and he clashes with his biological father, who has dark plans for his son.

<i>Lethal Weapon 4</i> 1998 American film directed by Richard Donner

Lethal Weapon 4 is a 1998 American buddy cop action film directed and produced by Richard Donner, and starring Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Rene Russo, Chris Rock, and Jet Li. It is the fourth installment in the Lethal Weapon film series. It is the last film in the series directed by Donner before his death, and the latest to be released theatrically.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shane Black</span> American actor and filmmaker

Shane Black is an American filmmaker and actor who has written such films as Lethal Weapon, The Monster Squad, The Last Boy Scout, Last Action Hero, and The Long Kiss Goodnight. He is also known as the original creator of the Lethal Weapon franchise. As an actor, Black is best known for his role as Rick Hawkins in Predator (1987).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philip Yordan</span> American screenwriter and producer

Philip Yordan was an American screenwriter, film producer, novelist and playwright. He was a three-time Academy Award nominee, winning Best Story for Broken Lance (1951).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Gilroy</span> American filmmaker (born 1956)

Anthony Joseph Gilroy is an American filmmaker. He wrote the screenplays for the original Bourne trilogy (2002–2007) and wrote and directed the fourth film of the franchise, The Bourne Legacy (2012). He also wrote and directed Michael Clayton (2007) and Duplicity (2009), earning nominations for the Academy Award for Best Director and the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the former.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Mankiewicz</span> American writer, producer and director

Thomas Frank Mankiewicz was an American screenwriter, director, and producer of motion pictures and television whose credits included James Bond films and his contributions to Superman: The Movie (1978) and the television series Hart to Hart. He was the son of Joseph Mankiewicz and nephew of Herman Mankiewicz. He is not related to the similarly named Wolf Mankowitz who worked on the first James Bond film, uncredited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Outten</span> American screenwriter

Richard Outten is an American screenwriter who works in both motion pictures and television. Among his writing credits is the 2012 Warner Bros. adventure film Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, starring Dwayne Johnson.

Gene Quintano is an American screenwriter, actor, film producer and director. He is best known for writing sequels to the film Police Academy and directing the western Dollar for the Dead and action parody Loaded Weapon 1, both starring Emilio Estevez.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles B. Griffith</span> American screenwriter (1930–2007)

Charles Byron Griffith was an American screenwriter, actor, and film director. He was the son of Donna Dameral, radio star of Myrt and Marge, along with Charles' grandmother, Myrtle Vail, and was best known for writing Roger Corman productions such as A Bucket of Blood (1959), The Little Shop of Horrors (1960), and Death Race 2000 (1975).

<i>Things We Lost in the Fire</i> (film) 2007 film by Susanne Bier

Things We Lost in the Fire is a 2007 drama film directed by Susanne Bier, written by Allan Loeb, and starring Halle Berry, Benicio del Toro and David Duchovny.

David Kevin Giler, was an American filmmaker who had been active in the film industry since the early 1960s.

Mark Wadlow is an English screenwriter known for his partnership with Peter Morgan and his work on the ITV soap opera Coronation Street.

<i>The Dilemma</i> 2011 film by Ron Howard

The Dilemma is a 2011 American comedy-drama film directed by Ron Howard, written by Allan Loeb and starring Vince Vaughn and Kevin James. The film follows savvy businessman Ronny (Vaughn) and genius engineer Nick (James), who are best friends and partners in an auto design firm. They are pursuing a project to make their firm famous. Ronny sees Nick's wife Geneva kissing another man. Ronny seeks out answers and has to figure out how to tell Nick about what he saw while working with him to complete their critical presentation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Goldstein (filmmaker)</span> American film director and screenwriter

Jonathan Michael Goldstein is an American filmmaker best known for his work on Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Game Night, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Horrible Bosses.

Kelly Marcel is a British screenwriter. She has written the films Saving Mr. Banks (2013), Fifty Shades of Grey (2015), Venom (2018) and its sequels Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) and the upcoming Venom: The Last Dance (2024), with which she will make her directorial debut. She also created and served as executive producer of the television series Terra Nova (2011).

<i>Collateral Beauty</i> 2016 American drama film by David Frankel

Collateral Beauty is a 2016 American fantasy drama film directed by David Frankel and written by Allan Loeb. The film stars an ensemble cast of Will Smith, Edward Norton, Keira Knightley, Michael Peña, Naomie Harris, Jacob Latimore, Kate Winslet and Helen Mirren. It follows Howard Inlet, a successful New York advertising executive who suffers a great tragedy, retreats from life where he seeks answers from the universe by writing letters to Love, Time, and Death. Receiving unexpected personal responses, he begins to see how these things interlock and how even loss can reveal moments of meaning and beauty.

References

  1. ↑ Tampa Jewish Community Centers & Federation: "Jews in the News: Jason Fuchs, David Frankel and Joseph Gorden-Levitt" December 10, 2016
  2. 1 2 3 Elder, Robert K. (October 18, 2007). "Screen Scene: Highland Park's Allan Loeb took his time creating 'Fire'". Chicago Tribune . Archived from the original on December 8, 2019. Retrieved 2008-05-05.
  3. 1 2 Lynch, Dianne (October 12, 2005). "Ever write a script? Ever want to?". All Things Park . Retrieved 2008-05-05.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Fernandez, Jay A. (September 27, 2006). "Former gambler now in the chips". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2008-05-06.
  5. ↑ "21: Production Notes". Sony Pictures Entertainment. 2008. Archived from the original on 15 September 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-26.
  6. ↑ "Disney's Bob The Musical Getting A Rewrite From Rock Of Ages Scribe". CINEMABLEND. 2014-01-06. Retrieved 2020-10-11.
  7. ↑ "Former 'Lost' Showrunner Carlton Cuse to Rewrite 'San Andreas: 3D'". /Film. 2012-07-19. Retrieved 2020-10-11.
  8. ↑ "Hugh Jackman, Rooney Mara to Star in Indie Drama 'Collateral Beauty'". TheWrap. 2015-05-13. Retrieved 2018-09-10.
  9. ↑ 'Collateral Beauty' Review: Forgive the great cast for they knew not what they did: December 17, 2016
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.