Biography
As the founder, president and chief executive officer of New Line Cinema, Shaye evolved from distributing 16mm foreign and "cult" films on the college and midnight circuit to having 25 projects scheduled for production between 1996 and 1998 at a cost of $520 million. New Line also successfully diversified into various fields including home video and TV programming distribution and launched its own art-film division. Not bad for a company that …
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Career Milestones
| Distributed features as diverse as "Reefer Madness" and Jean-Luc Godard's experimental documentary "Sympathy for the Devil" (marketing the latter as a rock'n'roll film) | ||
| Initially specialized in distributing 16mm films on the college circuit | ||
| Won grand prize, split with a young Martin Scorsese, for a short entered in a national competition for under-25-year-olds | ||
| Wrote, produced, directed and edited short films, trailers and television commercials | ||
1954 | At age 15 wrote, produced, and directed training film for the carryout boys at his father's supermarket | |
1967 | Founded New Line Cinema Corporation out of his Greenwich Village apartment; served as president and chief executive officer | |
1973 | Acquired John Waters' breakthrough feature "Pink Flamingos" for distribution; beginning of New Line's long association with writer-director Waters | |
1977 | Feature producing debut, "Stunts", a suspenser for which he also provided the story | |
1981 | Credited as executive producer on Waters' first mainstream comedy, "Polyester" | |
1984 | New Line produced and distributed its first major hit with Wes Craven's "A Nightmare on Elm Street"; began successful franchise | |
1986 | Completed an initial public offering of New Line on the stock market in September; remained controlling stockholder | |
1988 | Increased New Line's production slate to at least 12 films per year, at an average production budget of $5-7 million | |
1988 | New Line achieved record profits and sales at the end of the fiscal year, buoyed by the success of "A Handful of Dust", "A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master" and Waters' "Hairspray" and the domestic and foreign merchandizing of products related to Freddy Kruger of the "Nightmare" films | |
1988 | TV producing debut, executive produced "Freddy's Nightmares", a syndicated horror anthology series inspired by the popular "A Nightmare on Elm Street" movies | |
1989 | New Line made its most ambitious acquisition picking up all North American distribution rights to "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", produced by Hong Kong's Golden Harvest Film | |
1989 | New Line's net profit fell 86 percent for the year ending December 31; loss attributed to relatively poor performance of "A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child"; only one in-house produced film that year | |
1990 | "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" grossed more than $133 million domestic (New Line had only paid $2 million to distribute) | |
1990 | Announced largest slate to date with seven in-house productions and eight acquisitions | |
1990 | Launched Fine Line, a division of New Line devoted to producing, distributing and marketing art films; features produced include "My Own Private Idaho" and "Hoop Dreams" | |
1990 | Launched New Line Home Video | |
1990 | Made feature directorial debut with "Book of Love" | |
1990 | New Line produced and distributed Reginald Hudlin's "House Party", a black teen-oriented comedy which became one of their most profitable features to date | |
1990 | With Chemical Bank putting up the bulk of the money, New Line invested in RHI Entertaionment thereby gaining access to RHI's 1,000-title Qintex/Halmi/Hal Roach Library | |
1991 | New Line Television Distribution formed; operated as a division of RHI Entertainment Inc. | |
1991 | New Line acquired distribution rights to Nelson Entertainment's library of 600 films and subsequent foreign theatrical and worldwide video rights to all Castle Rock product; Castle Rock's "Misery", directed by Rob Reiner, first release of New Line Home Video | |
1991 | New Line bought out Media Home Entertainment's share of the "Nightmare on Elm Street" series | |
1992 | New Line teamed with financier John Kluge to attempt to buy Orion Pictures Corp. out of bankruptcy; later abandoned effort | |
1993 | New Line acquired by Turner Broadcasting System Inc.; Shaye paid $100 million; signed five-year management contract to continue as president and CEO | |
1994 | Appeared as himself in "Wes Craven's New Nightmare", a superior and reflexive horror sequel | |
1994 | New Line signed newlywed actress Geena Davis and director Renny Harlin to two-year, production and development first look, non-exclusive deal | |
1995 | Named in a $5,000 small-claims court suit against New Line for failing to pay actor Brian Evans residuals for the preceding three years for his work in "Book of Love" (which Shaye helmed) | |
1996 | New Line announced its intent to produce 25 features over the next two years at a cost of $520 million | |
2001 | Produced "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy through New Line Cinema | |
2007 | Returned to directing with "The Last Mimzy" | |
Awards
2003 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video For a Miniseries, Movie or Special in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers |
2006 | Karlovy Vary International Film Festival for Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema in Sherrybaby |