James D. Stern

{{Short description|American film producer}}

{{BLP sources|date=February 2018}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}}

{{Infobox person

|name = James D. Stern

|image =

|birth_name =

|birth_date = {{bda|July 18, 1957}}

|birth_place = United States

|alma_mater = University of Michigan

|occupation = Producer

}}

James D. Stern is an American film and Broadway producer. He won a 2003 Tony Award for Hairspray, has been nominated for other awards, and was a Drama Desk Award Winner for Stomp.

Life and career

=Early life=

Before starting Endgame, Stern co-directed and produced the IMAX film Michael Jordan to the Max{{cite web|date=May 5, 2000|title=´Michael Jordan to the Max´: Too Big for Even Imax to Capture|url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/film/050500jordan-film-review.html|author=Scott, A. O.|authorlink=A. O. Scott|newspaper=The New York Times}} and HBO's It's the Rage.{{cite web|url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/film/071400rage-film-review.html|date=July 14, 2000|title='It's the Rage': Linked, Sooner or Later, in a Semiautomatic World|author=Scott, A. O.|newspaper=The New York Times}}

On stage he produced the twelve-time Tony Award-winning Mel Brooks show The Producers and the eight time Tony Award-winning Hairspray. He produced Stomp, The Diary of Anne Frank starring Natalie Portman, Legally Blonde, the Tony Award-nominated Twilight 1992, and the Olivier Award-winning play The Weir. He produced Alan Menken's Leap of Faith during the fall of 2010.

Stern founded and ran the financial investment company and hedge fund Stern Joint Venture, L.P. (SJV). He produced with his company Endgame Entertainment and FilmDistrict the thriller Self/less.[https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/33333/endgame-entertainment-and-filmdistrict-are-selfless/ Endgame Entertainment and FilmDistrict are Selfless]

Stern directed the 2018 documentary American Chaos.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/13/movies/american-chaos-review-documentary.html|title = Review: 'American Chaos' Looks at the Election. You Know the End|newspaper = The New York Times|date = September 13, 2018|last1 = Jaworowski|first1 = Ken}}{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/heres-an-early-candidate-for-the-worst-movie-about-the-2016-election/2018/09/11/420278fc-b155-11e8-aed9-001309990777_story.html |title=Here's an early candidate for the worst movie about the 2016 election |date=September 12, 2018 |orig-date=2018-09-11 |author1=Alan Zilberman |newspaper=The Washington Post |place=Washington, D.C. |issn=0190-8286 |oclc=1330888409}}{{WaPoCheckDates}}

Stern has a B.A. in directing from the University of Michigan and a M.B.A. in marketing and finance from Columbia University.

=Endgame Entertainment=

{{Infobox company

| name = Endgame Entertainment

| type =Independent Company

| founded = March 11, 2002

| founder = James D. Stern

| hq_location =

| hq_location_city =

| hq_location_country = Beverly Hills, California,{{cite web | url=https://www.linkedin.com/company/endgame-entertainment | title=Endgame Entertainment | LinkedIn | date=March 16, 2022 }} United States

| industry = Motion Pictures

| products =

Films

| brands =

| services =

| owner = James D. Stern

}}

On March 11, 2002, Stern founded Endgame Entertainment as an independent production company to produce, develop and finance films and other forms of entertainment properties. Under his leadership, Endgame Entertainment has financed or cofinanced more than 25 films. Endgame recently wrapped production on Seeking Justice, directed by Roger Donaldson and starring Nicolas Cage, January Jones and Guy Pearce. Recent releases include An Education (Sony Pictures Classics), which garnered three Academy Award nominations, and Every Little Step (Sony Pictures Classics), which Stern co-produced and co-directed. The documentary grossed more than $1.7 million and was short listed for an Academy Award.

Previous Endgame releases include Summit's The Brothers Bloom, Sony Pictures Classics' Easy Virtue and the Bob Dylan biopic I'm Not There, featuring an Oscar-nominated performance by Cate Blanchett. Earlier releases include Hotel Rwanda and Lord of War for Lionsgate, Proof for Miramax, Universal's White Noise, Hollywood Pictures' Stay Alive, and New Line's Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. Stern also co-directed and produced the documentaries The Year of the Yao (New Line) and ...So Goes the Nation (IFC).

Filmography

He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.

=Film=

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Credit

1995JeffreyAssociate producer
199735 Miles from Normal
rowspan=2| 1999Let the Devil Wear BlackCo-executive producer
It's the Rage
rowspan=3| 2004Stage BeautyExecutive producer
Harold & Kumar Go to White CastleExecutive producer
Five Children and ItExecutive producer
rowspan=6| 2005Rag TaleExecutive producer
ProofExecutive producer
River QueenExecutive producer
Beowulf & GrendelExecutive producer
Lord of WarExecutive producer
The Best ManExecutive producer
rowspan=3| 2006The Alibi
Stay Alive
Comeback SeasonExecutive producer
rowspan=2| 2007Solstice
I'm Not There
rowspan=2| 2008Easy Virtue
The Brothers Bloom
2009An EducationExecutive producer
rowspan=2| 2011A Good Old Fashioned Orgy
Seeking Justice
rowspan=2| 2012The RavenExecutive producer
Looper
rowspan=4| 2013A Haunted HouseExecutive producer
JobsExecutive producer
Side EffectsExecutive producer
HomefrontExecutive producer
rowspan=2| 2015Self/less
Freeheld
rowspan=2| 2016SnowdenExecutive producer
Army of One
2017The Discovery
rowspan=2| 2018Come Sunday
The Old Man & the Gun
2019Murder Mystery
2021Bliss
2023Murder Mystery 2

;As director

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film

1999It's the Rage

;Miscellaneous crew

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role

2007HairsprayStage producer: Broadway

;Thanks

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role

2005The ProducersAcknowledgment: Producer of the Broadway play
2016GoldThanks

=Television=

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Title

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Credit

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes

2006Bigfoot Presents: Meteor and the Mighty Monster TrucksExecutive producer
rowspan=2| 2013Dancing on the EdgeExecutive producer
Sport in America: Our Defining StoriesExecutive producerDocumentary
2016−20Last Chance UExecutive producerDocumentary
2021Last Chance U: BasketballExecutive producerDocumentary

;As director

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Title

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes

2013Sport in America: Our Defining StoriesDocumentary
2020Giving VoiceDocumentary; co-director

;Miscellaneous crew

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Title

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes

2007Legally Blonde: The MusicalProduced for the stage byTelevision film

;Thanks

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Title

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role

2001Great PerformancesAcknowledgment: Produced for the Broadway Stage in association with

References

{{reflist}}