Ep 48: Hollywood Producer Michael Barnathan, over 20 years in the business!

MICHAEL BARNATHAN (producer) is an Academy Award-nominated producer and President of 1492 Pictures, in which he is a producing partner with Chris Columbus and Mark Radcliffe. The company was formed in May 1994.

Recently Barnathan produced Christ the Lord, based on the best selling novel from Anne Rice. This faith-affirming fictional story follows young Jesus as he comes to discover his real identity and the truth surrounding his birth. Focus Feature will release Easter 2016.

Barnathan has served as producer on such Columbus-directed projects as "Nine Months," "Rent," "Stepmom," "I Love You, Beth Cooper," and "Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief ." For 1492, he also produced "The Help" (for which he was nominated for an Academy Award), "Jingle All the Way," "Cheaper by the Dozen," "Christmas with the Kranks," "Night at the Museum" and the sequel, "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian."

He served as executive producer on the first three installments of the "Harry Potter" franchise -- "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone," "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" (both directed by Columbus) and "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" (which earned a BAFTA Award as Best Children’s Film and a second nomination as Best British Film), as well as "Fantastic Four" the sequel, "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, " and "Night At The Museum: Secret of the Tomb."

Next up, Barnathan will produce an adaptation of the graphic novel, I Kill Giants, to be directed by Academy Award winner Anders Walter.

Prior to joining 1492 Pictures, Barnathan was Senior Vice President of Production at Largo Entertainment for four years. His responsibilities included supervision of both development and production of Largo’s feature slate. The N.Y.U. grad (where he first met aspiring filmmaker Columbus his freshman year) served as executive producer on "Used People" and supervised such productions as "Point Break," "Dr. Giggles," "Judgment Night" and "The Getaway."

Before joining Largo, Barnathan spent seven years working for Edgar J. Scherick Associates. During his last two years with Scherick, he served as Executive Vice President of Production, producing and executive producing numerous cable movies, telefilms and miniseries, including "The Kennedys of Massachusetts," which received eight Emmy nominations and three Golden Globe nods, including Best Miniseries for each.

Trailers to some of the films we discussed:

Stepmom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z73WMzLjtvU

The Help - Official Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOTkNsxhECY

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wiu5eZ_7vSY


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