Jason Ferus Blum "Jason Ferus Blum was born in LA in 1969 to Shirley Neilsen, an art professor, and Irving Blum, an art dealer" (; born 1969) is an American film and television producer. He is the founder and CEO of Blumhouse Productions, which produced the horror franchises ''

Paranormal Activity Paranormal events are purported phenomena described in popular culture, folk, and other non-scientific bodies of knowledge, whose existence within these contexts is described as being beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding. Nota ...

'' (2007–2021), '' ''Insidious'''' (2010–2023), and ''

The Purge ''The Purge'' is an American anthology media franchise centered on a series of dystopian action horror films distributed by Universal Pictures and produced by Blumhouse Productions and Platinum Dunes, which are written and in some cases also d ...

'' (2013–2021). Blum also produced '' Sinister'' (2012), '' Oculus'' (2013), '' Whiplash'' (2014), '' The Gift'' (2015), ''

Hush Hush may refer to: Film and television * ''Hush'' (1921 film), starring Clara Kimball Young * ''Hush'' (1998 film), starring Gwyneth Paltrow * ''Hush!'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film directed by Ryosuke Hashiguchi * ''Hush'' (2005 film), starring ...

'' (2016), ''

Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, enterta ...

'' (2016), '' Ouija: Origin of Evil'' (2016), ''

Get Out ''Get Out'' is a 2017 American psychological horror film written, co-produced, and directed by Jordan Peele in his directorial debut. It stars Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Lil Rel Howery, LaKeith Stanfield, Bradley Whitford, Caleb La ...

'' (2017), ''

Happy Death Day ''Happy Death Day'' is a 2017 American black comedy slasher film directed by Christopher Landon, and written by Scott Lobdell. It stars Jessica Rothe and Israel Broussard. The film was produced by Jason Blum through his Blumhouse Production ...

'' (2017), ''

Upgrade Upgrading is the process of replacing a product with a newer version of the same product. In computing and consumer electronics an upgrade is generally a replacement of hardware, software or firmware with a newer or better version, in order ...

'' (2018), ''

Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observan ...

'' (2018), '' Us'' (2019), ''

The Invisible Man ''The Invisible Man'' is a science fiction novel by H. G. Wells. Originally serialized in '' Pearson's Weekly'' in 1897, it was published as a novel the same year. The Invisible Man to whom the title refers is Griffin, a scientist who has devot ...

'' (2020), '' Freaky'' (2020) and ''

The Black Phone ''The Black Phone'' is a 2021 American coming-of-age supernatural horror film directed by Scott Derrickson and written by Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill, who both produced with Jason Blum. It is an adaptation of the 2004 short story of the ...

'' (2021). Blum received nominations for the

Academy Award for Best Picture The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film and is the only category ...

for producing '' Whiplash'' (2014), ''

'' (2017), and ''

BlacKkKlansman ''BlacKkKlansman'' is a 2018 American biographical black comedy crime thriller film directed by Spike Lee and written by Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott and Lee, based on the 2014 memoir ''Black Klansman'' by Ron Stallworth. T ...

'' (2018). He received the

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie This is a list of the winners of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Made for Television Movie, which is awarded since 1992. The category was originally called Outstanding Drama or Comedy Special. In 1991, Outstanding Drama or Comedy Specia ...

for producing the drama film ''

The Normal Heart ''The Normal Heart'' is a largely autobiographical play by Larry Kramer. It focuses on the rise of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in New York City between 1981 and 1984, as seen through the eyes of writer/activist Ned Weeks, the gay founder of a promi ...

'' (2014). He also won the

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series is handed out annually at the Creative Arts Emmy Award ceremony. The award was established in 2013 as the awards restructured previous categories for Outstanding Nonfiction ...

for the documentary miniseries '' The Jinx'' (2015).

Early life and education

Blum was born in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, California, the son of

Shirley Neilsen Blum Shirley Neilsen Blum, also known as Shirley Hopps (born 14 October 1932) is an American art historian, author, gallerist, and professor emeritus at the State University of New York, Purchase (1970–1989). She specializes in Northern Renaissance ...

(née Neilsen) and Irving Blum. His mother was an art professor and his father was an independent art dealer and director of the

Ferus Gallery The Ferus Gallery was a contemporary art gallery which operated from 1957 to 1966. In 1957, the gallery was located at 736-A North La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles, California. In 1958, it was relocated across the street to 723 North La Cienega ...

. Blum is of

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

heritage. He graduated from

Vassar College Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States, closely followi ...

in 1991. While at Vassar, he and fellow future filmmaker,

Noah Baumbach Noah Baumbach () (born September 3, 1969) is an American film director and screenwriter. He is known for making witty and intellectual comedies set in New York City and has often been compared to writer-directors such as Woody Allen and Whit Sti ...

, were roommates, and Blum produced Baumbach's first film, '' Kicking and Screaming'' in 1995.

Career

Blum worked for Bob and

Harvey Weinstein Harvey Weinstein (; born March 19, 1952) is an American former film producer and convicted sex offender. He and his brother, Bob Weinstein, co-founded the entertainment company Miramax, which produced several successful independent films incl ...

as an executive at

Miramax Miramax, LLC, also known as Miramax Films, is an American film and television production and distribution company founded on December 19, 1979, by brothers Harvey and Bob Weinstein, and based in Los Angeles, California. It was initially a lead ...

, and later as an independent producer for

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production and distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldest film studio in the world, the second-oldest ...

. Prior to his tenure at Miramax, Blum was a producing director at

Ethan Hawke Ethan Green Hawke (born November 6, 1970) is an American actor and film director. He has been nominated for four Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award. Hawke has directed three feature films, three off-Broadway plays, and a doc ...

's Malaparte theater company. Blum is a 1991 graduate of

. He is a member of the board of trustees of the

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is a museum in Los Angeles, California constructed by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), which is devoted to the history, science, and cultural impact of the film industry. It is the f ...

. He obtained financing for his first film as producer, '' Kicking and Screaming'' (1995), after receiving a letter from family acquaintance, entertainer

Steve Martin Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and musician. He has won five Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and was awarded an Honorary Academy Award in 2013. Additionally, he was nominate ...

, who endorsed the script. Blum attached the letter to copies of the script he sent around to Hollywood executives.

Blumhouse Productions

In 2000, he founded Blumhouse Productions, which specializes in producing micro-budget movies that give directors full creative control over the projects. Bloomberg News praised Blum for making "blockbusters for pennies", including the horror film ''

'' which cost $15,000 to make and then grossed nearly $200 million. In addition, NPR's Planet Money did a special podcast about the company's methods. Blum also produced '' Insidious'' (2010), '' Sinister'' (2012), ''

'' (2013), and ''

'' (2017), as well as their sequels. In 2014, he served as executive producer for the television film ''

'', which went on to win the

. In 2015, he won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series for HBO's '' The Jinx''. Blum's feature films ''

'', '' Whiplash'' and ''

'' were all nominated for the

. In 2018, Blum said in an interview that the reason no woman had ever directed one of his horror films was that "there are not a lot of female directors (...) and even less who are inclined to do horror." After much criticism on social media, in which lists of such directors were circulated, he apologized for what he called his "dumb comments". In 2019,

Sophia Takal Sophia Takal is an American actress, writer and director, perhaps best known for her work in independent features such as '' All the Light in the Sky'', ''Supporting Characters'' and '' Gabi on the Roof in July''. ''Filmmaker'' magazine named Taka ...

directed and co-wrote the studio's horror remake '' Black Christmas'', which opened on December 13, and was the studio's first theatrically-released film by a female director.

Other ventures

On August 14, 2020, ''

Daily Front Row The ''Daily Front Row'' is a fashion industry publication, commonly known as ''The Daily''. Brandusa Niro is the editor-in-chief. In 2011, Niro bought a controlling interest in the magazine, which was formerly owned by IMG. Niro founded ''The ...

'' listed Blum as one of a group of high-profile investors who purchased ''

W magazine ''W'' is an American fashion magazine that features stories about style through the lens of culture, fashion, art, celebrity, and film. W was created in 1972 by James Brady, the publisher of sister magazine ''Women's Wear Daily'' (''WWD''), or ...

,'' a troubled fashion magazine.

Boards

Blum is on the Board of The Public Theater in New York, the Sundance Institute, Vassar College and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.

Philanthropy

Recently, Blum donated $10M to Vassar, the largest gift ever given to the college from a male alum.

Personal life

On July 14, 2012, Blum married journalist Lauren A.E. Schuker in Los Angeles. In July 2019, he bought a

Brooklyn Heights Brooklyn Heights is a residential neighborhood within the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Old Fulton Street near the Brooklyn Bridge on the north, Cadman Plaza West on the east, Atlantic Avenue on the south, an ...

townhouse for $9.8 million.

Filmography

Film

Universal Pictures

Paramount Pictures

Lionsgate Films

Focus Features

Sony Pictures Releasing

Netflix

Amazon Studios

Other

Executive Producer * ''One Way Out'' (1996) * ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Den ...

'' (2000) * ''

The Adventures of Tom Thumb and Thumbelina ''The Adventures of Tom Thumb and Thumbelina'' is a 2002 American animated fantasy film directed by Glenn Chaika and starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, Elijah Wood, Peter Gallagher, and Jon Stewart. Produced by Miramax Films and Hyperion Animatio ...

'' (2002) * ''

Graduation Graduation is the awarding of a diploma to a student by an educational institution. It may also refer to the ceremony that is associated with it. The date of the graduation ceremony is often called graduation day. The graduation ceremony is al ...

'' (2007) * '' The Reader'' (2008) * ''

The FP ''The FP'' is a 2011 American comedy film written and directed by Brandon Trost, Brandon and Jason Trost. The film focuses on two gangs, the 248 and the 245, fighting for control of Frazier Park, California, Frazier Park (the FP). The gangs s ...

'' (2011) * '' Lawless'' (2012) * '' The Green Inferno'' (2013) * '' Oculus'' (2013) * '' 13 Sins'' (2014) * ''

Unfriended ''Unfriended'' is a 2014 computer screen supernatural horror film directed by Levan Gabriadze and produced by Timur Bekmambetov. The first feature film to be entirely set on a computer screen, it is produced in the so-called Screenlife format ...

'' (2014) * ''

Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal c ...

'' (2015) * ''Fifteen'' (2015) (Short film) * ''

Sleight ''Sleight'' is a 2016 American superhero drama film about a street magician in Los Angeles. The film is directed by J. D. Dillard, written by Dillard and Alex Theurer and stars Jacob Latimore, Seychelle Gabriel, Dulé Hill, Storm Reid, Sashe ...

'' (2016) * '' Birth of the Dragon'' (2016) * ''

Stockholm Stockholm () is the capital and largest city of Sweden as well as the largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people live in the municipality, with 1.6 million in the urban area, and 2.4 million in the metropolita ...

'' (2018) * '' Bathtubs Over Broadway'' (2018) * '' The Vigil'' (2019) * '' A Secret Love'' (2020) * '' Pray Away'' (2020) (Documentary) * '' Evil Eye'' (2020) * ''Pharma Bro'' (2021) (Documentary) * ''Exposure'' (2021) * '' American Refugee'' (2021) * ''

Nanny A nanny is a person who provides child care. Typically, this care is given within the children's family setting. Throughout history, nannies were usually servants in large households and reported directly to the lady of the house. Today, modern ...

'' (2022) * '' Soft & Quiet'' (2022)

Television

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* *
Interview with Blum
(2013) {{DEFAULTSORT:Blum, Jason 1969 births American film producers American people of Jewish descent Businesspeople from Los Angeles Businesspeople from New York City Film producers from California Film producers from New York (state) Independent Spirit Award winners Living people Primetime Emmy Award winners Vassar College alumni Taft School alumni