Eric Forsberg
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Eric Forsberg (born December 16, 1959) is an American writer. He wrote and directed the feature film '' Mega Piranha'', as well as the writer of the feature film ''
Snakes on a Train ''Snakes on a Train'' is a 2006 direct-to-video action thriller horror film released by The Asylum as a mockbuster on August 15, 2006. Aspects of the film are inspired by the film '' Snakes on a Plane'', which was scheduled for theatrical releas ...
'', one of the first
mockbuster A mockbuster (also known as knockbuster or drafting opportunity) is a film created to exploit the publicity of another major motion picture with a similar title or subject. Mockbusters are often made with a low budget and quick production to maxi ...
s produced and released by
The Asylum The Asylum is an American independent film production and distribution company based in Burbank, California, known for producing low-budget, direct-to-video films, in particular mockbusters, which capitalize on the popularity of major studio f ...
. He also wrote the screenplays for '' 30,000 Leagues Under the Sea'' and '' War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave'', also for
The Asylum The Asylum is an American independent film production and distribution company based in Burbank, California, known for producing low-budget, direct-to-video films, in particular mockbusters, which capitalize on the popularity of major studio f ...
. He directed the film ''
Alien Abduction Alien abduction (also called abduction phenomenon, alien abduction syndrome, or UFO abduction) refers to the phenomenon of people reporting what they assure to be the real experience of being kidnapped by extraterrestrial beings and subje ...
'' which aired on Sci Fi Channel, as well as
Night of the Dead The Night of the Dead is a whole night of horror films shown as part of the annual Leeds International Film Festival. Beginning in 2001, it has become a firm fan favourite, selling out well before the event. Since Night of the Dead V, this event ...
which aired on Chiller TV. Other writer and director credits include the political thriller '' Torture Room'', and the stoner comedy ''Sex Pot'' as well as ''Monster'', ''
Almighty Thor ''Almighty Thor'' is a 2011 American superhero television film directed by Christopher Olen Ray. The film, a mockbuster coinciding with the release of the Marvel Studios film ''Thor'', was produced by The Asylum for $200,000. It premiered on th ...
'', ''Arachnoquake'', and '' Age of the Hobbits''. He also worked as a Co-Producer and
assistant director The role of an assistant director (AD) on a film includes tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, and maintaining order on the set. They also have ...
on numerous films for
Christopher Coppola Christopher R. Coppola (born January 25, 1962) is an American filmmaker and member of the Coppola family. Early life Coppola was born in Los Angeles County, California. His father, August Coppola, was a professor of literature, while his mot ...
and
Alain Silver Alain Silver is an American film producer, director, and screenwriter; music producer; film critic, film historian, DVD commentator, author and editor of books and essays on film topics, especially film noir, the samurai film, and horror films. ...
, including ''White Nights'', ''Bel Air'', and ''Palmer's Pickup''. In his early years Forsberg was an improvisational comedy instructor at The Players Workshop and
The Second City Training Center The Second City Training Center was founded in the mid-1980s to facilitate the growing demand for workshops and instruction from the Second City theatre. The Training Centers are located in Chicago and Toronto. Satellite Centers formerly existe ...
in Chicago.


Biography

Forsberg was born in Chicago on December 16, 1959. He is the son of improv director
Josephine Forsberg Josephine Forsberg (January 28, 1921 – October 3, 2011) was an American comedian, teacher and author. Biography Josephine Forsberg, ex-wife of film director Rolf Forsberg, was hired by Paul Sills and Viola Spolin to join the original Second Ci ...
and filmmaker
Rolf Forsberg Rolf Forsberg (July 12, 1925 – February 16, 2017) was an American playwright, film and theater director. Biography Forsberg is known for directing films such as '' The Late Great Planet Earth'' and '' Parable'', a film produced for the '' 1 ...
. Before moving to Hollywood in 1997, Forsberg worked as a writer and director in the Chicago theater scene. The original musical, '' Knat Scatt Private Eye'', with
Steve Carell Steven John Carell (; born August 16, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He starred as Michael Scott in the NBC sitcom ''The Office'' (2005–2011, 2013), and also worked at several points as a producer, executive producer, writer, a ...
, was among his more successful productions. Forsberg also taught improvisation at The Players Workshop and
The Second City Training Center The Second City Training Center was founded in the mid-1980s to facilitate the growing demand for workshops and instruction from the Second City theatre. The Training Centers are located in Chicago and Toronto. Satellite Centers formerly existe ...
where his students included
Stephen Colbert Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program ''The Colbert Report'' from 2005 to ...
,
Amy Sedaris Amy Louise Sedaris (; born March 29, 1961) is an American actress, comedian, and writer. She played Jerri Blank in the Comedy Central comedy series '' Strangers with Candy'' (1999–2000) and the prequel film '' Strangers with Candy'' (2005), wh ...
,
Tim Meadows Tim Meadows (born February 5, 1961) is an American actor and comedian. He was one of the longest-running cast members on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'', where he appeared for 10 seasons from 1991 to 2000. For his work on ''S ...
, and
Rachel Dratch Rachel Susan Dratch (born February 22, 1966) is an American actress, comedian, and writer. After she graduated from Dartmouth College, she moved to Chicago to study improvisational theatre at The Second City and ImprovOlympic. Dratch's breakthr ...
. Forsberg also worked to create a school/family concert for the
Chicago Symphony Orchestra The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891, the ensemble has been based in the Symphony Center since 1904 and plays a summer season at the Ravinia F ...
. His performance credits include Silas Brimfire at the
Bristol Renaissance Faire The Bristol Renaissance Faire is a Renaissance fair held in a Renaissance-themed park in the village of Bristol (village), Wisconsin, Bristol in Kenosha County, Wisconsin. Its 30-acre site runs along the Wisconsin-Illinois state line west of Inte ...
. Soon after Forsberg arrived in Los Angeles, he began working with director
Christopher Coppola Christopher R. Coppola (born January 25, 1962) is an American filmmaker and member of the Coppola family. Early life Coppola was born in Los Angeles County, California. His father, August Coppola, was a professor of literature, while his mot ...
and producer
Alain Silver Alain Silver is an American film producer, director, and screenwriter; music producer; film critic, film historian, DVD commentator, author and editor of books and essays on film topics, especially film noir, the samurai film, and horror films. ...
. Following that he started writing
screenplays A screenplay, or script, is a written work produced for a film, television show (also known as a ''teleplay''), or video game by screenwriters (cf. ''stage play''). Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writ ...
and directing feature films for
David Michael Latt The Asylum is an American independent film production and distribution company based in Burbank, California, known for producing low-budget, direct-to-video films, in particular mockbusters, which capitalize on the popularity of major studio fi ...
and David Rimawi at
The Asylum The Asylum is an American independent film production and distribution company based in Burbank, California, known for producing low-budget, direct-to-video films, in particular mockbusters, which capitalize on the popularity of major studio f ...
.


Filmography


Writer and director

*'' Mega Piranha'' – (2010), Syfy,
The Asylum The Asylum is an American independent film production and distribution company based in Burbank, California, known for producing low-budget, direct-to-video films, in particular mockbusters, which capitalize on the popularity of major studio f ...
*''Sex Pot'' – (2009),
The Asylum The Asylum is an American independent film production and distribution company based in Burbank, California, known for producing low-budget, direct-to-video films, in particular mockbusters, which capitalize on the popularity of major studio f ...
*''
Monster A monster is a type of imaginary or fictional creature found in literature, folklore, mythology, fiction and religion. They are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive, with a strange or grotesque appearance that causes Anxiety, terror ...
'' – (2007),
The Asylum The Asylum is an American independent film production and distribution company based in Burbank, California, known for producing low-budget, direct-to-video films, in particular mockbusters, which capitalize on the popularity of major studio f ...
* '' Torture Room'' – (2007), Cerebral Experiment *''
Night of the Dead The Night of the Dead is a whole night of horror films shown as part of the annual Leeds International Film Festival. Beginning in 2001, it has become a firm fan favourite, selling out well before the event. Since Night of the Dead V, this event ...
'' – (2006), Cerebral Experiment *'' Alien Abduction (film)'' – (2005),
The Asylum The Asylum is an American independent film production and distribution company based in Burbank, California, known for producing low-budget, direct-to-video films, in particular mockbusters, which capitalize on the popularity of major studio f ...
*''Andy'' – (1985),
Players Workshop Created in 1971 by Josephine Forsberg, The Players Workshop was Chicago's only official school of improvisation for over a decade. Although it was never officially a part of The Second City cabaret theater, The Players Workshop was often referred ...


Writer

*'' Troy: The Odyssey'' (2017),
The Asylum The Asylum is an American independent film production and distribution company based in Burbank, California, known for producing low-budget, direct-to-video films, in particular mockbusters, which capitalize on the popularity of major studio f ...
*'' Age of the Hobbits'' (2012),
The Asylum The Asylum is an American independent film production and distribution company based in Burbank, California, known for producing low-budget, direct-to-video films, in particular mockbusters, which capitalize on the popularity of major studio f ...
*''
Arachnoquake ''Arachnoquake'' is a 2012 made for television horror film directed by Griff Furst and starring Megan Adelle, Gralen Bryant Banks, and Paul Boocock. It aired on Syfy. Plot Earthquakes begin occurring in New Orleans as the result of a fracking ope ...
'' (2012 – story), Active Entertainment/ SyFy *''
Almighty Thor ''Almighty Thor'' is a 2011 American superhero television film directed by Christopher Olen Ray. The film, a mockbuster coinciding with the release of the Marvel Studios film ''Thor'', was produced by The Asylum for $200,000. It premiered on th ...
'' (uncredited) – (2011),
The Asylum The Asylum is an American independent film production and distribution company based in Burbank, California, known for producing low-budget, direct-to-video films, in particular mockbusters, which capitalize on the popularity of major studio f ...
/ SyFy *''
MILF MILF (, as if read as "milf") is an acronym that stands for "mother I'd like to fuck". This abbreviation is usually used in colloquial English instead of the whole phrase. It connotes an older woman, typically one with children, considered sex ...
'' (story credit)- (2010),
The Asylum The Asylum is an American independent film production and distribution company based in Burbank, California, known for producing low-budget, direct-to-video films, in particular mockbusters, which capitalize on the popularity of major studio f ...
*'' War of the Worlds 2'' – (2008),
The Asylum The Asylum is an American independent film production and distribution company based in Burbank, California, known for producing low-budget, direct-to-video films, in particular mockbusters, which capitalize on the popularity of major studio f ...
*'' 30,000 Leagues Under the Sea'' – (2007),
The Asylum The Asylum is an American independent film production and distribution company based in Burbank, California, known for producing low-budget, direct-to-video films, in particular mockbusters, which capitalize on the popularity of major studio f ...
*''
Snakes on a Train ''Snakes on a Train'' is a 2006 direct-to-video action thriller horror film released by The Asylum as a mockbuster on August 15, 2006. Aspects of the film are inspired by the film '' Snakes on a Plane'', which was scheduled for theatrical releas ...
'' – (2006),
The Asylum The Asylum is an American independent film production and distribution company based in Burbank, California, known for producing low-budget, direct-to-video films, in particular mockbusters, which capitalize on the popularity of major studio f ...
*''Blackhorse: History of the 11th Cavalry'' – (2005),
US Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...
*''The Aquanauts'' (TV)- (1999–2000),
Village Roadshow Village Roadshow is an Australian company which operates cinemas and theme parks, and produces and distributes films. Before being acquired by private equity company BGH Capital, the company was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange a ...
,
Animal Planet Animal Planet (stylized in all lowercase since 2018) is an American multinational pay television channel focusing on the animal kingdom owned by the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks unit of Warner Bros. Discovery. First established on June 1 ...


Stage


Playwright and director

*''PLAYS & MUSICALS FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES'' *Jimmy Sweeter Visits Candyland – Children's Theater of
The Second City The Second City is an improvisational comedy enterprise. It is the oldest improvisational theater troupe to be continuously based in Chicago, with training programs and live theaters in Toronto and New York. Since its debut in 1959, it has b ...
– (1980) *The Wondrous Tales of Baby Clown Foo – Children's Theater of
The Second City The Second City is an improvisational comedy enterprise. It is the oldest improvisational theater troupe to be continuously based in Chicago, with training programs and live theaters in Toronto and New York. Since its debut in 1959, it has b ...
– (1981) *Tales of Young King Arthur – Children's Theater of
The Second City The Second City is an improvisational comedy enterprise. It is the oldest improvisational theater troupe to be continuously based in Chicago, with training programs and live theaters in Toronto and New York. Since its debut in 1959, it has b ...
– (1981) *Santa and the Christmas Gnomes – Children's Theater of
The Second City The Second City is an improvisational comedy enterprise. It is the oldest improvisational theater troupe to be continuously based in Chicago, with training programs and live theaters in Toronto and New York. Since its debut in 1959, it has b ...
– (1981) *Swash Buckler and the Gems of Chaos – Children's Theater of
The Second City The Second City is an improvisational comedy enterprise. It is the oldest improvisational theater troupe to be continuously based in Chicago, with training programs and live theaters in Toronto and New York. Since its debut in 1959, it has b ...
– (1982) *The Adventures of Sinbad – Children's Theater of
The Second City The Second City is an improvisational comedy enterprise. It is the oldest improvisational theater troupe to be continuously based in Chicago, with training programs and live theaters in Toronto and New York. Since its debut in 1959, it has b ...
– (1983) *Knat Scatt Private Eye (children's version) – Children's Theater of
The Second City The Second City is an improvisational comedy enterprise. It is the oldest improvisational theater troupe to be continuously based in Chicago, with training programs and live theaters in Toronto and New York. Since its debut in 1959, it has b ...
– (1984) *Monkey Kings and Other Things – Children's Theater of
The Second City The Second City is an improvisational comedy enterprise. It is the oldest improvisational theater troupe to be continuously based in Chicago, with training programs and live theaters in Toronto and New York. Since its debut in 1959, it has b ...
– (1986) *Mississippi Mark and his Crazy Caliope Company – Children's Theater of
The Second City The Second City is an improvisational comedy enterprise. It is the oldest improvisational theater troupe to be continuously based in Chicago, with training programs and live theaters in Toronto and New York. Since its debut in 1959, it has b ...
– (1987) *The Fast Paced Comedy of the King some Clowns and a Couple of Bad Guys – Children's Theater of
The Second City The Second City is an improvisational comedy enterprise. It is the oldest improvisational theater troupe to be continuously based in Chicago, with training programs and live theaters in Toronto and New York. Since its debut in 1959, it has b ...
– (1988) *Dr. Stagemaster's Amazing Imagination Machine – Candlelight Dinner Theater – (1989) *Fantastic Fantasy Factory – Candlelight Dinner Theater – (1990) *MenuMania – Candlelight Dinner Theater – (1992–93)


Plays and musicals

*And So They Fell – Performer's Arena – (1981) *A Dozen Idiots (co-writer) – Performer's Arena – (1981) * Knat Scatt Private EyeTheatre Building Chicago/
Players Workshop Created in 1971 by Josephine Forsberg, The Players Workshop was Chicago's only official school of improvisation for over a decade. Although it was never officially a part of The Second City cabaret theater, The Players Workshop was often referred ...
/Avalon Theater Company – (1986) *A Tribute to Vincent van Gogh by the Impressionists' Circle – Performer's Arena – (1988) *Time Machine – Theatre Building Chicago/New Tuners – (1994) *Cannibal – Theatre Building Chicago/Writer's Bloc New Play Festival – (1995)


Director

*
The Bacchae ''The Bacchae'' (; , ''Bakkhai''; also known as ''The Bacchantes'' ) is an ancient Greek tragedy, written by the Athenian playwright Euripides during his final years in Macedonia, at the court of Archelaus I of Macedon. It premiered posthumou ...
(by Euripides – Performer's Arena – (1981) *
The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm's Son ''The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm's Son'' is a work by J. R. R. Tolkien originally published in 1953 in volume 6 of the scholarly journal ''Essays and Studies by Members of the English Association'', and later republished in 1966 in ' ...
(by
JRR Tolkien JRR may refer to: * J. R. R. Tolkien (1892–1973), English writer, poet, philologist and university professor * Jaime Robbie Reyne (born 1985), Australian singer * Jay Robinson Racing, a racing team * Jiru language * Jackie Robinson Jack R ...
) – Performer's Arena – (1981) *'' Rhinocéros'' (by
Eugène Ionesco Eugène Ionesco (; ; born Eugen Ionescu, ; 26 November 1909 – 28 March 1994) was a Romanian-French playwright who wrote mostly in French, and was one of the foremost figures of the French avant-garde theatre#Avant-garde, French avant-garde th ...
) – Performer's Arena – (1982) *
A Thousand Clowns ''A Thousand Clowns'' is a 1965 American comedy-drama film directed by Fred Coe and starring Jason Robards, Barbara Harris, Martin Balsam, and Barry Gordon. The script was adapted by Herb Gardner from his 1962 play of the same name. The fi ...
– Performer's Arena – 1983 *
The Man in the Glass Booth ''The Man in the Glass Booth'' is a 1975 American drama film directed by Arthur Hiller. The film was produced and released as part of the American Film Theatre, which adapted theatrical works for a subscription cinema series. The screenplay was ...
(by Robert Shaw – Performer's Arena – (1984) *Marat Sade (by
Peter Weiss Peter Ulrich Weiss (8 November 1916 – 10 May 1982) was a German writer, painter, graphic artist, and experimental filmmaker of adopted Swedish nationality. He is particularly known for his plays ''Marat/Sade'' and '' The Investigation'' and h ...
) – Performer's Arena – (1984) * What the Butler Saw (by
Joe Orton John Kingsley Orton (1 January 1933 – 9 August 1967), known by the pen name of Joe Orton, was an English playwright, author, and diarist. His public career, from 1964 until his murder in 1967 committed by his partner, was short but highly i ...
) – Performer's Arena – (1985)


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Forsberg, Eric 1966 births Living people Writers from Chicago American male screenwriters Film directors from Illinois 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights Renaissance fair performers American male dramatists and playwrights Screenwriters from Illinois 20th-century American male writers