Robert Kenneth Shaye (born March 4, 1939) is an American businessman, film producer, actor, director, and writer. Shaye is the founder of

New Line Cinema New Line Productions, Inc., Trade name, doing business as New Line Cinema, is an American film production, film and television production company that is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, a division of the Major film studios, ...

, a film production studio that was most successful for distributing ''The Lord of the Rings'' film series, based on the classic fantasy novel of the same name by English author

J. R. R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlinson ...

and directed by New Zealand filmmaker Peter Jackson. He stepped down from New Line in 2008 after the studio was restructured as a unit of Warner Bros. Pictures.

Biography

Early life

Shaye was born to a

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

family in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Dorothy and Max Mendle Shaye, a supermarket owner and artist. His mother was an immigrant from

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

. He is the brother of actress Lin Shaye. Shaye graduated from Detroit's Mumford High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

and a J.D. degree from Columbia Law School. He also graduated from the Stockholm University as a Fulbright scholar. Shaye is a member of the New York State Bar Association, and he has served on the board of trustees for the Neurosciences Institute, the Legal Aid Society, the

American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the History of cinema in the United States, motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private fu ...

, and the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation.

New Line Cinema

In 1967, Shaye formed

. The company started with a package of feature films and shorts rented to colleges. From there, New Line expanded to re-releases such as '' Reefer Madness'' and first-run domestic distribution of foreign films such as '' Get Out Your Handkerchiefs''. In the 1980s and early 1990s, New Line released blockbuster films such as '' A Nightmare on Elm Street'' and ''

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' (''TMNT'') is an American media franchise created by comic book artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. It follows Leonardo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Leonardo, Donatello (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), D ...

''. In 1994, New Line was acquired by the Turner Broadcasting System for $500 million, with Shaye earning more than million. In 1996, Turner Broadcasting System became part of Time Warner. In 1998, when New Zealand director Peter Jackson brought his 36-minute pitch reel for a big screen adaptation of

's fantasy classic ''

The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an Epic (genre), epic high fantasy novel written by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's book ''The Hobbit'' but eventually d ...

'' to New Line, hoping to turn the three volumes into two films, Shaye suggested that Jackson should make three films instead. Shaye subsequently greenlit a simultaneous production for all three installments. At the box office, the three films are among New Line's highest-grossing and most popular films, earning a combined total of nearly $3 billion worldwide. They were nominated for a total of thirty

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...

, winning seventeen, including eleven for '' The Return of the King'' at the 76th Academy Awards ceremony.

Investing career

Independently and through his family office Lemoko Management Company he is an active investor in companies like Brat TV.

Unique Features

In February 2008, Shaye and New Line co-chairman Michael Lynne were dismissed from the company as part of a significant restructuring ordered by then-Time Warner CEO Jeffrey Bewkes. That June, Shaye and Lynne formed a new independent film company called Unique Features. The company's projects include '' The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones'' (

Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at Sony City in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The Sony Group encompasses various businesses, including Sony Corporation (electronics), Sony Semiconductor Solutions (i ...

/ Constantin), the TV series '' Shadowhunters'' ( Freeform Television), '' When the Bough Breaks'' ( Screen Gems), and ''Ambition'', directed by Shaye.

Filmography

He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.

Film

; As an actor ; As director ; As writer ; As cinematographer ; Second unit director or assistant director ; Thanks

Television

; As an actor ; Production manager

References

External links

*
Interview (along with Michael Lynne) on Charlie Rose
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shaye, Robert 1939 births Film directors from Michigan Male actors from Michigan American male film actors Film producers from Michigan Columbia Law School alumni Living people American film studio executives American film production company founders American people of Russian-Jewish descent Businesspeople from Detroit Ross School of Business alumni 20th-century American Jews Mumford High School alumni 21st-century American Jews Turner Broadcasting System people Warner Bros. people Jewish American film people New Line Cinema