TODD BLACK (Producer) is one of Hollywood’s most respected producers, having worked with many of the top talent in the industry, both in front and behind the camera.
Black’s long-time collaboration with Denzel Washington began when he brought “Antwone Fisher,” to the Academy Award-winner. Washington decided not only would he star in the film, but he would also direct the touching drama, cementing their partnership as producer and director. When Washington stepped behind the camera to direct “The Great Debaters,” Black was again his producer. That movie went on to earn a Golden Globe nomination for ‘Best Drama.’ In addition, both “Antwone Fisher” and “The Great Debaters” earned the Producer Guild’s ‘Stanley Kramer Award.’
When they partnered on “Fences,” Washington’s third time directing, the movie went on to win Screen Actors Guild Awards for both Denzel Washington and Viola Davis, as well as nabbing a ‘Best Actress’ win for Viola Davis at the Academy Awards, and a nomination for ‘Best Picture’ for Black. The pair would then release the film “A Journal for Jordan”, starring Michael B. Jordan and Chante Adams. Most recently, another joint production would be the August Wilson classic, “The Piano Lesson”, starring John David Washington, Danielle Deadwyler, and Samuel L. Jackson.
Black has also produced movies that Denzel Washington has starred. These include the critically acclaimed “Roman J. Israel, Esq,” which garnered Washington a ‘Best Actor’ Academy Award nomination for his performance in the title role, as well as Tony Scott’s “The Taking of Pelham 123, “The Equalizer” franchise and “The Magnificent Seven,” all directed by Antoine Fuqua. In addition, he partnered as a producer with Denzel Washington on the five-time Oscar-nominated “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” starring Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman.
Among Black’s other numerous credits as a producer are recent hits “The Upside,” starring Kevin Hart and Bryan Cranston, “Troop Zero,” starring Viola Davis, Allison Janney, McKenna Grace, and Jim Gaffigan, that earned glowing reviews, and the action-comedy “The Man from Toronto”, starring Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson. In addition, he produced “The Pursuit of Happyness,” (which earned Will Smith an Academy Award nomination as ‘Best Actor’), “Hope Springs,” starring
Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones, “Sex Tape,” starring Cameron Diaz, “Southpaw,” starring Jake Gyllenhaal, “Knowing” and “The Weather Man,” both starring Nicolas Cage, and “Seven Pounds,” starring Will Smith.
In 2021, Black produced “Being the Ricardos,” written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, starring Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem, and both actors were nominated for an Academy Award. In 2022, Black produced “Emancipation” starring Will Smith and directed by Antoine Fuqua.
Other recent releases include "Cassandro", starring Gael Garcia-Bernal, which earned much acclaim at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, as well as “The Equalizer 3”, with Denzel Washington and Antoine Fuqua reprising their roles as star and director, respectively.
Black entered the entertainment business as a casting associate after attending USC’s
School of Theater. Shortly after getting out of school, he produced a “Disney Sunday Night Movie”. Black next went on to produce “Fire in The Sky” for Paramount Pictures and “Wrestling Ernest Hemingway” for Warner Bros.
In 1995, Black became President of Motion Picture Production at Mandalay Entertainment where he managed “Donnie Brasco,” “Seven Years in Tibet,” “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” and “Wild
Things,” to name a few. A few years later, he teamed with producer Jason Blumenthal to create
Black & Blu Productions. In 2000, Black and Blumenthal joined Steve Tisch, producer of “Risky Business” and “Forest Gump,” among others, to form Escape Artists which has a first-look production deal with Sony Pictures. Their first film, which Black personally oversaw throughout the filmmaking process, was “A Knight’s Tale,” starring Heath Ledger.
Escape Artists has gone on to make movies that have grossed more than $1,000,000,000 at the worldwide box office. These films include mega hits “The Pursuit of Happyness,” “The Equalizer,” “The Magnificent Seven” and “The Upside”.
Just recently, Black and his company have jumped into the television with three extraordinarily received series. The first, “Perpetual Grace, Ltd.”, starring Sir Ben Kingsley and Jimmi Simpson, and was a critical darling. The second, “Servant”, a collaboration with famed auteur M. Night Shyamalan, debuted on Apple TV+, and has garnered a huge viewership of Apple subscribers, as well as a fervent following amongst its many fans, with its fourth and final season having just debuted. Most recently, the series “Dr. Death” on Peacock, starring Alec Baldwin, Christian Slater, and Joshua Jackson, has been met with quite the positive reception, and has been a huge hit for the streaming service. A second season was released starring Edgar Ramirez and Mandy Moore.
Awaiting release in 2025, is the film “Highest 2 Lowest” starring Denzel Washington and Jeffrey Wright, and directed by Spike Lee. This film was made in collaboration with Apple and A24.
Upcoming projects include the much-anticipated adaptation of “Masters of the Universe”, starring Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Idris Elba, and Jared Leto, made with Amazon Studios. Also, on the horizon is “Madden”, also made in partnership with Amazon Studios, starring Nicolas Cage and Christian Bale, directed by David O. Russell – as well as “Voicemails for Isabelle” for Netflix, written and directed by Leah McKendrick, and starring Zoey Deutch.
On the television front is “DTF St. Louis”, created by long-time collaborator Steve Conrad, and starring David Harbour, Jason Bateman, Linda Cardellini, and Richard Jenkins, for HBO.