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. Most recently, the pair released the film A Journal for Jordan, starring Michael B. Jordan and Chante Adams.
Black has also produced movies that Denzel Washington has starred in. 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 Forrest 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 just released starring Edgar Ramirez and Mandy Moore.