We chat with film Producer & Director John Crye, about his Movie career & his latest movie “Chance” Starring -Mathew Modine!
Producing iconic indie classics including; “Memento” (Guy Pierce), “The Mexican” (Brad Pitt & Julie Roberts), “Donnie Darko” (Jake Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Maggie Gyllenhaal) plus much more!
This week on The Entertainment Engine podcast we welcome a very special guest movie producer & director John Crye to the show.
In Part 1 of the conversation, we learn more about John as a theatre and stage actor from Boston and how he came to live in LA — “Tinseltown” creating, producing some of the most iconic “indie” classic movies ever!
The following week in Part 2 we look more into John's career and his latest project — Chance a 2020 American drama film directed by John Crye and starring Matthew Modine (Full Metal Jacket, Weeds, Stranger Things), based on the true story of Chance Smith.
It is also marks Crye’s feature directorial debut.
So, what is true development?
“Development” has become a dirty word, synonymous with intrusion and waste. Nobody talks about “development heaven.”
True development serves your story only.
True development ensures that the words on the page are telling your story as effectively as possible. Whether you just need a knowledgeable, objective opinion on your story, or a “writer’s personal trainer” to coach you through the screenwriting process.
Early Days:
When Crye first came to Los Angeles in 1995, he had no idea what development was.
Already he had been a successful stage actor and theater producer in Boston but always had a fascination with film.
John’s first job was at Summit Entertainment, first as a script reader and then an assistant in the creative department.
It was then that he learned the outsized importance of the “gatekeepers,” those hard-working folks on the frontlines who are the first — and often last — audience that a script ever has.
His work at Summit brought him to the attention of two investors who hired me away to help them form a new independent production company, Newmarket Films.
John took on the job of creative director and brought in a filmmaker friend as head of the production.
In their blissful ignorance, the first film developed and produced together had no stars, half of it was black and white, and the structure was a horseshoe-shaped puzzle box.
It was called “Memento,” and it was the second feature of a neophyte auteur named Christopher Nolan. It was bold and daring and John was terrifically proud of it.
And then nobody in the business wanted to distribute it!
Indie movie classics!
Fortunately, though, Newmarket Films stood behind the film and built a distribution arm to support it.
So began Newmarket’s run of indie classics, including “Donnie Darko — Jake Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore,” “Monster — Charlize Theron,” “The Prestige — Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Scarlet Johansson,” “The Mexican — Brad Pitt & Julia Roberts,” THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST Director: Mel Gibson Starring: James Caviezel, Monica Bellucci.
To listen to the conversation with John Crye, click on the link below to discover more about his journey;
John is also a founding member of the filmmaker’s collective, Fewdio, John has also produced The Nightmare House web series, and also wrote and directed several episodes.
He helped launch Wrekin Hill Entertainment, with whom he acquired and released such films as Peter Weir’s The Way Back and Hesher, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Industry change
The entertainment industry has changed radically in the last 20 years, and the changes have been overwhelmingly for the better for new storytellers.
Not since the early silent era has the playing field been so fundamentally level. If you love film as we do, if you have always dreamed of telling stories, your time is now!
Some of the other films developed, produced, or acquired for distribution by John Crye for Newmarket Films or Wrekin Hill Entertainment include;
CRUEL INTENTIONS- Director: Roger Kumble. Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Ryan Phillipe, Sarah Michelle Gellar.
VELVET GOLDMINE Director: Todd Haynes Starring: Ewan MacGregor, Jonathan Rhys-Myers, Toni Collette
AMERICAN PIE — (Acquired International Distribution Rights) Directors: Paul and Chris Weitz — Starring: Jason Biggs, Shannon Elizabeth, Sean William Scott, Eugene Levy, Natasha Lyonne, Mena Suvari
It was great BeX & Pete got to chat with John and learn more about his movie career in Hollywood.
We are looking forward to Part 2 of our conversation on next week's show, when we learn more about John’s latest movie project and how he sees the movie industry over the next few years!
By Pete Moore
