Brad Krevoy

Brad Krevoy is a film producer, entrepreneur, and the founder and chairman/CEO of the Motion Picture Corporation of America (MPCA). In a career spanning over 30 years, Krevoy has been directly involved in the development, finance, production, acquisition, and distribution of more than 150 motion picture and television projects, most famously the 1994 blockbuster comedy, Key Art Awards winner ''Dumb and Dumber''. Lately, he has become known as one of the producers of Christmas-themed entertainment, having produced many successful holiday movies, including Netflix’s ''A Christmas Prince'' trilogy, and ''The Princess Switch''.

Early life and education

Krevoy graduated from Beverly Hills High School. He went on to study at Stanford University, graduating in 1978 with a BA in Political Science. To this day he still maintains a strong connection to the university. He then went on to study at UC Hastings, College of the Law. After graduation, he served as a Legislative Fellow in the California State Legislature and worked as an entertainment attorney at a prominent Los Angeles law firm.

Early career and work with Roger Corman (1983–1986)

Krevoy's major entry into the film industry came from a chance encounter with Roger Corman at a Stanford football game in 1983. The two discussed the promising new home video market and two days later Brad was working for Corman's Concorde-New Horizon pictures, handling the business affairs.

Krevoy's role was initially to look for new opportunities and sources of funding. His interest in the home video market paid off with Concorde quickly becoming one of the largest suppliers of VHS tapes, having deals in place with every major distributor in the world.

MPCA (1986–1996)

In 1986, Krevoy and his longtime business partner Steve Stabler co-founded Motion Picture Corporation of America (MPCA). The goal of the company was to focus on producing, acquiring, and distributing commercial motion picture and television productions. Using the skills he learned during his time with Roger Corman, Krevoy managed to position MPCA as one of the largest suppliers of high-quality, lower-budget films.

During the company's formative years, they produced a few cult favorites, including ''The Purple People Eater'' (1988) with Ned Beatty; ''Back to Back'' (1989), starring Bill Paxton and Apollonia; and the sex comedy ''Miracle Beach'' (1992).

Dumb and Dumber

Krevoy and Stabler took the company to new heights when they released the 1994 blockbuster comedy ''Dumb and Dumber''. The script had been around for nearly seven years and was rejected by every major studio. The writers, Bobby and Peter Farrelly, desperately wanted to direct the feature as well, but no one would give them a shot. Once Krevoy and MPCA got behind the script, they were able to package the project, complete with the Farrellys directing and then rising star, Jim Carrey.

''Dumb and Dumber'' broke box office comedy records; it also opened and remained at number 1 on the U.S. box office for 4 straight weeks over the holiday season. The film went on to gross $127 million domestically and $120 million overseas for a worldwide total of $247 million off of a $16 million budget. The film was one of the highest grossing comedies of the 90's. Combined with its ancillary and video sales, the film is estimated to have grossed over half a billion dollars.

''Dumb and Dumber'' propelled the Farrellys' directing career; they became known as the top comedy directors of the time. Krevoy was able to use this success to get the Farrellys' passion project, '' Kingpin'', off the ground. It was released in June 1996, starring Woody Harrelson, Randy Quaid and Bill Murray. Despite many critics praising the film, it was a commercial disappointment, grossing only $27 million against a $25 million budget over the course of its theatrical run. Roger Ebert championed the film and gave it 3 and a half stars out 4, praising the film's daring comedy. ''Kingpin'' became a huge release on home video, finding a dedicated and passionate cult following.

Krevoy and MPCA expanded on their success and went on to produce more big-budget studio comedies, including ''Beverly Hills Ninja'' starring Chris Farley and ''Jungle 2 Jungle'' with Tim Allen. They also produced ''Threesome'', starring Lara Flynn Boyle and Stephen Baldwin. The film was one of the most successful independent arthouse films of the year, grossing just under $15 million domestically. ''Threesome'' was an autobiographical comedy by writer and director, Andrew Fleming. Roger Ebert gave the film three out of four stars, praising the film's honest characterization and strong dialogue.

First-look deals

Starting in November 1995, until they were acquired by Metromedia International Group in 1996, Krevoy and MPCA had a first-look producing deal with Paramount Studios. Krevoy and MPCA also signed a first-look deal with Sony Pictures in the late 90s, where they produced more than 10 movies.

Co-president of Orion Pictures (1996–1998)

In 1996, MPCA was purchased by John Kluge's Metromedia International Group. Metromedia had just purchased the independent production company Orion Pictures from chapter 11 bankruptcy. When MPCA was merged into the company, Krevoy and Stabler took over as the Co-President's of Orion Pictures and were given a six-picture deal.

At Orion, Krevoy oversaw the production, acquisition, and distribution of Orion's motion picture and television programming. He produced films for Academy Award-winner Tom Schulman (''Dead Poets Society'') and released films such as 1997's Academy Award and Golden Globe nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, ''Prisoner of the Mountains'' (directed by Sergei Bodrov), and the acclaimed ''Ulee's Gold'' (directed by Victor Nunez and presented by Jonathan Demme). ''Ulee’s Gold'' was a critical hit and won its leading actor, Peter Fonda, his first and only Golden Globe for best actor. Fonda also received his first and only Oscar nomination for best actor.

After two years of revitalizing Orion Pictures, Metromedia went on to sell Orion to MGM. Krevoy was able to take the MPCA name back as part of his original deal.

Restarting MPCA (1998–2014)

In 1998, Krevoy returned to his independent filmmaking roots and restarted MPCA with a distribution deal through MGM.

Since rebooting MPCA, Krevoy has produced a wide array of motion pictures including: boxing drama ''Joe and Max'' (which collected both ESPN and ACE award nominations); the 2002 Sundance premiere ''Bookies'' (for director Mark Illsley of ''Happy, Texas'' fame); and '' Boat Trip'' starring Academy Award-winner Cuba Gooding Jr., Horatio Sanz, Vivica A. Fox, and Roger Moore for Artisan/Lionsgate.

In 2004 Krevoy produced the drama, ''A Love Song for Bobby Long'', starring John Travolta and Scarlett Johansson. The film was well received by audiences and critics, with Roger Ebert awarding it 3 out of 4 stars. The film also earned Scarlett Johansson a Golden Globe nomination.

After the credit crunch hit in 2008, Krevoy found new investors and ramped up production. He built a strong international sales team and began assembling an eclectic slate of programming.

Krevoy produced the 2009 war drama ''Taking Chance'', based on the true experiences of Lt. Colonel Michael Strobl, who wrote about his time in the widely circulated article “Taking Chance Home". The film was directed by Ross Katz and starred Kevin Bacon. It was shown at the Sundance Film Festival before premiering on HBO. The film was well received by critics who praised the apolitical stance of the film, as well as the discipline of the filmmakers to veer away from emotional sentimentality. Mary McNamara of the Los Angeles Times wrote that the film “doesn't miss a single emotional pressure point – Katz clearly believes in the power and necessity of catharsis.” ''Taking Chance'' received a total of 27 award nominations and 6 wins including Kevin Bacon for Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television. The film was also nominated for a string of Primetime Emmy awards, as well as nominations in the SAG, PGA, DGA, ACE, ASC, and WGA awards. It also won the prestigious Humanitas Prize.

Krevoy and MPCA produced a string of successful straight-to-DVD action movies. Four of these featured Academy Award winner, Cuba Gooding, Jr. These included ''Linewatch'' (2008); ''Hardwired'' (2009), which also starred Val Kilmer; ''Ticking Clock'' (2011); and '' One in the Chamber'' (2012), which also featured 80's action star, Dolph Lundgren. They produced two movies with Academy Award Nominee, Samuel L. Jackson: ''Arena'' (2011); and ''Meeting Evil'' (2012). During this time MPCA also made two movies with action star Jean-Claude Van Damme – ''Assassination Games'' (2011); and ''Six Bullets'' (2012).

In 2011, Krevoy made ''Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2'' for Disney, a sequel to the 2008 hit comedy. Most of the original cast returned and the film did well in the home video market with sales of over $30 million.

In 2014, Krevoy and Stabler were executive producers on ''Dumb and Dumber To'', the sequel to their original smash hit, taking place 20 years after the events of the first film. Jeff Daniels and Jim Carrey reprised their roles and the film was released on November 14, 2014. It opened at number one in the U.S. box office charts to $36 million for the weekend. It then went on to make $169 million worldwide and was a very strong release on home video.

Christmas and Family Movies (2013–present)

Recently, Krevoy has become a producer of Christmas and family-themed entertainment. Since 2013, Krevoy and MPCA have produced more than 40 original Christmas and family movies for select broadcasters, including Netflix and The Hallmark Channel. Produced in tax-efficient and low-cost production centers like Vancouver and Northern Ontario, Canada, and Bucharest, Romania. They have also featured actors such as Rob Lowe, Kristin Davis, Vanessa Hudgens, Kat Graham, Candace Cameron Bure, Lori Loughlin, Mariah Carey, Lacey Chabert, Roger Moore, Kelsey Grammer, Brooke Shields, James Brolin, Ron Cephas Jones, and Jane Seymour.

With Netflix

Krevoy and MPCA's partnership with Netflix has produced a number of holiday and family original films. Their first production for the streaming service, ''A Christmas Prince'', starring Rose McIver, Ben Lamb and Alice Krige and released on November 17, 2017, was a smash hit.

MPCA found another hit with 2018’s ''The Princess Switch'', starring Vanessa Hudgens and Sam Palladio. PopSugar said “you absolutely need to watch ''The Princess Switch''”. This film likewise proved so successful that a sequel was announced for the 2020 holiday season. Also scheduled for release in 2020 is Operation Christmas Drop, starring Kat Graham and Alexander Ludwig.

MPCA’s other recent Netflix holiday movies include ''Holiday in the Wild'', starring Rob Lowe and Kristin Davis; ''The Knight Before Christmas'', starring Vanessa Hudgens and Josh Whitehouse; ''The Holiday Calendar'', starring Kat Graham, Quincy Brown, and Ron Cephas Jones; and ''Christmas Inheritance'', starring Eliza Taylor and Jake Lacy.

With Hallmark

Krevoy and MPCA have cultivated a partnership with the Hallmark Channel, having produced over 30 original movies for the main channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, including several film franchises. A few of these include all five entries in the popular ''Murder, She Baked'' series based on the best-selling series of novels by Joanne Fluke, all three of the '' Flower Shop Mystery'' series of films, which star Brooke Shields and are based on the successful book series by Kate Collins, four films in the '' Darrow & Darrow'' series from Emmy-winning writer Phoef Sutton, and three installments of '' The Crossword Mysteries'', which star Lacey Chabert and were produced in collaboration with famed NY Times Crossword editor Will Shortz. '' The Wedding March'' franchise, with Jack Wagner and Josie Bissett, is another popular film series for Hallmark, with five entries having been released so far.

Krevoy is an executive producer of the Hallmark Channel show ''When Calls the Heart''. The series is adapted from the bestselling Canadian West series of books by Janette Oke. The show has been hugely successful in the ratings, including massive numbers for the Christmas specials. The show is currently airing its seventh season, making it the longest-running original series on Hallmark. It also has a passionate, dedicated, and ever-expanding group of fans, calling themselves “The Hearties.” The Hearties have a massive yearly fan expo called the “Hearties Family Reunion,” with fans flying in from all over the world to attend. By cultivating a huge presence online and on social media, ''When Calls the Heart: Home for Christmas'' was not only the top-rated non-sports program on its airdate, but was also the #1 tweeted television event across cable and broadcast. In August 2019, a spin-off show titled ''When Hope Calls'' launched with Hallmark’s new streaming service, Hallmark Movies Now.

Other Hallmark Films

''A Princess for Christmas'' (2011), starring Katie McGrath and Roger Moore, was the #1 rated cable movie of the week, pulling in 4.9 million viewers.

''A Royal Christmas'' (2014), starring Lacey Chabert and Golden Globe winner Jane Seymour, was Hallmark's 2nd highest-rated telecast in network history and rated #1 in all key demographics.

''Crown for Christmas'' (2015), starring Danica McKellar and Rupert Penry-Jones, was the #1 movie when it premiered, drawing 4.29 million viewers.

''A Christmas Detour'' (2015), starring Candace Cameron Bure and Paul Greene, was the #1 show on Hallmark Channel and the biggest part of their largest ever share of the weekly audience. It trended at #1 on Twitter and bought in 4.78 million viewers overall.

''A Christmas Melody'' (2015), marked the directorial debut of Mariah Carey and starred Carey with Lacey Chabert. The film was so well received that Krevoy and Hallmark teamed up for '' Mariah Carey's Merriest Christmas Special'' (2015), which featured Chabert again, as well as Emmy award winner Kelsey Grammer.

''Every Christmas Has a Story'' (2016), starring Lori Loughlin and Colin Ferguson, was the highest-rated Hallmark Channel telecast of 2016, pulling in 4.01 million viewers.

'' A Wish for Christmas'' (2016), starring Lacey Chabert and Paul Greene, drew 3.4 million viewers and was the week's most talked about original premiere on Twitter, and across social media.

''I’ll be Home for Christmas'' (2016), starring James Brolin and Mena Suvari, had the largest unduplicated audience of Hallmark Movies & Mysteries in 2016, with 2.4 million viewers for the premiere.

''Christmas in Angel Falls'' (2017), starring Rachel Boston, Beau Bridges and Paul Greene, was the 2nd highest-rated movie of 2017 for the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel.

''A Royal Matchmaker'' (2018), starring Joy Lenz and Will Kemp was the 3rd highest-rated cable program of the week, with 2.9 million total viewers.

'' Winter Love Story'' (2019), starring Jen Lilley and Kevin McGarry, garnered 3.2 million viewers.

''Christmas in Rome'' (2019), starring Lacey Chabert and Sam Page, was the second highest-rated original Hallmark movie of the Christmas season, with 3.7 million viewers.

''Christmas Waltz'' (2020), starring Lacey Chabert and Will Kemp, was the highest-rated original Hallmark movie of 2020, with 3.95 million viewers, while ''Five Star Christmas'' (2020), starring Joy Lenz, was the fourth-highest with 3.37 million.

With GAC Family

In 2021, Krevoy began a partnership with the newly rebranded network GAC Family, run by former Hallmark Channel CEO Bill Abbott. Producing twelve Christmas films for their first holiday season starring the likes of Cameron Mathison, Maggie Lawson, Chad Michael Murray, Jill Wagner, Jen Lilley, Becca Tobin, Cindy Busby, Daniel Lissing, and more, MPCA helped launch the network to much fanfare. ''When Hope Calls'' also premiered a second season, moving over from Hallmark, and bringing with it ''When Calls the Heart'' veteran Lori Loughlin.

2022 saw the release of two romantic comedies for GAC Family, ''The Winter Palace'' starring Danica McKellar, and ''Harmony from the Heart'', starring Jessica Lowndes and Jesse Metcalfe. ''Harmony from the Heart'' was also produced and written by Lowndes.

Other Holiday Films

Krevoy and MPCA also began producing Christmas films for CBS and Peacock in 2021. For CBS, they made ''A Christmas Proposal,'' starring Adam Rodriguez and Jessica Camacho, as well as ''Christmas Takes Flight'', starring Katie Lowes and Evan Williams. And Peacock got into the Christmas game with ''The Housewives of the North Pole'', starring Real Housewives alum Kyle Richards and Betsy Brandt.

Producing style

Coming out of the Corman model of filmmaking, Krevoy developed many techniques and strategies to become successful. Krevoy saw that “Roger knew all aspects of his profession, from development to the actual filmmaking, to post-production and marketing," and that it "really set him apart." Krevoy made it a priority to align himself with talented creatives who showed great promise.

Krevoy is known for jumpstarting the careers of many young actors and filmmakers who have gone on to become some of the biggest names in Hollywood including the Farrelly brothers, Vince Vaughn, Ben Stiller, Sarah Jessica Parker, Will Ferrell, Viggo Mortensen, Ashley Judd, Jude Law, Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Kirsten Dunst, Courteney Cox, Bill Paxton, Ben Foster, Gretchen Mol, Wallace Wolodarsky, and Jon Turteltaub.

A big focus of Krevoy's ethos is to look for specific niches of audiences that need content. The recent success of his Christmas movies further exemplifies his quick action to see an underserved audience. “Any film that I’ve ever had that’s done big business, it was because I was trying to play the niches,” says Krevoy. He cites ''Dumb and Dumber'' as such a broad, silly comedy that no established studio would dare to make it. Roger Corman taught him that “you really don’t have to be the biggest or the best on the block. Do the best you can… if you’re going to do a smaller film, be the best at the smaller film, and compete at your own level, that you’re comfortable with.”

Other ventures

In 1999 Krevoy teamed with exhibition veterans Ron Leslie (Former president of AMC theatres) and Peter Fornstam, as well as real estate attorney Richard Lawrence, to form Resort Theatres of America. By March 1999, the company had acquired all of Metropolitan Theatre Corp.’s Palm screen locations for a total of 85 screens.

In 1999, they purchased and renovated the historic Isis Theatre in Aspen, Co.

Personal life

Brad married his wife Susie in 1996. They live in Santa Monica with their three daughters and two dogs.

Filmography

Film

As a producer

As a production manager

As an actor

Television

As a producer

As a production manager

Miscellaneous crew

* ''Dumb and Dumber'' (1995−1996) – Creative consultant

References

External links

*
Official website of MPCA Film

{{DEFAULTSORT:Krevoy, Brad
American film producers
Living people
Beverly Hills High School alumni
Stanford University alumni
Year of birth missing (living people)