Will Packer (born April 11, 1974) is an American
film producer
A film producer is a person who oversees film production. Either employed by a production company or working independently, producers plan and coordinate various aspects of film production, such as selecting the script, coordinating writing, di ...
who founded Will Packer Productions, and Will Packer Media. Packer has produced or executive produced a wide range of movies that have grossed more than $1 billion worldwide at the box office, including 10 films that have opened at number one. He has produced more than 30 features including big-screen hit comedies such as ''
Think Like a Man
''Think Like a Man'' is a 2012 American romantic comedy film directed by Tim Story, written by Keith Merryman and David A. Newman, and produced by Will Packer. It was based on Steve Harvey's 2009 book ''Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man''. The fil ...
'' (2012), ''
Ride Along
A ride-along is an arrangement for a civilian to spend a shift in the passenger seat of an emergency vehicle, observing the work day of a police officer, firefighter, or paramedic.
Ride-alongs are offered by many police departments around the wor ...
'' (2014), ''
Think Like a Man Too
''Think Like a Man Too'' is a 2014 American romantic comedy film directed by Tim Story. It is the sequel to the 2012 film ''Think Like a Man'', based on Steve Harvey's book ''Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man''. The script was written by David A. ...
'' (2014), ''
The Wedding Ringer
''The Wedding Ringer'' is a 2015 American buddy romantic comedy film directed and co-written by Jeremy Garelick. It stars Kevin Hart, Josh Gad, and Kaley Cuoco. The film was produced by Adam Fields, Will Packer Productions and Miramax, distribu ...
'' (2015), ''
Girls Trip
''Girls Trip'' is a 2017 American comedy film starring Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Tiffany Haddish, and Jada Pinkett Smith. The film is directed by Malcolm D. Lee and written by Kenya Barris and Tracy Oliver, from a story by the pair and Erica R ...
'' (2017), ''
Night School
A night school is an adult learning school that holds classes in the evening or at night to accommodate people who work during the day. A community college or university may hold night school classes that admit undergraduates.
Italy
The Scuola ...
'' (2018), ''
What Men Want
''What Men Want'' is a 2019 American romantic comedy film directed by Adam Shankman and starring Taraji P. Henson, Aldis Hodge, Josh Brener, Erykah Badu, Richard Roundtree and Tracy Morgan. The film is a loose remake of the 2000 film ''What Wome ...
'' (2019) and ''
Little
Little is a synonym for small size and may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Little'' (album), 1990 debut album of Vic Chesnutt
* ''Little'' (film), 2019 American comedy film
*The Littles, a series of children's novels by American author John P ...
(2019).'' He also produced the
2022 Academy Awards Oscars ceremony, and received a 2022 Emmy award nomination as Producer, Outstanding Variety Special Live, for the Oscars.
Early life and education
Packer was born and raised in
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 258,308, making it the fifth-most populous city in Florida and the second-largest city in the Tampa Bay Area, after Tampa. It is the ...
. He graduated from
St. Petersburg High School
St. Petersburg High School, founded in 1898, is a secondary school located in St. Petersburg, Florida. The school's current building, a historic landmark, was built in 1926. It was designed by Missouri architect William B. Ittner. It was listed ...
in 1991 and began attending
Florida A&M University
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), commonly known as Florida A&M, is a public historically black land-grant university in Tallahassee, Florida. Founded in 1887, It is the third largest historically black university in the U ...
that fall. In 1996, Packer graduated
magna cum laude
Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some So ...
with a
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...
degree in
electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...
. On October 29, 2021, FAMU personally honored Packer by renaming its amphitheater the Will Packer Amphitheater. Packer also received the Meritorious Achievement Award from Florida A&M, the highest honor the university bestows.
Career
Rainforest Films
It was at FAMU that he started filmmaking with colleague and future business partner
Rob Hardy
Robert Hardy, Jr. is a film director, film producer, screenwriter, and television director. With partner Will Packer, he founded the production company Rainforest Films in 1994. Hardy's film credits include ''The Gospel'', ''Trois'', and '' ...
while participating in an internship with veteran producer
Warrington Hudlin
Warrington W. Hudlin, Jr. (born July 16, 1952) is an American film director, producer, and actor.
Early life
Hudlin was born in East St. Louis, Illinois, the son of Helen (née Cason), a teacher, and Warrington W. Hudlin, Sr., an insurance ex ...
. In 1994, Packer and Hardy produced their first film, ''Chocolate City'', for $20,000 and Packer helped broker a small distribution deal with
Blockbuster video
Blockbuster or Block Buster may refer to:
* Blockbuster (entertainment) a term coined for an extremely successful movie, from which most other uses are derived.
Corporations
* Blockbuster (retailer), a defunct video and game rental chain
** Blo ...
. After graduating, Packer and Hardy moved to
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
and co-founded
Rainforest Films
Rainforest Films was a film production company founded in 1994 by Rob Hardy and Will Packer that produced films geared towards African-Americans.
History
With Alpha Phi Alpha, fraternity brothers William Packer (producer), William Packer and Gr ...
. Packer produced and oversaw the company's studio-financed and self-financed films and distribution projects.
Packer and Hardy's vision was to make films that would appeal to black audiences who hadn't seen
genre
Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...
films starring people like themselves.
In 2000, ''
Trois
''Trois'' is a 2000 erotic thriller film directed by Rob Hardy and produced by William Packer. It stars Gary Dourdan, Kenya Moore and Gretchen Palmer. The film was given a limited theatrical release and was one of the years highest grossing A ...
'', Rainforest Film's first movie to be released theatrically, grossed over $1.2 million and became the fastest million-dollar grossing film independently distributed by African Americans.
''Trois'' was in the Top 50 Highest Grossing Independent Films of the year, according to ''
Daily Variety
''Variety'' is an American media company owned by Penske Media Corporation. The company was founded by Sime Silverman in New York City in 1905 as a weekly newspaper reporting on theater and vaudeville. In 1933 it added ''Daily Variety'', based ...
'', and Rainforest Films was at #34 on the list of Top 100 Film Distributors of 2000 listed by ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' in August 2001. Due to the success of their first film, Packer and Hardy were listed among the "New Establishment" of Black power brokers in Hollywood.
In 2001, Packer helped broker a deal with
Sony
, commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...
to produce and distribute urban films including ''Trois''s sequel, ''
Trois: The Escort'', and ''
Motives''.
The film ''
Lockdown
A lockdown is a restriction policy for people, community or a country to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks (such as COVID-19) that could possibly harm the people if they move and interact freely.
The term is used for a prison ...
'', released on home video under this Rainforest-Sony collaboration. In 2005, Rainforest Films released ''
The Gospel
The gospel or good news is a theological concept in several religions. In the historical Roman imperial cult and today in Christianity, the gospel is a message about salvation by a divine figure, a savior, who has brought peace or other benefits ...
''.
At this time, Packer started using the shortened moniker "Will Packer".
Packer and Hardy wanted Rainforest's films to include established actors and actresses as well as those who are up and coming. 2007's ''
This Christmas'', a film about a middle-class family that reunites at Christmas time for the first time in many years, stars veteran actresses
Loretta Devine
Loretta Devine (born August 21, 1949) is an American actress, singer and voice actor. She is known for numerous roles across stage and screen. Her most high profile roles include Lorrell Robinson in the original Broadway production of ''Dreamgir ...
and
Regina King
Regina Rene King (born January 15, 1971) is an American actress and director. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and four Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2019, ''Time'' magazine named her one ...
as well as R&B superstar
Chris Brown
Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to '' Billboard'', Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contempo ...
in his feature film debut. Packer produced five
#1 films with Rainforest, ''
Stomp the Yard
''Stomp the Yard'' is a 2007 American dance drama film produced by Rainforest Films and released through Sony Pictures' Screen Gems division on January 12, 2007. Directed by Sylvain White, ''Stomp the Yard'' centers on DJ Williams, a college ...
'', ''
Obsessed'', ''
Takers
''Takers'' (formerly known as ''Bone Deep'') is a 2010 American heist action thriller film directed by John Luessenhop from a story and screenplay written by Luessenhop, Gabriel Casseus, Peter Allen, and Avery Duff. It features Matt Dillon, Pau ...
'', ''
Think like a Man
''Think Like a Man'' is a 2012 American romantic comedy film directed by Tim Story, written by Keith Merryman and David A. Newman, and produced by Will Packer. It was based on Steve Harvey's 2009 book ''Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man''. The fil ...
'' and ''
Ride Along
A ride-along is an arrangement for a civilian to spend a shift in the passenger seat of an emergency vehicle, observing the work day of a police officer, firefighter, or paramedic.
Ride-alongs are offered by many police departments around the wor ...
''. His biggest hits with Rainforest have been ''Think like a Man'', which grossed over $96 million worldwide after being released in April 2012, and ''Ride Along'', which brought in box office receipts totaling nearly $150 million as of April 2014.
In television, Packer, along with
Andrew Young
Andrew Jackson Young Jr. (born March 12, 1932) is an American politician, diplomat, and activist. Beginning his career as a pastor, Young was an early leader in the civil rights movement, serving as executive director of the Southern Christian L ...
,
Martin Luther King III
Martin Luther King III (born October 23, 1957) is an American human rights activist, philanthropist and advocate. The oldest son and oldest living child of civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, King served as the 4t ...
, and Rainforest Films partner Rob Hardy, are co-founders of
Bounce TV
Bounce TV is an American digital multicast television network owned by Katz Broadcasting, a subsidiary of E. W. Scripps Company. Promoted as "the first 24/7 digital multicast broadcast network created to target African Americans", the channel fe ...
, a United States television network airing on
digital terrestrial
Digital terrestrial television (DTTV or DTT, or DTTB with "broadcasting") is a technology for terrestrial television in which land-based (terrestrial) television stations broadcast television content by radio waves to televisions in consumers' ...
television stations. Promoted as "the first 24/7 digital multicast broadcast network created exclusively for African Americans," Bounce TV launched on September 26, 2011 and features programming geared toward blacks and African Americans in the 25–54 age range.
In June 2014, Packer and Hardy dissolved Rainforest Films. The pair were included in a lawsuit brought by former business partner
Bernard Bronner in late June 2014.
Will Packer Productions
In 2013, Packer launched Will Packer Productions. In July 2013, he signed a two-year deal with
Universal Television
Universal Television LLC (abbreviated as UTV) is an American television production company that is a subsidiary of Universal Studio Group, a division of Comcast's NBCUniversal. It serves as the network television production arm of NBC; a predeces ...
to develop new projects for the studio. Later that year, he signed a three-year deal with
Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
. Packer-produced films under the Will Packer Productions banner include #1 box office openers ''
Ride Along 2
''Ride Along 2'' is a 2016 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Tim Story and written by Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi. It is the sequel to the 2014 film ''Ride Along''. The film stars Ice Cube, Kevin Hart, Ken Jeong, Benjamin Bratt, O ...
'', ''
No Good Deed'' and ''
Think Like a Man Too
''Think Like a Man Too'' is a 2014 American romantic comedy film directed by Tim Story. It is the sequel to the 2012 film ''Think Like a Man'', based on Steve Harvey's book ''Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man''. The script was written by David A. ...
'' along with ''The Wedding Ringer'' and ''
Girls Trip
''Girls Trip'' is a 2017 American comedy film starring Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Tiffany Haddish, and Jada Pinkett Smith. The film is directed by Malcolm D. Lee and written by Kenya Barris and Tracy Oliver, from a story by the pair and Erica R ...
''. ''Girls Trip'' was the highest grossing live action comedy of 2017 and the first film written, directed, produced, and starring African-Americans to gross over $100 million. The film went on to gross $140 million on a $19 million budget. Packer also served as executive producer on NWA biopic ''
Straight Outta Compton
''Straight Outta Compton'' is the debut studio album by rap group N.W.A, which, led by Eazy-E, formed in Los Angeles County's City of Compton in early 1987. Released by his label, Ruthless Records, on August 8, 1988, the album was produced b ...
'' and on 2016 television mini-series ''
Roots
A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients.
Root or roots may also refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media
* ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusing ...
.''
He has produced the comedies ''
Night School
A night school is an adult learning school that holds classes in the evening or at night to accommodate people who work during the day. A community college or university may hold night school classes that admit undergraduates.
Italy
The Scuola ...
'' (2018), starring
Kevin Hart
Kevin Darnell Hart (born July 6, 1979) is an American comedian and actor. Originally known as a stand-up comedian, he has since starred in Hollywood films and on TV. He has also released several well-received comedy albums.
After winning se ...
and
Tiffany Haddish
Tiffany Sara Cornilia Haddish (born December 3, 1979) is an American stand-up comedian and actress. After guest-starring on several television series and lead role on a cable drama, Haddish gained prominence for her role as Nekeisha Williams on ...
, ''
What Men Want
''What Men Want'' is a 2019 American romantic comedy film directed by Adam Shankman and starring Taraji P. Henson, Aldis Hodge, Josh Brener, Erykah Badu, Richard Roundtree and Tracy Morgan. The film is a loose remake of the 2000 film ''What Wome ...
'' (2019), starring Taraji P. Henson, and ''
Little
Little is a synonym for small size and may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Little'' (album), 1990 debut album of Vic Chesnutt
* ''Little'' (film), 2019 American comedy film
*The Littles, a series of children's novels by American author John P ...
'' (2019), starring
Marsai Martin
Caila Marsai Martin (born August 14, 2004) is an American actress, best known for her role as Diane Johnson on the ABC sitcom ''Black-ish'' (2014–2022).
In 2019, Martin starred in the comedy film '' Little'', which she also produced, becomin ...
and Regina Hall, ''The Photograph'' (2020)'', staring''
Issa Rae
Jo-Issa Rae Diop (born January 12, 1985), credited professionally as Issa Rae, is an American actress, writer, producer, and comedian. Rae first garnered attention for her work on the YouTube web series ''Awkward Black Girl''. Since 2011, Rae h ...
and LaKeith Stanfield, and ''Beast'' (2022), starring Idris Elba. Packer has been included in several high-profile lists, including ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
's "40(ish) Most Powerful People in Comedy"'', ''
GIANT
In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: '' gigas'', cognate giga-) are beings of human-like appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''giant'' is first attested in 1297 fr ...
'' magazine's "The GIANT 100", ''
Jet'' magazine's "Who's Hot To Watch in 2008" and ''
Black Enterprise
''Black Enterprise'' is a black-owned multimedia company. Since the 1970s, its flagship product ''Black Enterprise'' magazine has covered African-American businesses with a readership of 3.7 million. The company was founded in 1970 by Earl G ...
''s "Most Powerful Players Under 40."
Will Packer Media
In 2017, Packer launched Will Packer Media, a branded content and digital production company, in partnership with Discovery Communications and Universal Pictures. As part of the launch, the company acquired digital ad firm Narrative_ to serve as the new venture's branded content arm, WP Narrative. In 2018, Will Packer Media acquired women's lifestyle site xoNecole.
Will Packer Media produces episodic scripted and unscripted series across television and digital platforms, as well as compelling content for brand clients and short-form digital content for millennial audiences. Current productions include ''Ready to Love'' and ''Put a Ring On It'' for OWN, and ''That Girl Lay Lay'' for Nickelodeon. Will Packer Media also produces scripted and unscripted podcasts with iHeart Media including ''Fight Night'' and ''The Lower Bottoms''.
Packer served as the executive producer of the remake of ''Roots'', for which he received an Emmy Award nomination. The company's WP Narrative_ division was a 2018 Webby Award Winner and 10th Annual Shorty Award winner for its work producing video short #TakeAKnee. WP Narrative was also honored for its #BackedByAxe campaign created for Showtime's ''Billions'', winning at the Clio Entertainment awards, 10th Annual Shorty Awards and 2018 D&AD Awards.
''Central Ave'', an entertainment magazine series, debuted November 4, 2019 on Fox television stations.
2022 Oscar ceremony
Packer was named the Producer of the 94th Annual
Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
which aired on March 27, 2022. This marked his first "live" television production credit for a major show on a major television network (ABC) and was televised in more than 200 territories worldwide. The 94th Oscars was the highest-rated entertainment special in primetime on any network in two years in both total viewers (16.6 million) and adults 18-49 (3.8/28).
Best Supporting Actor winner
Troy Kotsur
Troy Michael Kotsur (; born July 24, 1968) is an American actor in theater, film, and television.
His supporting role in the film ''CODA'' (2021) earned him a number of accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Scr ...
became the first deaf man and second deaf individual overall to win an acting award. Best Supporting Actress winner
Ariana DeBose
Ariana DeBose (; born January 25, 1991) is an American actress, dancer, and singer. She has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award and a nomination for a Tony Award. In 2022, ...
was the first
Afro-Latina person and first openly gay woman of color to win an acting Oscar.
Personal life
Packer is a member of the
Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. () is the oldest intercollegiate historically African American fraternity. It was initially a literary and social studies club organized in the 1905–1906 school year at Cornell University but later evolved int ...
fraternity (inducted into the Beta Nu Chapter at FAMU). Packer married his first wife Nina Packer (general manager of Bryant Management and Dir. Of Operations for Blueprint Group, the artist management firm for
Lil' Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman, joining ...
and his
YMCMB
Young Money Entertainment is an American record label founded by rapper Lil Wayne. Young Money's president is Lil Wayne's lifelong friend and fellow rapper Mack Maine. The label was an imprint of Cash Money Records and is distributed by Republ ...
label from 2007-2014) in July 2001 and they have two daughters together, Nija Packer and Maya Packer. They were divorced in February 2009. Packer proposed to his fiancé Heather Hayslett live on stage at the 2013
Essence Music Festival
The Essence Festival, known as "the party with a purpose", is an annual music festival which started in 1995 as a one-time event to celebrate the 25th anniversary of ''Essence'', a magazine aimed primarily towards African-American women. It becam ...
. They were married in August 2015 in Georgia.
Filmography
Feature films
* ''Chocolate City'' (1994) (producer)
* ''
Trois
''Trois'' is a 2000 erotic thriller film directed by Rob Hardy and produced by William Packer. It stars Gary Dourdan, Kenya Moore and Gretchen Palmer. The film was given a limited theatrical release and was one of the years highest grossing A ...
'' (2000) (writer, producer)
*
''Trois 2: Pandora's Box'' (2002) (story writer, producer)
*
''Motives'' (2004) (producer)
*
''Trois: The Escort'' (2004) (executive producer)
*
''The Gospel'' (2005) (producer)
*
''The Gospel Live'' (2005) (executive producer)
*
''Puff, Puff, Pass'' (2006) (producer)
*
''Stomp the Yard'' (2007) (producer)
*
''Motives 2'' (2007) (producer)
*
''This Christmas'' (2007) (producer)
*
''Three Can Play That Game'' (2008) (producer)
*
''Obsessed'' (2009) (producer)
* ''
Takers
''Takers'' (formerly known as ''Bone Deep'') is a 2010 American heist action thriller film directed by John Luessenhop from a story and screenplay written by Luessenhop, Gabriel Casseus, Peter Allen, and Avery Duff. It features Matt Dillon, Pau ...
'' (2010) (producer)
*
''Stomp the Yard: Homecoming'' (2010) (producer)
*
''Alpha Man: The Brotherhood Of MLK'' (2011) (executive producer)
*
''Think Like a Man'' (2012) (producer, cameo appearance)
*
''Battle of the Year'' (2013) (executive producer)
*
''Ride Along'' (2014) (producer)
*
''About Last Night'' (2014) (producer)
*
''Think Like a Man Too'' (2014) (producer, cameo appearance)
*
''No Good Deed'' (2014) (producer)
*
''The Wedding Ringer'' (2015) (producer)
*
''Straight Outta Compton'' (2015) (executive producer)
*
''Ride Along 2'' (2016) (producer)
*
''Almost Christmas'' (2016) (producer)
*
''Girls Trip'' (2017) (producer)
*
''Breaking In'' (2018) (producer)
*
''Night School'' (2018) (producer)
*
''What Men Want'' (2019) (producer)
*
''Little'' (2019) (producer)
*
''Jacob's Ladder'' (2019) (producer)
*
''The Photograph'' (2020) (producer)
*
''Beast'' (2022) (producer)
* ''Praise This'' (2023) (producer)
* ''Dashing Through the Snow'' (TBA) (producer)
*
Television
*
''Truth Be Told'' (2015)
(executive producer)
*
''Roots'' (2016) (executive producer)
*
''Uncle Buck'' (2016) (executive producer)
*
''Being Mary Jane'' (2017-2019) (executive producer)
*
''The Quad'' (2017-2018) (executive producer)
* ''Ready to Love'' (2018) (executive producer)
* ''Put a Ring on It (''2019'')'' (executive producer)
*
''Ambitions'' (2019) (executive producer)
*
''The Atlanta Child Murders'' (2019) (executive producer)
* ''The Disappearance of the Millbrook Twins'' (2019) (executive producer)
*
''Bigger'' (2019-2021) (executive producer)
* ''That Girl Lay Lay'' (2021) (producer)
* ''The Return'' (2022) (executive producer)
*
''94th Academy Awards'' (2022) (producer)
References
External links
*
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Packer, William
1974 births
20th-century American businesspeople
20th-century African-American people
21st-century American businesspeople
21st-century African-American people
African-American businesspeople
African-American film producers
Film producers from Florida
Film producers from Georgia
Florida A&M University alumni
Living people
People from St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg High School alumni