Producer Jerry Bruckheimer (left) on the set of DEJA VU.
© Touchstone Pictures
Jerry Bruckheimer aka "Mr. Blockbuster"
By: Jarrod SarafinDate: Sunday, May 27, 2007
Since the monster known as Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End hits theater screens this weekend, I thought “Why Not?” Let’s talk about him. In fact, I’m close to putting up a *Fan boy Alert* advisory along side this Star Spotlight due to the fact that internet critics everywhere are well in tune on thinking of creative insults towards Michael Bay. What strikes me as odd on that one is Jerry Bruckheimer isn’t Michael Bay. Michael Bay isn’t Jerry Bruckheimer. It’s funny how since they’ve worked together so very often, some critics seem to forget that fact.
With Jerry Bruckheimer, I think he deserves talking about just out of sheer “power” and “standing” inside the studio executive circles. The man has made the Power List on Entertainment Minded Power Rankings with magazines such as Forbes, Entertainment Weekly, Premiere, etc for over a decade now. He’s been in the top 10-40 of those various rankings for the last 4-5 years. There’s a reason for it. He’s been a powerhouse behind some very marketing ventures in the industry the last 25 years. Within the last decade, he’s branched off into some even more successful television hits which increased that power ranking of his.
Overall, by letting him get Spotlighted, I’m more interested in hearing your thoughts on the man.
There seems to be a faction of people which consider the whole Summer Tent pole Movie concept to be a reason why Hollywood has turned into spurning out “crap” in their minds while others seem to like the occasional popcorn shoot ‘em up for what it is, mindless entertainment. This can be a highly heated issue to discuss, hence, the fanboy alert is probably deserving.
The thing about Bruckheimer is he’s strictly a producer first and foremost. With nearly 4 decades of films under his belt, he has yet to direct one movie or film. He’s too busy calling the shots overseeing so many movies and television programming I doubt he’ll get that first directorial credit on his resume. That is, if he even wants to direct something in the first place. To get an idea on what films and television he’s been in charge with, here’s a list.
- Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) (with Walt Disney Pictures)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) (with Walt Disney Pictures)
- Déjà Vu (2006) (with Touchstone Pictures)
- Glory Road (2006) (with Walt Disney Pictures)
- National Treasure (2004) (with Walt Disney Pictures)
- King Arthur (2004) (with Touchstone Pictures)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) (with Walt Disney Pictures)
- Bad Boys 2 (2003) (with TriStar Pictures)
- Veronica Guerin (2003) (with Touchstone Pictures)
- Kangaroo Jack (2003) (with Warner Bros.)
- Bad Company (2002) (with Touchstone Pictures)
- Pearl Harbor (2001) (with Touchstone Pictures)
- Black Hawk Down (2001) (with Revolution Studios)
- Remember the Titans (2000) (with Walt Disney Pictures)
- Coyote Ugly (2000) (with Touchstone Pictures)
- Gone in Sixty Seconds (2000) (with Touchstone Pictures)
- Armageddon (1998) (with Touchstone Pictures)
- Enemy of the State (1998) (with Touchstone Pictures)
- Con Air (1997) (with Touchstone Pictures)
- The Rock (1996) (with Hollywood Pictures)
- Dangerous Minds (1995) (with Hollywood Pictures)
- Crimson Tide (1995) (with Hollywood Pictures)
- Bad Boys (1995) (with TriStar Pictures)
- The Ref (1994) (with Touchstone Pictures)
- Days of Thunder (1990) (with Paramount Pictures)
- Beverly Hills Cop 2 (1987) (with Paramount Pictures)
- Top Gun (1986) (with Paramount Pictures)
- Beverly Hills Cop (1984) (with Paramount Pictures)
- Thief of Hearts (1984)
- Flashdance (1983) (with Paramount Pictures)
- Young Doctors in Love (1982)
- Cat People (1982)
- Thief (1981)
- Defiance (1980)
- American Gigolo (1980) (with Paramount Pictures)
- March or Die (1977)
- Farewell, My Lovely (1975)
- Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins (1975) (associate producer)
- The Culpepper Cattle Company (1972) (associate producer)
Seriously, just look at the list. Forgetting whether you like a lot of these movies or not on a personal level, there is little to no doubt about their success rates when looking as an analyst. Jerry and long time friend, co-producer Don Simpson, made some very wise choices when the whole Hollywood Tent pole Concept was gaining steam around the industry. This was around the time where James Cameron, Richard Donner and John McTiernan were churning out highly bankable franchises such as Terminator, Aliens, Lethal Weapons, Predator and Die Hard. Whether one fan absolutely hates the last 10 years of summer movies or not, nobody can deny the hits mentioned above by these directors.
Honestly, it could be backtracked to before those directors and be traced more towards Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola and some others who really started the summer movie concept with Jaws, Indiana Jones, Star Wars and other smash hit popcorn munching pop culture phenomenon.
Whatever the case, producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson, became powers in the industry in the midst of this new wave of smash hits by collaborating on Flashdance, Beverly Hills Cop, Top Gun, Days of Thunder, Bad Boys and finally The Rock. Longtime friend Don Simpson died untimely while The Rock was being filled (it would later be dedicated to him). Untimely because he died of Cardiac Arrest after they found multiple drugs in his system.
After his death, Jerry Bruckheimer would go it along and it was around this time where he would also venture into creating and overseeing television programming over shows which would help contribute to him getting on Power Lists lately. Here’s a list of his TV shows:
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation(1999-present)
- CSI: NY (2004-present)
- CSI: Miami (2002-present)
- The Amazing Race (2001-present) TV Series (exec. producer)
- Modern Men (2006) TV series (exec. producer)
- Justice (2006) TV Series (exec. producer)
- E-Ring (2005-2006) TV Series (exec. producer)
- Close to Home (2005-present) TV Series (exec. producer)
- Just Legal (2005-2006) TV Series (exec. producer)
- Skin (2003) TV Series (exec. producer)
- Cold Case (2003-present) TV Series (exec. producer)
- Profiles from the Front Line (2003) TV Series (exec. producer)
- Without a Trace (2002-present) TV Series (exec. producer)
- Soldier of Fortune, Inc. (1997-1998) TV Series (exec. producer)
- Stargate: SG1 (1997-present) TV Series (exec. producer)
As you can see, the man is overseeing and in charge of some very successful television franchises. It’s the residues in syndication and programming off these shows which contribute to him being a very powerful man inside the studio scene.
Let’s not also forget about the bankability of his movie franchises and past movies. Here’s a box office receipt look at some of his movies:
| Movie | Opening $ | Theaters | Domestic $ | Overseas $ | Worldwide $ |
| Beverly Hills Cop | 15.2 mil | 1,532 | 234.7 mil | 81.6 mil | 316.3 mil |
| Top Gun | 8.1 mil | 1,028 | 176.7 mil | 177.0 mil | 353.8 mil |
| Beverly Hills Cop 2 | 26.3 mil | 2,326 | 153.6 mil | 146.3 mil | 299.9 mil |
| Days of Thunder | 15.4 mil | 2,307 | 82.6 mil | 75.2 mil | 157.9 mil |
| Bad Boys | 15.5 mil | 2,132 | 65.8 mil | 75.6 mil | 141.4 mil |
| Crimson Tide | 18.6 mil | 2,382 | 91.3 mil | 66.0 mil | 157.3 mil |
| Dangerous Minds | 14.9 mil | 1,348 | 84.9 mil | 94.6 mil | 179.5 mil |
| The Rock | 25.0 mil | 2,392 | 134.0 mil | 200.9 mil | 335.0 mil |
| Con Air | 24.1 mil | 2,824 | 101.1 mil | 122.8 mil | 224.0 mil |
| Enemy of the State | 20.0 mil | 2,393 | 111.5 mil | 139.1 mil | 250.6 mil |
| Armageddon | 36.0 mil | 3,127 | 201.5 mil | 352.1 mil | 553.7 mil |
| Gone in Sixty Seconds | 25.3 mil | 3,006 | 101.6 mil | 135.5 mil | 237.2 mil |
| Coyote Ugly | 17.3 mil | 2,653 | 60.7 mil | 53.1 mil | 113.9 mil |
| Remember the Titans | 20.9 mil | 1,865 | 115.6 mil | 21.0 mil | 136.7 mil |
| Black Hawk Down | 28.6 mil | 3,101 | 108.6 mil | 64.3 mil | 172.9 mil |
| Pearl Harbor | 59.0 mil | 3,214 | 198.5 mil | 250.6 mil | 449.2 mil |
| Bad Company | 11.0 mil | 2,944 | 30.1 mil | 35.8 mil | 65.9 mil |
| Bad Boys II | 46.5 mil | 3,186 | 138.6 mil | 134.7 mil | 273.3 mil |
| Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl | 46.6 mil | 3,269 | 305.4 mil | 348.5 mil | 653.9 mil |
| King Arthur | 15.1 mil | 3,086 | 51.8 mil | 151.6 mil | 203.5 mil |
| National Treasure | 35.1 mil | 3,017 | 173.0 mil | 174.4 mil | 347.4 mil |
| Glory Road | 13.5 mil | 2,222 | 42.6 mil | $291,000 | 42.9 mil |
| Deja Vu | 20.5 mil | 3,108 | 64.0 mil | 116.5 mil | 180.5 mil |
| Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest | 135.6 mil | 4,133 | 423.3 mil | 642.3 mil | 1.065 billion |
| Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End | n/a yet | 4,362 | n/a yet | n/a yet | n/a yet |
| National Treasure: Book of Secrets | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Prince of Persia: Sands of Time | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Yes, there’s a reason his nickname in Hollywood is “Mr. Blockbuster”.
As you can, films he oversees have a habit of banking massive amounts of cash for the studios. Who knows where Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, National Treasure: Book of Secrets or Prince of Persia: Sands of Time end up on box office success but it would be a sound guess to assume they make quite a lot of money.
There you go, an overview of Bruckheimer…Past, Present & Future.
