ron howard yacht imagine

Find anything, super fast.

• Destinations
• Documentaries

We don't have any additional photos of this yacht. Do you?

Motor Yacht

Imagine is a custom motor yacht launched in 2010 by Trinity Yachts.

Trinity Yachts, a world leader in the realm of building full-custom superyachts, has been producing first-class vessels since its inception in 1995. Speed, seaworthiness and unique quality workmanship characterise the American shipyard’s builds.

Imagine measures 49.90 metres in length.

Imagine has an aluminium hull with an aluminium superstructure.

Her interior design is by Evan K Marshall.

Imagine also features naval architecture by Trinity Yachts.

Other Specifications

Imagine has a hull NB of T053.

• Yacht Builder Trinity Yachts No profile available
• Naval Architect Trinity Yachts No profile available
• Exterior Designer Trinity Yachts No profile available
• Interior Designer Evan K Marshall No profile available

Yacht Specs

Other trinity yachts, related news.

Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment Inks Multiyear Deal With Major League Baseball

The first project under the deal will be a documentary on the 2023 World Series from award-winning filmmaker R.J. Cutler

Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment has entered into a strategic partnership with Major League Baseball to create scripted and non-scripted film and television properties.

Under the terms of the multiyear deal, Imagine and MLB will collaborate to develop and produce projects rooted in stories and personalities throughout the league’s robust 150-year history. The partnership will produce programming that taps the expansive MLB film and video archive to cover historical and cultural subjects while leveraging access granted by the league to also profile the captivating storylines around the game today. 

“I’ve always been drawn to the drama, high stakes, and emotion of baseball ever since I was kid in the bleachers of Dodger Stadium,” Howard said in a statement. “These also happen to be the very same elements that make for a great movie or television show, which is why Brian, Imagine, and I are so excited to be teaming up with Major League Baseball to bring more of their stories to life.”

The first project under the deal will be a documentary on the 2023 World Series produced by award-wining filmmaker R.J. Cutler (“Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry,” “The September Issue”) and his This Machine production company, which will take a deep dive into the intersecting narratives, on and off the field, that surround the high stakes climax of America’s national pastime.

Imagine and Cutler most recently partnered on the MGM+ true crime docuseries, “Murf the Surf: Jewels, Jesus and Mayhem in the USA” which tells the story of one of the most complicated and notorious American crime figures ever, Jack Roland Murphy, who became America’s very first true crime television superstar in 1964, a mere few months after the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

From “Blue Crush” to “Friday Night Lights” to “Rush” to the documentary “The Day Sports Stood Still” to the upcoming second season of “Swagger,”   Imagine has a rich history in telling stories rooted in sports. Over the last five years, Imagine has strategically expanded into an independent content studio with targeted acquisitions, partnerships, and new divisions, including an exclusive first look strategic partnership with The Washington Post in 2022 and with Warner Music Group in 2020, to co-produce a slate of projects across all mediums.

Major League Baseball represents the highest level of professional baseball and is the most historic sports league in the United States. Through its MLB Studios label, the League creates, produces and consults on original content with multi-platform media and licensing projects that span film, television, audio networks and digital distribution.

Recent credits include the critically acclaimed multi-part documentary films “Once Upon a Time in Queens” and “The Captain” on ESPN, “Say Hey, Willie Mays!” on HBO/HBO Max and “After Jackie,” a civil rights story set in 1960’s baseball, on History. ESPN Films recently announced an eight-part documentary series, “The Yankees Win,” produced in partnership with MLB Studios.

“Collaborating with Ron Howard and Imagine is a dream come true,” Major League Baseball Chief Revenue Officer Noah Garden added. “The opportunities that come with two premier global media companies partnering are limitless. Couple that with Ron’s passionate and vocal fandom for the game of baseball and we know we have a framework to produce unmatched content for fans to enjoy across a collection of platforms.”

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Ron Howard and Brian Grazer Want to Be the Center of the Streaming Era

By Brooks Barnes

• Aug. 1, 2019

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — “So this is a blow gun,” Brian Grazer said during an interview in his office. “It shoots a very sharp dart.”

Mr. Grazer, the madcap producer behind some of the biggest TV and movie hits of the last 40 years, held the slim weapon to his pursed lips. He pointed it at a target-practice poster about 10 feet away and blew forcefully — thwack .

“Crazy, right?” he said. “Don’t worry. You’re a thousand percent safe.”

The first dart had gone slightly off course. But the second was affixed to the tip of the nose of the bad guy on the target. Mr. Grazer giggled with delight.

Without knowing it — or perhaps knowing exactly — Mr. Grazer had supplied a suitable opening scene for an article about his effort to remain relevant in Hollywood. Only the real-life target is a moving one.

Mr. Grazer founded Imagine Entertainment in 1986 with Ron Howard , the Oscar-winning director. Over the decades, they have steered Imagine to the center of one show business trend after another. In the early 1990s, when studios were paying vast sums to lock up producers as suppliers, Imagine’s deal with Universal was one of the richest. On certain hits, Mr. Grazer received up to 25 percent of the revenue.

When the TV industry tilted toward a renaissance in the late 1990s, Imagine was among the first movie companies to seize the moment, resulting in shows like “Felicity,” “Friday Night Lights,” “Arrested Development” and “24.”

Now Mr. Howard and Mr. Grazer have recalibrated yet again. Imagine has quietly placed itself at the center of the streaming revolution by splitting with Universal, raising its own funding and aggressively building new content assembly lines: documentaries, preschool television shows, multicultural low-budget films, podcasts, branded entertainment, animation.

“Instead of narrowing our focus to service a particular need of a particular company, which felt creatively limiting, we took a risk and moved toward vastly more independence,” Mr. Howard said by telephone from a set in Atlanta. “It’s us recognizing that this particular era in media represents an incredible opportunity.”

Netflix will spend about $8 billion on original programming next year, according to BTIG Research. (Mr. Howard was in Georgia to shoot the film “Hillbilly Elegy,” which Imagine sold to Netflix for an eye-popping $45 million .) Amazon will spend an estimated $3 billion. Disney Plus, which will go live in November; the coming Apple Plus; and Hulu will each spend between $1 billion and $2 billion. Major streaming services from WarnerMedia and NBCUniversal are in the works. Facebook, YouTube and Snapchat are also buying original shows.

“Three new Netflixes needing content — quality content — probably popped up while we’ve been talking,” Mr. Grazer said.

Imagine investors now include Raine, a media-focused merchant bank that has put in at least $125 million. Mr. Grazer and Mr. Howard have a first-look deal with the CBS Corporation to produce shows. To expand its overseas TV operation, Imagine struck a $100 million co-financing deal with a Hong Kong media company.

To a degree, Mr. Grazer, 68, and Mr. Howard, 65, seem to have legacy on their minds. They want Imagine to live beyond them, and growth is the only way to make that happen. Down the road, Mr. Grazer and Mr. Howard envision selling Imagine as a fully formed content engine, sort of the way Jeffrey Katzenberg built DreamWorks Animation and sold it to Comcast in 2016 for $3.8 billion.

Apple briefly looked at Imagine as an acquisition target in the months after the DreamWorks sale, but both sides decided the timing wasn’t right. Imagine is now making shows and films for Apple Plus, including an episodic basketball drama called “ Swagger .”

Since then, Imagine has gone on a hiring blitz, more than doubling its staff to 65 people. Executives have joined Imagine from HBO, ABC, Netflix and NBCUniversal. “I wanted to find young, smart people to carry our story forward,” Mr. Grazer said.

Now comes the hard part: making all of the new divisions run efficiently and maximizing their potential.

“I think we’re in the middle of our plan,” said Michael Rosenberg, Imagine’s co-chairman, who runs the company on a day-to-day basis. Imagine is looking for a chief executive; the job has been vacant since Charlie Corwin stepped down last year. “The challenge has been finding the right people — who fits our culture?” said Mr. Rosenberg, who joined Imagine in 1988.

Stephanie Sperber, formerly a senior executive at Universal Pictures, seems to be one of those people. She joined Imagine in January as president of its new Kids & Family division and already has 25 projects in development. In the last few weeks, Ms. Sperber sold a scripted space show to Nickelodeon; announced a deal for a live-action horse-themed series; and bought rights to Tiny Chef, a character with a large YouTube following who has been described as “ Julia Child meets Mister Rogers .”

“The I.P. is so brand new that we can work with the creators to build it out — digital, music, live events, games, consumer products,” Ms. Sperber said of Tiny Chef.

Other new divisions include Imagine Documentaries, which has 13 films and docu-series in various stages of production, and Imagine Branded Entertainment, focused on making content that doubles as advertising. One client is Unilever, which hired Imagine to make a documentary that will subtly promote Dove products for men. Imagine is also developing Broadway shows, including an adaptation of “A Beautiful Mind,” which won Oscars for Mr. Howard and Mr. Grazer in 2002.

Over the past year, Imagine has bought controlling stakes in smaller companies like Jax Media , which produces the Netflix comedy “Russian Doll,” and Marginal Mediaworks , which focuses on low-budget content from minority creators.

And Imagine continues to work on movies and TV shows for traditional distributors. Those projects include a new big-screen adaptation of “Friday Night Lights,” according to Mr. Grazer, and “The Shrinking of Treehorn,” an animated film that Mr. Howard plans to direct. Imagine has a deal with the Australian studio Animal Logic (“The Lego Movie”) to co-finance six animated films.

Imagine has an enviable track record in Hollywood, even more so because it has mostly avoided fantasies that depend on extravagant computer-generated effects — in other words, almost everything that studios churn out. But Imagine has also had its share of blunders.

Mr. Grazer and Mr. Howard, for instance, made the disastrous decision to take Imagine public in 1986. The market crashed in 1987. Imagine subsequently struggled with rising costs. Mr. Howard and Mr. Grazer took Imagine private in 1993, prompting a few irate shareholders to file lawsuits.

More recently, the two men went through a cinematic dry spell, delivering box office clunkers like “ Cowboys & Aliens ” (2011) and “ In the Heart of the Sea ” (2015). Universal, which had already cut back its deal with Imagine, grew increasingly impatient. At the same time, Imagine felt stifled at Universal, where executives — following ticket-buying trends — were emphasizing horror films and tentpoles. That meant fewer slots for the kind of sophisticated dramas in which Mr. Grazer and Mr. Howard specialize.

Imagine’s first-look deal at Universal ended in 2016. The companies are still working together on some long-gestating projects .

Whether Imagine will be successful in its latest incarnation remains to be seen. But one thing becomes clear when you speak to Mr. Grazer: His desire to win — to remain Hollywood royalty — is undiminished. Despite his success, he wears a certain insecurity on his sleeve.

He talked, for instance, about the four decades of culture-defining hits that he and Mr. Howard have delivered — “Splash” (1984), “Apollo 13” (1995), “24” (2001-2010), the hip-hop drama “Empire” (entering its sixth season). Mr. Grazer added “Kindergarten Cop” (1990) to the list.

But that memory seemed to activate a wound involving “ Housesitter ,” a 1992 comedy. It was based on one of Mr. Grazer’s ideas.

“I read a review that said, ‘This is a dumb idea. It must have been the idea of the producer,’” he said glumly. “I literally that second got a cold sore on my lip.”

By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy . We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment Sets First-Look Deal with Amazon

Wilson chapman.

• Share on Facebook
• Share to Flipboard
• Share on LinkedIn
• Show more sharing options
• Submit to Reddit
• Post to Tumblr
• Print This Page
• Share on WhatsApp

After the release of “Thirteen Lives,” Amazon is apparently hoping to stay in business with Imagine Entertainment . Amazon Studios has inked a new, multiyear first-look film deal with Imagine Entertainment, the production company co-founded and chaired by Ron Howard and Brian Glazer, it was announced Friday.

Under the terms of this new deal, Amazon Studios will have first look dibs on the narrative and documentary features Imagine Entertainment produces, and the first opportunity to secure distribution rights for the production company’s projects.

Last year, Amazon distributed two projects from Imagine Entertainment through Prime Video: “Thirteen Lives,” which was directed by Howard, and the documentary “Lucy and Desi,” from Amy Poehler. Next month, Amazon will release Imagine’s documentary “Judy Blume Forever,” and is set to distribute future Imagine projects like “Candy Cane Lane” starring Eddie Murphy and a spy action-comedy “The U.S.P.S.”

“Whether it’s a captivating drama like ‘Thirteen Lives’ or a poignant documentary like Lucy and Desi, the team at Imagine Entertainment has an incredible gift for storytelling,” Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon and MGM Studios, said in a statement. “As we look forward to more exciting projects on the horizon, we are honored to make our longstanding relationship official and to bring more powerful, engaging stories to audiences around the world.”

News of Imagine’s deal with Amazon comes only two years after the company signed a similar multi-year, first-look deal with Apple. Since that deal was signed in 2021, Apple TV+ has only premiered three projects from the production company: a “Peanuts” 70th anniversary special, a Louis Armstrong documentary, and the TV series “Swagger;” the streamer will also distribute “The Beanie Bubble,” an upcoming comedy from Imagine starring Zach Galifianakis, Elizabeth Banks, and Sarah Snook.

“Brian, Ron, and I, along with our entire team at Imagine including Karen Lunder, President of Imagine Features, and Sara Bernstein, President of Imagine Documentaries, couldn’t be more excited to have a home at Amazon and continue our shared desire to make tentpole films that inspire, elevate, and entertain audiences,” Justin Wilkes, president of Imagine Entertainment, said in a statement. “The team at Amazon is best-in-class and loves making movies as much as we do. We can’t wait to expand our slate through this partnership.”

Most Popular

You may also like.

Brian Grazer & Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment and iHeartMedia Announce Lineup for Their Co-Produced Slate of Original iHeartPodcasts

The six-show slate debuts today with talk-show style podcast “Hello Isaac” hosted by cultural icon Isaac Mizrahi – listen now HERE

Los Angeles, June 12, 2023 – Imagine Entertainment President Justin Wilkes announced today a new slate of shows from their audio division in collaboration with iHeartPodcasts, the No. 1 podcast publisher globally. The robust lineup of shows is the first to emerge from the slate deal formed between Imagine and iHeartMedia. Aligning with Imagine Entertainment’s global reputation in award-winning, premium storytelling, Imagine Audio, headed up by Kara Welker, will release six innovative new podcast series, produced by Nathan Kloke and co-produced by iHeartPodcasts. The slate features familiar voices like a workplace audio comedy from Ron Howard, a punk-rock murder mystery hosted by music anthropologist and director Penelope Spheeris (Decline of Western Civilization, Wayne’s World), as well as compelling new voices like environmental thought leader Chris Turney and writer Davis Miller, a man who overcame childhood bullying through an unlikely friendship with Muhammed Ali. Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Wilkes serve as Executive Producers across the slate. 

“At Imagine Entertainment, our priority has always been telling stories that inspire and empower and we are thrilled to debut our first slate of shows as we expand into the audio space with iHeartMedia,” said Justin Wilkes, President of Imagine Entertainment. 

“We are pleased to announce this compelling slate from iconic names like Ron Howard and Isaac Mizrahi as well as thought-provoking content exposing issues like climate change and the billion dollar sugar industry through a whole new lens,” said Conal Byrne, CEO of iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group. “Imagine Entertainment has an outstanding, decades-long reputation for bringing award-winning tv shows, features and documentaries to our screens, and we can’t wait to bring Imagine’s bespoke content to even more audiences in the audio space through iHeartPodcasts.”

The first podcast in the robust lineup of shows, “ Hello Isaac ” hosted by Isaac Mizrahi, will debut today with new episodes available Mondays each week. Imagine Audio and iHeartPodcasts’ full slate of shows will include:

• “Hello Isaac” — Available Today : Isaac Mizrahi is a jack of all trades – an iconic fashion designer, actor, singer, television presenter and a pretty darned good cook too! Isaac will join experts in their field to learn how their lives - the failures, the success and their process forged them into the experts they are today. Featured Guests in this raw, honest and hilarious interview show include Carson Kressley, Andy Cohen, BenDelaCreme and more. Produced with Awfully Nice. Listen now here .  
• “Big Sugar” — Launching June 20 : “Big Sugar” is a timely story covering an epic legal battle pitting the multi-billion-dollar sugar industry against the migrant laborers who harvest sugarcane, while revealing corporate malfeasance, human rights violations, DC lobbying, nutrition downfalls and the destruction of the environment. Relentless journalists and lawyers uncover a complex network of relationships, policies and transactions involving the highest levels of government and the communities where we live. From Novel and Weekday Fun. Official audio trailer will be available for listeners tomorrow, June 13.  
• “ Employees Only” — Launching July 17: From creator Ron Howard, “Employees Only” is an improvised workplace comedy following employees at a big box store who spend their break discussing, debating and arguing about the day’s news. This podcast is an innovative new approach to a sitcom, with a topical look at the news from every angle and perspective. Produced with Pretty-Fast.  
• “Unf**king The Future” — Launching August 8 : In “Unf**king the Future,” climate scientist and expedition leader Chris Turney takes listeners on an increasingly urgent environmental journey, exploring the scary reality the planet faces today and the common–sense solutions that can be implemented now to save it. Produced with Awfully Nice.  
• “Peter and the Acid King” — Launching September 18 : “Peter and the Acid King” takes listeners on a deep dive through the grimy, chaotic world of the Los Angeles punk scene in the early ’80s and the brutal murder of New Wave Theater TV host, Peter Ivers, the dynamic performer and artist known for bringing punk rock to TV.  Created by Alan Sacks (Du-Beat-E-O, Thrashin, Welcome Back Kotter) and narrated by punk historian and esteemed director Penelope Spheeris (The Decline of Western Civilization, Wayne's World). Featured guests include Jello Biafra, Frank Salerno, and Ron Howard. Produced with Awfully Nice.  
• “The Tao of Muhammad Ali” — Launching October 3 : “The Tao of Muhammad Ali” from Davis Miller and based on his international best-selling book, will start with true story of how The Champ selflessly saved a bullied young boy, the creator himself, Davis Miller, from a paralyzing depression and propelled him to success through his “Tao.” The show will carry listeners through the later years when Davis and Ali are reunited while Ali was in the throes of Parkinson’s, sharing years of The Champ’s wisdom and doctrine, and that which made Ali a role model and guru for millions, including stories from many of the celebrities and people of influence who were deeply impacted and inspired by their time with Ali. Produced with Awfully Nice.

Over the last five years, Imagine has emerged as a force in the unscripted space with their prolific documentary division. Imagine is further expanding on their success in the space with the formation of Imagine Audio. All podcasts in the new slate are distributed by iHeartPodcasts and will be available on the iHeartRadio app and everywhere podcasts are heard.

iHeartMedia’s iHeartPodcast Network is home to more than 800 original podcasts which see more than 374 million downloads each month globally. These podcasts span every category from business, sports, spirituality and technology to entertainment, family, comedy and true crime – and everything in between – making iHeartPodcasts the largest publisher of podcast content in the world. 

About Imagine Entertainment

Founded by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, Imagine Entertainment is an award-winning global entertainment company telling stories that inspire and empower, and creating unforgettable entertainment experiences of all genres across Imagine Features, Imagine Television Studios, Imagine Documentaries, Imagine Kids+Family, Imagine Brands, and Imagine Audio, as well as the award-winning Jax Media and Alex Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions.  Imagine’s productions have been honored with more than 60 prestigious awards including 47 Academy Award nominations and 228 Emmy® award nominations. Past productions include the Academy Award Best Picture winner "A Beautiful Mind", as well as Grammy Award Best Film winner "The Beatles: Eight Days A Week – The Touring Years." Recent productions include the critically-acclaimed film "Thirteen Lives" directed by Ron Howard, the hit film "tick, tick…Boom!" directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, and the critically acclaimed documentaries “Judy Blume Forever”, Sacha Jenkin’s “Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues”, Rory Kennedy’s “Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari”, "Lucy & Desi" directed by Amy Poehler (Two-time Emmy winner ) and "We Feed People". Prior films include "Get on Up", “Rush", "Frost/Nixon", "American Gangster", "The Da Vinci Code", "Apollo 13", "8 Mile", "Liar, Liar", “Backdraft", and “Parenthood" to name a few.  Upcoming productions 'The Beanie Bubble", from Kristen Gore and Damian Kulash; “Candy Cane Lane” starring Eddie Murphy and directed by Reginald Hudlin;, and the animated feature "The Family Treehorn.” Television productions include “Genius: MLK/X” (Disney+); "Wu-Tang: An American Saga" (Hulu); “Swagger" (Apple); Under the Banner of Heaven (FX); and Jax Media’s "Emily in Paris" (Netflix). Documentary productions include the “Crime Scene" anthology series, The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel, The Times Square Killer and The Texas Killing Fields, all of which reached the top #5 globally on Netflix; "Genius: Aretha" (NatGeo); “Julia"; "Paper & Glue"; "Rebuilding Paradise"; and Jigsaw’s “Tiger" documentary (HBO), to name a few. Additional television productions include Fox’s “Empire”;  the “24" franchise; NatGeo’s “Genius" anthology series; NBC’s “Parenthood" and "Friday Night Lights''; Fox’s and Netflix’s "Arrested Development"; and HBO's "From the Earth to the Moon", for which Howard and Grazer won the Emmy® for Outstanding Mini-Series. Grazer and Howard began their collaboration in the early 80’s with the hit comedies ``Night Shift" and “Splash", and continue to run Imagine Entertainment as executive chairmen.

The Transformation Of Ron Howard From 6 To 67 Years Old

Ron Howard first appeared on the big screen when he could barely talk in the 1956 movie "Frontier Woman." His parents were also in the film, and his father Rance recalled to Nick Thomas of the Jackson Sun , "...we wanted to somehow get Ron into the picture, too. He was only 18 months old, but we thought it would be wonderful for our parents to see their grandson in a movie with us." Ron's parents took away a tomahawk prop right before filming, which caused him to cry during his scene. This started young Ron's acting career, and soon after, his brother Clint's career. 

Both men wrote a collective memoir in 2021 called "The Boys" about their experiences growing up in show business, per The Washington Post . After his long-term role as Richie Cunningham in the classic sitcom "Happy Days," Howard transitioned into directing. Behind the camera, he often teamed up with actor Tom Hanks. The two worked together in "Splash," "Apollo 13," and two movies based on the Robert Ludlum books "Angels & Demons" and "The Da Vinci Code." Howard also sprinkled in some voice work during his career, further showcasing his many talents.

With such a long tenure in Hollywood, Howard has dealt with surprises, tragedies, disappointment, and triumphs — both in his personal life and in his movies. But through it all, he persisted and continued to delight fans in any way possible.

From a child star to an industry veteran, this is the transformation of Ron Howard from 6 to 67 years old.

The early career of Ron Howard

After his first time on screen in 1956, Ron Howard — often credited as Ronny Howard — appeared in multiple small roles in TV . This included a handful of episodes of "Dennis the Menace" and a small part in an episode of "The Twilight Zone." In his scene from the episode "Walking Distance," young Howard's character learns all about marbles from a man in a suit. A user on Twitter tagged Howard in a link to the video , and the actor confirmed that it was indeed him delivering the lines. He commented , "i remember this scene. i was still 5."

Ron Howard's biggest breakthrough then came as Opie Taylor in "The Andy Griffith Show." The series debuted in 1960 when Howard was around the age of six. In the series, he played the adorable young son to Griffith's character, as seen in a clip from the first episode . But Ron wasn't the only Howard who would go on to charm audiences. His younger brother, Clint, also started acting, which made Ron jealous. "I felt envy over what Clint was achieving," Ron told The New York Times . He said his brother was "was really popular at school, an excellent athlete, gregarious, smart, confident. Things that I don't necessarily feel or exude." As for his brother's abilities on screen, Ron confessed Clint "was a hell of a good child actor."

Ron Howard was a little music man

Soon after his debut in "The Andy Griffith Show," Ron Howard landed his biggest movie to date. He played one of his most iconic characters as an actor, little Winthrop Paroo in the 1962 film "The Music Man." Over 50 years later, Howard still vividly remembered his experience from the role. On an episode of "IMDb Me," Howard recited his line at the same time during a clip from the movie, including the adorable lisp that Winthrop spoke with. "It takes a lot of work to get a six-year-old kid to remember a line like that. So, I think I must have gone over that one about a thousand times," Howard recalled.

Not just lines — Howard also remembered songs from the movie music. On "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," Howard explained how he had just turned seven at the time of filming his "first big, high-profile feature." The interview took place in the same studio where "The Music Man" shot many scenes, so Howard said returning "brings back a lot of memories." One of these memories was the "Wells Fargo Wagon" number that he sang for the audience during the interview, once again with that same lisp.

Inside Ron Howard's teenage years

As a teenager, Ron Howard appeared in various TV shows outside of his long run on "The Andy Griffith Show." For example, he was in an episode of the wilderness adventure program "Daniel Boone." In his episode, "A Man Before His Time," in 1969, Howard played a "moody teenager ... the son of a killed fugitive bent on revenge," MeTV recapped. He also joined "Gentle Ben" for a few episodes of the series about the titular bear. Both his father Rance and younger brother Clint were already regulars on the show.

Even though Ron Howard's career was taking off, he admitted things weren't so bright off camera. The star told The New York Times , "The system is set up to make child performers feel like failures as they go through adolescence, that most vulnerable period, and I was beginning to experience that." Also, his run ended on "The Andy Griffith Show" when the series wrapped in 1968. 

But looking back, Howard said that his time on the show helped him learn things he would use later in Hollywood. "He taught me a great deal through the examples he set and the approach to our work on the set," Howard told the Los Angeles Times about working with Griffith. "I learned about comedic timing, paying off characters in the third act of a story line, and the equal values of both focused rehearsal and, at particular moments, of total chaotic spontaneity," Howard added.

Happy days for Ron Howard?

In 1974, Ron Howard was cast as the star of a new sitcom called "Happy Days." The show was a hit, but not entirely due to Howard's character, Richie Cunningham. In fact, his co-star Henry Winkler, who played Greaser Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli, was often stealing the show. In his memoir "The Boys," Howard wrote, "It did not escape my notice that as the season went on, the Fonz was getting more and more screen time," via the New York Post . He said the Fonzie character taking over contributed to major stress at the start of the series. "I didn't handle my stress particularly well ... I kept everything inside," Howard remembered.

The Fonz became so popular, so quickly, that the network even considered rebranding the show. Reportedly, ABC suggested renaming the show "Fonzie's Happy Days" (per the New York Post). But the series creator would only do so if Howard agreed to the change. Luckily for everyone involved, Howard didn't approve. Instead, the actor had bigger issues to deal with. As a result of Winkler taking his spotlight, Howard revealed he physically suffered beyond a hit to his ego. "I started breaking out in eczema rashes all over my body, most acutely on my eyelids," he said. This also was the start of Howard's hair loss at a young age. Though he considered it "inevitable" thanks to his family history, Howard said his hair began "coming out in alarming clumps during this time."

How Ron and Cheryl Howard met

On November 1, 1970, Ron Howard went out with a young woman named Cheryl Alley. On their first date, the couple "went to see a re-release of Stanley Kramer's 'It's a Mad Mad Mad World' and then got some pizza at now defunct Barnone's in Toluca Lake," Howard said in an Instagram post . The two hit it off and started seeing each other. In another Instagram post , Howard showed a photo of the first time Cheryl visited him on set. In the caption of the picture, he noted Cheryl came to watch him work on "The Smith Family" in December 1970. "Lucky me," he sweetly said, noting that they married five years later. 

On Twitter, Ron Howard shared a delightful photo of he and Cheryl on their wedding day. In attendance to see the couple get married were two men who played his dad on screen — Andy Griffith, and Tom Bosley from "Happy Days."

Cheryl and Ron remained happily married as she stood by the his side while his career in Hollywood blossomed. On Instagram in 2020, Ron said he and Cheryl were celebrating the 50th anniversary of their first date. In addition to wearing socks with her face on them, the star said he and his wife planned "a trip to our local take-out pizza place." Even cuter, he said, "We'll be driving in the same '70 VW Bug I picked Cheryl up in 5 decades ago. It runs great. So do we."

Ron Howard wore many hats

Though he easily could have continued his career as an actor alone, Ron Howard decided to expand his skillset in movies and started directing. In fact, Howard began making his own movies as a boy. Film School Rejects recapped a short film created by a young Howard. The project, called "Cards, Cads, Guns, Gore and Death," stars Ron and his little brother Clint. The boys are playing cards, dressed in full-on Western getups, "when someone is accused of cheatin'. Young Ronny shoots the culprit. Then little Clint kills his brother before being shot in the back by another man for some reason," Film School Rejects summarized.

In 1977, Howard directed his first major motion picture, "Grand Theft Auto." He was also the star of the film. "Only time I've ever done that, and probably the only time I ever will," Howard confessed on an episode of "IMDb Me." As Howard explained, he pitched his best ideas to movie producer Roger Corman, including a science fiction and noir style flick. In response, Corman told him that the name "Grand Theft Auto" tested well in a search for film titles. So, based simply on the name alone, the producer asked Howard to draft a "car crash comedy starring yourself" that would fit the title. According to Howard, he drafted the outline of the story in about 36 hours.

Ron Howard became a father

Ron and Cheryl Howard had their first child together in 1981 and named her Bryce Dallas. She became a popular actor for roles in the rebooted "Jurassic World" in 2015, "The Help," and "Gold." She told Google that "Bryce" came from Bryce Canyon National Park . The famous site in Utah is known for its spectacular sand colors, often in a reddish hue. Since both her parents were redheads, Bryce said "they knew that was going to happen" in regard to her red hair. As for the Dallas part, she revealed it was the city where she was conceived.

Ron posted a photo on Instagram showing the famous dad with baby Bryce Dallas. He's seen holding his daughter at his friend Donny Most's wedding in 1982. "In fact she took her first steps during Don & Morgan's ceremony," Ron explained about his daughter in the caption.

Growing up around a famous director meant that Bryce was familiar with movie sets at a young age. She even appeared as an extra in her dad's film "Parenthood." The actor told  CBS that she loved her experiences so much that "when I would be grounded, they would ground me from the set, because they knew, like, I did not want to risk that!" When her dad once actually banned her from his set, Bryce told him, "You're ruining my life! How could you do this to me?"

Ron Howard's inexperience helped him

After a ten-year run, the sitcom "Happy Days" came to an end in 1984. Ron Howard had concluded his time as series star in 1980 but would return for two 1983 episodes and the show's finale. Prior to the last episode, Howard already had a few directing experiences, including "Night Shift" in 1982 featuring his "Happy Days" co-star and lifelong friend, Henry Winkler. But these films weren't blockbusters, and Howard was still working his way up in the industry. 

In an interview for Yahoo! , Howard said around this time "actors didn't trust [him] that much" because he wasn't very established yet. When he was set to direct a family film about a mermaid, Howard revealed the biggest actors in romantic comedies like Chevy Chase and John Travolta weren't interested in working with him. As a result, this opened the door for Tom Hanks, who at the time, was simply an '80s TV star on the ABC sitcom "Bosom Buddies." When Hanks auditioned for the film "Splash," he read for the character that ultimately went to John Candy. Howard remembered Hanks from a guest part on "Happy Days" and asked him to read for the lead. The studio agreed with Howard's suggestion, and it helped launch Hanks' incredible career in film.

Surprisingly, "Splash" almost never happened. Howard said on the "IMDb Me" web series that he had a difficult time getting the film launched because there was a competing mermaid movie at the time. Disney came on board, and because of the on-screen romance, "Splash" was PG and became the first film under Disney's Touchstone division.

Ron Howard's fiery experience

Rolling into the '90s, Howard was becoming more comfortable behind the camera. He then planned to make a realistic drama about the intense pressures and dangers of firefighting in his 1991 movie "Backdraft." The stakes were high for everyone involved, especially the director. Howard posted a photo on Instagram where he is seen sitting on the ground grabbing his legs during production in Chicago. He explained in the caption, "I'd say this young director was wishing things could be going quicker on the set that day but couldn't do anything but hunker down and wait."

Things worked out well, and the movie received praise for its special effects. Even more impressive, the director created these effects using physical camera tricks instead of digital effects. This made "the action sequences harrowingly immersive, using a combination of miniatures, matte work, full-sized sets and actual flames," The Hollywood Reporter recapped about the film. According to the director, while filming, he had "a team of 10 Chicago firefighters around us at all times with extinguishers at the ready." Though the flames behaved as expected more often than not, he confessed the real life firefighters needed to step in "on occasion."

Another one of Howard's memories on set was of Robert De Niro. He said the veteran actor prepared for his role by meeting with actual fire investigators, like the one he played on screen. "It was a master class in preparation and application," Howard said of De Niro after watching his scenes.

Into space with Ron Howard

With the experience of "Backdraft" under his belt, Ron Howard was able to attempt an even more difficult production in terms of special effects. In preparation for his 1995 film "Apollo 13," Howard planned to use wires and other tricks from films like "2001: A Space Odyssey" to give the impression of weightlessness in the space scenes. But famous director Steven Spielberg had an even better idea. As Howard told Yahoo! , Spielberg suggested using low-gravity airplane rides like real NASA astronauts used to do for training. During these flights, a capsule would be bolted to the aircraft and inside, the astronauts would experience simulated zero gravity. Howard consulted captain Jim Lovell, the real-life commander of the Apollo 13 space mission, on the plan to bolt part of the set onto the plane. Luckily, the astronaut successfully convinced NASA to let Howard and the crew try a test flight. "It was an amazing experience," Howard said.

Another special aspect of the film was that Hanks' on-screen mom was played by Howard's real-life mother Jean Speegle Howard. Ron was initially hesitant to offer his mom the job. "I'm so happy my dad twisted my arm," Howard told Entertainment Tonight . "I really didn't think Mom was old enough to do it, and I was also just frankly nervous about it because I knew what a pivotal role it was," Ron admitted. But it all worked out because he said in the end, "she really knocked it out of the park."

Ron Howard finally earned recognition

Sadly, Ron Howard started the new millennium with tragic news. In 2000, his mom, Jean Speegle Howard, died at the age of 73. As reported by ABC , "After sons Ron and Clint were established in their careers, she began acting on-screen, appearing in 10 films and many TV shows before ill health forced her into retirement." 

While dealing with this heartbreaking news, Ron Howard was on the verge of a huge career breakthrough. In 2001, he released the film "A Beautiful Mind" starring Russell Crowe as a brilliant mathematician. The film was a huge success with critics and was one of the hottest films at the Academy Awards held in 2002. First, Howard won the best director award — the first Oscar of his career. He beat out an impressive field in the category, including Ridley Scott, Peter Jackson, and David Lynch. Then, in the biggest prize of the night, Howard and his producer Brian Grazer took home the award for best picture. Fittingly, Howard's long-time star actor Tom Hanks presented the award and handed the director his second Oscar.

Even though the movie became a high point in his career, Ron Howard never revisited the incredible story. "Boy, I haven't seen 'Beautiful Mind' since it was released in theaters," he told Entertainment Tonight . "I don't look back too often, I just stay busy and I'm always onto the next project. But I have great memories of it," the director said.

Ron Howard's new job off-screen

Between 1988 and 1998, Ron Howard had a big gap in his acting career. He voiced the character of himself in two episodes of "The Simpsons" in 1998 and 1999, and made a cameo on "Frasier." But his voiceover work alluded to a future opportunity in the early aughts. Howard became involved with the quirky and completely unique series "Arrested Development" starting in 2003. He employed dense jokes and chopped-up timelines to create a more unexpected show like "The Simpsons." 

In an episode of "IMDb Me," Howard said that he and "Arrested Development" creator Mitchell Hurwitz discussed potentially using a narrator as part of the story. Hurwitz convinced Howard to record a temporary track as the show's narrator. After testing scenes with an audience, the fans were in love with Howard's voice. The creator told Howard, "the narrator was the highest testing element." Since the network wanted to green-light the project, Hurwitz told Howard, "you have to do the series." This test run turned into five seasons for Howard as the narrator, spanning from 2003 to 2019.

Soon after starting "Arrested Development," Ron Howard continued to pick up accolades for his work in the entertainment industry. In 2003, he received the prestigious National Medal of the Arts for his "critically acclaimed films" in addition to his early acting work. Then his 2008 film "Frost/Nixon" earned Howard best director and best picture nominations.

How Ron Howard linked up with Jay-Z

In 2012, Jay-Z founded the Made in America Festival. He hosted the musical event in Philadelphia, the city where he found rappers as Roc-a-Fella Records' CEO and co-founder,  Vibe recapped. In a surprising pairing, Jay-Z looked to Ron Howard to tell the story behind the music. Howard told The Guardian about the connection, "I met Jay Z through my partner at Imagine films, Brian Grazer, who has always loved hip-hop." The director told the rap legend, "I don't know much about music, I know very little about hip-hop, and I've never made a documentary." Also, Howard admitted that prior to the event, he barely recognized any of the featured artists. 

Still, he signed on to be the director of the official documentary about the festival called "Made in America." While working on the project, Jay-Z warned Howard about dealing with Odd Future, the rap collective that featured Frank Ocean and Tyler, the Creator . "I think he thought they might pants me or spray shaving cream all over my bald head! But they were really great," Howard revealed to The Guardian.

​​Back in scripted projects, Howard was fresh off his 2011 film "The Dilemma" starring Vince Vaughn, Winona Ryder, Kevin James, and Jennifer Connelly. According to The Guardian , the film "was met with critical contempt and box office apathy. Audiences then and now are befuddled by it."

Ron Howard went back to the stars

Piling on the recognition, Ron Howard received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame  in the Film category in 2015. This was his second star on the famous strip of sidewalk, with his first in 1981 for Television. Ron's ease around cameras started as an infant, thanks to his dad, Rance Howard, as both men made their film debut in "Frontier Woman," via Jackson Sun . Sadly, Rance died in 2017. Ron  posted the news on Twitter and said of his dad: "A depression-era farm boy, his passion for acting changed the course of our family history." When Ron went on to be a director, he used his father in several films, including "Apollo 13," "A Beautiful Mind," and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." According to The New York Times , Rance helped Ron write his directorial debut, "Grand Theft Auto."

One year later, Ron revisited his early days in Hollywood with director George Lucas. Ron was an actor in Lucas' movie "American Graffiti," and the "Star Wars" creator was a producer on Howard's film "Willow." So, when Ron began working on the 2018 film "Solo: A Star Wars Story," he knew exactly who to call. Ron explained on an "IMDb Me" episode that Lucas essentially told him, "Follow your instinct. Don't worry about rules." One of his most memorable moments on set was Chewbacca giving him a hug in costume after applauding the actor for a scene well done.

Ron Howard hasn't stopped filmmaking

Even a Hollywood legend like Ron Howard isn't immune from criticism after a long resume of winning movies. On paper, his directorial effort paired with two superb actors — Amy Adams and Glenn Close — should have been a hit. Instead, his 2020 film released on Netflix called "Hillbilly Elegy" was a complete disaster with critics. The Atlantic called it "one of the worst movies of the year." The film adaptation of a 2016 memoir was supposed to be uplifting but instead came off as "polished yet utterly inert."

Even if one of his movies flops, Howard is often already working on the next one. For example, he planned to direct the Hollywood retelling of the incredible 2018 cave rescue in Thailand. To create his version, called "Thirteen Lives," Howard and crew relocated to Australia to film. The director said he has enjoyed filming on the continent, especially because he's worked with some of its most famous actors — "Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, and Chris Hemsworth," he told Variety . "I am excited about the opportunity to film and work in Australia and dramatically expand on that list of collaborators whose sensibilities and work ethic I have long admired and respected," he added. As reported by Deadline , Howard signed Colin Farrell, Viggo Mortensen, and Joel Edgerton to dramatize "the rescue of twelve boys and their soccer coach from a flooded, impenetrable cave system in Thailand in 2018."

Ron Howard’s Production Company, Imagine, Could Be Sold for $800M or More Soon: Report

Ron Howard and his business partner, Brian Grazer, might be selling their Imagine Entertainment company soon for $800 million or more.

According to a story from Variety , potential buyers include a Middle East wealth fund, international banks, and a domestic private equity firm.

Ron Howard and Grazer have been involved in producing movies for almost 40 years. Among the films produced under the Imagine umbrella include “Apollo 13,” “A Beautiful Mind,” “8 Mile,” and “Backdraft.” The company’s TV series involvement includes “Arrested Development,” “Friday Night Lights,” and “24.”

Ron Howard Company Received Influx Of Capital Back In 2016

Imagine did receive an influx of cash to keep growing in 2016. They received $100 million in capital from Raine Group. That let Imagine expand its reach into kids and family content, documentaries and non-fiction, international and live theater projects.

Ron Howard has spent his entire life in the world of entertainment. He gained notoriety as Opie Taylor on “The Andy Griffith Show.” Then Howard starred in “Happy Days” as Richie Cunningham. But he already was turning his eyes toward his dream, which was to be a film director. Howard would take a Super 8 film camera around and film different sets and people from his shows.

A spokesperson for Imagine Entertainment had no comment about the Variety report. But Imagine looks like it is becoming part of the ongoing M&A conversations in Hollywood.

Movie Director Received Solid Advice From ‘Happy Days’ Creator Garry Marshall

While Ron Howard acted on “Happy Days,” he picked up some solid advice from the show’s creator, Garry Marshall.

Now Marshall did more than create “Happy Days.” He also created the TV version of Neil Simon’s play “The Odd Couple.” Marshall also oversaw spinoffs from “Happy Days” in “Laverne & Shirley” and “Mork and Mindy.”

But Howard remembered what Marshall told him one time about show business.

“Garry became one of these guiding forces, and not just creatively,” Howard said to “Entertainment Tonight” in an interview in July 2016. “Because Garry Marshall, as successful as he was – whether it was stage, big screen – his mantra to anyone who was beginning to succeed in the business was simple. He said, ‘This is great. It’s fantastic. But don’t ever forget that life is more important than show business.’”

“And he lived that,” Howard said. “And you could see it demonstrated in the choices he made.”

Marshall died of complications from pneumonia after a stroke. He was 81.

While he was also a legendary producer and director, Marshall was an actor too. He appeared as a recurring character on “Murphy Brown” and guest-starred on “Monk” and “ER.” Marshall wrote plays like “Wrong Turn at Lungfish” and “The Roast.” He also would direct operas, according to  Variety .

• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My watchlist
• Stock market
• Biden economy
• Personal finance
• Stocks: most active
• Stocks: gainers
• Stocks: losers
• Trending tickers
• World indices
• US Treasury bonds
• Top mutual funds
• Highest open interest
• Highest implied volatility
• Currency converter
• Basic materials
• Communication services
• Consumer cyclical
• Consumer defensive
• Financial services
• Industrials
• Real estate
• Mutual funds
• Credit cards
• Credit card rates
• Balance transfer credit cards
• Business credit cards
• Cash back credit cards
• Rewards credit cards
• Travel credit cards
• Checking accounts
• Online checking accounts
• High-yield savings accounts
• Money market accounts
• Personal loans
• Student loans
• Car insurance
• Home buying
• Options pit
• Investment ideas
• Research reports
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing
• Newsletters

New on Yahoo

• Privacy Dashboard

Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Impact Closes Financing With Benchmark (EXCLUSIVE)

Imagine Impact , an offshoot of Ron Howard and Brian Grazer ’s production company Imagine Entertainment, has closed its Series A financing round led by Silicon Valley venture capital firm Benchmark .

Imagine Impact joins eBay, Hipcamp, Instawork, Nextdoor, OpenTable, Stitch Fix, Uber, Yelp, and Zillow, in Benchmark’s investment portfolio. Benchmark partner Bill Gurley spearheaded the deal and will join the board.

“The old way of sourcing talent in the entertainment industry is based on who you know, which presents high barriers-to-entry for the fresh voices we need to hear from,” said Gurley. “Impact is knocking down these barriers through a marketplace model that reduces information asymmetry and levels the playing field.”

Grazer said, “We could not be more thrilled to be working with Benchmark. They have an unrivaled track record in building marketplaces and companies that have changed the world.”

The company was launched in 2018 by Grazer and Howard with Tyler Mitchell as CEO, as a means of accelerating and democratizing the script development process by attempting to remove bias from the submission process allowing the writer’s voice to speak for itself and the most viable projects to move forward. Imagine Impact has built a network of 30,000 writers from over 80 countries and developed 72 projects, 25 of which have been set up at major studios including: Netflix, Sony, Amblin, Legendary, Village Roadshow and Sony.

“With Benchmark, we are now in a better place to serve the greater creative community worldwide,” said Howard. “Their investment enables us to go wider and deeper in bringing great storytellers to the forefront and connecting them to the entertainment industry.”

With the financing, Imagine Impact will become Impact Creative Systems. It plans to use the financing to launch the Creative Network this fall as an online marketplace and professional networking platform designed specifically for entertainment industry professional.

Mitchell said, “The response to our mobile/web app was so overwhelmingly positive that it became immediately clear that there is a huge demand for a platform that can connect people across all aspects of the entertainment industry, from development to production — a content and labor marketplace with social networking aspects and specialized tools that will make the business of creating content far more efficient and enjoyable.”

Grazer and Howard launched Imagine Entertainment in 1986 and have producing credits on numerous best picture winners and nominees, including “A Beautiful Mind,” “Frost/Nixon,” “Apollo 13,” and “American Gangster.” Imagine’s TV credits include “Arrested Development,” “24,” “Friday Night Lights” and “Empire.”

Grazer told Variety that Impact can lead to the discovery of more unique voices such as Aaron Sorkin, who developed “Sports Night” at Imagine. “He was so authentic that we had to be in business with him,” he said.

Impact and Netflix announced a collaboration in June. Impact launched its first international accelerator program in Australia last month in association with Gentle Giant Media Group and Screen Australia.

More from Variety

Brian Grazer, Terence Winter and Nicholas Pileggi Developing Mob Drama at Showtime

As 'Apollo 13' Turns 25, VFX Pros Look Back on Creating Key Scenes on the Ron Howard Film

Brian Grazer Developing 'Outliers' Anthology Series at HBO Max, Dr. Anthony Fauci to Be First Season Focus

Best of Variety

The Best Comedies on Netflix to Watch Right Now

Everything Coming to Netflix in September

What's Coming to Disney Plus in September 2020

Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter . For the latest news, follow us on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .

Recommended Stories

Dodgers' reported reaction to shohei ohtani's $680 million deferral request: 'holy f***'.

Andrew Friedman reacted like the rest of us when he heard Shohei Ohtani's contract proposal.

Boeing targets a culprit of 737 MAX production woes: 'Traveled work'

Boeing's CFO today outlined the steps the company is taking to address a series of issues affecting the safety and reliability of its planes (not to mention the company’s reputation).

Jon Rahm finds that there’s one thing LIV money can’t buy

Jon Rahm says leaving behind PGA Tour traditions is ‘difficult.’

Pass or Fail: Houston Texans show off new road uniforms after Reddit leak

Texans CEO and Chairman Cal McNair took to Reddit to show off one of the team's new uniform combinations in response to a leak.

2024 Fantasy Baseball: 12 sleeper pitchers not getting enough love in drafts

Fantasy baseball analyst Dalton Del Don wraps up his positional sleeper series with the pitchers!

A 15-year problem that has plagued corporate America is finally turning around

Productivity is rebounding after 15 years of no gains. That could help drive stocks higher.

2024 Fantasy Baseball: 7 potential draft busts from the infield

No one likes talking about busts, but identifying them can help you avoid a problem down the line. Fantasy baseball analyst Dalton Del Don highlights some infield draft fades.

Shohei Ohtani's interpeter fired after accusation of 'massive theft' from Dodgers star, per report

A bombshell has landed in Ohtani's camp hours after the Dodgers' season opener.

2024 NFL free agency: Fantasy football winners and losers

With the massive wave of NFL free agency moves behind us, fantasy football analyst Matt Harmon shakes out who saw their fantasy value rise or fall for 2024.

2024 Fantasy Baseball: Wyatt Langford leads 7 key draft sleepers from the outfield

Fantasy baseball analyst Dalton Del Don continues his sleeper series identifying draft gems at every position. This time, he highlights some outfielders.

site categories

Paramount global stock pops on apollo’s reported $11 billion bid for studio, breaking news.

Ron Howard And Brian Grazer’s Imagine Entertainment May Be Close To Sale – WSJ

By Bruce Haring

Bruce Haring

pmc-editorial-manager

More Stories By

• NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Bracket Set, UConn Gets No. 1 Seed
• Plot To Kill Rapper During SXSW Week Performance Foiled By Austin Police
• DirecTV To Allow Customers To Opt Out Of Local TV Stations In Special Package

The interested parties included at that time an unnamed Middle East sovereign wealth fund, as well as international banks and a domestic private equity firm. The valuation of the Oscar-winning A Beautiful Mind  production company was reported as north of $800M.

Related Stories

2024 Awards Season Calendar - Dates For Writers Guild, Tonys & More

2024 Premiere Dates For New & Returning Series On Broadcast, Cable & Streaming

Imagine’s umbrella consists of NY-based indie production shingle Jax Media ( Emily in Paris, Russian Doll, Younger, Broad City ), a majority stake in Alex Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions, a robust documentaries division including titles such as NatGeo’s  Rebuilding Paradise,  directed by Ron Howard, Sony Pictures Classics’  Julia, and Apple’s  Who Are You, Charlie Brown? 

Imagine’s library includes Howard’s canon with such titles as  Backdraft and Apollo 13, but also TV series such as  24, Arrested Development, Friday Night Lights  and  Empire.  Howard is also set to direct his first animated feature movie for Paramount,  The Shrinking of Treehorn.  There’s also a series based on Howard’s  Willow  in the works at Disney+. Upcoming is the Netflix Andrew Garfield title  tick, tick … Boom!  from Lin-Manuel Miranda.

There’s also Imagine Impact, which is the production company’s incubator lab for creatives, which is a means of accelerating the script development process by removing bias in the submission process.

Must Read Stories

Greg daniels & michael koman to co-create potential new series.

Why Recycling Reality Show Stars Has Become So Popular These Days

Record noms haul for netflix as ‘crown’ dominates; snubs & surprises.

Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy.

Read More About:

13 comments.

Deadline is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Deadline Hollywood, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Impact Closes Financing With Benchmark (EXCLUSIVE)

By Dave McNary

Dave McNary

Film Reporter

• Adele Lim Directing Ashley Park in Untitled R-Rated Comedy for Lionsgate, Point Grey (EXCLUSIVE) 3 years ago
• Netflix Delaying ‘The Gray Man’ Production Amid Surging California COVID-19 Cases 3 years ago
• Millie Bobby Brown to Star in the Russo Brothers’ Sci-Fi Film ‘The Electric State’ 3 years ago

Imagine Impact , an offshoot of Ron Howard and Brian Grazer ’s production company Imagine Entertainment, has closed its Series A financing round led by Silicon Valley venture capital firm Benchmark .

Imagine Impact joins eBay, Hipcamp, Instawork, Nextdoor, OpenTable, Stitch Fix, Uber, Yelp, and Zillow, in Benchmark’s investment portfolio. Benchmark partner Bill Gurley spearheaded the deal and will join the board.

“The old way of sourcing talent in the entertainment industry is based on who you know, which presents high barriers-to-entry for the fresh voices we need to hear from,” said Gurley. “Impact is knocking down these barriers through a marketplace model that reduces information asymmetry and levels the playing field.”

Grazer said, “We could not be more thrilled to be working with Benchmark. They have an unrivaled track record in building marketplaces and companies that have changed the world.”

The company was launched in 2018 by Grazer and Howard with Tyler Mitchell as CEO, as a means of accelerating and democratizing the script development process by attempting to remove bias from the submission process allowing the writer’s voice to speak for itself and the most viable projects to move forward. Imagine Impact has built a network of 30,000 writers from over 80 countries and developed 72 projects, 25 of which have been set up at major studios including: Netflix, Sony, Amblin, Legendary, Village Roadshow and Sony.

“With Benchmark, we are now in a better place to serve the greater creative community worldwide,” said Howard. “Their investment enables us to go wider and deeper in bringing great storytellers to the forefront and connecting them to the entertainment industry.”

With the financing, Imagine Impact will become Impact Creative Systems. It plans to use the financing to launch the Creative Network this fall as an online marketplace and professional networking platform designed specifically for entertainment industry professional.

Mitchell said, “The response to our mobile/web app was so overwhelmingly positive that it became immediately clear that there is a huge demand for a platform that can connect people across all aspects of the entertainment industry, from development to production — a content and labor marketplace with social networking aspects and specialized tools that will make the business of creating content far more efficient and enjoyable.”

Grazer and Howard launched Imagine Entertainment in 1986 and have producing credits on numerous best picture winners and nominees, including “A Beautiful Mind,” “Frost/Nixon,” “Apollo 13,” and “American Gangster.” Imagine’s TV credits include “Arrested Development,” “24,” “Friday Night Lights” and “Empire.”

Grazer told Variety that Impact can lead to the discovery of more unique voices such as Aaron Sorkin, who developed “Sports Night” at Imagine. “He was so authentic that we had to be in business with him,” he said.

Impact and Netflix announced a collaboration in June.  Impact launched its first international accelerator program in Australia last month in association with Gentle Giant Media Group and Screen Australia.

More From Our Brands

Olivia rodrigo links with her ex’s other misled exes in ‘obsessed’ video teaser, delta is opening its first premium lounge at n.y.c.’s jfk airport this summer, ufc’s $335m antitrust settlement details remain unknown, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, tvline items: david schwimmer joins goosebumps, anna camp to play twins in you and more, verify it's you, please log in.

The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News

Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter

site categories

Imagine tv wins fierce bidding war for red-state alien drama (exclusive).

Ron Howard is attached to direct the adaptation of Van Jensen’s upcoming book 'Godfall.'

By Lesley Goldberg , Lacey Rose October 27, 2023 10:00am

• Share this article on Facebook
• Share this article on Twitter
• Share this article on Flipboard
• Share this article on Email
• Show additional share options
• Share this article on Linkedin
• Share this article on Pinit
• Share this article on Reddit
• Share this article on Tumblr
• Share this article on Whatsapp
• Share this article on Print
• Share this article on Comment

Ron Howard will confront a three-mile-tall alien in Imagine TV’s latest foray.

The company, founded by Howard and Brian Grazer , has landed the rights to Van Jensen’s forthcoming novel, Godfall. The author’s debut novel was the subject of a bidding war that featured north of 10 other potential buyers vying for the rights to what is expected to be the first book in a series.

Related Stories

Margot robbie's just-released 'barbie: the world tour' fashion book is on sale for 29 percent off, amid kate middleton speculation, new book from princess diana's brother hits the charts.

“I’m honored to be a part of bringing Van’s incredible story to the screen. He’s built such an expansive, enthralling world that is deeply universal in its themes,” Howard said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter . “ Godfall showcases the perseverance of the human experience and the very relevant themes of family and change in small town America. Not to mention, the rich and complicated characters, that provide great performance opportunities and what I know will be an amazing cast.”

Howard, Grazer, Imagine TV president Kristen Zolner and author Jensen will executive produce the series, which has yet to be taken out to streamers and networks. A writer has also yet to be hired for the series take.

Jensen, a Nebraska native, is an acclaimed comic book writer who has written for many of DC Comics’ biggest titles including Green Lantern, Superman and The Flash, as well as for such characters as James Bond and more. In 2016, he was named a Comic Book Ambassador by the U.S. State Department. Two years later, he created a comic book biography for Stacey Abrams. He is currently finishing Tear Us Apart for Darkhorse, which he co-wrote with Jay Baruchel.

Imagine has a long list of TV credits including Friday Night Lights, 24, Felicity, Arrested Development and Parenthood , among several others.

“ Godfall embodies the exact type of big and bold stories we love to champion at Imagine Entertainment ,” added Imagine TV president Kristen Zolner. “ Godfall is a story that truly packs a punch, combining heart-pounding action with deeply intricate character-driven storytelling. We’re thrilled to be bringing this story to the screen in a series we know will leave viewers on the edge of their seats.”

News of a Godfall adaption, should it move forward as a series, comes as the larger  IP market has grown increasingly frothy  amid Hollywood’s back-to-back strikes, which ground production to a halt and left the industry with little else to sell.

Jensen is repped by The Gotham Group and Calligraph for publishing.

THR Newsletters

Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day

More from The Hollywood Reporter

‘american horror story: delicate part 2’ trailer unmasks kim kardashian character, laura dern and producing partner jayme lemons on their road to ‘palm royale’, ‘diarra from detroit’ review: bet+’s mystery-comedy serves as a sparkling showcase for creator-star diarra kilpatrick, david schwimmer to star in ‘goosebumps’ season 2 at disney+, fired ‘jeopardy’ host: aaron rodgers was most prepared to replace alex trebek, ‘narcos’ creator working on ‘peaky blinders’ style series on irish gangs in ny for mgm+.

• Finance & Insurance
• Grady-White
• New Boats for Sale
• Used Boats for Sale
• Yamaha Outboards Catalog
• Yamaha Motor Service
• Sell Your Boat
• Tides Charts

Cannons Marina News

Celebrity yacht-spotting and mermaid-watching in ft. lauderdale, may 22nd, 2012.

We use cookies to enhance your experience on our website. You agree to our use of cookies when you continue to browse the site. Review our Privacy Policy for more information.

• New Terms of Use
• New Privacy Policy
• Your Privacy Choices
• Closed Captioning Policy

Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by  Factset . Powered and implemented by  FactSet Digital Solutions .  Legal Statement .

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2024 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. FAQ - New Privacy Policy

Ron Howard's Imagine Entertainment in talks to sell majority stake to Centricus

Film, tv production company imagine entertainment was founded by ron howard and brian grazer.

Fox Business Flash top headlines for January 14

Check out what's clicking on FoxBusiness.com.

Imagine Entertainment, the film and TV production company co-founded by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, is in talks to sell a majority stake to Centricus, a London-based investment firm, according to people familiar with the matter. 

The talks with Centricus value Imagine, known for hits including "Cinderella Man," "Apollo 13" and "Inside Man," at between $600 million and $800 million, the people said. Centricus is in talks to purchase more than 70% of the company, the people said. 

Messrs. Howard and Grazer will remain shareholders, and Imagine’s executives will continue to steer the studio’s creative output, some of the people said. Merchant bank Raine Group will also continue to own shares, some of the people said. 

NASDAQ FALLS 2.5%+ AS TECHS TUMBLE  

Ron Howard attends Brian Grazer In Conversation With Ron Howard at 92nd Street Y on Sept. 17, 2019, in New York City.  (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images / Getty Images)

The talks with Centricus might not result in a deal. Other suitors have also expressed interest in Imagine, some of the people said. 

A flurry of deal making has swept Hollywood in recent months as companies cash in on the demand for films and TV shows for emerging streaming services. One early milestone was Candle Media’s August deal to acquire Hello Sunshine, the media company founded by Reese Witherspoon, for about $900 million. 

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS  

Ron Howard and Brian Grazer attend Brian Grazer In Conversation With Ron Howard at 92nd Street Y on September 17, 2019, in New York City.  (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images / Getty Images)

Since then, several companies have sold outright or taken on new investors, including Westbrook Inc., the media company co-founded by Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, AGBO, the media company co-founded by "Avengers: Endgame" directors Joe and Anthony Russo and SpringHill Co., the media company co-founded by NBA star LeBron James. 

CLICK HERE TO GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO  

Brian Grazer attends Brian Grazer In Conversation With Ron Howard at 92nd Street Y on Sept. 17, 2019, in New York City.  (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images / Getty Images)

Candle Media earlier this year agreed to purchase Moonbug Entertainment, the creator of children’s show "CoComelon," for more than $2.75 billion. 

This article first appeared in the Wall Street Journal    

The global authority in superyachting

• NEWSLETTERS
• Yachts Home
• The Superyacht Directory
• Yacht Reports
• Brokerage News
• The largest yachts in the world
• The Register
• Yacht Advice
• Yacht Design
• 12m to 24m yachts
• Monaco Yacht Show
• Builder Directory
• Designer Directory
• Interior Design Directory
• Naval Architect Directory
• Yachts for sale home
• Motor yachts
• Sailing yachts
• Explorer yachts
• Classic yachts
• Sale Broker Directory
• Charter Home
• Yachts for Charter
• Charter Destinations
• Charter Broker Directory
• Destinations Home
• Mediterranean
• South Pacific
• Rest of the World
• Boat Life Home
• Owners' Experiences
• Interiors Suppliers
• Owners' Club
• Captains' Club
• BOAT Showcase
• Boat Presents
• Events Home
• World Superyacht Awards
• Superyacht Design Festival
• Design and Innovation Awards
• Young Designer of the Year Award
• Artistry and Craft Awards
• Explorer Yachts Summit
• Ocean Talks
• The Ocean Awards
• BOAT Connect
• Between the bays
• Golf Invitational
• Boat Pro Home
• Pricing Plan
• Superyacht Insight
• Product Features
• Premium Content
• Testimonials
• Global Order Book
• Tenders & Equipment

28m Pershing motor yacht Imagine sold

The 28-metre Pershing motor yacht Imagine has been sold with Ron McTighe of Luke Brown Yachts representing the seller and Nav 3 Marine introducing the buyer.

Imagine was built of GRP in 2015 in Italy by Pershing and designed by Fulvio Di Simoni .

Accommodation is for up to eight guests in four cabins and there are quarters for a crew of three.

The 90GT yacht is powered by twin 2,600hp MTU engines that give her a top speed of over 40 knots and cruising speed of 35 knots.

Imagine was last asking $5,299,000, lying in Fort Lauderdale, USA.

More about this yacht

Similar yachts for sale, more stories, most popular, from our partners, sponsored listings.