Don't Kill the Messenger with Movie Strategist Kevin Goetz

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Roy Lee, the producer behind some of Hollywood’s most successful horror films, franchises, and international adaptations, joins host Kevin Goetz to explore the unconventional path that took him from law school to building one of the most prolific producing careers in Hollywood. Lee has produced or executive produced The Ring, The Grudge, The Departed, It, Doctor Sleep, The Lego Movie, How to Train Your Dragon, Barbarian, Weapons, and A Minecraft Movie, among dozens of others. Through his company Vertigo Entertainment, he's built a reputation for spotting opportunity where others see risk, whether that means Asian horror remakes, emerging filmmakers, or video game IP. 
From Law School to Script Tracker (02:56): Lee describes going from law school to taking a job at a production company after moving to Los Angeles, where he was a development executive and script tracker responsible for knowing virtually every script and manuscript circulating around town.
Twenty-Five Asian Films in Twenty-Five Months (10:20): Lee explains how he acquired the rights to twenty-five Asian titles, including The Ring, The Grudge, and The Departed. Eighteen of the twenty-five eventually made it to the screen.
Reading by Instinct: What Makes Roy Lee Say Yes (15:54): Lee lays out his process, reading scripts between 4 and 6 a.m., abandoning any that don't make him care about the characters after the first act, and passing on stories he can predict in full.
It, Reinvented (17:52): Lee recounts discovering that Warner Bros. quietly owned the rights to Stephen King's It, and pitching his producing partner Dan Lin on isolating the kids' story as its own film.
The Barbarian Gamble (22:57): Every studio passed on Barbarian, but Lee was certain from the first act that it worked. It became a sleeper hit that also launched his ongoing partnership with writer-director Zach Cregger onWeapons and the upcoming Gladys.
The Departed: A Home Run from the Start (29:11): Lee remembers watching Infernal Affairs, the Hong Kong film that would become The Departed, and knowing immediately it was a sure thing that went on to win the Best Picture Oscar.
Common Sense, No Regrets, and Advice for the Next Generation (35:44): Asked about his superpower, Lee points to good judgment and the ability to capitalize on opportunity. He tells aspiring filmmakers that talent, not just passion, should determine who tries to break in.
Where AI Fits In (40:06): Lee predicts AI will cut visual effects budgets, streamline storyboarding and animatics, and reshape script reading, even as he doubts audiences will see fully AI-generated lead performances anytime soon.
Host: Kevin Goetz
Guest: Roy Lee
Producer: Kari Campano
Writers: Kevin Goetz, Darlene Hayman, Nick Nunez, and Kari Campano
Audio Engineer: Gary Forbes (DG Entertainment)
For more information about Roy Lee:
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Lee
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0498175/
X: https://x.com/royleeroy25?lang=en
For more information about Kevin Goetz:
- Website: www.KevinGoetz360.com
- Audienceology Book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Audience-ology/Kevin-Goetz/9781982186678
- How to Score in Hollywood: https://www.amazon.com/How-Score-Hollywood-Secrets-Business/dp/198218986X/
- Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Substack: @KevinGoetz360
- LinkedIn @Kevin Goetz
- Screen Engine/ASI Website: www.ScreenEngineASI.com

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Jim Orr is President of Domestic Theatrical Distribution at Universal Pictures. He began his career at Paramount and joined Universal in 2016 after leading distribution at Focus Features and MGM. Brandon Purdie is Executive Vice President and Head of Theatrical Distribution at Angel Studios, the audience-funded studio behind Sound of Freedom, where he helped build a community-driven model that puts greenlight decisions in the hands of its 2.4 million members. Host Kevin Goetz brings the two together for a wide-ranging conversation on how films find audiences in an era of theaters, streaming, VOD, and direct fan engagement.
From Del Monte to Distribution (08:41): Orr recounts talking his way into a sales job at Del Monte out of college, then cold-calling studio distribution heads until Paramount hired him on the spot.
The Roadshow Era and the First Wide Break (11:36): Orr traces distribution's earliest days, when prints traveled by car with regional reps, through to the thousand-plus theater breaks standard by the time of Star Trek.
Content Is Still King (23:02): Both guests agree the movie itself remains the deciding factor in box office success, with Purdie noting a quiet week usually just means there isn't a film people want to see yet.
Building Angel Studios from a Membership, Not a Subscription (30:02): Purdie explains Angel's founding principle: no executive can greenlight a film without approval from the Angel Guild, whose members vote on projects and get free tickets to every release.
Pay It Forward and the Sound of Freedom Phenomenon (34:06): Purdie details how Angel's "Pay It Forward" ticketing model generated more than $20 million in donated tickets, helping turn Sound of Freedom into a summer 2023 box office surprise.
The Green Book Playbook (44:27): Orr points to Green Book as his proudest Universal moment, explaining how a deliberately limited release avoided split grosses and let the film build week over week toward a Best Picture win.
What Keeps Them Up at Night, and the Next Five Years (49:26): Purdie names human apathy as Angel's biggest threat. Orr predicts modest theater consolidation and growth in premium formats, while Purdie sees Angel continuing to scale its guild and slate.
Host: Kevin Goetz
Guests: Jim Orr and Brandon Purdie
Producer: Kari Campano
Writers: Kevin Goetz, Darlene Hayman, and Kari Campano
Audio Engineer: Gary Forbes (DG Entertainment)
For more information about Jim Orr and Brandon Purdie:
Jim Orr (Universal Pictures): https://www.universalpictures.com/leadership-team/?name=jim-orr
Jim Orr (LinkedIn): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-orr-50ab7b8/

For more information about Kevin Goetz:
- Website: www.KevinGoetz360.com
- Audienceology Book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Audience-ology/Kevin-Goetz/9781982186678
- How to Score in Hollywood: https://www.amazon.com/How-Score-Hollywood-Secrets-Business/dp/198218986X/
- Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Substack: @KevinGoetz360
- LinkedIn @Kevin Goetz
- Screen Engine/ASI Website: www.ScreenEngineASI.com

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Lauren Shuler Donner, one of Hollywood's most influential and adaptable producers, joins host Kevin Goetz for a wide-ranging career retrospective. Over nearly five decades, Shuler Donner has produced roughly 40 films that have grossed more than $5 billion worldwide — including Mr. Mom, St. Elmo's Fire, Pretty in Pink, Dave, Free Willy, and the X-Men franchise she helped build years before Marvel became Marvel. She talks with Goetz about breaking into a male-dominated industry, her 38-year love story and creative partnership with director Richard Donner, her philanthropic work with the Motion Picture & Television Fund, and her latest chapter producing the Broadway musical adaptation of The Lost Boys.
Breaking Into a Male-Dominated Industry (06:10): Shuler Donner recalls knocking on doors with no connections, becoming one of only three women among 300 men in NBC's camera department, and working her way into producing.
Discovering John Hughes and Making Mr. Mom (12:29): Shuler Donner recalls cold-calling John Hughes, championing his unproduced script Mr. Mom, and casting an unknown Michael Keaton after seeing him in Night Shift.
Falling for Dick Donner on the Set of Ladyhawke (16:43): Shuler Donner describes pursuing Richard Donner to direct Ladyhawke, working with him as a producer, and falling in love with him during the Italian shoot.
Radio Flyer, Free Willy, and the Power of Testing (24:53): Shuler Donner discusses Radio Flyer's heartbreaking low box office despite strong scores, and how a fan's $10 donation "for the whales" inspired Free Willy's end-credit hotline.
The Midwest Gut Check and the Search for Real Villains (28:01): Shuler Donner explains testing projects against whether "a kid from Cleveland" would pay to see them, and demanding villains like Magneto have real, human motivations.
Finding Hugh Jackman (30:40): Shuler Donner recounts spotting Hugh Jackman in a self-taped Oklahoma! audition, flying him to LA, and sending him to read for Bryan Singer in Toronto sight unseen.
Getting X-Men Made (34:07): After Warner Bros. passed, Shuler Donner pitched X-Men to Fox's Bill Mechanic, who, unbeknownst to her, had sold his own comic collection to pay for college.
The Lost Boys on Broadway (37:02): Shuler Donner talks about bringing The Lost Boys, and eventually Dave, to the Broadway stage.
Testing Pretty in Pink's Ending (43:53): Shuler Donner explains how test audiences rejected the original ending of Pretty in Pink, leading to a reshoot that paired Molly Ringwald with Andrew McCarthy instead of Jon Cryer.
Host: Kevin Goetz
Guest: Lauren Shuler Donner
Producer: Kari Campano
Writers: Kevin Goetz, Darlene Hayman, Nick Nunez, and Kari Campano
Audio Engineer: Gary Forbes (DG Entertainment)
For more information about Lauren Shuler Donner:
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0795682/
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lauren_Shuler_Donner
For more information about Kevin Goetz:
- Website: www.KevinGoetz360.com
- Audienceology Book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Audience-ology/Kevin-Goetz/9781982186678
- How to Score in Hollywood: https://www.amazon.com/How-Score-Hollywood-Secrets-Business/dp/198218986X/
- Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Substack: @KevinGoetz360
- LinkedIn @Kevin Goetz
- Screen Engine/ASI Website: www.ScreenEngineASI.com

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Bob Bookman, one of Hollywood's most respected literary agents, managers, and producers, joins host Kevin Goetz for a masterclass on the art of discovering stories that successfully make the leap from page to screen. Over a remarkable career, Bookman has represented authors and filmmakers including Michael Crichton, John Irving, Thomas Harris, Jonathan Demme, Cameron Crowe, and Tom Stoppard, helping bring to the screen films like Jurassic Park, The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, The Cider House Rules, A Beautiful Mind, and Jerry Maguire. In recent years he's brought that same eye for material to producing, including the Best Picture nominee A Complete Unknown.
Running the Yale Law School Film Society (06:54): Bookman recalls building an underground film education out of 16mm prints borrowed from historian Bill Everson, bringing legends like Frank Capra, Fritz Lang, and Miloš Forman to campus for free screenings.
Landing the Job and Skipping the Mailroom (18:26): Bookman shares how his father connected him with Abe Lastfogel, how a chance introduction from agent Jack Gilardi led to an interview with David Begelman, and how he ultimately landed at IFA, bypassing the mailroom.
Becoming "The Book Guy" (23:24): Bookman describes how agency head Marvin Josephson handed him ICM's entire literary publications franchise,launching his decades-long reputation as Hollywood's go-to book agent.
What Makes a Book Cinematic (27:09): Bookman breaks down why great novels rarely make great films, and what he actually looks for: three-act structure, character conflict, and a story that takes audiences somewhere new.
The Secret to a Great Adaptation (29:15): Using John Irving's Oscar-winning adaptation of his own novel The Cider House Rules as the gold standard, Bookman explains why most authors shouldn't adapt their own books, and why Irving was the exception.
The Best Adaptations, and a Hawks-Hemingway Bet (33:00): Bookman names The Silence of the Lambs and A Beautiful Mind among the best adaptations he's seen, then tells the story of how Howard Hawks turned Ernest Hemingway's self-described worst book into To Have and Have Not.
Rapid-Fire on the Legends (37:43): Bookman gives quick, candid impressions of the writers and directors he's worked with — Michael Crichton, Jonathan Demme (including his own cameo in The Silence of the Lambs), Cameron Crowe, Tom Stoppard, and Paul Greengrass.
Originality, AI, and What's Next (40:24): Bookman argues that algorithms can imitate stories but not replicate the human heart, and discusses his new venture producing low-budget original films.
Host: Kevin Goetz
Guest: Bob Bookman
Producer: Kari Campano
Writers: Kevin Goetz, Darlene Hayman, and Kari Campano
Audio Engineer: Gary Forbes (DG Entertainment)
For more information about Bob Bookman:
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1023283/
Website: https://www.bobbookman.com/
For more information about Kevin Goetz:
- Website: www.KevinGoetz360.com
- Audienceology Book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Audience-ology/Kevin-Goetz/9781982186678
- How to Score in Hollywood: https://www.amazon.com/How-Score-Hollywood-Secrets-Business/dp/198218986X/
- Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Substack: @KevinGoetz360
- LinkedIn @Kevin Goetz
- Screen Engine/ASI Website: www.ScreenEngineASI.com

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Sid Ganis, former President of the Motion Picture Group at Paramount Pictures, former Vice Chairman of Columbia Pictures, and four-term President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, joins host Kevin Goetz for a wide-ranging conversation spanning more than five decades in Hollywood. Ganis traces his path from an office-boy job won through a chance connection, to marketing campaigns for The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark, to greenlighting Ghost and Fatal Attraction, and to acquiring the rights to Forrest Gump during his years running Paramount.
Brooklyn Roots and Greek Jewish Heritage (03:14): Ganis traces his Romaniote Jewish heritage to Ioannina, Greece, and his grandparents' flight to New York's Lower East Side. Ganis recalls his first solo trip to the movies, seeing Gunga Din for 25 cents at a neighborhood theater.
Quitting College and a Lucky Break (08:50): After dropping out of Brooklyn College, Ganis landed his first publicity job thanks to a chance connection from his Uncle Phil.
Joining 20th Century Fox (12:57): Ganis describes his early years in publicity, working for Lee Solters and later joining Fox while Cleopatra was in production.
Working with Joseph L. Mankiewicz (17:44): Ganis remembers collaborating with the director years later and calls him one of Hollywood's greats.
Testing Ghost (28:01): Ganis shares a test-screening story from Ghost that captures how unpredictable audiences can be.
Meeting George Lucas and Joining Lucasfilm (31:34): Ganis recalls being introduced to a young George Lucas by Francis Ford Coppola, then later joining Lucasfilm as Empire Strikes Back went into production.
Marketing Raiders of the Lost Ark and Meeting Nancy (33:40): While promoting Raiders of the Lost Ark, Ganis met his future wife, Nancy Hult, through a PBS fundraiser project that later won him an Emmy.
Columbia Pictures and a Career in Marketing (37:20): Recruited to Columbia by Peter Guber and Jon Peters, Ganis explains why he stayed in marketing rather than move into production.
Four Terms as Academy President (42:26): Ganis reflects on his proudest achievement: spearheading the 17-year effort to build the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
Sid Ganis's career is a reminder that cultivating relationships and a willingness to stay close to the audience can carry someone through every era of a changing industry. In his own words, his story is one of gratitude for the people who opened doors for him, and for a business he never stopped loving.
Host: Kevin Goetz
Guest: Sid Ganis
Producer: Kari Campano
Writers: Kevin Goetz, Darlene Hayman, Nick Nunez, and Kari Campano
Audio Engineer: Gary Forbes (DG Entertainment)
For more information about Sid Ganis:
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sid_Ganis
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0304398/
Variety: https://variety.com/exec/sid-ganis/
For more information about Kevin Goetz:
- Website: www.KevinGoetz360.com
- Audienceology Book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Audience-ology/Kevin-Goetz/9781982186678
- How to Score in Hollywood: https://www.amazon.com/How-Score-Hollywood-Secrets-Business/dp/198218986X/
- Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Substack: @KevinGoetz360
- LinkedIn @Kevin Goetz
- Screen Engine/ASI Website: www.ScreenEngineASI.com