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William Horberg

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
William Horberg
Born
NationalityAmerican
EducationLatin School of Chicago
OccupationFilm producer

William Horberg is an American film producer and chair emeritus of the Producers Guild of America on the East coast. He is executive producer of The Queen's Gambit, a television miniseries released on Netflix for streaming on October 23, 2020. Some of Horberg's films include Anthony Minghella's adaptations of the novels The Talented Mr. Ripley[1] and Cold Mountain.[2] He also produced the Fallen Angels series for Showtime from 1993 to 1995.[3]

Early career

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Horberg was born in Chicago, Illinois, where, in his first venture into film, he owned and operated the downtown repertory Sandburg Movie Theatre from 1979 to 1981.[4] Earlier, he graduated high school from the Latin School of Chicago in 1976.

He moved into production starting his company, FutureVision, Inc., and was a producer on Cheap Trick: Live At ChicagoFest for MTV, Chicago Blues,[5] a 13-part series featuring legendary blues performers for subscription TV, and was an Associate Producer on Miami Blues,[6] and Executive Producer on A Rage in Harlem[7] for Miramax Films.

Horberg began his career in 1987 as a creative executive at Paramount Pictures and later a Senior Vice President of Production. While at Paramount he oversaw the development and production of such films as Ghost, The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear, Dead Again, Regarding Henry, Soapdish, The Addams Family and The Godfather Part III.

In 1993, Horberg joined producer/director Sydney Pollack's company, Mirage, where he produced such films as Cold Mountain based on the best-selling novel by Charles Frazier, The Talented Mr. Ripley, based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith, The Quiet American[8] based on the novel by Graham Greene, Heaven[9] and Searching for Bobby Fischer,[10] the directorial debut of Oscar-winning screenwriter (Schindler's List) Steven Zaillian.

During that time, he also created and produced the Showtime anthology series Fallen Angels which featured Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, Steven Soderbergh and Alfonso Cuaron. He also produced the HBO film Poodle Springs based on the unfinished novel by Raymond Chandler and adapted by Tom Stoppard, along with Charlie Countryman.

Later career

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In 2005, Horberg became President of Production at Sidney Kimmel Entertainment,[11] where he produced or executive produced Talk to Me,[12] Death at a Funeral, Married Life,[13] Lars and the Real Girl,[14] Synecdoche, New York[15] the directorial debut of Oscar-winning screenwriter Charlie Kaufman, The Kite Runner[16] based on the best-selling book by Khaled Hosseini, and Milk.[17]

Actress Anya Taylor-Joy with William Horberg on the set of The Queen's Gambit

Most recently he founded an independent company, Wonderful Films, which in 2010 co-produced Death at a Funeral[18] and Don't Be Afraid of the Dark. He also announced plans to co-produce, with Marc Forster, the drama film Disconnect directed by Henry Alex Rubin.[19]

Filmography

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He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.

Film

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Year Film Credit
1990 Miami Blues Associate producer
1991 A Rage in Harlem Executive producer
1993 Searching for Bobby Fischer
1998 Sliding Doors
1999 The Talented Mr. Ripley
2001 Blow Dry
2002 Heaven
The Quiet American
2003 Cold Mountain
2007 Death at a Funeral Executive producer
Breach Executive producer
Talk to Me Executive producer
Charlie Bartlett Executive producer
Married Life Executive producer
Lars and the Real Girl Executive producer
The Kite Runner
2008 Synecdoche, New York Executive producer
Management Executive producer
Milk Executive producer
2009 Adventureland Executive producer
2010 Death at a Funeral
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark Executive producer
2012 Disconnect
2013 Charlie Countryman
In Secret
Black Nativity
2015 Parched Co-executive producer
2016 The Promise
2017 Crash Pad
2019 The Burnt Orange Heresy
2021 Flag Day
2023 The Monk and the Gun Executive producer
Ezra
As an actor
Year Film Role
2013 Black Nativity Church Band Pianist
Thanks
Year Film Role
1995 Sense and Sensibility Thanks
2008 Killshot
2009 The Messenger Special thanks

Television

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Year Title Credit Notes
1993−95 Fallen Angels
1998 Muddy Waters at Chicagofest Documentary
Poodle Springs Executive producer Television film
2020 The Queen's Gambit Executive producer
TBA Flavia de Luce Co-producer
As writer
Year Title
1993−95 Fallen Angels
As an actor
Year Title Role
2020 The Queen's Gambit Toby
Soundtrack
Year Title Role Notes
2020 The Queen's Gambit Performer: "I Can't Remember Love"
Writer: "I Can't Remember Love"
Uncredited

Personal life

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He lives in New York with his wife, Cuban-born artist, Elsa Mora, and their children.

References

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  1. ^ Maslin, Janet (December 24, 1999). "FILM REVIEW; Stealing a New Life, Carnal, Glamorous And Worth the Price". The New York Times.
  2. ^ Scott, A. O. (December 25, 2003). "FILM REVIEWS; Lovers Striving for a Reunion, With a War in the Way". The New York Times.
  3. ^ Variety review September 3, 1993.
  4. ^ Sandburg Theatre, Cinema Treasures.
  5. ^ "Synecdoche - Production Notes" (PDF). p. 23.
  6. ^ Maslin, Janet (April 20, 1990). "Review/Film; Cop, Thief and Prostitute in Miami". The New York Times.
  7. ^ Canby, Vincent (May 3, 1991). "Review/Film; Panning for Gold in 1950's Harlem, via Himes Novel". The New York Times.
  8. ^ Holden, Stephen (November 22, 2002). "FILM REVIEW; A Jaded Affair in a Vietnam Already at War". The New York Times.
  9. ^ Holden, Stephen (October 4, 2002). "FILM REVIEW; When Fate Intrudes, Death on Screen as Well as Off". The New York Times.
  10. ^ Maslin, Janet (August 11, 1993). "Blessing (or Burden?) of a Child's Chess Gift". The New York Times.
  11. ^ "And the Film Deals Goes to an Outsider", The New York Times, September 17, 2005.
  12. ^ Scott, A. O. (July 13, 2007), "Movie Review | 'Talk to Me': A Pioneer Shock Jock, but With a Big Heart", The New York Times, July 13, 2007.
  13. ^ "Harry and Pat and Kay and Richard 1949", The New York Times, March 7, 2008.
  14. ^ Dargis, Manohla (October 12, 2007). "A Lonely Guy Plays House With a Mail-Order Sex Doll". The New York Times.
  15. ^ Dargis, Manohla (October 24, 2008). "Dreamer, Live in the Here and Now". The New York Times.
  16. ^ Dargis, Manohla (December 14, 2007). "From Memories, There's No Escape". The New York Times.
  17. ^ Scott, A. O. (November 26, 2008). "Freedom Fighter in Life Becomes Potent Symbol in Death". The New York Times.
  18. ^ Holden, Stephen (April 16, 2010). "Remaking an Ancient Farce from 2007". The New York Times.
  19. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (April 15, 2011). "'Murderball' Helmer Henry-Alex Rubin Takes On 'Disconnect'". Deadline.com. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
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