Hubbry Logo
Casey SilverCasey SilverMain
Open search
Casey Silver
Community hub
Casey Silver
logo
7 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Casey Silver
Casey Silver
from Wikipedia

Casey Silver (born Andrew Silver; May 5, 1955) is an American film executive and producer. Formerly the chairman and chief executive officer of Universal Pictures, he began his career in the motion picture industry as a screenwriter. After serving as an assistant to director Adrian Lyne on Flashdance, he became the director of development and production for Simpson-Bruckheimer Productions, where he was instrumental in the development of the original Beverly Hills Cop and Top Gun.[1]

In his role at Universal, Silver was responsible for all divisions of Universal Pictures including its production, marketing and distribution operations.[2] He supervised all activities worldwide concerning Universal's partnerships with United International and domestic distribution activities through its partnership with October Films. Additionally, Silver was in charge of Universal Studios Home Video, Universal Pictures Animation and Visual Effects, and Universal Family & Home Entertainment Production which included Universal Cartoon Studios.

During his tenure at Universal, the studio developed, produced and released the award winning films Schindler's List, Shakespeare in Love, Apollo 13, Casino, Jurassic Park, Out of Sight, Field of Dreams, Twelve Monkeys, In the Name of the Father, Do the Right Thing, Scent of a Woman, Born on the Fourth of July, Dazed and Confused, Midnight Run, American Pie, and Gladiator.

Prior to joining Universal, Silver was the vice president of production for TriStar Pictures and then promoted to senior vice president of production. He served as executive producer on Netflix's first original limited series Godless, a seven-part series from screenwriter and director Scott Frank.[3] Nominated for eleven Primetime Emmy Awards, the series won in three categories including both the Best Supporting Actress and Actor categories for Merritt Wever and Jeff Daniels respectively.[4] Godless aired on Netflix in 2017.

Through his own company, Casey Silver Productions, Silver produced The Highwaymen starring Kevin Costner, Hidalgo starring Viggo Mortensen, Ladder 49 starring Joaquin Phoenix, Leatherheads starring George Clooney, and The Forbidden Kingdom starring Jackie Chan. Silver is also a founding member and CEO of the start-up PodOp. The company's first transmedia project, Mosaic, was executive produced by Silver.[5] Directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Sharon Stone, Mosaic aired on HBO in 2017.[6] In 2021, Silver completed production on Steven Soderbergh's No Sudden Move for HBO Max. The cast includes Don Cheadle, Benicio del Toro, and Brendan Fraser.

Filmography

[edit]

He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.

Film

[edit]
Year Film
2003 Gigli
2004 Hidalgo
Ladder 49
2008 Leatherheads
The Forbidden Kingdom
2019 The Highwaymen
2021 No Sudden Move
2025 Black Bag
Miscellaneous crew
Year Film Role
1980 Foxes Production assistant
1982 Movie Madness
1983 Flashdance Assistant: Adrian Lyne
2008 The Forbidden Kingdom Presenter
Thanks
Year Film Role
1998 The Mighty Thanks
Shakespeare in Love

Television

[edit]
Year Title Credit
2017 Godless Executive producer
2018 Mosaic Executive producer
Curious George Line producer
Thanks
Year Title Role Notes
1997 Obsessed with Vertigo Thanks Documentary

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Casey Silver (born Andrew Silver; May 5, 1955) is an American film producer and executive renowned for his leadership in the motion picture industry, particularly during his tenure as president and later chairman of in the 1990s. Born in , Silver graduated from with a degree in and began his career in the late 1970s as a screenwriter and production assistant in . Silver's early professional roles included serving as an assistant to director on films such as Foxes (1980) and (1983), followed by work as director of development for producers Don Simpson and . He advanced to vice president of production at before joining in 1988 as vice president of production, where he rose to senior vice president and eventually president in 1994. As president and then chairman and CEO until his resignation in November 1998, Silver oversaw key strategic decisions, including the summer release of (1995) and the marketing of Casper (1995), contributing to Universal's strong box-office performance that year; he also managed the studio during the blockbuster success of (1993), which became the highest-grossing film of its time. Following his departure from Universal amid a series of underperforming releases, Silver transitioned to independent producing, maintaining ties with the studio and developing projects there. His notable post-executive credits include producing Ladder 49 (2004) for Walt Disney Pictures, Hidalgo (2004), Leatherheads (2008), and The Forbidden Kingdom (2008). In recent years, Silver has forged a prominent creative partnership with director Steven Soderbergh, serving as producer on films and series such as The Laundromat (2019), The Highwaymen (2019), No Sudden Move (2021), Full Circle (2023), and Black Bag (2025).

Early life and education

Early years

Casey Silver was born Andrew Silver on May 5, 1955, in , New York. Public information regarding Silver's childhood and family background remains limited, with few details available about his early family life or specific influences that may have shaped his formative years. He later adopted the professional name Casey Silver, though the reasons for this change are not publicly documented.

Education

Casey Silver attended , a progressive liberal arts institution in , where he pursued a major in . The college's interdisciplinary curriculum emphasized hands-on creative projects and independent exploration, allowing Silver to develop his skills in visual and construction through practical coursework and student-led productions. Upon graduating in the late , Silver decided to relocate to with his wife to pursue opportunities in the film industry, driven by his longstanding passion for honed during his college years. This move marked the transition from academic training to professional aspirations in Hollywood.

Professional career

Entry into the film industry

After graduating from with a major in , Casey Silver moved to in the late with his wife, driven by a passion for and a desire to contribute to the creative aspects of cinema. He faced significant challenges in breaking into Hollywood, starting with low-level production jobs that involved menial tasks, such as wafting cigarette smoke to create atmospheric effects for camera shots during early 1980s film sets. Silver initially pursued a career as a , penning several unproduced scripts in his early attempts to establish himself in the industry. He later described himself as a "failed ," reflecting on the difficulties of crafting compelling narratives that could navigate the competitive and often misunderstood executive landscape of Hollywood. His transition into production came through hands-on experience, including serving as a to director on films such as Foxes (1980) and (1983), where he gained insight into the filmmaking process from a key creative role. This position marked his formal entry into the production side of the industry, building on his foundational interest in story-driven projects.

Roles at Simpson-Bruckheimer Productions and TriStar Pictures

In the mid-1980s, following his experience as an assistant on (1983), Casey Silver joined Simpson-Bruckheimer Productions as director of development and production. In this role, he contributed to the oversight and development of key projects, including the original (1984) and (1986), focusing on non-producing aspects such as script refinement and production coordination. His work under Don Simpson and helped shape the company's output during a period of rising commercial success for action-oriented blockbusters. Silver's tenure at Simpson-Bruckheimer positioned him for further advancement, leading to his move to where he was appointed vice president of production around 1986. He was later promoted to senior vice president of production, a role he held until joining in 1988. During this time at , Silver's responsibilities encompassed evaluating scripts for viability, scouting emerging talent, and participating in decisions to greenlight projects, all of which honed his executive skills in navigating studio development pipelines.

Leadership at Universal Pictures

In 1994, Casey Silver was appointed president of following the departure of longtime studio chief , and by November 1995, he ascended to the role of chairman of the film division, overseeing the studio's motion picture operations. His prior experience as senior vice president of production at provided a strong foundation for this executive leadership. As chairman, Silver managed all major domestic and international divisions of , including production, marketing, distribution, animation, visual effects, and home entertainment, while supervising partnerships with entities such as and International. Under his leadership, the studio expanded its annual film slate to emphasize diverse, high-profile projects, revamping the division with key hires like Marc Platt and to strengthen creative and operational capabilities. Silver's tenure focused on nurturing talent relationships and greenlighting ambitious releases, contributing to Universal's growth during a period of corporate transition after Seagram's acquisition of MCA. Silver supervised the development and release of several acclaimed and commercially successful films that highlighted the studio's output in the mid-to-late , including Apollo 13 (1995), The Nutty Professor (1996), (1997), and The Lost World: (1997), which collectively boosted Universal's earnings and reinforced its position as a leading Hollywood studio. These projects exemplified his strategic oversight in shepherding high-impact films from pre-production through global distribution, prioritizing quality storytelling and blockbuster potential amid intensifying industry competition. Silver's leadership ended abruptly in November 1998 when he resigned amid disappointing results for late-year releases such as Babe: Pig in the City and Meet Joe Black, which failed to meet expectations despite substantial production budgets. The departure was part of broader executive shakeups at Universal following Seagram's ownership, with Silver transitioning to independent producing supported by a .

Independent producing and other ventures

Following his departure from Universal Pictures in November 1998, Casey Silver transitioned to independent producing under a multi-year production deal with the studio, allowing him to develop projects independently while leveraging his established industry relationships. This arrangement marked the beginning of his entrepreneurial phase, where he focused on selecting and nurturing film and television projects that highlighted strong storytelling and collaborations with acclaimed directors and writers. In 1999, Silver formally launched Casey Silver Productions as his independent banner, emphasizing a curated approach to driven by his keen eye for talent and narrative potential. The company produced notable works, including the miniseries Godless (2017), for which Silver served as an and earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Limited Series in 2018. Silver expanded into media technology by co-founding PodOp, a startup aimed at innovating through interactive formats, where he assumed the role of CEO. Launched around , PodOp developed proprietary tools for nonlinear narratives, most prominently featured in the interactive app for HBO's (2018), which allowed users to explore branching story paths in a thriller executive produced by Silver. This project showcased PodOp's patented technologies for scalable, user-driven video experiences, blending traditional production with digital interactivity. In recent years, Silver has forged a prominent creative partnership with director Steven Soderbergh, serving as producer on films and series such as The Laundromat (2019), The Highwaymen (2019), No Sudden Move (2021), Full Circle (2023), and the upcoming thriller Black Bag (2025). Silver continues to produce through Casey Silver Productions, with upcoming projects including the spy thriller Black Bag (2025), directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender.

Filmography

Film

Casey Silver has served as a producer on the following films:
  • Gigli (2003) – producer
  • Hidalgo (2004) – producer
  • Ladder 49 (2004) – producer
  • Leatherheads (2008) – producer
  • The Forbidden Kingdom (2008) – producer
  • The Highwaymen (2019) – producer
  • No Sudden Move (2021) – producer
  • Black Bag (2025) – producer

Television

Casey Silver entered television production with his role as executive producer on the Netflix limited series Godless, which premiered in 2017. This seven-episode Western drama, directed and written by , marked Netflix's first original limited series and explored themes of resilience in a 1880s town dominated by women after a . Silver's production oversight contributed to the series' cinematic scope, blending episodic storytelling with feature-film production values. In 2018, Silver served as on the miniseries , a six-episode murder mystery directed by and written by . The series starred and delved into interconnected lives in a community, culminating in a reveal. PodOp, Silver's , developed an accompanying interactive app that allowed users to navigate the story from multiple character perspectives before the linear broadcast. That same year, Silver worked as on a single episode of the animated children's series , which aired on . The long-running educational program, based on the classic books by Margret and , targets preschool audiences with stories promoting curiosity and problem-solving through George's adventures. In 2023, Silver served as executive producer on the Max limited series Full Circle, a six-episode thriller directed by and written by . The series, starring and , follows an investigation into a botched kidnapping that uncovers long-held secrets connecting multiple characters and cultures in present-day .

References

Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.