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Jason Blum
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Jason Ferus Blum (/blʌm/;[1] born February 20, 1969) is an American producer. He is the founder and CEO of Blumhouse Productions, best known for horror franchises including Paranormal Activity (2007–2021), Insidious (2010–2023), The Purge (2013–2021), and Halloween (2018–2022).
Key Information
Other Blumhouse films include Sinister (2012), Oculus (2013), Whiplash (2014), The Gallows (2015), The Gift (2015), Hush (2016), Split (2016), Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016), Get Out (2017), Happy Death Day (2017), Upgrade (2018), BlacKkKlansman (2018), Us (2019), The Invisible Man (2020), Freaky (2020), The Black Phone (2021), M3GAN (2022), Five Nights at Freddy's (2023), and Speak No Evil (2024).
Blum received Academy Award for Best Picture nominations for Whiplash, Get Out, and BlacKkKlansman. He won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie for the drama film The Normal Heart (2014) and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series for the documentary miniseries The Jinx (2015). He also received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Musical for Death Becomes Her (2024).
Early life
[edit]Jason Ferus Blum[2] was born in Los Angeles[3] on February 20, 1969,[4] the son of art professor Shirley Neilsen Blum (née Neilsen) and independent art dealer Irving Blum. His father served as director of the Ferus Gallery.[5][6] He is Jewish.[7][8] He graduated from New York's Vassar College in 1991.[9] He was a roommate of future filmmaker Noah Baumbach during his time there, and later produced Baumbach's first film Kicking and Screaming (1995).[10][11]
Film career
[edit]
Blum found work as an executive for Bob and Harvey Weinstein at their production company Miramax, and later as an independent producer for Paramount Pictures. Prior to his tenure at Miramax, he was a producing director at the Malaparte theater company in New York.[12] He is a member of the board of trustees of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.[13] He obtained financing for his first film as producer, Kicking and Screaming (1995), after asking family friend Steve Martin to read the script and write a letter endorsing it if he enjoyed it.[14] After Martin obliged, Blum replaced the title page of the script with copies of Martin's letter before he sent the script to Hollywood executives.[14]
In 2000, Blum founded Blumhouse Productions, which is known for producing micro-budget films that give directors full creative control.[12] Bloomberg News praised him for making "blockbusters for pennies",[15] the first example of which came with the horror film Paranormal Activity (2007), which became one of the most profitable films of all time as it grossed nearly $200 million on a $15,000 budget.[16] In addition, Planet Money released a special podcast episode about the company's methods, referring to Blum as the "business genius behind Get Out".[17]
Blum also produced Insidious (2010), Sinister (2012), The Purge (2013) and Happy Death Day (2017), as well as their sequels.[18] In 2014, he served as executive producer for the television film The Normal Heart, which went on to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie. In 2015, he won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series for HBO's The Jinx.[19] BlacKkKlansman, Whiplash, and Get Out, all produced by Blum, were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.[20]
In 2018, Blum said in an interview that the reason no woman had ever directed a Blumhouse horror film was that "there are not a lot of female directors [...] and even less who are inclined to do horror", but said that he hoped to one day achieve this goal.[21] After much criticism on social media, in which lists of such directors were widely circulated,[22] he apologized for what he called his "dumb comments".[23] Sophia Takal co-wrote and directed the Blumhouse horror remake Black Christmas (2019), the studio's first theatrically-released film by a female director.[24][25]
Other ventures
[edit]Political views
[edit]In June 2018, Blum told Variety that his upcoming prequel The First Purge would deal with racial tensions in the U.S. and said that all of the films in The Purge franchise have a political slant, giving examples such as the first film primarily being a parable about gun control and the third film addressing class warfare.[26] He said, "[Horror] reaches an audience in which politics may not be front of mind and it makes politics front of mind. The Purge reaches an audience that isn't thinking of gun control every day and might start thinking of gun control. If every time there's a shooting in the United States, the government's answer is put more guns in people's hands, then what The Purge is showing doesn't seem all that crazy. Donald Trump keeps saying 'give teachers guns'. I could see him saying 'let people shoot whoever they want to for 12 hours a year'."[26]
In November 2018, Blum (who is of Jewish heritage) attended the Israel Film Festival in Los Angeles to accept an award for Achievement in Film and Television.[7][8] In his acceptance speech, he said, "A lot is on the line [in the midterms]. The last two years have been hard for all of us who cherish the freedom as citizens of this country. The great thing about this country is that you can like Trump, but I don't have to, and I can say what I feel about it—and I don't like it."[7][8] He was heavily booed, to which he responded, "As you can see from this auditorium, it's the end of civil discourse. We have a president who calls the press the enemy of the people. Thanks to our president, antisemitism is on the rise."[7][8] Yossi Dina tried unsuccessfully to pull Blum off the stage.[7][8] Blum later tweeted the full speech, which said in part, "Nationalism is surging. Dog whistle politics are rampant and antisemitism is on the rise in ways my generation never thought imaginable."[7][8] He received support from fellow Jews such as Judd Apatow and Jamie Lee Curtis,[7][8] while festival director Meir Fenigstein stated that the audience "greatly lacked respect" and "turned an evening of celebration and recognition into something else" by booing him.[7][8]
Business
[edit]On August 14, 2020, Daily Front Row listed Blum as one of a group of high-profile investors who purchased failing fashion magazine W.[27] After appearing on an episode of Shark Tank, Blum made a deal with American Immersion Theater, the leading immersive theater company in the U.S.[28] Blum sits on the boards of the Public Theater in New York, the Sundance Institute, Vassar College, and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
Philanthropy
[edit]In 2022, Blum donated $10 million to Vassar College, which was noted as the largest gift ever given to the college from a male alumnus.[29]
Personal life
[edit]Blum married journalist Lauren A. E. Schuker in Los Angeles on July 14, 2012.[5] They currently reside in a townhouse in Brooklyn Heights, which he purchased for $9.8 million in 2019.[30]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]Universal Pictures
[edit]Paramount Pictures
[edit]|
Producer
|
Executive producer
|
Lionsgate Films
[edit]| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Sinister | Scott Derrickson | |
| The Bay | Barry Levinson | With Roadside Attractions | |
| 2014 | Jessabelle | Kevin Greutert | |
| 2019 | The Gallows Act II | Chris Lofing Travis Cluff |
|
| 2024 | Imaginary | Jeff Wadlow |
Focus Features
[edit]| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Insidious: Chapter 3 | Leigh Whannell | With Gramercy Pictures |
| Sinister 2 | Ciarán Foy | ||
| 2016 | In a Valley of Violence | Ti West | |
| 2018 | BlacKkKlansman | Spike Lee | |
| Bathtubs Over Broadway | Dava Whisenant | Executive producer | |
| 2022 | Vengeance | B. J. Novak | |
| TBA | The Uprising | Paul Greengrass | Filming |
Sony Pictures Releasing
[edit]| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Whiplash | Damien Chazelle | Through Sony Pictures Classics |
| 2020 | Fantasy Island | Jeff Wadlow | |
| The Craft: Legacy | Zoe Lister-Jones | ||
| 2023 | Insidious: The Red Door | Patrick Wilson | |
| 2024 | Afraid | Chris Weitz | |
| 2026 | Untitled Insidious sequel | Jacob Chase |
Netflix
[edit]|
Producer
|
Executive producer
|
Amazon MGM Studios
[edit]|
Executive producer
|
Producer
|
FilmDistrict
[edit]|
Producer
|
Executive producer
|
The Weinsteins
[edit]|
Producer
|
Executive producer
|
Other
[edit]Producer
Executive producer
- One Way Out (1996)
- Graduation (2007)
- The FP (2011)
- Oculus (2013)
- Exeter (2015)
- Fifteen (2015) (Short film)
- Stockholm (2018)
- The Vigil (2019)
- Pharma Bro (2021) (Documentary)
- Exposure (2022)
- Soft & Quiet (2022)
Actor
- Unknown Dimension: The Story of Paranormal Activity (2021) (Documentary film, himself)[31]
Television
[edit]|
Executive producer
|
Producer
|
Awards and nominations
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Five Favorite Horror Films: Jason Blum". Rotten Tomatoes. October 15, 2018. Archived from the original on April 19, 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
- ^ Brady, Tara (March 16, 2017). "Jason Blum, the man who made $193m on a $15,000 film budget". The Irish Times. "Jason Ferus Blum was born in Los Angeles in 1969 to Shirley Neilsen, an art professor, and Irving Blum, an art dealer"
- ^ Bhattacharji, Alex (July 16, 2018). "How Producer Jason Blum is Disrupting Hollywood". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on September 20, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
- ^ "Jason Blum". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
- ^ a b "Weddings/Celebrations - Lauren Schuker and Jason Blum". The New York Times. July 15, 2012. Archived from the original on March 10, 2017. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
- ^ "Blum, Shirley". Dictionary of Art Historians. Archived from the original on March 31, 2018. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
the couple (Hopps), along with the artist Edward Kienholz founded the Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles in 1957.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Jewish producer booed off LA Israeli film festival stage for anti-Trump remarks". The Times of Israel.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Get Out producer booed off stage at Israeli film festival for criticising Trump". TheGuardian.com. November 8, 2018.
- ^ Hertz, Larry (February 27, 2020). "Award Winning Film and TV Producer Jason Blum '91 to Deliver Commencement Address - Stories - Vassar College". Vassar.edu. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
- ^ "How I Made It: Jason Blum, film producer". Los Angeles Times. November 27, 2011. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
- ^ Macaulay, Scott (January 25, 2017). "Working Through Fear: An Interview with Blumhouse's Jason Blum | Filmmaker Magazine". Filmmaker Magazine | Publication with a focus on independent film, offering articles, links, and resources. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
- ^ a b "About Blumhouse Productions". Blumhouse.com. Archived from the original on June 21, 2013.
- ^ "Academy Museum Names New Board of Trustees | Hollywood Reporter". Hollywood Reporter. December 5, 2017. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
- ^ a b "I am Jason Blum, producer of Paranormal Activity, The Purge and Insidious: Chapter2". Reddit. June 18, 2013. Archived from the original on April 1, 2015. Retrieved June 19, 2013.
- ^ "Jason Blum, the Penny-Pinching Horror Movie Maestro". Bloomberg.com. April 25, 2014. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
- ^ "Paranormal Activity (2007)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on September 9, 2019. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
- ^ "Episode 650: The Business Genius Behind Get Out". NPR.org. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
- ^ "Q&A: Producer Jason Blum talks "OUIJA", "PURGE 3", "CURVE" & More…". Fangoria. February 4, 2015. Archived from the original on February 4, 2015. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
- ^ "2015 - 67th Emmy Awards". www.emmys.com. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
- ^ "Oscar Nominations: 'Grand Budapest Hotel' & 'Birdman' Lead Way With 9 Noms; 'Imitation Game' Scores 8". Deadline. January 15, 2015. Archived from the original on March 29, 2019. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
- ^ Patches, Matt (October 18, 2018). "Blumhouse has never produced a theatrically released horror movie directed by a woman — but hopes to". Polygon. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
- ^ Nyren, Erin (October 18, 2018). "Jason Blum Says He's Meeting With Women Directors After Claiming 'There Aren't a Lot'". Variety. Archived from the original on October 20, 2018. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
- ^ Lussier, Germain (October 19, 2018). "Halloween Producer Jason Blum Has Apologized for His Ridiculous Comments About Women Directors". io9. Archived from the original on October 20, 2018. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
- ^ Kohn, Eric (December 7, 2018). "Blumhouse Hires Another Woman Director: Sophia Takal's All-Female Horror Movie". Archived from the original on December 9, 2018. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
- ^ Mendehlson, Scott (December 14, 2019). "Friday Box Office: 'Richard Jewell' And 'Black Christmas' Flop, 'Uncut Gems' And 'Bombshell' Break Out". Forbes. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
- ^ a b "Jason Blum on 'Get Out 2' and Why He Couldn't Have Made 'A Quiet Place'". June 22, 2018.
- ^ Spangler, Todd (August 14, 2020). "Karlie Kloss Leads Buyout of W Magazine, With Jason Blum Among New Owners". Variety. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
- ^ Couch, Aaron (September 19, 2024). "Blumhouse Inks Deal With 'Shark Tank' Contestant American Immersion Theater". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
- ^ "Good News: Jason Blum Donated $10 Million to Vassar". June 17, 2022.
- ^ Keil, Jennifer Gould (July 24, 2019). "Producer Jason Blum shells out $10M for Brooklyn townhouse". NY Post. Archived from the original on August 8, 2019. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
- ^ Unknown Dimension: The Story of Paranormal Activity (2021). Retrieved October 25, 2024 – via www.blu-ray.com.
- ^ Grein, Paul (May 1, 2025). "'Buena Vista Social Club,' 'Death Becomes Her' and 'Maybe Happy Ending' Lead 2025 Tony Award Nominations: Full List". Billboard. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
External links
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jason Blum.
Wikiquote has quotations related to Jason Blum.
Jason Blum
View on Grokipediafrom Grokipedia
Blum's career trajectory includes early production assistant roles after graduating from Vassar College with degrees in economics and film in 1991, evolving into executive positions at firms like Miramax and Independent Pictures before launching his eponymous venture.[4][5]
Under his leadership, Blumhouse has produced landmark horror franchises including Paranormal Activity, Insidious, The Purge, and Halloween reboots, alongside non-horror successes like the Academy Award-nominated Get Out (2017), which earned a Best Picture nomination and highlighted the model's versatility beyond genre constraints.[6][7][8]
This strategy, exemplified by Paranormal Activity's $15,000 production budget yielding over $193 million in global earnings, has captured nearly half the horror market share over the past decade, though it has faced scrutiny for occasionally prioritizing commercial viability over artistic depth in output quality.[9][3][10]
Blum has garnered three Academy Award nominations, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and multiple Peabody Awards, underscoring his influence, while public incidents such as backlash over remarks on female directors in horror—later apologized for—and political statements leading to onstage disruptions reveal tensions between his industry dominance and broader cultural debates.[8][11][12][13]
Early life and education
Childhood and family background
Jason Blum was born on February 20, 1969, in Los Angeles, California, to Shirley Neilsen Blum and Irving Blum.[1][14] His mother, Shirley Neilsen Blum, was an art historian and professor specializing in Renaissance art, while his father, Irving Blum, was a prominent contemporary art dealer known for operating the Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles during the 1960s, which showcased influential artists such as Andy Warhol and Ed Ruscha.[15][16] As an only child, Blum was deeply immersed in the art world from a young age, with his parents' professional circles exposing him to prominent figures like Ellsworth Kelly, Donald Sultan, Bryan Hunt, and Jasper Johns; Dennis Hopper's daughter even served as his babysitter.[16][17] Blum's family heritage included Jewish ancestry on his father's side, with his mother descending primarily from German, Swedish, English, and Irish roots.[18] This artistic environment shaped his early interests, as he later recalled accompanying his father on studio visits and being surrounded by creative endeavors, though he did not initially pursue art directly.[19][20]Academic pursuits
Blum attended Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, graduating in 1991 with a major in drama.[21] [22] During his time there, he studied economics and film alongside his primary focus on drama, which exposed him to interdisciplinary perspectives relevant to his future career in production.[15] His Vassar education included coursework that bridged artistic and analytical disciplines, such as microeconomics, contributing to the development of his low-budget filmmaking strategy emphasizing profitability.[23] Blum's college roommate was writer-director Noah Baumbach, a connection that later facilitated early professional collaborations in independent film.[15] No records indicate pursuit of postgraduate studies or advanced degrees following his undergraduate completion.[4]Professional career
Entry into the film industry
After graduating from Vassar College in 1991 with majors in economics and film, Blum transitioned into independent film production by raising financing and earning his first producer credit on Noah Baumbach's debut feature Kicking and Screaming (1995), a low-budget comedy set in post-collegiate New York.[15] This project marked his initial foray into the creative side of filmmaking, stemming from personal connections in New York's emerging indie scene, where he had relocated after a brief stint in real estate in Chicago.[24] Blum also gained early experience in theater as the producing director of the Malaparte Theatre Company, co-founded by actor Ethan Hawke in 1990, which staged experimental productions in Manhattan and fostered his understanding of collaborative arts management.[1] Building on this, he worked on additional art-house films and distribution efforts in New York during the early 1990s, honing skills in low-budget operations amid the indie boom.[25] His formal entry into the studio system came through a role at Miramax Films, where he served as co-head of the acquisitions and co-productions department under brothers Harvey and Bob Weinstein, starting around the mid-1990s.[26] In this position, Blum was instrumental in securing over 50 independent titles for distribution, including The Others (2001), Smoke Signals (1998), A Walk on the Moon (1999), and The House of Yes (1997), contributing to Miramax's reputation for championing edgy, non-mainstream content during its expansion phase.[6] His approximately four years there exposed him to high-stakes deal-making and the volatile dynamics of indie acquisition, though he later described the environment as bullying under Weinstein's leadership without foreseeing the criminal allegations that emerged decades later.[27] Following Miramax, Blum operated as an independent producer, securing deals with studios like Warner Bros. and Paramount Pictures in the early 2000s, which allowed him to develop projects outside rigid studio hierarchies while leveraging acquisition expertise to identify commercially viable scripts.[28] This phase solidified his shift from theatrical and acquisition roles toward hands-on production, setting the groundwork for his later emphasis on micro-budget models.[29]Establishment of Blumhouse Productions
Jason Blum founded Blumhouse Productions in 2000 after accumulating experience in film production and distribution roles at Miramax Films, where he worked on acquisitions and marketing, and at Independent Pictures, contributing to projects like the 1998 film Kissing Jessica Stein.[30][19] The company initially operated as Blum Israel Productions in collaboration with producer Amy Israel, reflecting Blum's aim to create an independent entity focused on micro-budget filmmaking that prioritized directors' creative control over traditional studio oversight.[31] This approach stemmed from Blum's observations of industry constraints during his earlier career, where he sought to enable filmmakers to retain artistic authority while minimizing financial risk through profit-sharing models rather than upfront high costs.[30][19] In its formative phase through the mid-2000s, Blumhouse maintained a lean operation, producing a handful of independent features with budgets often under $5 million, though commercial breakthroughs remained elusive until later horror ventures.[30] The establishment emphasized partnerships with emerging talent and genre-specific opportunities, laying the groundwork for Blumhouse's eventual specialization in horror by leveraging Blum's network in distribution deals with studios like Paramount Pictures.[10] This structure allowed the company to navigate the post-2000 independent film landscape, characterized by reduced studio financing for non-franchise projects, by focusing on high-upside, low-investment propositions.[19]Major productions and franchises
Blumhouse Productions achieved its initial breakthrough with Paranormal Activity (2009), a found-footage horror film produced on a budget of approximately $15,000 that grossed $107.9 million domestically, launching a seven-film franchise known for its low-cost, high-return model relying on supernatural scares and viral marketing.[32] Subsequent entries, including Paranormal Activity 2 (2010) at $84.8 million domestic and Paranormal Activity 3 (2011) at $104.0 million, expanded the series' lore around demonic hauntings, contributing to the franchise's enduring profitability through direct-to-video spin-offs and international appeal.[32] The Insidious franchise, beginning with the 2011 original, established Blumhouse's collaboration with director James Wan and focused on astral projection and ghostly possessions, yielding five films with strong box-office performance; Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013) earned $83.6 million domestically, while Insidious: The Last Key (2018) added $67.7 million.[32] Similarly, The Purge series, starting in 2013, depicted annual crime-legalized nights in a dystopian America, generating four main installments including The Purge: Anarchy (2014) at $72.0 million and The Purge: Election Year (2016) at $79.2 million domestic, with the prequel The First Purge (2018) grossing $69.5 million and broadening into social commentary on violence.[32] Blumhouse revived the Halloween franchise with the 2018 direct sequel to John Carpenter's 1978 original, grossing $159.3 million domestically and emphasizing slasher icon Michael Myers' return, followed by Halloween Kills (2021) at $92.0 million despite pandemic constraints.[32] Standalone successes like Get Out (2017), a satirical horror-thriller directed by Jordan Peele, topped domestic charts at $176.0 million and received the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, highlighting Blumhouse's venture into socially charged narratives beyond pure supernatural fare.[32] More recent hits include Five Nights at Freddy's (2023), an adaptation of the video game series that achieved $291 million worldwide, marking Blumhouse's highest global earner and spawning sequel plans.[33]| Franchise | Key Films and Domestic Grosses (USD) | Total Films |
|---|---|---|
| Paranormal Activity | Paranormal Activity (84.8M, 2010); Paranormal Activity 3 ($104.0M, 2011) | 7 |
| Insidious | Insidious: Chapter 2 ($83.6M, 2013); Insidious: The Last Key ($67.7M, 2018) | 5 |
| The Purge | The Purge: Anarchy ($72.0M, 2014); The Purge: Election Year ($79.2M, 2016); The First Purge ($69.5M, 2018) | 4 |
| Halloween (Blumhouse era) | Halloween (92.0M, 2021) | 3 |
Diversification into television and streaming
Blumhouse Productions initially ventured into television production with the HBO documentary miniseries The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, which premiered on February 8, 2015, and earned critical acclaim including an Emmy for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series.[34] This project marked an early expansion from feature films into nonfiction programming, focusing on the real-life saga of convicted murderer Robert Durst.[35] The company ramped up its television output in 2018 with the HBO psychological thriller miniseries Sharp Objects, an eight-episode adaptation of Gillian Flynn's novel starring Amy Adams as a reporter unraveling murders in her hometown; it premiered on July 8, 2018, and received praise for its atmospheric tension and performances, though some critics noted its deliberate pacing.[36] Originally conceived as a feature film, the project exemplified Blumhouse's adaptation of its low-budget, high-impact model to serialized storytelling, granting directors creative control similar to its film strategy.[34] That same year, Blumhouse Television secured an exclusive deal with Amazon Studios on November 14 to produce eight interconnected thriller and horror features for Prime Video, emphasizing thematic links around human behavior under pressure.[37] Diversification accelerated into streaming with Welcome to the Blumhouse, a Prime Video anthology block launched in October 2020, featuring eight films by underrepresented directors exploring genres like horror, sci-fi, and social thrillers, such as Bingo Hell and Black Box.[38] A second volume premiered on October 1, 2021, continuing the focus on diverse voices and provocative narratives.[39] Beyond horror roots, Blumhouse developed non-genre projects, including two series about the Detroit Youth Choir announced on October 15, 2020—one scripted drama and one unscripted—aimed at broader appeal.[40] By the mid-2020s, the division produced content for multiple platforms, such as The Rainmaker on Peacock and ongoing developments like a Kay Scarpetta adaptation with Jamie Lee Curtis for potential streaming release.[41][42] This shift leveraged streaming's demand for original genre content while applying Blumhouse's profit-sharing ethos to episodic formats.[36]Business model and strategy
Low-budget production approach
Blumhouse Productions, under Jason Blum's leadership, employs a micro-budget filmmaking model that prioritizes films with production costs typically under $10 million, often in the horror genre to leverage inherent cost efficiencies such as limited locations, small casts, and minimal visual effects requirements.[19] This approach contrasts with traditional studio productions by minimizing upfront financial exposure, enabling the company to greenlight multiple projects annually while relying on profit participation to drive returns.[43] For instance, the 2009 film Paranormal Activity was produced for approximately $15,000 and grossed over $193 million worldwide, exemplifying how low initial investments can yield outsized box office results through viral marketing and wide distribution deals with studios like Paramount Pictures.[44] Central to the strategy is the elimination of producer fees and overhead charges during production, with Blumhouse securing a share of first-dollar gross revenues instead, which incentivizes fiscal discipline across the board.[43] Cast and crew members, including directors, receive union scale wages upfront but participate in backend profits, fostering alignment on cost containment and creative efficiency without compromising output quality.[43] Blum has emphasized that this structure allows for "louder voices" from filmmakers, as constrained budgets compel innovative storytelling over reliance on expensive production values.[10] The model has proven scalable, with Blumhouse producing over 40 films that each exceeded $50 million in global earnings on modest budgets, collectively generating approximately $6 billion in revenue by September 2024.[45] While primarily applied to horror—genres Blum identifies as resilient due to consistent audience demand and low production barriers—the approach occasionally extends to higher-risk projects, though Blum has expressed reluctance to exceed $10-15 million per film to preserve the risk-reward calculus.[46] This disciplined framework, inspired by independent filmmaking precedents like those of Roger Corman, has sustained Blumhouse's output amid industry volatility, though it relies heavily on hit-driven unpredictability rather than guaranteed profitability.[47]Profit-sharing and creative freedom
Blumhouse Productions' profit-sharing model compensates directors, actors, and key crew at union scale minimums during production, with the bulk of potential earnings derived from backend profit participation once the film achieves breakeven.[43] This approach excludes producer fees and company overhead from the production budget, keeping costs low—often $3-5 million for horror films—and aligning incentives for all parties to prioritize audience appeal over extravagant spending.[43] [19] Jason Blum has described this as a system that "gives artists creative freedom while incentivizing them to do work that resonates with audiences," arguing it fosters risk-taking without the burden of high upfront guarantees.[19] The reduced financial exposure enables Blum to grant directors extensive creative autonomy, including final cut privileges and minimal studio interference, which contrasts with traditional major studio practices that often impose notes and reshoots to mitigate risk.[43] [48] Blum has publicly stated that providing such freedom is "even more [important] than staying low-budget," as it allows filmmakers to execute bold visions without meddling, provided budgets remain constrained.[49] This hands-off stance extends to script development and post-production, where directors retain primary control, though Blumhouse retains distribution partnerships with studios like Universal Pictures for wider release.[50] [51] Profit participation pools activate after covering defined costs, such as distribution fees and marketing, with shares distributed proportionally; for instance, in underperforming projects, these pools may remain unfilled if grosses fall short of thresholds like $30 million domestically.[52] While this model has yielded high returns on successes—enabling reinvestment into diverse projects—it tolerates a high failure rate, as low budgets limit losses, but requires participants to forgo immediate high fees in favor of uncertain upside.[43] [52] Blum maintains that the entrepreneurial alignment—treating films like venture investments—encourages creators to focus on commercially viable innovation rather than artistic indulgence disconnected from market realities.[50]Adaptations to industry changes
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic's theater closures in March 2020, Blumhouse Productions accelerated its pivot to premium video on demand (PVOD) and streaming releases, exemplified by the hybrid strategy for Freaky, which followed a brief three-week theatrical window before PVOD availability under a Universal-AMC agreement.[53] [54] Jason Blum noted that production costs increased by 10-20% for personal protective equipment and protocols, yet the company's low-budget model—typically under $10 million per film—enabled continued operations with minimal disruption compared to high-budget projects.[53] This flexibility allowed Blumhouse to film projects for the second season of its Amazon anthology series Welcome to the Blumhouse in 2021, despite industry-wide halts.[55] Blumhouse leveraged streaming platforms for greater creative latitude, as Blum observed that theatrical releases constrain risks due to broad audience expectations, whereas streaming fosters bolder storytelling.[55] The first season of Welcome to the Blumhouse premiered on Amazon Prime Video in October 2020, featuring eight horror-thriller films and series produced in partnership with Amazon Studios, a deal initiated in 2018 but expanded amid the crisis.[55] [56] Similarly, Halloween Kills was delayed from 2020 to October 2021 for a simultaneous theatrical and Peacock streaming debut, reflecting Blum's preference for restored theater viability but acceptance of shortened exclusivity windows as a pragmatic adaptation.[53] Post-pandemic, Blumhouse adjusted to heightened reliance on intellectual property (IP), with Blum estimating 60-70% of its slate now comprising sequels or adaptations, such as The Black Phone 2 and Five Nights at Freddy's 2, amid originals' declining theatrical success—only two non-IP horror hits in 2023 among over 15 releases.[57] The company has diversified into video games, immersive experiences, and a planned horror museum near the Stanley Hotel, while ethically integrating AI for pre-visualization, visual effects, and narrative tools without displacing human creatives.[57] Blum has cautioned against horror market saturation, stating in July 2025 that "the market can't absorb this much horror" following underwhelming results for films like M3GAN 2.0.[58] Blum maintains that ancillary revenues from streaming and shortened windows have roughly doubled a film's total value since 2017, rendering a $30 million box-office earner today equivalent to a $60 million performer pre-shift, thus sustaining profitability despite theatrical volatility.[59] This model, Blum argues, counters industry pessimism by incorporating earlier revenue streams without additional marketing, though he has critiqued streaming dominance as benefiting platforms disproportionately over producers.[59] [60] In July 2025, Blumhouse implemented layoffs across film, television, and casting divisions amid these pressures, signaling ongoing recalibrations.[61]Political engagement and controversies
Donations and public statements
Blum has made modest political donations, primarily to Democratic candidates. Federal election records show he contributed $2,700 to Claire McCaskill's U.S. Senate campaign on September 30, 2018, and $1,000 to John Kerry's presidential campaign on July 24, 2003.[62] [63] Aggregate data indicates Blum's total political contributions reached approximately $33,050 during the 2018 election cycle across seven transactions, though recipients beyond the noted Democratic figures are not itemized in available summaries.[64] In a notable public statement, Blum openly identified as a liberal during an acceptance speech for an Achievement in Film & Television Award at the Los Angeles Israel Film Festival on November 6, 2018—the night of the U.S. midterm elections. He remarked, “The good thing about this country is that you get to like Trump, but I don’t have to and I don’t like him,” and added, “We have a president who calls the press the enemy of the people. Thanks to our president, anti-Semitism is on the rise,” linking the latter to surging nationalism and the erosion of civil discourse under President Donald Trump.[65] [66] The audience responded with boos, whistles, and shouts of “get off the stage” and “we like Donald,” prompting some attendees to walk out; festival security intervened, and an audience member physically pulled Blum from the podium after he stated, “you are going to have to drag me off the stage.”[65] [13] The incident occurred at the Saban Theatre during the festival's opening, sponsored in part by the Adelson Foundation.[66]Backlash and public incidents
In November 2018, during an acceptance speech for the Achievement in Film and Television Award at the 32nd Israel Film Festival in Los Angeles, Jason Blum criticized President Donald Trump, referring to him derogatorily and linking his election to broader societal issues, which prompted boos from portions of the audience and calls for him to leave the stage.[13] [67] [68] Accounts varied on the severity, with some reporting Blum was physically escorted off while others noted he completed his remarks amid disruption; the festival organizers later defended his freedom of speech, with director Meir Fenigstein condemning the audience reaction as inappropriate for an event honoring artistic expression.[69] [70] Earlier that October, Blum faced online backlash after commenting in an interview that "there are not a lot of female directors period, and even less who are inclined to do horror," which critics interpreted as dismissive of women's interest or capability in the genre, despite Blumhouse's history of limited hires in that area.[12] [71] He issued a public apology on Twitter, describing the statement as a "stupid mistake" and pledging to improve representation by actively seeking out female directors for future projects, noting that over 50% of Blumhouse's audience is female.[72] [73] Blum has also encountered indirect public scrutiny through controversies surrounding his productions, such as the 2020 film The Hunt, whose premise of liberal elites hunting conservatives drew accusations of anti-Trump bias and prompted President Trump to denounce it on Twitter as promoting violence, contributing to a temporary cancellation of its release amid heightened political tensions following mass shootings.[74] [75] Blum later reflected on the episode as one of his biggest professional regrets, attributing part of the fallout to media misrepresentation but acknowledging the film's provocative nature alienated audiences.[76]Philanthropy and other ventures
Charitable contributions
In 2022, Jason Blum donated $10 million to Vassar College, his alma mater from which he graduated in 1991, to bolster the institution's financial aid endowment and support scholarships for students.[77][78] This contribution, announced on June 21, marked the largest gift ever provided to Vassar by a male alumnus and was intended to expand access to higher education amid rising costs.[79] Blum, through his role as a college trustee, emphasized the donation's role in sustaining Vassar's commitment to need-based aid without increasing tuition.[78] Blum has also supported arts organizations, including a $2,000 donation in 2018 to New York's Public Theater, where he serves on the board of trustees; the funds originated from a charity auction in which a bidder paid to emulate Blum's signature style during a film festival event.[80] His involvement with the Public Theater extends to governance, focusing on nonprofit theater production and public access to performing arts.[80] No additional major charitable initiatives by Blum or Blumhouse Productions were publicly documented as of 2025, with efforts primarily channeled through personal alumni ties and cultural institutions.Business investments outside film
In March 2024, Blum invested $350,000 for a 5% equity stake in The Murder Mystery Company during his guest appearance on the ABC reality series Shark Tank (Season 15, Episode 18).[81][82] The company specializes in hosting interactive, immersive murder mystery events for private groups, corporate team-building, and public ticketed experiences, emphasizing scripted whodunit scenarios with actors and audience participation.[83] This marked Blum's first publicly documented investment in a live experiential entertainment venture outside traditional film production, aligning with his interest in genre-driven, low-overhead creative formats that generate high engagement and repeat business.[81] Blum has also maintained personal real estate holdings as a form of investment diversification. In July 2019, he purchased a Brooklyn Heights townhouse at 16 Sidney Place for $9.8 million from the estate of hedge fund manager Sanjay Valvani.[84] In October 2020, he sold a historic Los Feliz mansion in Los Angeles for $11.4 million in an off-market transaction, realizing a profit over the property's prior valuation.[85] These transactions reflect opportunistic property acquisitions in high-value markets, though details on active commercial real estate portfolios remain undisclosed in public records.Personal life
Marriage and family
Blum married journalist Lauren A. E. Schuker on July 14, 2012, at a private residence in Petaluma, California.[86] Schuker, a former reporter for The Wall Street Journal, later transitioned to screenwriting, co-writing projects such as the 2023 film Dumb Money.[16] [87] The couple has three children: daughters Roxy (born circa 2015) and Bette Sue (born April 27, 2021, weighing 7 pounds 11 ounces), and son Booker (born circa 2018).[88] [8]Religious and cultural identity
Jason Blum's paternal grandparents were Austrian Jewish immigrants, conferring Jewish heritage through his father, Irving Blum, an independent art dealer.[89] His mother, Shirley (née Neilsen), an art professor, descends primarily from German, Swedish, English, and Irish lineages, rendering Blum ethnically Jewish via patrilineal descent but not maternally so under traditional halakhic standards.[18] No public records indicate Blum's active observance of Judaism or affiliation with specific religious denominations; his identity appears culturally rather than religiously oriented, as evidenced by his participation in events like the 2018 Israel Film Festival in Los Angeles, where he received an award for achievement in film and television.[65] Blumhouse Productions, the company he founded, has produced content engaging Jewish themes, such as the 2014 film Ouija, but without explicit ties to his personal beliefs.[90]Industry impact and reception
Achievements and innovations
Blumhouse Productions, founded by Jason Blum in 2000, pioneered a low-budget filmmaking model emphasizing creative autonomy for directors while capping production costs at $3-5 million for horror films, with profit participation shared among key talent to incentivize efficiency and innovation.[50][43] This approach minimized financial risk and maximized returns, as evidenced by Paranormal Activity (2009), produced for approximately $15,000 and grossing over $193 million worldwide, establishing a template for bootstrapped horror successes.[50][45] The model's efficacy is demonstrated through franchises like The Purge, where the inaugural film (2013) cost $3 million to produce and earned $90 million, followed by sequels amplifying profitability with budgets scaling modestly to $9 million for The Purge: Anarchy (2014), which grossed $110 million.[50] Overall, Blumhouse has generated $6 billion in global box office revenue from 42 films each surpassing $50 million, achieving returns exceeding 10 times the investment per dollar spent on production.[45] This formula has produced over 150 films and television projects, earning Blum three Academy Award nominations, two Primetime Emmy Awards for The Normal Heart and The Jinx, and three Peabody Awards.[91][92] Innovations extend beyond film to television and emerging technologies, including the 2017 launch of an independent TV studio backed by ITV and a 2024 merger with Atomic Monster to broaden horror content across platforms.[92][3] In 2024, Blumhouse partnered with Meta on Movie Gen, an AI suite enabling text-to-video and sound generation to enhance creative workflows in the entertainment industry, positioning Blum as an advocate for integrating AI to augment rather than replace human artistry.[93][94] Expansion into gaming further diversifies output, leveraging horror IP for interactive media while maintaining the core low-risk, high-creative-control ethos.[95]Criticisms and challenges
In October 2018, Blum faced significant online backlash after stating in a Polygon interview that Blumhouse struggled to hire female directors for horror films because "there are not a lot of female directors period, and even less who are inclined to do horror," attributing the scarcity to limited participation rather than industry barriers.[96] Critics, including social media users and outlets like IndieWire, accused him of misogyny and gatekeeping, pointing to existing female horror directors as evidence against his claim, though data from sources like the Directors Guild of America has historically shown underrepresentation of women in genre directing roles.[72] Blum issued a public apology on Twitter the same day, calling his remarks "dumb" and committing to greater efforts in hiring women, amid pressure from the #MeToo-era discourse on Hollywood gender dynamics.[12] During an acceptance speech at the Israel Film Festival on November 6, 2018, Blum was booed and escorted off stage after criticizing President Donald Trump, stating the U.S. needed to "get rid of" him and linking the comments to broader political frustrations.[13] The incident, attended by a pro-Israel audience, drew mixed reactions, with some outlets framing it as an overreach in a non-political venue, while Blum later defended his candor in interviews.[67] Blumhouse's 2020 film The Hunt encountered pre-release controversy over its satirical depiction of political violence, prompting conservative media outcry and threats that led Universal Pictures to delay and ultimately limit its theatrical rollout to 1,750 screens amid the COVID-19 pandemic.[76] Blum attributed the project's underperformance—grossing $14.7 million worldwide against a $14 million budget—to "fake news" distortions rather than inherent flaws, expressing regret over lost audience exposure in subsequent discussions.[76] Recent years have brought commercial and critical challenges for Blumhouse, with 2024-2025 releases like Imaginary, Afraid, M3GAN 2.0, and Wolf Man underperforming at the box office; for instance, M3GAN 2.0 earned under expectations despite franchise hype, contributing to a pattern of single-digit domestic openings for several titles.[97] Reviewers and audiences have criticized these films for relying on formulaic jumpscares, underdeveloped narratives, and a shift toward PG-13 accessibility over innovative terror, contrasting with earlier successes like Get Out (2017), leading to accusations of prioritizing quantity—producing 5-7 horror films annually—over quality.[98] [99] Blum acknowledged flops like Jem and the Holograms (2015), which grossed $7.3 million worldwide on a $5 million budget but received a 17% Rotten Tomatoes score, as key learning experiences in diversifying beyond horror.[100] Despite these setbacks, Blumhouse's overall model has yielded over $5 billion in global box office since 2000, though analysts note rising audience fatigue with micro-budget repeats.[99]Filmography and awards
Key films and television projects
Blumhouse Productions, under Jason Blum's leadership, pioneered a production model for horror films involving minimal upfront budgets—often under $5 million—coupled with backend profit shares for filmmakers, enabling high returns on investment. This approach yielded franchises like Paranormal Activity, Insidious, and The Purge, which collectively generated billions in global box office revenue.[10][101] The Paranormal Activity series, starting with the 2009 found-footage horror film directed by Oren Peli, exemplifies early success; made for $15,000, the initial entry grossed $193 million worldwide, spawning four sequels through 2015 that emphasized supernatural hauntings and viral marketing.[102] Insidious (2010), directed by James Wan, followed with a $1.5 million budget and over $100 million in worldwide earnings, launching a franchise centered on astral projection and demonic entities, with sequels continuing into the 2020s.[10] The Purge (2013), written and directed by James DeMonaco, introduced a dystopian premise of legalized annual crime, budgeted at $3 million and grossing $89 million globally, leading to a five-film series by 2021 that explored social themes through home invasion and survival horror.[32] Blum also produced non-horror standouts like Whiplash (2014), directed by Damien Chazelle, which earned $50.3 million on a $3.3 million budget and secured three Academy Awards, including Best Supporting Actor for J.K. Simmons.[103] Later hits include Get Out (2017), Jordan Peele's directorial debut blending horror and satire on racial dynamics, produced for $4.5 million and earning $255 million worldwide while winning the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.[32] Halloween (2018), directed by David Gordon Green as a direct sequel to the 1978 original, grossed $255 million on a $10 million budget, reviving the slasher franchise with Jamie Lee Curtis reprising her role as Laurie Strode.[32] Five Nights at Freddy's (2023), adapted from the video game series and directed by Emma Tammi, became Blumhouse's highest-grossing film to date at $284 million worldwide, targeting family audiences with animatronic terror.[104] In television, Blumhouse expanded with the Hulu anthology series Into the Dark (2018–2021), featuring 18 holiday-themed horror episodes directed by filmmakers like Sophia Takal and Gigi Saul Guerrero, which blended episodic storytelling with Blum's low-risk ethos.[41] Earlier projects include the ABC adventure series The River (2012), co-produced with Oren Peli, which ran for one season exploring supernatural mysteries in the Amazon, and Syfy's reality competition Stranded (2013), testing contestants' survival against fabricated paranormal threats.[105] Recent TV ventures encompass Netflix true-crime docuseries like Worst Roommate Ever (2022–present), examining deadly cohabitation cases.[41]| Franchise/Series | Debut Year | Key Installments | Notable Commercial Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paranormal Activity | 2009 | 1–4 (2009–2015) | $193M+ from first film; low-budget found-footage model.[102] |
| Insidious | 2010 | 1–5 (2010–2023) | $100M+ from original; established spectral horror sub-brand.[10] |
| The Purge | 2013 | 1–5 (2013–2021) | $89M from debut; expanded to prequels and election-year themes.[32] |
| Into the Dark (TV) | 2018 | 18 episodes (2018–2021) | Hulu original; thematic horror anthologies tied to holidays.[41] |
Awards and nominations
Blum has received three Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, for his production of Whiplash (2014), Get Out (2017), and BlacKkKlansman (2018), though he has not won in that category.[106][26] He has earned two Primetime Emmy Awards, including for Outstanding Television Movie for The Normal Heart (2014).[107][6] Blum has also won three Peabody Awards for his television productions, recognizing excellence in electronic media storytelling.[11][26] In 2026, Blum is scheduled to receive the Producers Guild of America's Milestone Award, honoring his career contributions to the industry.[11][108] Other nominations include the Producers Guild's Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures for BlacKkKlansman (2019) and an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature (2010).[109][110]| Year | Award | Category | Nominated for | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Academy Award | Best Picture | Whiplash | Nomination[106] |
| 2017 | Academy Award | Best Picture | Get Out | Nomination[106] |
| 2018 | Academy Award | Best Picture | BlacKkKlansman | Nomination[106] |
| 2014 | Primetime Emmy | Outstanding Television Movie | The Normal Heart | Win[107] |
| Various | Peabody Award | Electronic media excellence | Television productions including The Jinx (2015) | 3 Wins[11] |