 Logo used since 2008 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | |
| Founded | May 27, 1999; 26 years ago (1999-05-27) |
| Founders | |
| Headquarters | Santa Monica, California, United States |
Key people | |
| Products | Alias Lost Fringe Person of Interest |
| Divisions |
|
| Website | www |
Bad Robot Productions is an American film and televisionproduction company founded on May 27, 1999, and led by Katie McGrath andJ. J. Abrams as Co-CEOs. The company is responsible for thetelevision seriesAlias,Lost,Fringe,Person of Interest,Revolution, andWestworld alongside the feature-length filmsCloverfield,Star Trek,Super 8,Star Trek Into Darkness,Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol,Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation,Star Wars EpisodesVII andIX,10 Cloverfield Lane,Star Trek Beyond,The Cloverfield Paradox,Mission: Impossible – Fallout, andOverlord.
Bad Robot was originally based atTouchstone Television, but was moved byJ. J. Abrams toParamount Pictures andWarner Bros. Television, after his contract withABC expired in 2006. Bad Robot producedLost in association withABC Studios, formerly Touchstone Television. The two companies jointly producedSix Degrees andWhat About Brian. The deal was first recommended and presented in 1999 as part of a presentation deal, with J.J. Abrams being contracted to Disney.[1] In 2004, Thom Sherman joined Bad Robot Television as president of the studio.[2] The company had developed presentation pitches forABC andThe WB, with none of them going to series.[3]
Abrams is Chairman and Co-Chief executive officer of Bad Robot, and Katie McGrath serves as the Company's Co-Chief executive officer. In June 2017, Bad Robot announced that Brian Weinstein would become President andChief Operating Officer, overseeing daily operations and spearhead the company's growth strategy in its existing businesses, while developing new areas of expansion across the entire Bad Robot platform and pursuing alternative financing options.[4] In May 2015,Ben Stephenson left theBBC where he had been head of drama to helm Bad Robot Television. Lindsey Weber leads Bad Robot's feature film division.
Theproduction logo has appeared since 2001, featuring a red rectangular headed robot running through a meadow silhouetted until it appears suddenly in front of the camera, followed by voices provided by two of Abrams's children, Henry andGracie Abrams, saying "Bad robot!"[5] Although some fans believe that the name comes from a line in the animated filmThe Iron Giant, Abrams toldEntertainment Weekly that it simply came to him during a writers' meeting.[5]
In February 2013, it was announced that Bad Robot would be partnering with theValve Corporation to produce possibly aHalf-Life orPortal film in the distant future.[6] In August 2015, Valve released a new beta game mode toTeam Fortress 2,PASS Time, which Bad Robot worked on.[7] On July 7, 2016, thePASS Time game mode became official.[8] In August 2013, Bad Robot released a trailer onYouTube entitled "Stranger", rumoured to be Abrams' next film or television project, perhaps even aLost spin-off, but it was finally explained to be promotingS., Abrams andDoug Dorst's new novel, as a new trailer forS. was released in the following month.[9] In February 2017, it was announcedJulius Avery is attached to direct a Paramount coproduction, the World War II zombie filmOverlord, from screenwriterBilly Ray.[10]
Bad Robot Productions is currently based inSanta Monica, California,[11] in a building which is incorrectly labeled on purpose as the home of the fictional "National Typewriter Company" because Abrams "likes typewriters — and misdirection."[12]
In June 2018, the company announced a spin-off venture formed with the Chinese video game publisherTencent to launch Bad Robot Games for the development of video games on mobile, computer and consoles, withWarner Bros. Interactive Entertainment as a minority investor. Bad Robot Games will develop and publish new and existing IPs including titles related to Abrams' works and other Bad Robot Production content, with Tencent holding the rights for distribution in China.
The division was originally helmed by Dave Baronoff, who previously worked on theCloverfield franchise and was developingSpyjinx as a joint project between Bad Robot Productions andEpic Games (also partially owned by Tencent), while Tim Keenan, who helped developDuskers, served as the creative director.[13]
In 2020, Anna Sweet was brought on as the CEO of Bad Robot Games.[14]Mike Booth also joined in December 2020, managing the company's newly created in-house development studio.[15] By February 2022, he had taken on the role of chief creative officer.[16]
In 2006, Bad Robot teamed up withParamount Pictures andWarner Bros. Television for a $60 million development deal[17] that lasted through 2018.[18]
In late 2018, it was announced that Bad Robot was leaving Paramount and seeking a new overall deal.[19] In January 2019, it was announced thatUniversal,Disney, andWarner Bros. were the top three studios battling it out for what could be a record breaking overall deal including theme parks, music labels, TV, merchandising, and streaming services as Bad Robot plans on ramping up production significantly in the coming years.[20] It was also announced that Bad Robot would be co-producing a remake of the British seriesThe Wrong Mans for American networkShowtime along withBBC Studios, but Showtime later cancelled the project.[21][22][23]
Bad Robot launched a subsidiaryrecord label called Loud Robot in late 2018,[24] in partnership withCapitol Music Group.[25] Loud Robot is headed by co-general managers McKee Floyd and Nicky Berger along with Charles Scott, who currently heads Bad Robot's music division and has been the leading music supervisor for the company's films. Artists signed to the label includeCleveland-born rapper Nnena,[26]neo soul singer/songwriter UMI,[27]Nashville, Tennessee-basedalternative rock artistChaz Cardigan,[28] andLondon-basedrhythm and blues artist DWY.[29]
On September 12, 2019, Bad Robot officially announced a new five-year overall deal withWarnerMedia. According toThe Hollywood Reporter, WarnerMedia agreed to pay Bad Robot at least $250 million (plus various financial incentives) to produce feature films, television shows, video games, and digital content.[30]
On May 25, 2021, Abrams announced that aPortal film adaptation, which has been in development since 2013, was still in production and a script has been written for the film.[31] In November 2021, the company launched its podcast division with a multi-year first-look deal atSpotify.[32]
On April 25, 2022, it was announced that Bad Robot will team up withMattel Films andWarner Bros. Pictures to produce a live-actionHot Wheels film based on the toy line of the same name.[33] Most recently, in December 2024, the company had extended its deal withWarner Bros. Pictures.[34]
| Year | Title | Director | Co-production with | Budget | Gross |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Joy Ride | John Dahl | 20th Century Fox | $23 million | $36.6 million |
| 2008 | Cloverfield | Matt Reeves | Paramount Pictures | $25 million | $170.8 million |
| 2009 | Star Trek | J. J. Abrams | Paramount Pictures Spyglass Entertainment | $150 million | $385.7 million |
| 2010 | Morning Glory | Roger Michell | Paramount Pictures | $40 million | $60 million |
| 2011 | Super 8 | J. J. Abrams | Paramount Pictures Amblin Entertainment | $50 million | $260.1 million |
| Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol | Brad Bird | Paramount Pictures TC Productions Skydance Productions | $145 million | $694.7 million | |
| 2013 | Star Trek Into Darkness | J. J. Abrams | Paramount Pictures Skydance Productions K/O Paper Products | $190 million | $467.4 million |
| 2014 | Infinitely Polar Bear | Maya Forbes | Sony Pictures Classics | $6.7 million | $2.1 million |
| 2015 | Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation | Christopher McQuarrie | Paramount Pictures Skydance Productions China Movie Channel Alibaba Pictures | $150 million | $682.7 million |
| Star Wars: The Force Awakens | J. J. Abrams | Lucasfilm Ltd. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | $447 million | $2.068 billion | |
| 2016 | 10 Cloverfield Lane | Dan Trachtenberg | Paramount Pictures | $15 million | $110.2 million |
| Star Trek Beyond | Justin Lin | Paramount Pictures Skydance Media Alibaba Pictures Huahua Media Sneaky Shark Productions Perfect Storm Entertainment | $185 million | $343.5 million | |
| 2018 | The Cloverfield Paradox | Julius Onah | Netflix Paramount Pictures | $45 million | N/A |
| Mission: Impossible – Fallout | Christopher McQuarrie | Paramount Pictures TC Productions Skydance Media Alibaba Pictures | $178 million | $791 million | |
| Overlord | Julius Avery | Paramount Pictures | $38 million | $41.7 million | |
| 2019 | Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker | J. J. Abrams | Lucasfilm Ltd. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | $416 million | $1.074 billion |
| 2022 | Lou | Anna Foerster | Netflix | $36 million | N/A |
| 2024 | The Blue Angels | Paul Crowder | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Zipper Bros. Films Sutter Road Picture Company Diamond Docs Barnstorm Productions IMAX Entertainment Dolphin Films | N/A | $2.6 million |
| Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes | Nanette Burstein | HBO Documentary Films Zipper Bros Gerber Pictures Sutter Road Picture Company House of Taylor | N/A |
| Year | Title | Creator(s) / Developer(s) | Co-production with | Notes | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001–06 | Alias | J. J. Abrams | Touchstone Television | ABC | |
| 2004–10 | Lost | Jeffrey Lieber J. J. Abrams Damon Lindelof | |||
| 2006–07 | What About Brian | Dana Stevens | Sachs/Judah Productions(season 1) Touchstone Television | ||
| Six Degrees | Raven Metzner Stuart Zicherman | Nosebleed Productions Touchstone Television | |||
| 2008–13 | Fringe | J. J. Abrams Alex Kurtzman Roberto Orci | Warner Bros. Television | Fox | |
| 2009 | Anatomy of Hope | Pilot | N/a | ||
| 2010 | Undercovers | J. J. Abrams Josh Reims | Warner Bros. Television Good Butter Productions | NBC | |
| 2011–16 | Person of Interest | Jonathan Nolan | Kilter Films Warner Bros. Television | CBS | |
| 2012 | Alcatraz | Elizabeth Sarnoff Steven Lilien Bryan Wynbrandt | Warner Bros. Television | Fox | |
| Shelter | Pilot[48] | The CW | |||
| 2012–14 | Revolution | Eric Kripke Jon Favreau | Kripke Enterprises Warner Bros. Television | NBC | |
| 2013–14 | Almost Human | J. H. Wyman | Frequency Films Warner Bros. Television | Fox | |
| 2014 | Believe | Alfonso Cuarón Mark Friedman | Esperanto Filmoj Warner Bros. Television | NBC | |
| 2015 | Dead People | Pilot[49] | The CW | ||
| 2016 | 11.22.63 | Bridget Carpenter | Carpenter B. Warner Bros. Television | Hulu | |
| Moon Shot | Web series | N/a | |||
| Roadies | Cameron Crowe | Vinyl Films Warner Bros. Television Showtime Networks | Showtime | ||
| 2016–22 | Westworld | Jonathan Nolan Lisa Joy | HBO Entertainment Kilter Films Jerry Weintraub Productions(season 1) Warner Bros. Television | HBO | |
| 2018–19 | Castle Rock | Sam Shaw | Old Curiosity Shop Darkbloom Productions Warner Bros. Television | Hulu | |
| 2020 | Little Voice | Jessie Nelson | Dear Hope Productions Warner Bros. Television Studios | Apple TV+ | |
| Lovecraft Country | Misha Green | Afemme Monkeypaw Productions Warner Bros. Television Studios | HBO | ||
| Challenger: The Final Flight | Glen Zipper Steven Leckart | Zipper Bros Films Sutter Road Picture Company | Docuseries | Netflix | |
| 2021 | Lisey's Story | Stephen King | 40/60 Productions Warner Bros. Television Studios | Apple TV+ | |
| UFO | Glen Zipper | Zipper Bros Films Sutter Road Picture Company | Docuseries | Showtime | |
| 2024–present | Presumed Innocent | David E. Kelley | David E. Kelley Productions Old Curiosity Shop Productions Nine Stories Productions Warner Bros. Television Studios | Apple TV+ | |
| 2024 | Charlie Hustle & the Matter of Pete Rose | Mark Monroe | Live Star Entertainment HBO Entertainment | Docuseries | HBO |
| 2024–present | Batman: Caped Crusader | Bruce Timm | 6th & Idaho Motion Picture Company DC Entertainment Warner Bros. Animation Amazon MGM Studios | [50] | Amazon Prime Video[51] |
| 2025 | Duster | J. J. Abrams LaToya Morgan | TinkerToy Productions Warner Bros. Television Studios | [52] | Max |
| Year | Title | Creator(s) / Developer(s) | Co-production with | Notes | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TBA | Speed Racer | Warner Bros. Television Studios | [53] | Apple TV | |
| Untamed | Hulu | Trip the Light Productions Warner Bros. Television Studios/20th Television | [54] | TBA |
| Year | Title | Co-production with |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | KRE-O Star Trek | Paramount Pictures Skydance Productions CBS Consumer Products Hasbro |
| 2022 | The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse | Apple Studios BBC NoneMore Productions |
| Year | Title | Platform |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Action Movie FX | iOS |
| 2022 | Weird West | PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC |
| 2022 | Moonbreaker | PC |
| 2023 | Silent Hill: Ascension | Web browser, Android, iOS |
| TBA | 4:Loop | PlayStation 5, PC |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |