Erik Feig is an American film executive and producer.

Erik Feig
Born	Los Angeles,California, U.S.
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Vanderbilt University Columbia University (BA)
Occupation	Film executive
Years active	1997–present
Title	Founder and CEO of Picturestart
Spouse	Susanna Felleman ​ (m. 2002)​
Children	2

Feig, a graduate ofColumbia University, began his career in film as an independent producer. He worked forSummit Entertainment during the 2000s, before becoming president of production forLionsgate. He left the company in 2018. In May 2019, Feig launched Picturestart, an independent production company.^[1]

Feig was born inLos Angeles,California, and raised inWestport, Connecticut.^[2][3] He attendedVanderbilt University inNashville, Tennessee, for one year. After taking a year off to travel, he transferred toColumbia University in New York City, graduating with a BA in English in 1992.^[3][4] At Columbia, Feig lived inEast Campus and studied underJames S. Shapiro,Annette Insdorf, andDavid Denby.^[5]

Feig began his career as an independent producer, working withSony Pictures producing films includingI Know What You Did Last Summer,I Still Know What You Did Last Summer andSlackers, all for Sony Pictures.^[4][6][7] He had a producing deal withArtisan Entertainment, before being recruited to run the film department atSummit Entertainment.^[6]

In 1998 Summit Entertainment, a sales agent at the time, launched its own production department withSplendor andKill the Man, and by 2001, Feig joined Summit as president of production and acquisitions.^[2] He became a partner in 2007.^[6][8]

Feig brought theTwilight book series to Summit afterParamount Pictures passed on it.^[6] Although at the time the book had sold only 4,000 copies, Feig noted its strong following online, and its potential to be a franchise for the new studio.^[8][9] He pursued the project and was able to make a deal with authorStephenie Meyer.^[10] Feig secured the rights to all four books in February 2006.^[8]

Summit was sold toLionsgate for $412.5 million in 2012,^[11] and Feig was named president of production for Lionsgate Motion Picture Group.^[4] In February 2014, he was promoted to co-president of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, overseeing film production and development for the Lionsgate and Summit labels.^[12]

Feig first learned ofLa La Land at theSundance Film Festival in 2014, when he met withDamien Chazelle, who pitched him his script for a Hollywood musical. At the time, the script was in development atFocus Features. Feig secured a $30 million budget for Lionsgate to produce the film, gambling on the unusual undertaking of an original Hollywood musical. Chazelle's first featureWhiplash had not yet been released when the deal was made.^[13][14][15]

In February 2018, it was reported that Feig would be leaving Lionsgate, and that he has raised money to launch a new company focused on youth-oriented projects. Lionsgate is expected to be one of the investors in the new company.^[16][17]

In May 2019, Feig announced the launch of Picturestart, a "new media" company. Scholastic granted the company access to its IP.^[18][1][19] Picturestart intends to produce four to six films and four to six TV series per year.^[20]

Feig lives inLos Angeles,California, with his wife Susanna Felleman and their two children. They were married in New York in 2002.^[2][3]

Producer

Executive producer

• Erik Feig atIMDb
• Erik Feig onBloomberg.com