Neil Blair | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1966-09-21)21 September 1966 (age 59) United Kingdom |
| Occupations | Literary agent, television producer, film producer |
Neil Blair (born 21 September 1966) is an English literary agent, television producer, and film producer.
Neil Blair studied law atExeter College, Oxford.[1][2]
In 1990, after graduating from college, Blair joined the litigation team at the global law firmLinklaters.[3] He later joinedWarner Bros. Entertainment, where he became Head of Business Affairs, Europe, worked on productions such asBand of Brothers andEyes Wide Shut, and helped acquire the film rights forJ.K. Rowling’sHarry Potter series. In 2001 he left to join theChristopher Little Literary Agency.[4][5]In 2011, Blair left Christopher Little Literary Agency to found The Blair Partnership. J.K. Rowling joined his client list after 15 years with the Christopher Little Literary Agency.[6][7]
Blair is the Chairman of the Board and a Director ofPottermore and Chairman of the production companies Brontë Film and Television, founded to develop and produce projects commissioned from J.K. Rowling’s novels,[8][9] and Snowed-In Productions, founded to work on non J.K. Rowling projects.[10]
Blair is Chairman of J.K. Rowling’s children’s charityLumos. He is a UK ambassador forThe Abraham Initiatives[11] and a board member ofJW3.[12] In 2017, he and his wife, Debra, supported the construction of archive space and a reading room onExeter College’s Cohen Quadrangle to help preserve 30,000 rare books, including importantJudaica such as theSoncino Bible, the earliest full text bible ever printed.[13]
Blair has said that books and being Jewish "are very close to my heart".[14] He is a fan ofWest Ham andSaracens.[15]
| Year | Title | Credited as | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive producer | |||
| 2015 | The Casual Vacancy | Yes | [16] |
| 2016 | Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them | Yes | [17] |
| 2017–present | Strike | Yes | [18] |
| 2018 | Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald | Yes | [19] |
| Mrs. Wilson | Yes | [20] | |
| 2027 | Harry Potter | Yes |