Jeff Kleeman
American studio executive
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jeff Kleeman is an American studio executive who led the revival[1] of United Artists’ James Bond franchise.[2] He is credited with developing and overseeing the films GoldenEye,[3] Tomorrow Never Dies and The World is Not Enough.[1] Kleeman was also head of Robert Redford’s production company, Sundance Productions[4] and president of comedian Ellen Degeneres’s production company A Very Good Production.[5]
Jeff Kleeman | |
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| Born | La Jolla, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Yale University |
| Occupation | studio executive |
| Years active | 1987–present |
Early life and education
Kleeman grew up in La Jolla, California.[6] He attended Yale University,[7] graduating in 1986.[8]
Career
Kleeman’s film career began in 1987 as an executive assistant to the president of production at Paramount,[9] where he worked on The Hunt for Red October, Star Trek 6 and other films.[10]
In 1993, he left his role as president of production for Francis Ford Coppola’s production company, American Zoetrope[11] to become vice president of production at United Artists.[11] At United Artists, he developed and oversaw the 1995 film Hackers,[12] Leaving Las Vegas[9] and The Thomas Crown Affair.[10] Kleeman was also enlisted to manage the revival of United Artists’ James Bond franchise.[2] He oversaw the production and development of the films GoldenEye, released in 1995,[3] and Tomorrow Never Dies, released in 1997.[1] When MGM absorbed United Artists in 1999, Kleeman joined MGM and continued his tenure as production executive of the Bond franchise for the film The World is Not Enough.[1]
In January 2000,[13] Kleeman became the head of Robert Redford’s production company, Sundance Productions.[4]
In 2008 he became president of director David Dobkin’s production company, Big Kid Pictures.[14] Kleeman executive produced Friends with Benefits (TV series),[15] and films The Change-Up,[16] The Judge[17] and Vacation.[18]
In 2012, Kleeman became president of comedian Ellen Degeneres’s production company A Very Good Production, where he produced 26 series, specials and movies,[19] including the Netflix animated series Green Eggs and Ham.[6]
In May 2023, independent film company Bold Films made Kleeman its CEO.[5]
Personal life
Kleeman is married.[20] He has prosopagnosia, a neurological disorder that causes face blindness.[20]
