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Jason Blum
Jason Blum by Gage Skidmore.jpg
Blum at the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con
Born
Jason Ferus Blum

(1969-02-20) February 20, 1969 (age 55)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma mater Vassar College
Occupation Producer, studio executive
Years active 1995–present
Organization Blumhouse Productions
Spouse(s)
Lauren A.E. Schuker
(m. 2012)
Parent(s)
  • Shirley Neilsen Blum (mother)

Jason Ferus Blum (/blʌm/; born February 20, 1969) is an American filmmaker. He is founder and CEO of Blumhouse Productions, which has produced the horror franchises Paranormal Activity (2007–2021), Insidious (2010–2023), The Purge (2013–2021), and Halloween (2018-2022). Blum has also produced 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), Us (2019), The Invisible Man (2020), Freaky (2020), The Black Phone (2021), M3GAN (2022), and Five Nights at Freddy's (2023).

Blum received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Picture for producing Whiplash (2014), Get Out (2017) and BlacKkKlansman (2018). He received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie for producing the drama film The Normal Heart (2014). He also won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series for the documentary miniseries The Jinx (2015).

Early life and education

Jason Ferus Blum was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Shirley Neilsen Blum (née Neilsen) and Irving Blum. His mother was an art professor and his father was an independent art dealer and director of the Ferus Gallery. Blum is of Jewish heritage.

He graduated from Vassar College in 1991. While at Vassar, he and fellow future filmmaker Noah Baumbach were roommates, and Blum produced Baumbach's first film, Kicking and Screaming, in 1995.

Career

Blum worked for Bob and Harvey Weinstein as an executive at Miramax, and later as an independent producer for Paramount Pictures. Prior to his tenure at Miramax, Blum was a producing director at Ethan Hawke's Malaparte theater company. He is a member of the board of trustees of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.

He obtained financing for his first film as producer, Kicking and Screaming (1995), after receiving a letter from family acquaintance, entertainer Steve Martin, who endorsed the script. Blum attached the letter to copies of the script he sent around to Hollywood executives.

Blumhouse Productions

In 2000, he founded Blumhouse Productions, which specializes in producing micro-budget movies that give directors full creative control over the projects. Bloomberg News praised Blum for making "blockbusters for pennies", including the horror film Paranormal Activity which cost $15,000 to make and then grossed nearly $200 million. In addition, NPR's Planet Money did a special podcast about the company's methods.

Blum also produced Insidious (2010), Sinister (2012), The Purge (2013) and Happy Death Day (2017), as well as their sequels. 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.

Blum's feature films BlacKkKlansman, Whiplash and Get Out were all nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.

In 2018, Blum said in an interview that the reason no woman had ever directed one of his horror films was that "there are not a lot of female directors (...) and even less who are inclined to do horror." After much criticism on social media, in which lists of such directors were circulated, he apologized for what he called his "dumb comments". In 2019, Sophia Takal directed and co-wrote the studio's horror remake Black Christmas, which opened on December 13, and was the studio's first theatrically-released film by a female director.

Other ventures

On August 14, 2020, Daily Front Row listed Blum as one of a group of high-profile investors who purchased W, a troubled fashion magazine.

Personal life

On July 14, 2012, Blum married journalist Lauren A.E. Schuker in Los Angeles.

In July 2019, he bought a Brooklyn Heights townhouse for $9.8 million.

Boards

Blum is on the Board of The Public Theater in New York, the Sundance Institute, Vassar College, and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.

Philanthropy

In 2022, Blum donated $10 million to Vassar College, the largest gift ever given to the college from a male alumnus.

Filmography

Film

Universal Pictures

Year Title Director Notes
2013 The Purge James DeMonaco
2014 Not Safe for Work Joe Johnston
The Purge: Anarchy James DeMonaco
Mockingbird Bryan Bertino
Mercy Peter Cornwell
Stretch Joe Carnahan
Ouija Stiles White
Unfriended Leo Gabriadze Executive producer
2015 The Boy Next Door Rob Cohen
Visions Kevin Greutert
The Visit M. Night Shyamalan
Curve Iain Softley
Jem and the Holograms Jon M. Chu
2016 The Veil Phil Joanou Direct-to-video
The Purge: Election Year James DeMonaco
Split M. Night Shyamalan
Ouija: Origin of Evil Mike Flanagan
2017 Get Out Jordan Peele
Stephanie Akiva Goldsman
The Keeping Hours Karen Moncrieff
Happy Death Day Christopher Landon
2018 Insidious: The Last Key Adam Robitel
Unfriended: Dark Web Stephen Susco Through OTL Releasing
Upgrade Leigh Whannell
Truth or Dare Jeff Wadlow
Delirium Dennis Iliadis Direct-to-video
The First Purge Gerard McMurray
Halloween David Gordon Green
Seven in Heaven Chris Eigeman
2019 Glass M. Night Shyamalan
Don't Let Go Jacob Aaron Estes Through OTL Releasing
Sweetheart J. D. Dillard
Happy Death Day 2U Christopher Landon
Us Jordan Peele
Ma Tate Taylor
Black Christmas Sophia Takal
2020 The Invisible Man Leigh Whannell
The Hunt Craig Zobel
You Should Have Left David Koepp
Freaky Christopher Landon
2021 The Forever Purge Everardo Gout
This Is The Night James DeMonaco
Halloween Kills David Gordon Green
2022 Firestarter Keith Thomas
The Black Phone Scott Derrickson
Halloween Ends David Gordon Green
M3GAN Gerard Johnstone
2023 The Exorcist: Believer David Gordon Green
Five Nights at Freddy's Emma Tammi
2024 Night Swim Bryce McGuire
2025 Wolf Man Leigh Whannell Filming
The Woman in the Yard Jaume Collet-Serra Filming
Drop Christopher Landon Filming

Paramount Pictures

Lionsgate Films

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

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

Sony Pictures Releasing

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
TBA They Listen Chris Weitz

Netflix

Amazon MGM Studios

FilmDistrict

The Weinsteins

Other

Television

Awards and nominations

Year Association Category Work Result
2010 25th Independent Spirit Awards Best First Feature Paranormal Activity Nominated
2014 66th Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Television Movie The Normal Heart Won
2015 72nd Golden Globe Awards Best Miniseries or Television Film Nominated
26th Producers Guild of America Awards Best Long-Form Television Nominated
Best Theatrical Motion Picture Whiplash Nominated
4th AACTA International Awards Best Film Nominated
30th Independent Spirit Awards Best Film Nominated
87th Academy Awards Best Picture Nominated
67th Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series The Jinx Won
2016 27th Producers Guild of America Awards Best Non-Fiction Television Won
2017 Gotham Independent Film Awards 2017 Best Feature Get Out Nominated
2018 75th Golden Globe Awards Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy Nominated
29th Producers Guild of America Awards Best Theatrical Motion Picture Nominated
33rd Independent Spirit Awards Best Film Won
90th Academy Awards Best Picture Nominated
Gotham Independent Film Awards 2018 Breakthrough Series – Long Form Sharp Objects Nominated
2019 76th Golden Globe Awards Best Motion Picture – Drama BlackKklansman Nominated
Best Miniseries or Television Film Sharp Objects Nominated
30th Producers Guild of America Awards Best Limited Series Television Nominated
Best Theatrical Motion Picture BlackKklansman Nominated
72nd British Academy Film Awards Best Film Nominated
91st Academy Awards Best Picture Nominated
71st Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Limited Series Sharp Objects Nominated
2020 77th Golden Globe Awards Best Miniseries or Television Film The Loudest Voice Nominated
2021 41st Golden Raspberry Awards Worst Picture Fantasy Island Nominated
2022 75th Locarno Film Festival Premio Raimondo Rezzonico (Best Independent Producer) Himself Won
2024 44th Golden Raspberry Awards Worst Picture The Exorcist: Believer Nominated

See also

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