Will Packer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Will Packer
Packer in 2018
Born	(1974-04-11) April 11, 1974 (age 51) St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S.
Alma mater	Florida A&M University (BS)
Occupation	Film producer
Years active	1994–present
Notable credit(s)	Think Like a Man Obsessed Ride Along About Last Night Girls Trip Night School
Spouse(s)	Nina Packer ​ ​ (m. 2001; div. 2009)​ Heather Hayslett ​ (m. 2015)​
Children	4

William Packer (born April 11, 1974) is an American film producer. He started two companies: Will Packer Productions and Will Packer Media.

Will Packer has produced many movies that have earned over $1 billion worldwide. Ten of his films have even opened at number one at the box office. He has produced more than 30 movies, including popular comedies like Think Like a Man (2012), Ride Along (2014), and Girls Trip (2017).

In 2022, Packer produced the Oscars ceremony. In 2024, he became a part-owner of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons team.

Early Life and Education

Will Packer grew up in St. Petersburg, Florida. He finished St. Petersburg High School in 1991. That same year, he started attending Florida A&M University (FAMU).

In 1996, Packer graduated with high honors from FAMU. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering. On October 29, 2021, FAMU honored Packer by naming its amphitheater the Will Packer Amphitheater. He also received the Meritorious Achievement Award from the university. This is the highest honor FAMU gives out.

Career in Film and TV

Starting Rainforest Films

Will Packer began making films while he was at FAMU. He worked with his friend and future business partner, Rob Hardy. They also had an internship with producer Warrington Hudlin.

In 1994, Packer and Hardy made their first film, Chocolate City. It cost $20,000 to make. Packer helped get a small deal for the movie to be distributed by Blockbuster video. After graduating, Packer and Hardy moved to Atlanta, Georgia. There, they started their own company called Rainforest Films.

Packer produced and managed the films made by Rainforest Films. Their goal was to create movies that would appeal to Black audiences. They wanted to show different types of stories with Black actors.

In 2000, Rainforest Films released its first movie in theaters, Trois. It earned over $1.2 million. This made it the fastest million-dollar film distributed independently by African Americans. Trois was one of the top 50 highest-earning independent films that year. Because of this success, Packer and Hardy were seen as important new figures in Hollywood.

In 2001, Packer helped make a deal with Sony. This deal allowed them to produce and distribute more films. These included Trois's sequel, Trois: The Escort, and Motives.

In 2005, Rainforest Films released The Gospel. Around this time, Packer started using the shorter name "Will Packer."

Packer and Hardy wanted their films to feature both famous actors and new, rising stars. For example, the 2007 film This Christmas starred well-known actresses Loretta Devine and Regina King. It also featured R&B superstar Chris Brown in his first movie role.

Packer produced five movies with Rainforest Films that reached number one at the box office. These include Stomp the Yard, Obsessed, Takers, Think like a Man, and Ride Along. His biggest hits with Rainforest were Think like a Man, which earned over $96 million, and Ride Along, which brought in nearly $150 million.

Packer also helped start Bounce TV. This is a TV network in the United States that shows programs for African Americans. It launched on September 26, 2011.

In June 2014, Packer and Hardy decided to close Rainforest Films.

Will Packer Productions

In 2013, Will Packer started his own company, Will Packer Productions. In July 2013, he signed a deal with Universal Television to create new TV shows. Later that year, he signed a deal with Universal Pictures for movies.

Movies produced by Will Packer Productions that reached number one at the box office include Ride Along 2, No Good Deed, and Think Like a Man Too. He also produced The Wedding Ringer and Girls Trip.

Girls Trip was the highest-earning live-action comedy of 2017. It was also the first film written, directed, produced, and starring African Americans to earn over $100 million. The movie made $140 million from a budget of $19 million.

Packer also worked as an executive producer on the NWA movie Straight Outta Compton. He was also an executive producer for the 2016 TV mini-series Roots.

He has produced comedies like Night School (2018), starring Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish. Other films include What Men Want (2019), Little (2019), The Photograph (2020), and Beast (2022).

Will Packer has been recognized on several important lists. These include The Hollywood Reporter's "40(ish) Most Powerful People in Comedy" and Black Enterprise's "Most Powerful Players Under 40."

Will Packer Media

In 2017, Packer launched another company called Will Packer Media. This company creates content for brands and digital platforms. It works with Discovery Communications and Universal Pictures.

Will Packer Media produces TV shows, both scripted (with a script) and unscripted (like reality shows). It also creates digital content for younger audiences. Some of their current shows include Ready to Love and Put a Ring On It for OWN. They also produce That Girl Lay Lay for Nickelodeon. Will Packer Media also makes podcasts with iHeart Media.

Packer was an executive producer for the remake of Roots. For this work, he was nominated for an Emmy Award. His company's WP Narrative_ division has won awards for its video shorts and campaigns for brands.

Central Ave, an entertainment news show, started on Fox television stations on November 4, 2019.

Producing the 2022 Oscars

Will Packer was chosen to produce the 94th Annual Academy Awards. This show aired on March 27, 2022. It was his first time producing a major live TV show for a big network like ABC. The show was broadcast in over 200 places around the world.

The 94th Oscars was the most-watched entertainment special in primetime in two years. It had 16.6 million viewers.

Oscars Controversy

The show had a controversial moment when Will Smith walked on stage and slapped host Chris Rock. This happened after Chris Rock made a joke about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith's, hair.

Will Packer later tweeted that it was "a very painful moment for me." Reports said that Packer was important in the decision for Will Smith to stay at the show. Academy Board member Whoopi Goldberg supported Packer's choice to continue the show. She said removing Smith would have caused a long delay right before he was about to win an Oscar.

Personal Life

Will Packer is a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. He was married to Nina Packer from 2001 to 2009. Will Packer has a son named Dominique and two daughters, Maya and Nija, from a previous relationship. He also has a child named Zion with Heather Hayslett.

Packer proposed to Heather Hayslett live on stage at the 2013 Essence Music Festival. They got married in August 2015 in Georgia.

Filmography

Producer

Executive producer