After 10 years at Universal, executive VP of production Scott Bernstein is leaving the studio to launch a new career as an independent producer, TheWrap has learned.
Bernstein recently approached Universal’s co-presidents Peter Cramer and Jeffrey Kirschenbaum about taking his career in a different direction and exploring other opportunities.
Bernstein will serve as an executive producer on Universal’s “Straight Outta Compton” and its sequels “Mama 2” and “Ride Along 2.”
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Bernstein has served as executive VP of production at Universal since Dec. 2009. Prior to that, he was named senior VP of production in 2007. Since coming to Universal in 2004, Bernstein has overseen development and production on some of Universal’s highest-grossing comedies and genre films, and worked closely with many Universal-based producers including Bluegrass Films, Imagine Entertainment, Blumhouse Productions and Aggregate Films, as well as Dark Horse Entertainment and Guillermo del Toro.
Bernstein recently oversaw production on “Ride Along” starring Ice Cube and Kevin Hart, which went on to become the highest-grossing film ever released in January. During his time at Universal, Bernstein has shepherded numerous projects at the studio beginning with 2006’s romantic comedy “The Break-Up,” which starred Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston and grossed over $200 million worldwide. In 2008, Bernstein oversaw development and production on two Universal features, the breakout comedy “Role Models” starring Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott and del Toro’s “Hellboy 2: The Golden Army.”
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Bernstein has developed franchises at the studio including “Battlestar Galactica,” and made creative decisions such as attaching J.J. Abrams and Bad Robot to the reboot of “Earthquake”; bringing Matt Reeves to the studio to write and direct the reimagining of “They Live”; and worked closely with Michael Bay and Platinum Dunes on the reboot of “The Birds” in addition to the upcoming Blumhouse Productions and Platinum Dunes’ release “Ouija.”
Prior to joining Universal, Bernstein served as a production executive at Revolution Studios where he oversaw the development and production of del Toro’s “Hellboy” and the Julianne Moore movie “The Forgotten.” He also served as VP of production and development for Lionsgate, where he oversaw production on “Monsters Ball,” “Bully” and “The Rules of Attraction,” and was an executive producer on James Foley’s con artist movie “Confidence.”