Richard Arlook

Richard Arlook is an American talent manager, film producer and the President of The Arlook Group, a talent and literary management, production, and consulting company based in Beverly Hills, California. Prior to founding The Arlook Group in 2008, he was a senior partner and the Head of Motion Picture Lit. at The Gersh Agency.^[1]

Early life

Born in New York City, Arlook moved to Puerto Rico at age 6 where his father was a senior U.S government official. He is a graduate of Antilles High School on Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico, where he was elected student council president his senior year. Deciding on a career in Film and Television early on, Richard attended Emerson College, where he had access to equipment and facilities to produce his first shorts and film projects.

Career

Early career

Throughout college Arlook interned for ABC News 20/20 (U.S. TV series) under Geraldo Rivera. During his senior year Arlook produced The Mystery of the Andrea Doria: A Hidden Irony, about the sinking of the SS Andrea Doria, which Rivera narrated.

Following College, Arlook moved to California to get into the film industry in Los Angeles. His first job was as a contestant coordinator on the game show Tic-Tac-Dough.

Richard went to work as a servicing agent for Goldfarb Distributors, an international film distribution company from 1984-1985, eventually working his way into sales and film development.

In 1985, Arlook went to work for Academy Award winning producer Scott Rudin, as his assistant, who at the time was president of production at 20th Century Fox.

High Bar Pictures

In 1986 at the age of 24 Arlook founded High Bar Pictures, and in 1989 before joining The Gersh Agency he produced his first feature film After Midnight for MGM. While a low budget anthology thriller, the film is most notable for its camera department, which was led by Academy Award nominated cinematographer Phedon Papamichael (Nebraska). Serving as key grip was 2 time Academy Award winner Janusz Kamiński (Schindler’s List & Saving Private Ryan), while Academy Award winner and noted director Wally Pfister served as the gaffer (Inception). Mauro Fiore, who served as best boy, is noted for winning an Academy Award for his work on Avatar.^[2]

Gersh Agency

In 1990, Arlook joined the Gersh Agency as a literary agent, eventually becoming a partner and head of the Motion Picture Lit. department during which time he grew the department from a handful of agents to over twenty.

The Arlook Group

In 2008, wanting to get back into producing and start his own company, Richard founded The Arlook Group, a talent management, production, and consulting company. Serving as head of TAG, Arlook specializes in managing writers and directors and employs several full-time managers who represent actors and talent.

As a Producer at The Arlook Group

Arlook’s first feature as Executive Producer after forming TAG came in 2010 with Waiting For Forever,^[3] starring Blythe Danner and Richard Jenkins, and then GOATS in 2012 starring David Duchovny and Vera Farmiga.^[4]

In 2009, Arlook produced his first documentary feature: Lucky Ducks, with writer & director Tracey Jackson which sets out to answer the question of why today’s privileged teens are the most unhappy and dysfunctional demographic in America.^[5] And the soon to be released Turn it Up!, a unique look at the history of the electric guitar and a unique perspective on people’s passion for the instrument, hosted by Kevin Bacon. The film features such legends as Slash, B.B. King, Paul Stanley, as well as one of the final interviews given by Les Paul before his death.^[6]

Arlook completed I Smile Back, starring Sarah Silverman in her first leading dramatic role that led to her first SAG nomination, which was released October 23, 2015 and distributed by Broad Green Pictures.^[7]

Alongside his client Morgan Spurlock,^[8] Richard executive produces the Nickelodeon show The HALO Effect, which premiered in January 2016.

Most recently, Arlook's film Journey is the Destination, based on the life of photojournalist Dan Eldon, had a Gala premiere at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival.^[9] He also has It Had To Be You, starring Tony Award winning actress Cristin Milioti,^[10] has recently been released (October 21, 2016) by Samuel Goldywn Films.^[11]

Arlook also has several upcoming projects. In development, Arlook is currently producing The Kingdom of the North Sudan with client Morgan Spurlock for Walt Disney Pictures,^[12] Rodham, a biopic about the early relationship and romance of Hillary and Bill Clinton, which Arlook is co-producing with Temple Hill Entertainment,^[13] and Letters from Rosemary, a look at the troubled life of Rosemary Kennedy, the first-born daughter to Rose Fitzgerald and Joe Kennedy Sr, co-produced with Anonymous Content.^[14]

References