Here’s How Spike Lee Became One of the Most Powerful Movie Producers in the World

 

Spike Lee is an American film director and producer who has directed and produced over 35 films. In 1986, the college professor, writer, and actor made his directorial debut with “She’s Gotta Have It.”

Lee, who was born Shelton Jackson Lee in Atlanta, Georgia, has since produced films such as “Do the Right Thing” in 1989, “Jungle Fever” in 1991, and “Malcolm X” in 1992.

His interest in filmmaking was influenced by his family history. William, his father, was a jazz musician and composer. Lee attended John Dewey High School in Brooklyn and Morehouse College, a historically black college in Atlanta. “Last Hustle in Brooklyn,” his first student film, was made while he was in college.

After graduating with a B.A. in Mass Communications, he continued to New York University, where he obtained his Master of Fine Arts degree in 1978. Although “Last Hustle in Brooklyn” was his first student film, his independent film, “Joe’s Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads,” was the first student film to be showcased at Lincoln Center’s New Directors/New Films Festival.

His active film career began in 1985, when he shot a $175,000 film in less than two weeks. However, the film grossed more than $7 million at the box office in the United States.

In 1989, he released “Do the Right Thing,” which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. The film, which cost only $6 million to make, grossed nearly $40 million at the box office. His next film, “Mo’ Better Blues,” will, however, spark controversy due to its antisemitic undertones. Lee later made another film, “4 Little Girls,” which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Feature Documentary.

According to thethings, one of Lee’s most recent films, BlacKkKlansman, grossed $87 million at the box office worldwide. Spike made the film on a $15 million budget.

His most financially rewarding film was “Inside Man,” which reportedly grossed $187 million worldwide, according to Refinery29.

Lee’s influence extends beyond film. He has directed commercials for well-known companies such as Levi’s, Nike, Converse, Taco Bell, and Ben & Jerry’s. In addition, he appeared in a Capital One commercial alongside Charles Barkley and Samuel L. Jackson. In addition, the NYPD reportedly paid him $200,000 to consult on a new policing campaign in 2016.

Lee is also a big real estate investor. He is said to own a townhouse on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, which he purchased for $16 million in the 1990s, as well as a mansion in Oak Bluffs, Martha’s Vineyard.

He also owns Forty Acres and a Mule, a production company based in Brooklyn; according to Refinery29, he paid $820,000 for the building.

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