Jonathan Glickman (Veteran Studio Executive and Producer) on Developing Films, Audiences, Streaming, and More

Don't Kill the Messenger with Movie Research Expert Kevin Goetz

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Kevin is joined by highly accomplished film and television producer and former studio executive, Jonathan Glickman.
Jonathan Glickman, Producer and Former Studio Executive
With over two decades of experience in the entertainment industry, he has established himself as a creative force and a visionary producer with a keen eye for identifying and developing successful projects. As president of the MGM Motion Picture Group, Glickman guided a bankrupt company into a thriving studio. During his tenure, he oversaw production on Skyfall and Spectre, the two highest-grossing installments of the James Bond franchise, as well as No Time to Die, Daniel Craig’s final outing in the series. Other highlights of his tenure include overseeing the production of the Rocky spinoff Creed and Creed 2 and the 2019 animated hit The Addams Family. After his tenure at MGM, Glickman founded Panoramic Media. His productions include Creed 3 and the Golden Globe-nominated tv series Wednesday, which recently became the second most-watched show in Netflix’s history.
Important lessons from growing up in a political family (3:42)
Jonathan grew up in Kansas, where his father was a congressman, and he learned an important political lesson that carried over to his career in entertainment, the public is always right. Kevin and Jonathan discuss the intersection of entertainment and politics.
“All that matters are beginnings and endings and in the end, the beginning doesn't matter”(10:19)
Kevin and Jonathan discuss the importance of a good ending and leaving the audience satisfied. Jonathan emphasized how everything should lead up to that ending in order to have people buzzing about the movie as they leave the theater.
The elevator pitch (12:47)
Jonathan discusses how he landed his first internship at Caravan Pictures by cornering Joe Roth, the head of Caravan, in an elevator and asking him for the internship. The pair discuss Jonathan’s rise at Caravan, how, as an intern, he pitched the idea for a Jerky Boys movie followed by While You Were Sleeping. Four years later, Jonathan became head of the studio.
The Creed Bake-Off (31:53)
The pair discuss the film Creed and how screening two different endings led to the decision to have Adonis Creed lose at the end of the first film. Jonathan relates that the film was shot with two endings which were shown to test audiences. Both endings tested well, but one tested higher. He also shares a story of what happened when Sylvester Stallone joined the Creed focus group.
Marketing and the streaming platforms (41:38)
With the success of Wednesday, Kevin and Jonathan turn the discussion to streaming platforms and marketing.
Wednesday as the main character (45:43)
Glickman talks about The Addams Family and why he wanted to focus on Wednesday as the main character for the Netflix series.
Host: Kevin Goetz
Guest: Jonathan Glickman
Producer: Kari Campano
For more information about Jonathan's upcoming projects:
Website: https://thisispanoramic.com/
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0322802/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/glickmania
For more information about Kevin Goetz:
Website: www.KevinGoetz360.com
Audienceology Book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Audience-ology/Kevin-Goetz/9781982186678
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram: @Kevi