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Jim Orr is President of Domestic Theatrical Distribution at Universal Pictures. He began his career at Paramount and joined Universal in 2016 after leading distribution at Focus Features and MGM. Brandon Purdie is Executive Vice President and Head of Theatrical Distribution at Angel Studios, the audience-funded studio behind Sound of Freedom, where he helped build a community-driven model that puts greenlight decisions in the hands of its 2.4 million members. Host Kevin Goetz brings the two together for a wide-ranging conversation on how films find audiences in an era of theaters, streaming, VOD, and direct fan engagement.

From Del Monte to Distribution (08:41): Orr recounts talking his way into a sales job at Del Monte out of college, then cold-calling studio distribution heads until Paramount hired him on the spot.

The Roadshow Era and the First Wide Break (11:36): Orr traces distribution's earliest days, when prints traveled by car with regional reps, through to the thousand-plus theater breaks standard by the time of Star Trek.

Content Is Still King (23:02): Both guests agree the movie itself remains the deciding factor in box office success, with Purdie noting a quiet week usually just means there isn't a film people want to see yet.

Building Angel Studios from a Membership, Not a Subscription (30:02): Purdie explains Angel's founding principle: no executive can greenlight a film without approval from the Angel Guild, whose members vote on projects and get free tickets to every release.

Pay It Forward and the Sound of Freedom Phenomenon (34:06): Purdie details how Angel's "Pay It Forward" ticketing model generated more than $20 million in donated tickets, helping turn Sound of Freedom into a summer 2023 box office surprise.

The Green Book Playbook (44:27): Orr points to Green Book as his proudest Universal moment, explaining how a deliberately limited release avoided split grosses and let the film build week over week toward a Best Picture win.

What Keeps Them Up at Night, and the Next Five Years (49:26): Purdie names human apathy as Angel's biggest threat. Orr predicts modest theater consolidation and growth in premium formats, while Purdie sees Angel continuing to scale its guild and slate.

Host: Kevin Goetz
Guests: Jim Orr and Brandon Purdie
Producer: Kari Campano
Writers: Kevin Goetz, Darlene Hayman, and Kari Campano
Audio Engineer: Gary Forbes (DG Entertainment)

For more information about Jim Orr and Brandon Purdie:
Jim Orr (Universal Pictures): https://www.universalpictures.com/leadership-team/?name=jim-orr
Jim Orr (LinkedIn): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-orr-50ab7b8/

For more information about Kevin Goetz:
- Website: www.KevinGoetz360.com
- Audienceology Book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Audience-ology/Kevin-Goetz/9781982186678
- How to Score in Hollywood: https://www.amazon.com/How-Score-Hollywood-Secrets-Business/dp/198218986X/
- Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Substack: @KevinGoetz360
- LinkedIn @Kevin Goetz
- Screen Engine/ASI Website: www.ScreenEngineASI.com

Send Kevin a Text Message

Lauren Shuler Donner, one of Hollywood's most influential and adaptable producers, joins host Kevin Goetz for a wide-ranging career retrospective. Over nearly five decades, Shuler Donner has produced roughly 40 films that have grossed more than $5 billion worldwide — including Mr. Mom, St. Elmo's Fire, Pretty in Pink, Dave, Free Willy, and the X-Men franchise she helped build years before Marvel became Marvel. She talks with Goetz about breaking into a male-dominated industry, her 38-year love story and creative partnership with director Richard Donner, her philanthropic work with the Motion Picture & Television Fund, and her latest chapter producing the Broadway musical adaptation of The Lost Boys.

Breaking Into a Male-Dominated Industry (06:10): Shuler Donner recalls knocking on doors with no connections, becoming one of only three women among 300 men in NBC's camera department, and working her way into producing.

Discovering John Hughes and Making Mr. Mom (12:29): Shuler Donner recalls cold-calling John Hughes, championing his unproduced script Mr. Mom, and casting an unknown Michael Keaton after seeing him in Night Shift.

Falling for Dick Donner on the Set of Ladyhawke (16:43): Shuler Donner describes pursuing Richard Donner to direct Ladyhawke, working with him as a producer, and falling in love with him during the Italian shoot.

Radio Flyer, Free Willy, and the Power of Testing (24:53): Shuler Donner discusses Radio Flyer's heartbreaking low box office despite strong scores, and how a fan's $10 donation "for the whales" inspired Free Willy's end-credit hotline.

The Midwest Gut Check and the Search for Real Villains (28:01): Shuler Donner explains testing projects against whether "a kid from Cleveland" would pay to see them, and demanding villains like Magneto have real, human motivations.

Finding Hugh Jackman (30:40): Shuler Donner recounts spotting Hugh Jackman in a self-taped Oklahoma! audition, flying him to LA, and sending him to read for Bryan Singer in Toronto sight unseen.

Getting X-Men Made (34:07): After Warner Bros. passed, Shuler Donner pitched X-Men to Fox's Bill Mechanic, who, unbeknownst to her, had sold his own comic collection to pay for college.

The Lost Boys on Broadway (37:02): Shuler Donner talks about bringing The Lost Boys, and eventually Dave, to the Broadway stage.

Testing Pretty in Pink's Ending (43:53): Shuler Donner explains how test audiences rejected the original ending of Pretty in Pink, leading to a reshoot that paired Molly Ringwald with Andrew McCarthy instead of Jon Cryer.

Host: Kevin Goetz
Guest: Lauren Shuler Donner
Producer: Kari Campano
Writers: Kevin Goetz, Darlene Hayman, Nick Nunez, and Kari Campano
Audio Engineer: Gary Forbes (DG Entertainment)

For more information about Lauren Shuler Donner:
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0795682/
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lauren_Shuler_Donner

For more information about Kevin Goetz:
- Website: www.KevinGoetz360.com
- Audienceology Book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Audience-ology/Kevin-Goetz/9781982186678
- How to Score in Hollywood: https://www.amazon.com/How-Score-Hollywood-Secrets-Business/dp/198218986X/
- Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Substack: @KevinGoetz360
- LinkedIn @Kevin Goetz
- Screen Engine/ASI Website: www.ScreenEngineASI.com

Send Kevin a Text Message

Bob Bookman, one of Hollywood's most respected literary agents, managers, and producers, joins host Kevin Goetz for a masterclass on the art of discovering stories that successfully make the leap from page to screen. Over a remarkable career, Bookman has represented authors and filmmakers including Michael Crichton, John Irving, Thomas Harris, Jonathan Demme, Cameron Crowe, and Tom Stoppard, helping bring to the screen films like Jurassic Park, The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, The Cider House Rules, A Beautiful Mind, and Jerry Maguire. In recent years he's brought that same eye for material to producing, including the Best Picture nominee A Complete Unknown.

Running the Yale Law School Film Society (06:54): Bookman recalls building an underground film education out of 16mm prints borrowed from historian Bill Everson, bringing legends like Frank Capra, Fritz Lang, and Miloš Forman to campus for free screenings.

Landing the Job and Skipping the Mailroom (18:26): Bookman shares how his father connected him with Abe Lastfogel, how a chance introduction from agent Jack Gilardi led to an interview with David Begelman, and how he ultimately landed at IFA, bypassing the mailroom.

Becoming "The Book Guy" (23:24): Bookman describes how agency head Marvin Josephson handed him ICM's entire literary publications franchise,launching his decades-long reputation as Hollywood's go-to book agent.

What Makes a Book Cinematic (27:09): Bookman breaks down why great novels rarely make great films, and what he actually looks for: three-act structure, character conflict, and a story that takes audiences somewhere new.

The Secret to a Great Adaptation (29:15): Using John Irving's Oscar-winning adaptation of his own novel The Cider House Rules as the gold standard, Bookman explains why most authors shouldn't adapt their own books, and why Irving was the exception.

The Best Adaptations, and a Hawks-Hemingway Bet (33:00): Bookman names The Silence of the Lambs and A Beautiful Mind among the best adaptations he's seen, then tells the story of how Howard Hawks turned Ernest Hemingway's self-described worst book into To Have and Have Not.

Rapid-Fire on the Legends (37:43): Bookman gives quick, candid impressions of the writers and directors he's worked with — Michael Crichton, Jonathan Demme (including his own cameo in The Silence of the Lambs), Cameron Crowe, Tom Stoppard, and Paul Greengrass.

Originality, AI, and What's Next (40:24): Bookman argues that algorithms can imitate stories but not replicate the human heart, and discusses his new venture producing low-budget original films.

Host: Kevin Goetz
Guest: Bob Bookman
Producer: Kari Campano
Writers: Kevin Goetz, Darlene Hayman, and Kari Campano
Audio Engineer: Gary Forbes (DG Entertainment)

For more information about Bob Bookman:
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1023283/
Website: https://www.bobbookman.com/

For more information about Kevin Goetz:
- Website: www.KevinGoetz360.com
- Audienceology Book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Audience-ology/Kevin-Goetz/9781982186678
- How to Score in Hollywood: https://www.amazon.com/How-Score-Hollywood-Secrets-Business/dp/198218986X/
- Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Substack: @KevinGoetz360
- LinkedIn @Kevin Goetz
- Screen Engine/ASI Website: www.ScreenEngineASI.com