Meet Jim Whitaker of Whitaker Entertainment and get an inside look at producing major motion pictures, via phone or Zoom.
You and a guest will be able to ask Jim everything you want to know about coming up as a high-level producer in the industry. He'll give his first hand account about working his way up from intern to President of Motion Picture Production, what it's like producing in partnership with Disney, and any other insider tips he has for breaking into the biz.
Jim Whitaker is the Chairman of Whitaker Entertainment based at Walt Disney Studios. He is currently producing PETER PAN & WENDY, to be directed by David Lowery. He most recently produced TIMMY FAILURE, directed by Tom McCarthy, and before that his credits for Disney include A WRINKLE IN TIME, PETE'S DRAGON, THE FINEST HOURS, and THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN. Jim started in the film industry in 1987 assisting craft services on John Waters’ “Hairspray.” His Hollywood career began as an intern at Imagine Entertainment, where he eventually rose to President of Motion Picture Production during a 16-year period with the company. In that time, he Executive Produced films such as 8 MILE, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, AMERICAN GANGSTER, THE CHANGELING, CINDERELLA MAN and CURIOUS GEORGE.
Prior to joining Disney in 2011, Jim directed REBIRTH, a Peabody-Award Winning documentary.The feature-length film combines time-lapse photography of the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site with intimate stories of five people coping with grief post 9/11. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2011, and was released theatrically by Oscilloscope. It aired on Showtime on the tenth anniversary of September 11th. A ten-minute installation, “Rebirth at Ground Zero,” currently resides at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum at Ground Zero in New York City. Jim is a graduate of Georgetown University and holds an MFA from the Peter Stark Program at USC as well as an honorary doctorate from Pace University in New York. Jim currently resides in Los Angeles, California, with his wife, Chris, and two children, Rebecca and Emmett. He is a 2004 Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.
Notice of Updated Buyer Terms of Use
We have recently updated our Buyer Terms of Use. We encourage you to review the revised terms to ensure continued understanding and compliance. By continuing to use our platform, you acknowledge and agree to the updated terms. View the updated Terms of Use