After a 25-year partnership with producer Chris Bender, longtime producer and manager Jake Weiner has exited the firm he co-founded and is launching his own management and production company, Harvest Hill Entertainment.
Weiner is starting his new venture with an muscular list of working clients including writers, such as Academy Award nominee Allison Schroeder (Hidden Figures, Minecraft), New York Times bestselling novelist Jennifer Weiner (The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits), and Paul Haapaniemi (Netflix’s Ransom Canyon). He also has filmmakers David Robert Mitchell (It Follows) and Julian Higgins (God’s Country); documentary filmmaker Clay Tweel (Gleason); and writers/podcast creators Jake Emanuel and Willie Block (The Reunion).
On the roster are also emerging voices, including playwright/screenwriter Kaley Roth Mamo (Shells), filmmakers Zoe Simone (At Night), Reid Antin (It Will Devour You), and Jake Remington ($$$).
Weiner will also share select clients with Good Fear, and will co-manage Kirill Sokolov (the upcoming They Will Kill You) and Carly Stone (North of Normal).
“Harvest Hill is the street I grew up on and where my passion for storytelling began,” Weiner said in a statement. “I’m excited to be working with such an incredible group of clients who are telling bold, original stories, and I look forward to finding and championing new voices.”
Weiner and Bender first worked together at early 2000s firm Benderspink, racking up numerous credits over the years as that firm evolved into Good Fear. The movies the duo produced ranged from David Cronenberg’s A History of Violence and Ryan Reynolds rom-com Just Friends to Amy Adam rom-com Leap Year and thriller Under the Silver Lake to Disney’s live-action take on Mulan. They most recently produced Amazon’s Dave Bautista family action comedies My Spy and My Spy: Eternal City.
“This has been an incredible journey with Chris and more recently, our other partner Scott Stoops,” continued Weiner in a statement. “We built a company that sought out and embraced new voices and helped launch their careers. We made some amazing films and TV that I’m so proud of and still rewatch with a smile. I’ve met some phenomenal people on projects who have become close friends. I’ve traveled the world from New Zealand to Regina, Saskatchewan and loved every minute. Most importantly, over the past two and a half decades, Chris Bender and I have been there for each other through all of the ups and downs of life. And while I’m headed down a different path, we have plenty we’ll be working on together.”
Several projects are already in motion. They are executive producing Flowervale Street, the newest thriller from Mitchell that is set for a Aug. 14 release from Warner Bros. Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor are starring with JJ Abrams producing. And they are set to produce Mitchell’s sequel to his critically acclaimed horror movie It Follows, titled They Follow, which is slated to go into production this June for Neon.
Weiner will remain attached with Bender to many of the projects that were developed at Good Fear including Care Bears at Warners with GoldDay and They’re Still Here at New Regency with Phantom Four.
“For more than two decades, Jake Weiner has been an invaluable and trusted creative partner, and one of the best people I know,” stated Bender. “I’m deeply grateful for everything we’ve experienced together, so much over the years, and I’m excited for our many creative collaborations to come. Harvest Hill will no doubt be a great success, and his clients could not be in better hands.”