Bankrolling Blockbusters

US Banker, August, 2007 by Karen Krebsbach

In 2006, 607 movies were released in the U.S., 11 percent more than in 2005. A typical box-office hit can cost $30 million, but can pull in $350 million in domestic and international box-office, pay-per-view and DVD revenue. No bank knows this-and Hollywood-better than JPMorgan Chase, which finances 95 percent of major films. Now the bank has opened a new entertainment advisory unit. Working all the angles for JPMC is John W. Miller, whose financing credits include "A Beautiful Mind," "Gladiator" and "American Beauty."

Gone is the day when a girl who wanted to get her movie bankrolled hoisted up her petticoats and enlisted the aid of her lover, though it was an obvious choice in 1927 when starlet Gloria Swanson tapped the considerable personal reserves of Boston banker...

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