Hollywood studio executive William Bernstein, a co-founder of Orion Pictures who also worked for United Artists and Paramount Pictures, died Wednesday. He was 87.
Longtime associate Mike Medavoy confirmed Bernstein’s death, first reported by The Hollywood Reporter. “He was a brilliant guy, just very very smart,” Medavoy said.
Bernstein, Medavoy, Arthur Krim, Robert Benjamin and Eric Pleskow departed United Artists and launched Orion in 1978 as a mini-major that was the first significant new player in Hollywood in many decades. Medavoy credited Bernstein with conceiving the name of the studio. Bernstein explained the choice in a 1992 interview with the New York Times
“Orion is the largest constellation; it has five stars, just like us, and it was the brightest constellation in February, when we were forming the company,” he told the newspaper. “Besides, it was simple to spell.”
Between 1984 and 1991, Orion released four films that won the Academy Award for best picture: “Amadeus,...
Longtime associate Mike Medavoy confirmed Bernstein’s death, first reported by The Hollywood Reporter. “He was a brilliant guy, just very very smart,” Medavoy said.
Bernstein, Medavoy, Arthur Krim, Robert Benjamin and Eric Pleskow departed United Artists and launched Orion in 1978 as a mini-major that was the first significant new player in Hollywood in many decades. Medavoy credited Bernstein with conceiving the name of the studio. Bernstein explained the choice in a 1992 interview with the New York Times
“Orion is the largest constellation; it has five stars, just like us, and it was the brightest constellation in February, when we were forming the company,” he told the newspaper. “Besides, it was simple to spell.”
Between 1984 and 1991, Orion released four films that won the Academy Award for best picture: “Amadeus,...
- 10/8/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
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