Neil Mandt
| Neil Mandt | |
|---|---|
| File:Neil Mandt Million Dollar Arm Premiere.pngNeil Mandt Million Dollar Arm Premiere.png Million Dollar Arm World Premiere at The El Capitain | |
| Born | |
| 💼 Occupation | Producer, Director, Tech Entrepreneur |
| Known for | |
| 🌐 Website | NeilMandt.com |
Neil Mandt is an American television and film producer, director, and technology entrepreneur. Based in Los Angeles, he has worked across broadcast television, feature films, and digital media since the 1990s. He is known for creating the ESPN series Jim Rome is Burning (2003) and Destination Truth (2007), co-producing the Disney film Million Dollar Arm (2014), and executive producing the 79th Golden Globe Awards (2018).[1]
Television and Film
Born in Czechoslovakia, Mandt moved to Los Angeles in the late 1980s and spent the 1990s directing three movies Hijacking Hollywood, The Million Dollar Kid and Arthur's Quest. He subsequently worked for NBC as a producer on its coverage of the 2000 Summer Olympics. In 2001, Mandt and his brother Michael Mandt founded Mandt Bros. Productions. The company sold two series to ESPN: Reel Classics Uncut and Beg, Borrow & Deal.[1]
In 2003, the Mandt Brothers created Jim Rome Is Burning for ESPN, a daily sports talk program hosted by radio personality Jim Rome. The following year they produced My Crazy Life for E! Entertainment Television. In 2007 they created Destination Truth[2] for the Sci Fi Channel, a series in which host Josh Gates investigated reports of mythical creatures and unexplained phenomena around the world.
In 2006, Mandt wrote, directed, produced, and starred in the independent film, Last Stop for Paul,[3] which screened at numerous film festivals in 2006 and 2007. He also produced a companion web series version of the film. Last Stop For Paul was released theatrically in North America on March 3, 2008.[4]
In 2007, Mandt produced and directed the web series Tim’s Dates. In 2009, Mandt and his brother Michael created Sports Jobs with Junior Seau for the Versus Network. The series ran for ten episodes across 2009 and 2010, with each episode following Seau as he took on various behind-the-scenes roles in professional sports.
In 2010, Mandt wrote, directed, produced, and starred in the Showtime series Next Stop for Charlie, based on his feature film Last Stop for Paul. Later that year, he sold two television series: Ice Brigade, a docusoap about an ice sculpting company, to Food Network and The Car Show to Speed Channel. The Car Show starred Adam Carolla, Dan Neil, Matt Farah and John Salley and premiered in summer 2011.
In February 2011, Mandt sold a pilot to the Fuel Network starring BMX riders Zachary Alexander Yankush and Mike Escamilla, who travel the world experiencing unusual clubs and organizations. The series, Strangers in Danger, received a 13-episode order and premiered in fall 2011, with a second season following on July 11, 2012. Also in 2012, Next Stop for Charlie concluded its second and final season on Showtime.
In June 2011, Mandt and his brother partnered with Ranik Ultimate Fighting Federation (RUFF) China, a government-sanctioned MMA organization based in Shanghai, to oversee financing, creative strategy, and content production for live events and television series in English and Chinese.[1]
In spring 2012, the Mandt brothers became co-producers of Million Dollar Arm, a project they had been developing since 2008 after documenting the training of Indian cricket players Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel at USC. The Mandt brothers partnered with producers Mark Ciardi, Gordon Gray, and Joe Roth to develop the project, with Sony Pictures Entertainment acquiring the screen rights for development at Columbia Pictures in early 2009.[5][6] The film was released in May 2014.
In summer 2013, Mandt and his brother produced The Shed for the Food Network, a docuseries following the Orrison family's barbecue business in Mississippi. That same year, Mandt became engaged to marketing executive Lauren Dixon.[7]
In December 2014, Mandt and his brother were contracted by Disney to produce the Disney Parks Frozen Christmas Celebration, which aired on Christmas Day on ABC. The two-hour special featured performances from Train, Gavin DeGraw, Ariana Grande, Lucy Hale, Sabrina Carpenter, Laura Marano, and Trisha Yearwood, and was the highest-rated Christmas special on ABC since 2008.
In February 2015, Mandt and his brother co-produced The Black Women in Hollywood Awards Show with the Oprah Winfrey Network, an annual event presented by Essence magazine held during pre-Oscar week. At the ceremony, John Legend and Common performed "Glory" shortly before the song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 87th Academy Awards.
In early 2016, Mandt sold a pilot to the Esquire Network and was contracted by Verizon to produce content for a mobile channel associated with baseball player David Ortiz. The content was made available on the Verizon Go90 mobile app.
In spring 2016, Mandt produced Dog Years, starring Burt Reynolds and Ariel Winter and directed by Adam Rifkin. The film centers on an aging actor reflecting on his life choices. Its world premiere was at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival.[8]
In late 2015, Mandt founded MANDT VR, a Los Angeles-based virtual reality and 360-degree video production company. In 2016, the company produced over 20 original series in 360-degree video format, partnering with PodcastOne, Oklahoma State University, and Disney to create immersive content.[9][10]
In January 2017, Mandt and MANDT VR partnered with Forbes and PodcastOne to produce 40 episodes of serialized 360-degree video content.[11] That same month, MANDT VR formed a partnership with the Pittsburgh Steelers to produce immersive 360-degree virtual reality videos focused on game day experiences. In April 2017, MANDT VR partnered with the College Football Playoff to produce content for the College Football Playoff National Championship.[12]
In late 2017, IndyCar announced a partnership with MANDT VR to produce augmented reality and virtual reality content for the racing series.[13]
In March 2018, Mandt's collaboration with writer-director Adam Rifkin, The Last Movie Star, starring Burt Reynolds in one of his final roles, received a worldwide theatrical release after being acquired by A24 following its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.[14] The film received positive reviews. It featured the original song "To Get Here", written by Diane Warren and performed by Willie Nelson.[15]
In spring 2018, Mandt received a Clio Award for the 360-degree video production The Road to the Super Bowl, featuring the Philadelphia Eagles.[16]
On November 5, 2018, Mandt executive produced Telethon for America, a live voter registration fundraiser streamed across multiple platforms including Comedy Central, MTV, and BET. The event featured appearances from Charlize Theron, Natalie Portman, Jane Fonda, Pete Davidson, Jessica Alba, Chelsea Handler, Judd Apatow, Debra Messing, Sean Hayes, Larry King, and Amy Schumer, and was hosted by Ben Gleib and Olivia Munn.[17]
On January 10, 2020, Mandt and his wife Lauren Mandt released the CrimeDoor app on iOS and Android, an augmented reality platform focused on true crime content. The app allows users to access videos, articles, photos, and podcasts related to real crime cases, and features AR reconstructions of crime scenes.[18]
In January 2022, Mandt executive produced the 79th Golden Globe Awards. He also served as executive producer of The Last Cowboy Standing, a reality competition series on Fox Nation.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Graser, Marc (2012-01-19). "Mandts, Ranik ramp up MMA in China". Variety. Retrieved 2026-03-19.
- ↑ Jacobs, Evan (2007-05-24). "Josh Gates and Neil Mandt Look for Destination Truth". www.movieweb.com. Archived from the original on 2007-10-10. Retrieved 2008-03-19. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Anderson, John (2008-03-04). "Last Stop for Paul". Variety. Retrieved 2008-08-27.
- ↑ "Last Stop for Paul". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2026-03-19.
- ↑ "Disney Dates Jon Hamm Sports Pic 'Million Dollar Arm' For May 2014". Deadline Hollywood. 19 August 2013. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ Ford, Rebecca (19 August 2013). "Jon Hamm Sports Drama 'Million Dollar Arm' Set for May 2014 Release". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "FilmDistrict's Kimberly Smith Weds, Producer-Director Neil Mandt Engaged". The Hollywood Reporter. 2013-06-06. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ Cox, Gordon (2017-03-02). "Tribeca Film Festival Unveils 2017 Feature Film Slate (Full List)". Variety. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "MANDT VR Plans To Produce Hundreds Of 360-Degree Videos". UploadVR. 2016-09-19. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ Burns, Mark J. "Oklahoma State changing game with virtual recruiting". SI.com. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ DVorkin, Lewis (2017-01-03). "Inside Forbes: We're Kicking Off 2017 By Embracing The Next Wave Of Media Realities". Forbes. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "This Week in VR Sport: MANDT VR and College Football Playoff and the NBA's Phoenix Suns Further Utilise VR". VRFocus. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "MANDT VR to Capture IndyCar Season Like Never Before". SportTechie. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "The Last Movie Star". A24. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "Hear Willie Nelson's New Song with Diane Warren for 'Dog Years' Film". Rolling Stone. 2017-04-12. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "Philadelphia Eagles - Road to the Super Bowl". Clio Awards. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "'Telethon for America': Natalie Portman, Olivia Munn and More Encourage Voting". The Hollywood Reporter. 2018-11-05. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "Solving Cold Cases from Home with CrimeDoor". LA Weekly. 2021-02-05. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
External links
- Neil Mandt on IMDb
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