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Mark Burg

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Mark Burg
Burg at the Saw 3D premiere on October 28, 2010
Occupation(s)Film producer, manager, actor
Years active1986–present
SpouseShainaz Donnelly[1]

Mark Burg is an American film producer, manager and actor. He is the co-founder of Evolution Entertainment and produced the Saw film series as well as the CBS television series Two and a Half Men.

Biography

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Burg graduated from the Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College in 1981.[2]

In the 1990s, Burg worked for Island Pictures and Palm Pictures, producing such films as Basketball Diaries (1995), The Sandlot, The Cure, and Strictly Business (1991).[3] In 1998, Burg founded Evolution Entertainment along with his producing partner Oren Koules.[4]

In 2003, Burg and Oren Koules saw a seven-minute teaser of a film written by Australian screenwriters, Leigh Whannell and James Wan, and agreed to produce the film. The film would later become the original Saw film that was released in 2004.[5] The budget for the film was $1.2 million with $1 million of the funding coming direct from Burg and Koules. Production was done under a newly formed subsidiary of Evolution Entertainment called Twisted Pictures. The film turned in the Saw franchise with the sequel released in 2005 and the franchise making $420 million at the box office by 2007.[6] Evolution Entertainment was also responsible for the production of Two and a Half Men starting in 2003.[5]

Burg became the sole-owner of Evolution Entertainment in 2011, buying out co-founder Oren Koules.[7] He also became an advisor for Forest Road, a special-purpose acquisition company, in 2020.[8] Burg also co-produced Spiral, the ninth installment from the Saw Franchise. The franchise has grossed more than $1 billion from box office and retail sales as of 2021.[9]

Filmography

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He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.

Film

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Year Film Credit Notes
1987 Can't Buy Me Love Co-producer [10]
1988 Bull Durham [11]
1991 Toy Soldiers Executive producer [12]
Strictly Business Executive producer
1993 The Sandlot Executive producer
1994 Airheads
1995 The Cure
1996 Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood Executive producer
The Little Death Executive producer
Eddie
1997 B.A.P.S.
How to Be a Player
1998 The Gingerbread Man Executive producer
Body Count
1999 Black and White Executive producer
2000 Lockdown
2001 Good Advice
Diary of a Sex Addict Direct-to-video
2002 Run Ronnie Run!
John Q.
Malevolent Executive producer
2003 Love Don't Cost a Thing
Dude... We're Going to Rio Executive producer Direct-to-video
2004 Saw
2005 Saw II
2006 Saw III
2007 Dead Silence
Catacombs
Saw IV
2008 Repo! The Genetic Opera
Saw V
Vlog Executive producer
2009 Saw VI
2010 Lottery Ticket
The Tortured
Saw 3D
2013 Texas Chainsaw 3D Executive producer
Ain't Them Bodies Saints Executive producer
Grace Unplugged Executive producer
2014 Catch Hell Executive producer
2016 Havenhurst Executive producer[13]
2017 9/11 Executive producer
Jigsaw
2018 Traffik Executive producer
2019 The Intruder
American Skin
2021 Spiral: From the Book of Saw
2023 Saw X
TBA
The Monster
As an actor
Year Film Role Notes
1991 Toy Soldiers Himself
'Mouthwash' Buyer
Uncredited
Miscellaneous crew
Year Film Role
1988 Waxwork Production consultant
Thanks
Year Film Role
1993 Boxing Helena The producer wishes to thank
1995 The Basketball Diaries Special thanks
1998 Let's Talk About Sex Very special thanks
2017 Atomic Blonde The producers wish to thank
TBA
He Helped Me: A Fan Film from the Book of Saw Special thanks

Television

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Year Title Credit Notes
2003 The Three Amigos Documentary
2004 The Casino
2005−06 Love, Inc. Executive producer
2008 Vlog Executive producer
2011 Comedy Central Roast of Charlie Sheen Co-executive producer Television special
2003−12 Two and a Half Men Executive producer
2012−14 Anger Management Executive producer
2017 Hit the Road Executive producer
2017−20 Loudermilk Executive producer

Awards and recognition

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Burg has been nominated and won numerous awards. He received three Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his work on Two and a Half Men and won both a TV Land Award for his work on the same and a ShoWest Award for his work on the Saw film series.

Primetime Emmy Awards

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Year Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2006 Outstanding Comedy Series Two and a Half Men Nominated [14]
2007 Nominated [15]
2008 Nominated [16]

TV Land Awards

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Year Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2009 TV Land Future Classic Award Two and a Half Men Won [17]

ShowWest Awards

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Year Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2007 ShoWest Award of Excellence in Producing Saw film series Won [18]

References

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  1. ^ Horn, John. "Horror film producer turns to Christian drama in 'Grace Unplugged'". Los Angeles Times.
  2. ^ Pirani, Steven (April 11, 2014). "Accomplished producer discusses business in film industry". The Ithacan. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  3. ^ "On The Film Front". Billboard. 16 May 1998. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  4. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (16 January 2013). "Evolution Entertainment Launches TV Division, Inks First Look Deal With Lionsgate". Deadline. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  5. ^ a b Lidz, Franz (21 October 2009). "Limbs Pile Up, and Money, Too". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  6. ^ Barry, John (19 August 2007). "In Lightning trio, he's Mr. Hollywood". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on May 20, 2014. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  7. ^ Crowe, Deborah (23 June 2011). "Burg Buys Out Partner at Evolution Entertainment". Los Angeles Business Journal. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  8. ^ Goldsmith, Jill (30 November 2020). "Showbiz SPAC Closes $300M IPO; Forest Road With Tom Staggs, Kevin Mayer, Shaquille O'Neal Eyes Media Deals". Deadline. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  9. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (23 May 2021). "'Spiral' Pushes 'Saw' Franchise Past $1 Billion at Global Box Office". Variety. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  10. ^ "BUCKS DIRECTOR SAYS HOLLYWOOD 'CAN'T BUY ME LOVE'". The Morning Call.
  11. ^ Nashawaty, Chris. "Bull Durham — 9 things you didn't know about the film". Entertainment Weekly.
  12. ^ "MOVIE REVIEW : 'Toy Soldiers' as Ludicrous as Its Premise". Los Angeles Times.
  13. ^ Beale, Lauren (6 April 2015). "Producer Mark Burg sells in Sherman Oaks". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  14. ^ Weisman, John. "Comedy Series". Variety.
  15. ^ "Emmys produces names". The Hollywood Reporter.
  16. ^ Appelo, Tim. "'Two and a Half Men': 5 Reasons the Show Won't Try for a Best Comedy Emmy". The Hollywood Reporter.
  17. ^ "The Seventh Annual TV Land Awards to Honor 'M*A*S*H,' 'Married with Children,' 'Home Improvement,' 'Magnum P.I.,' 'Knots Landing' and 'Two and a Half Men' Among Others". Paramount.
  18. ^ Kilday, Gregg. "Burg and Koules to get ShoWest producing nod". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
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