In Remembrance: Gregg Hoffman

     Gregg Hoffman, the independent film producer behind the recent horror hit Saw (2004) and its sequel Saw II (2005), has passed away on December 4, 2005 in Hollywood, California. He was 42.

     Born in 1963 in Phoenix, Arizona, Hoffman studied communications, law and economics at American University in Washington, D.C. After graduating in 1986, he landed a job as an assistant at the independent production company PRO Filmworks. During his nine years with the company he worked his way up the corporate ladder doing production and development work. He served as music supervisor for PRO Filmworks’ 1991 film Scorchers and received a co-producer credit for their romantic comedy Only You (1992).

     In 1995, Hoffman accepted an offer from the Walt Disney Co., where he would develop their slate of live-action children’s films that included 101 Dalmatians, The Parent Trap and George Of The Jungle (1997). He eventually was appointed senior vice-president of production for the studio.

     Leaving Disney in 2003, Hoffman went to work for the management and production company Evolution Entertainment, founded by Hoffman’s longtime friends Oren Koules and Mark Berg. Shortly after he started with the company, Hoffman discovered a gory eight minute short film called Saw by director James Wan, which he believed could be expanded to feature-length. He soon persuaded Koules and Berg of the idea and by summer 2003 the trio had formed a new production company, Twisted Pictures, and had raised $1 million in financing to make the picture.

     Saw opened on Halloween 2004 to raves from horror films and strong business at the box office. The film would ultimately earn $102 million dollars in ticket and DVD sales. A sequel was quickly produced for the low budget of $4 million and released this past Halloween. In its initial six weeks of release, Saw II has grossed over $85 million at the box office.