Frank Marshall
Frank Marshall (’68) is one of the premiere film producers in the entertainment industry. His body of work has come to define a generation for moviegoers, producing such timeless hits as Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and the Indiana Jones franchise. In addition to a prolific producing career, Marshall has garnered wide acclaim as a film director, having brought to the screen such memorable movies as Arachnophobia and Alive. Marshall was a producer of the 2015 blockbuster Jurassic World, which has grossed more than $1.5 billion worldwide, making it the third biggest boxoffice hit of all time after Avatar and Titanic.
Born in Los Angeles, Marshall is the son of American composer and conductor Jack Marshall. Growing up, Marshall was an avid musician and sports enthusiast. While attending UCLA, Marshall ran track and cross-country for the school. In addition, he spearheaded the university’s inaugural soccer team, becoming a three-year varsity letterman in the process.
Marshall began his motion picture career as an assistant to director Peter Bogdanovich. The filmmaker quickly promoted Marshall to serve as his location manager on the timeless movie The Last Picture Show. Marshall then took on the responsibilities of associate producer for Bogdanovich as the pair continued their alliance creating such notable films as Paper Moon and Nickelodeon.
Following his time with Bogdanovich, Marshall worked as a line producer on Martin Scorsese’s The Last Waltz. In keeping with his love of music, Marshall helped Scorsese document the final touring concert of The Band, immortalizing the group’s performance for future generations. In 1978, Marshall was hired by filmmakers George Lucas and Steven Spielberg to produce the iconic Raiders of the Lost Ark. Released in 1981, the film was a huge international success and was nominated for nine Academy Awards. That same year, along with future wife and fellow producer Kathleen Kennedy, Marshall teamed with Spielberg to form Amblin Entertainment. Over the next decade, the trio established one of the most successful collaborations in motion picture history, bringing to the screen some of the most beloved movies of the modern era, including E.T.-The Extra Terrestrial, Poltergeist and The Goonies.
In 1991, Kennedy and Marshall ventured out on their own to form The Kennedy/Marshall Company, where the duo continued to produce critically acclaimed films such as The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and the international hit franchise based on Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Identity. The latest installment in the franchise is due in theaters in July 2016. In addition to a production shingle, the company serves as a harbor for Marshall to explore personal artistic interests, such as directing the hit movies Congo and Eight Below and the ESPN Films documentary Right to Play.
Marshall’s accomplishments in the film industry have resulted in five Academy Awards nominations for producing titles as diverse as M. Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense to Gary Ross’s Seabiscuit. In addition to his Oscar nominations, Marshall has been acknowledged for his work with UCLA’s Alumni Professional Achievement Award, the California Mentor Initiative’s Leadership Award, and the acclaimed American Academy of Achievement Award. Along with Kennedy, Marshall was the 2008 recipient of the Producers Guild of America’s David O. Selznick Award for Career Achievement. A year later, the duo was lauded with Visual Effects Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
An industry veteran, Marshall has parlayed his success into a second career as a philanthropist. Marshall’s love of sports led him to serve as a member of the United States Olympic Committee for more than a decade. Marshall was bestowed with the Olympic Shield in 2005 in honor of his service to the committee and the Olympic movement; and, three years later, Marshall was inducted into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame.
Marshall serves on the boards of several organizations, including Athletes for Hope, the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness, and the USA Track & Field Association.
In 2012, Marshall took over as the sole principal of The Kennedy/Marshall Company when Kennedy became chairman of Lucasfilm Ltd.