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Legendary Ocean's Eleven, Karate Kid Producer Jerry Weintraub Dies at 77
He was a giant in music and movies
Jerry Weintraub, who produced such beloved films as The Karate Kid and Ocean's Eleven series, died at his Palm Springs home on Monday, TMZ reports. He was 77.
No further details were immediately available.
Before stepping into the movie business, Weintraub was a force in the management and music fields, where he spent more than 20 years promoting concerts for some of the world's most successful acts, including Frank Sinatra, Bob Dylan, Dolly Parton, John Denver and the Beach Boys.
Weintraub first began his career as a movie producer after meeting director Robert Altman at a Weintraub-produced John Denver performance. Altman sent Weintraub a prospective project, Nashville, the 1975 film that went on to nab five Oscar nominations including Best Picture.
After being fired from his position as chairman and CEO of United Artists in 1985, Weintraub went on to form his own film and TV production company, Weintraub Entertainment Group, and later Jerry Weintraub Prods., where he produced feature films including Vegas Vacation and The Avengers, as well as Ocean's Eleven, Ocean's Twelveand Ocean's Thirteen, Nancy Drew and the Karate Kidremake starring Jaden Smith.
In 2001, Weintraub was honored with the Kodak Award for Extraordinary Achievement in Filmmaking and in 2007, became the first producer "cemented" in the courtyard at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre.