This story is available exclusively to Business Insider
subscribers. Become an Insider
and start reading now.Have an account? .
Megan Ellison.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty
Megan Ellison, the 30-year-old daughter of billionaire Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison, has cut a distinctive path in the film industry since she founded Annapurna Pictures, an independent production company, in 2011.
By financing hit films like "Zero Dark Thirty" and works by lauded directors like David O. Russell, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Spike Jonze, Ellison has earned a reputation as a producer who takes on the potentially great films that major studios won't touch.
Seth Rogen's new animated comedy "Sausage Party" — which critics are loving — would not have been possible without Ellison's financing, and many other successful projects have emanated from Ellison's vision and pocketbook over the past few years.
Read on to see how Megan Ellison became one of the most influential producers in Hollywood and a savior of great films:
Megan Ellison was born in Santa Clara County, California in 1986. Her father, Larry Ellison, cofounded the Oracle software corporation in 1977. He is currently the fifth richest man in America.
Larry Ellison (L) with his daughter Megan and son David, the CEO of Skydance Productions.
Jordan Strauss/AP
Ellison attended the University of Southern California film school for one year before dropping out in 2005 to pursue low-budget film production for several years.
In 2011, on her 25th birthday, Ellison received a check from her father Larry for "what a source says was $200 million, with similar sums soon to come," though some have speculated that it was closer to $2 billion.
In the same year, Ellison used the money from her father to establish Annapurna Pictures, an independent film production, distribution, and financing company.
Annapurna Pictures
Annapurna released its first film, "Lawless," in 2012. The Jessica Chastain and Tom Hardy-led crime drama grossed $53 million against its $26 million budget, which Ellison financed entirely out of pocket.
For her next endeavor, Ellison took on director Paul Thomas Anderson's Scientology-based film "The Master" in 2012. Universal Pictures passed on the project when Anderson requested a $35 million budget, but Ellison stepped in and wrote the director a check for around the same amount.
Paul Thomas Anderson (L) with "The Master" star Joaquin Phoenix and Ellison.
Gareth Cattermole/Getty
Joaquin Phoenix, the star of "The Master" alongside Philip Seymour Huffman, called Ellison "the Han Solo of filmmaking — you think it's all over and she comes to save the day."
Joaquin Phoenix in "The Master."
Annapurna Pictures
Though critically acclaimed, "The Master" failed to break even at the box office, causing some in the industry to speculate that Ellison's unwise spending would hurt the business of quality moviemaking.
Ellison shut her naysayers down with 2012's "Zero Dark Thirty," a Kathryn Bigelow-directed film about the assassination of Osama bin Laden.
Megan Ellison (Center) with Jessica Chastain (L) and "Zero Dark Thirty" director Kathryn Bigelow (R).
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty
"Zero Dark Thirty" grossed $132 million against the $40 million budget that Ellison provided, and it went on to grab five Academy Award nominations and one win. Suddenly, Ellison was in the big leagues.
Jessica Chastain in "Zero Dark Thirty."
Annapurna Pictures
Unlike most producers, the young Ellison is reportedly active on film sets. For "Zero Dark Thirty," Ellison recruited the film's star Jessica Chastain, traveled to various sets in the Middle East, and hung out and watched "Game of Thrones" with Chastain after long days of shooting.
In the following years, Ellison financed Spike Jonze's acclaimed 2013 film "Her," which got five Oscar nominations and won best original screenplay ...
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty
... and backed the David O. Russell films "American Hustle," which received 10 Oscar nominations, and 2015's "Joy."
David O. Russell (L) with "American Hustle" stars Jeremy Renner, Amy Adams, and producer Megan Ellison.
Kevin Winter/Getty
To date, Ellison's films have earned her a total of 17 Academy Award nominations, which her father Larry has noted is "the most ever for a producer in history."
Ellison's most recent release is Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's new R-rated, animated comedy "Sausage Party," which premiered this week.
Sony
In a recent interview with Howard Stern, Seth Rogen described how "Sausage Party" would not have been made without Ellison's support. Rogen called Ellison "a true patron of the arts" and a champion of great movies "that would never get made otherwise."
Megan Ellison with Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg at the "Sausage Party" premiere.
Eric Charbonneau/AP
