Neal Moritz is the founder of Original Film and one of Hollywood’s most prolific producers. Best known for the Fast & Furious films, including Furious 7, which broke multiple box office records to become one of the top 10 highest-grossing movies of all time. Moritz has produced over 70 major motion pictures, which have earned a total of over $11 billion worldwide.

I’m so excited for the first test screening, but I am definitely the most nervous I’ve ever been when you put that movie up for the first time in a dark room where it doesn’t matter how many movies you’ve made, how many billions of dollars your movies have grossed, the audience is just reacting to what they see on the screen that time.

Neal recalls his most memorable screening. Neal describes the decision to continue filming Furious 7 after Paul Walker’s tragic passing. Neal shares the fear and nervousness he felt while finishing the movie. Kevin and Neal discuss the iconic final scene and how the audience’s emotional reaction at the test screening proved that Moritz and the studio made the right decision.

Neal talks about the challenges he enjoys when producing action movies. He discusses 21 Jump Street and how the combined use of action and comedy makes this his favorite type of movie to produce.

Neal tells the story of how he got started in Hollywood. He talks about his childhood growing up in a family-owned movie theater, becoming an entrepreneur selling canvas backpacks that he saw in China, and his decision to sell his company to become a producer.

But you and I did speak about this in the past where we come together on the fact that this is a world of the haves and have-nots in terms of theatrical movie going and that there are maybe more people that will actually go to see movies, but they’re seeing far, far fewer films.