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The young screenwriter responsible for the crass but undeniably charming 1999 teen romp "American Pie", Adam Herz went from production assistant to well-paid scripter when he brought to fruition his idea to revisit the sex comedy genre so popular in his youth for today's audience. Mixing the "can you top this?" gross-out nerviness so popular in "There's Something About Mary" (1998) with an unexpected old-fashioned romanticism, Herz's treatment for "American Pie" was written over his winter ski vacation in January of 1998 and within months was in production. Having hooked up with screenwriting agents Warren Zide and Chris Bender after impressing them with risk-taking sitcom spec scripts, he was encouraged by his representation to take the feature plunge. Goaded to be his most outrageous, Herz turned in a screenplay that was at once shockingly vulgar and heartwarmingly real. An obvious affection for his multifaceted characters (including a group of fully-realized, empowered females rarely seen in the genre) helped sell the Paul and Chris Weitz-directed film as more than just your average hormone fest thanks to a decided lack of mean-spiritedness and an abundance of heart. Impressive returns at the box office proved that audiences were ready for such a film, even when its cast was comprised mainly of unknowns.

"American Pie" helped to launch the careers of stars Jason Biggs, Chris Klein, Seann William Scott and Mena Suvari, and when the cast reconvened for "American Pie 2" in 2001, the film's status as a hit sequel seemed guaranteed. Again pushing the bounds of taste and going through various trials with the MPAA ratings board to get an R, Herz's and the Weitz's efforts were similarly seedy and sweet, though not quite as compelling as the original. Claiming even he expected better from his sequel script, Herz agreed to tackle the screenwriting chores on the third instalment, "American Wedding" (2003) to close the book on the characters.

With feature projects lined up including a modernized retread of the old "Smokey and the Bandit" car chase comedies in development, he was poised to become a sought-after scripter while a $2 million deal with Universal would offer him the chance to direct as well. The summer-aired sitcom "Go Fish" (NBC, 2001) marked his first foray into television. As the series' creator, writer and executive consultant, Herz painted a portrait of Andy 'Fish' Troutner (Kieran Culkin), a lovelorn ninth grader dealing with the perils of high school and his very eccentric parents (Joe Flaherty and Molly Cheek).

All data from Baseline-StudioSystems. For more information on writers, directors, actors, and producers, please visit BaselineFT.

PRODUCER NEIL MORITZ BURNS UP THE SCREEN WITH xXx: STATE OF THE UNION

By Allan Walsh and Jessica Swenson
Summer is just around the corner and so is the season’s first big flick. xXx: STATE OF THE UNION will slam into the big screen on April 29th and promises to turn up the heat. NSA Agent Augustus Gibbons (Samuel L. Jackson), fresh off the success of his last renegade recruitment, once again finds himself in need of an outsider. Gibbons and his new agent (Ice Cube) must track a dangerous military splinter group, led by Willem Dafoe, that is conspiring to overthrow the U.S. Government in the nation’s capital.

In case you’re wondering, there wasn’t a typo - Vin Diesel’s character, Xander Cage is out and Ice Cube’s Darius Stone is in. But not everyone in the business has the guts or vision to play with a proven thing. A gutsy move only a veteran producer like Neal Moritz could have pulled off. With hits like SWEET HOME ALABAMA, I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER, THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS, and SLACKERS under his belt, there is a reason why Neal has been called “one of the most bankable producers in Hollywood.”

“It was always my plan with the xXx franchise that each movie would have a different lead actor,” Neal confirms. “It is a risk. Ice Cube has never carried the lead in a big budget film but he was in my office when we were preparing to cast the film and I knew in my gut this was the guy and after seeing the final product I know I made the right decision.” Indeed he did, Ice Cube is tough raw and believable. William Defoe adds a more depth to the film and Samuel L. Jackson, well, what else needs to be said.

Things haven’t always been so easy. Neal earned a degree in economics from UCLA and a graduate degree from the Peter Stark Motion Picture Producing Program at the USC. But clearly his most telling credit is as OWNER of ORIGINAL FILM, an established feature film, television, commercial and music video production/talent Management Company. Neal reminisces, “After I graduated, I just hung out a sign. It took a while. First year we did nothing then it was one film a year, then two and then three, now we produce as many films that we can physically handle.” But it’s Neal’s work ethics that makes each film experience unique, “I treat every movie separately as if I am launching a new company,” Neal says, “I’m involved in all aspects of the film from casting to script. I look at all the marketing and research data, I let it sit in the back of my head but I make all my decisions on instinct.” Neal’s track record proves his instincts are the right decisions.

Keeping such a busy schedule has its price - Neal has little time to play with his collection of cars or cruise his prized West Coast Chopper. And, it doesn’t look like things are going to slow down anytime soon with several upcoming films like MAN WITH THE FOOTBALL (2006), VANTAGE POINT (2006), BIG BABY (2006), JOHNNY BRAVO (2005), JACK (2006), CLICK (2006), GRIDIRON GANG (2006), LUKE CAGE (2006), SPY HUNTER (2006) and SUPERMAN RETURNS (2005). Looks like his hog will have to wait.