William Packer

William Packer has established himself as one of Hollywood's blockbuster hit makers, with seven of his films opening No. 1 at the box office. In 2013, Packer signed first-look production deals with Universal Pictures and Universal Television. Under both deals, Packer develops new projects for the studios under his Will Packer Productions banner.

Packer served as an executive producer on the smash hit Straight Outta Compton, a biopic of the rap group N.W.A that opened No. 1 at the box office, became the biggest August debut for an "R"-rated movie and grossed over $200 million at the worldwide box office making it the highest-grossing music biopic—ever.

Packer's No. 1 films are Straight Outta Compton (2015), No Good Deed (2014), Think Like a Man Too (2014), Ride Along (2014), Think Like a Man (2012), Takers (2010), Obsessed (2009) and Stomp the Yard (2007). His most successful film to date (2015) is Universal's Ride Along, which starred Ice Cube and Kevin Hart. Ride Along debuted at No. 1 at the box office in 2014, with record-breaking receipts totaling $48.6 million during the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday weekend opening of the film.

Ride Along became one of the biggest January opening box-office tallies of all time. The film also went on to be No. 1 at the box office for three consecutive weeks and grossed over $153 million worldwide. Think Like a Man, the film adaptation of Steve Harvey's best-selling book "Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man," grossed over $96 million worldwide and won the 2013 BET Award for Best Movie.

Stomp the Yard held at No. 1 for two weekends and received the 2007 Movie of the Year honors at the BET Hip Hop Awards. Obsessed, which featured mega-star Beyoncé Knowles, was Screen Gems' third-highest opening in company history when it debuted. No Good Deed, which starred Idris Elba and Taraji P. Henson, raked in over $53 million.

Packer also enjoyed success with his holiday film This Christmas (2007), which grossed nearly $50 million worldwide, as well as About Last Night (2014), which hit theaters during Valentine's Day weekend and opened as the No. 1 romantic comedy in America. The Wedding Ringer, which starred Hart and Josh Gadd, held the world record as the top "R"-rated comedy opening in January.

Making a major foray into prime time television, Packer was the executive producer of two new comedies, Truth Be Told (NBC) that premiered in 2015 and Uncle Buck (ABC), which debuted in early 2016.

In 2012, Packer was inducted as a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), the organization known around the world for its annual Academy Awards®, also known as the Oscars®. As part of the "Academy Conversations" series, the organization presented a conversation with Packer at the Sundance Film Festival in 2013. This marked the first time AMPAS participated in a program at the renowned festival.

Packer has been featured on the cover of Black Enterprise and Essence magazines and acknowledged on several high-profile magazine lists, including Variety's 10 Producers to Watch, Black Enterprise's Most Powerful Players Under 40 and 10 Most Bankable Producers in Hollywood, Jet's Who's Hot to Watch and Ebony's prestigious Power 100 list.

As a producer and the founder of the Los Angeles-based production company Will Packer Productions, Packer oversees all aspects of the business. Prior to launching his own company in 2013, he co-founded Rainforest Films with director Rob Hardy in the summer of 1994 while both were engineering students at Florida A&M University (FAMU). After graduating magna cum laude from FAMU with a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering in 1996, Packer decided to forgo lucrative job offers in the field of engineering to capitalize on his entrepreneurial instincts and his passion for filmmaking.

Packer is a dynamic and inspiring speaker who delivers educational and motivational speeches to film-industry groups, colleges and universities (including Harvard University), as well as youth and community organizations nationwide. He has been honored with the keys to the city of his hometown, St. Petersburg, Florida, as well as Miami, Florida, and "Will Packer Day" has been proclaimed in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Packer has also been honored with FAMU's Meritorious Achievement Award, the highest honor his alma mater bestows.

Universal Pictures