Roy Lee Discusses the Key to Producing

By Justine Frostad — 03/04/10
Film producer Roy Lee is committed to finding unique stories to share with his audience.
“I just wanted to get a new lease on life,” Lee said about transitioning from a career as a lawyer to a film producer.
Lee has become known for taking popular Asian films and remaking them for American audiences. He has adapted Asian films including “The Ring,” “The Grudge” and “The Departed.”
Lee says finding the right material is the most important aspect of producing and he finds ideas everywhere from newspaper articles and books to foreign films and plays.
“As a producer you do everything you can to make sure the studio has complete confidence in the project,” he said.
It is important that the studio backing the film has constant confidence in what is being produced. Since a film usually takes around two years to create, Lee says having an understanding of what has already been done in the industry is imperative. Furthermore, being able to anticipate what trends or young stars will be popular in the near future is an asset.
When it comes to winning a major award like an Oscar, Lee says although it’s an incredible achievement it’s not something that can be planned.
“You can’t go into it thinking you’re trying to accomplish something of that magnitude. You just have to keep a lot of quality projects on the go and hope for the best,” he said.
This year Lee has a few projects in the works including an animated LEGO film and a remake of “Godzilla.”