J.J. Abrams Scaling Down Bad Robot As He Moves to New York
The Hollywood Reporter • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Bad Robot, the production company led by J.J. Abrams, is scaling down operations, closing its Los Angeles office, and relocating to New York, where Abrams now lives.
- The company sold its longtime Santa Monica headquarters for $31 million in November and has reduced its workforce in recent years, moving away from its peak when it employed hundreds, including its in-house visual effects team.
- Founded in 1999, Bad Robot has produced notable TV hits like Alias, Lost, Fringe, and Westworld, as well as successful films including Cloverfield, the Star Trek reboot, and Star Wars sequels, though its recent projects have seen less mainstream success.
- After securing a $250 million five-year deal with WarnerMedia in 2019, Bad Robot’s agreement was extended in 2024 as a non-exclusive, first-look pact, reflecting a shift in its industry standing.
- Upcoming Bad Robot projects include J.J. Abrams’ The Great Beyond (Nov. 13), David Robert Mitchell’s The End of Oak Street (Aug. 16), and the 2028 Dr. Seuss adaptation Oh, The Places You’ll Go, directed by Jon M. Chu and Jill Culton.
