AceShowbiz - James G. Robinson, the film producer and co-founder of Morgan Creek Productions, passed away on February 15 at the age of 90. His family announced his death but did not disclose a cause, sharing that he died peacefully in Lutherville, Maryland.

James G. Robinson co-founded Morgan Creek Productions in 1988 alongside Joe Roth. The company became known for producing several notable films, including Major League, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Dead Ringers, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and True Romance. His leadership helped Morgan Creek become one of the largest independent film production companies globally, delivering numerous influential and commercially successful movies.

Before his film career, Robinson was a Baltimore automobile executive. He invested approximately $80 million of his own money to launch Morgan Creek. One of the company’s earliest successes was the 1988 western Young Guns, which featured stars like Emilio Estevez, Charlie Sheen, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Dermot Mulroney.

According to his family, Robinson began his involvement in the film industry in 1979 through bridge financing. After selling Subaru Mid America in 1988, he fully committed to the film business by co-founding Morgan Creek. His passion for storytelling and innovative approach to filmmaking and business were key factors in his lasting impact on the industry.

Born on December 16, 1935, in Baltimore, Robinson initially founded Maryland Undercoating in 1964, a company focused on processing foreign cars entering the Port of Baltimore. His Hollywood financing interests expanded in the mid-1980s when he became executive producer on the 1984 film The Stone Boy, starring Robert Duvall, Glenn Close, and Frederic Forrest.

Throughout the 1980s, he also produced films such as Girls Just Want to Have Fun and Where the River Runs Black. After Joe Roth left Morgan Creek in 1989 to lead 20th Century Fox, Robinson remained at the helm, overseeing hits like Major League (1989), Dead Ringers (1988), Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), True Romance (1993), and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994).

Other notable Morgan Creek productions under his guidance include Enemies, A Love Story (1989), Skin Deep (1989), Pacific Heights (1990), Freejack (1992), White Sands (1992), The Last of the Mohicans (1992), Diabolique (1996), Soldier (1998), American Outlaws (2001), The Good Shepherd (2006), and Georgia Rule (2007). Recently, Morgan Creek released The Exorcist: Believer (2023) and the Amazon Prime series Dead Ringers (2023).

Robinson is survived by his wife of 61 years, Barbara; their six children Michael, Patrick, Brian, David, Thomas, and Beth; their spouses; and eight grandchildren. His contributions to independent filmmaking and his role in building Morgan Creek Productions remain significant in Hollywood history.