I am producer and author Brian Grazer. I've been a part of projects as varied as ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT to EMPIRE, 24 to 8 MILE, A BEAUTIFUL MIND to APOLLO 13. I've also produced the "Made in America" concert with Jay-Z & the Oscars in case anyo...

Can you saying anything about the current status of season 5 of Arrested Development?

The only thing I could say is: Mitch Hurwitz, the creator, is working his ass off. Not only to write it, but to figure out the logistics for all of the actors to be in it.

Well, if he's hard up, he can just get Gene to play all of them. He's a master of disguise.

That's up to Mitch & Ron.

That's my question as well. You said it was happening, but later clarified that it isn't a done deal. Are there negotiations with the actors? Is the holdup with Fox or Netflix or Mitch Hurwitz?

I'm a hard on myself, guarded person. So until something is finished, it's still not done. Every conversation is a negotiation. Even this one.

If Kiefer Sutherland really decides not to return for more 24, have you guys ever thought of just making Mary Lynn Rajskub the star of the show? She could take down Kate Morgan any day. #ChloeIsBack

She's such a stud. She's awesome. Everyone loves her. And sure, we've thought of it.

Does your hair do that naturally or do you have to work at it?

I have to work at it.

My hair is flat.

But now, because I've worn it for 20 years this way with gel, I wake up this way, and if for some reason, I don't, I immediately put gel in it, or I'll forget who I am.

Can you give us ANY update on 24? Anything! Has any progress been made? How long do you think until it will be officially returning? Jack is back in 2016? :)

The writers have created an outline that we're all reading and doing notes on. That's the most I can say.

Who was your favorite small character on Arrested Development? Mine is Steve Holt. ^STEVE HOLT!

Ice the Bounty Hunter.

We had heard Mitch Hurwitz is re-cutting season 4 of Arrested Development to flow chronologically. Any idea when we'll see (if at all) and how?

Any updates on Season 5?

No updates that I can publicly speak about. Ask Mitch directly. He'll try and tell you.

Where can we ask him?

Twitter.

Unforetunately, he isn't as active on Twitter as you are. His last tweet was almost an year ago.

I will remind him to get back on Twitter.

Thanks for doing this Brian! What about Arrested Development made you guys interested in producing it?

I love doing movies or television about families, particularly dysfunctional families. Like everybody's.

From MY vantage point, the progenitor of shock-comedy was Mel Brooks in BLAZING SADDLES. That's what got me into show business. So it was he that would make me interested in ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT.

What are you most proud of having done? What do you most look forward to doing?

Geez.

I think I'm most proud that I've kept up this discipline for over 30 years of meeting a new person every 2 weeks.

And I've stuck with it, and adhered to the rules that I created over 30 years ago.

One rule, of course, is: Don't ask for anything.

No asks.

Because I want to keep it pure.

Going on vacations with my kids and fiancee is what I most look forward to doing. Africa last year, Myanmar this year.

If you don't meet anybody new in the next 13 days, hit me up, we'll hang.

Cool.

I am a big fan of 24! Fox announced back in January that they were in talks about a new season possibly airing in 2016! Do you think something official will be announced for the May upfronts or at least this summer? When in 2016 would it air?

I think it's 50/50 in terms of announcements.

Hi Brian, big fan of yours and Ron's films :D You've worked with Tom Hanks a few times now, and he's one of my favourite actors. Is he as awesome as he seems?

Yes.

He's DEFINITELY as awesome.

Actually, he's definitely, in fact EVEN MORE awesome than he seems.

That's why I hired him to be in APOLLO 13 - I asked "is there an actor that exists that EVERYONE would want back safely?"

And my curiosity asked that question, and I thought Yes. Tom Hanks.

When you filmed Apollo 13, the folks at JSC offered to let you use the original Mission Control, but you guys opted to build a replica instead. Can you elaborate on why you decided that? Did it have anything to do with the poor upkeep of the original?

It didn't have to do with the poor upkeep - it had to do with having control over the environment.

So you're better off owning your shooting area, so you don't interrupt other people's lives.

Hi Brian, that was a great interview on CBS Sunday Morning. At what point in your life were you finally able to say, "I've made it"?

I still haven't said that.

I want to say it.

I wrote a book that I hope everyone buys!

Can you talk more about the Amazonian Shaman? That sounds amazing

I met - over 30 years ago - through Sting, I met Rouny (spelling approximation) who was a first-contact tribesman from Brazil in South America. He had a huge plate in his lower lip that extended his mouth. He wore a penis cone. And I learned how to shoot a blow-gun having studied him.

So now I have a blow-gun area in my art studio, which I'm pretty expert at.

I have a few different blow-gun sizes. They're all came. But they're different sizes.

That's awesome. Do you have any pictures of the blow guns or the blow gun area?

Ta-da

Hello, Mr. Grazer.

Out of the many things for which a producer is responsible, what do you feel like is the most important and what do you feel you excel at the most? Do you personally like to help shape the content of the film or do you prefer to have your directors/writers shoulder the onus for that? Also, how many times did people have to remind Russell Crowe to speak with an American accent in A Beautiful Mind before they said, screw it, Russell Crowe is going to speak how Russell Crowe speaks and he does not wish to speak in an American manner?

I think the most important is to have a creative vision.

That you feel comfortable being intractable about. And adhering to the creative vision, most importantly to the emotional delivery system.

I personally favor being part of the idea at its most nascent stage.

smiles

I think we just said "Screw it, he's going to speak the way he speaks, he's a genius actor."

I had the pleasure of seeing you speak earlier – but didn’t get to ping you with a question, so I've been waiting online – here it goes:

You’ve had seemingly hundreds of your ‘Curiosity Conversations’ with an incredibly diverse group of people – from ODB to CIA Directors – how do you remember the nuggets of wisdom from the many many conversations you have & how do you practically apply them later on?

Good luck with the AMA!

It's hard to remember, but I always take notes.

Usually, with someone, either somebody has advice, a point of view, or a secret that you've never heard.

Thanks! I definitely had a few things written down from your talk - specifically, "instincts have no value unless they're informed". Love that.

That is probably a quote from both my speech this morning, and the book.

Are you and Ron Howard the Lennon/McCartney of movies? :)

We only wish to be.

Can you discuss your interest in blowguns and how much practice is required to get you nto the expert marksman category?

It's a trial & error experience.

Don't aim it near anybody.

Even though you have the temptation of moving off the target, onto a tree, or other objects - try to stay focused on your target.

Mostly, it's about expanding your lung capacity. This is referring to professional military darts. This is not your average "buy it in a toy store" dart gun. You have to get these on online catalogs.

They make great conversation pieces.

Splash was such an important milestone for your career (and fantastic movie!). How much of it was true to your vision and how much of it was compromised?

More than 100% was true to my vision. Meaning that Ron Howard was better than I thought he was, the writers that followed me (Lowell Gantz and Babalu) were amazing, far better than I could have hoped for.

How hands on are you when its comes to producing?

Very hands-on when it comes to the early-on process of making a movie or a television show.

Hi Brian, I love that your work has been so varied, yet you have managed to maintain a consistent quality throughout. I imagine that the "Made In America" doc was a challenge, because you were tasked with incorporating so many different artists/personalities/sounds into one cohesive piece. I was wondering if you could explain your approach to the project, and whether/how your approach differed from your other work? Thanks.

Quite honestly, this was Jay's vision and idea.

He curated the bands.

I just helped him actualize it.

He's been a friend, and he created The American Gangster album.

What would your advice be for a couple of first-time filmmakers with regards to effectively marketing their movie to festivals and online?

Figure out a sexy sentence on your project so that you can communicate it.

Is the script for Season 5 of Arrested Development done?

No.

Would you consider writing it for us?

What sends your spidey sense into high gear when choosing projects?

Has it been done before?

Is the entry point, or perspective, original?

Hi, Mr. Grazer. Thank you for sharing with the world your fantastic story telling ability.

Can you talk about the challenges of shooting “Into The Heart of the Sea”? Was it mainly shot on the ocean or in a studio?

Can I have 5 minutes on the phone to pitch my TV series set against the backdrop of the American whaling industry? It’s 100% another Emmy for you. Thanks!

It was mainly shot in Warner Brothers studio, in one of the biggest water tanks in the world. And then further augmented shooting in the Canary Islands, because there are no storms. But unfortunately, there was a storm!

I wish I could! But I can't!

If you could take out one person (any point in history) with a blowgun, who would it be and how did you get your hands on the flux capacitor?

Look, I did think about shooting with a blow-gun the pool man for my next door neighbor. That's how I got so good at it. I just thought he was a really bad guy. He was always blasting music, and I think he tortured - there was a parrot, the house next door, the man had a bird, and I feel like he was torturing the bird every time he showed up! I'm just telling the truth.

I've always wondered, what's the difference between a producer and an executive producer ( and other producers in between)?

nods

Ok.

In the MOVIES, the producer is the primary producorial component. In television, it's the EXECUTIVE producer that's the boss.

So they're the one that adheres to the sustained creative vision and the fiscal responsibility of the project.

What is the biggest misconception people have of producers?

smiles

That they just drive around the studio lot in a golf cart, picking up girls and smoking cigars.

It's very hard work. And time-intensive work.

Hello Brian... thank you for your enormous input on moviegoing in the last few decades.

My wife and I sat down and watched Apollo 13 for the first time in many years, the other night (interestingly enough, 45+ years after the day it initially happened).

My question: can you share a funny anecdote on the making of that film? And how many times did you ride the vomit comet?

Okay.

I went right to the site, to go on the vomit comet. But upon approach for me, as I was going to get on, I found out that you have to - you're stuck on it for a straight 50 parabulus.

So if I get sick, really sick, at number 3, or 6, or 7 - you're stuck.

Because NASA performs scientific experiments on the back of the jet. So you have to stay on.

So I didn't do it.

OKAY, I have one funny story that no one knows: I went to a launch at Cape Canaveral with Ron, and Tom, and others. And a bunch of girls, probably from a sorority, started knocking at my hotel door thinking I was Tom Hanks.

True!

I looked out, the girls were really cute, but I realized they were looking for Tom Hanks.

I opened the door - first I was really flattered - then they said "Where's Tom Hanks?" and I said "Oh, he's not in this room."

They left.

Hello Brian,

A Beautiful Mind is one of my favorite films. Do you have any memorable stories that took place during filming?

Gosh.

Russell spent hundreds of hours researching the character. So he was pretty extraordinary, and smart. Jennifer Connelly was amazing, and certainly better than we've ever seen her, she was a big surprise. And when Russell ran across the courtyard, I thought he was going to run me over - I got to set, and that's what he was doing, I thought he was going to run me over.

Did you enjoy the "Made in America" concert? What were your favorite artists/bands that played?

I really enjoyed being part of Jay-Z's vision. I love seeing Run DMC come back together. Skrillex was interesting to me. And Janelle Monae was hot.

How big is the room you use for all your awards, or does do they need their own building?

Thank you for taking the time to do this AMA

Hahaha!

Okay - I have a LOT of awards that I thought I would want to show off to everybody. But I hide them in a secret closet in my office.

I just couldn't find a place to put them. I couldn't find a place to put them in my house without looking "brag-y."

So I hide them in a secret closet.

Will there be a new season of 24 or 24 movie?

Stay tuned. Much more likely as a series.

Big fans of your work and a Big Dark Tower fan,now the project goes to Sony,what's on there?can you share something with us about that???

We're looking for the perfect actor to cast. We're working on it.

What was the pivotal moment that sent you down this path. ?

When Lou Wasserman - the most powerful person in the entertainment business - said to me "Put a pencil to the paper. And it has greater value then it did as separate parts. Now get out."

That meant "Write your own ideas."

I was 24 when he said that to me.

What iPhone app can you not live without?

Pfew.

My TED app. I travel a lot, and I download them.

I saw you in a picture with Arnold Schwarzenegger not long ago...was this for a environmental cause? And if you were to produce a story on Arnold's life, who could you see play the young Arnold?

I want to say it was that thing I did at USC, a conference I did with Jimmy Ivine?

And I don't know.

Is there a funny story from the set of "Splash" that you can share? And how blindsided were you when Fidel Castro commented on your hair?

I was TOTALLY blind-sided. Because it was such a serious moment, at the military palace. And he didn't look to us for any questions or acknowledgement for three and a half hours. And then he looked up at me, square in the eyes, and said "how do you do your hair?"

His only question.

I told him! "I use gel and a hair dryer. And it takes under a minute to do."

And yes! I have a funny story from the set of SPLASH! The cast and Ron Howard begged me to act in the movie. So I did. All I had to say was "Taxi."

Put my hand in the air and say "Taxi."

It's a cameo. I cut it out of the movie immediately, it was so terrible. And I remember John Candy whispering to Tom Hanks in front of 100 other extras "He can't even say Taxi!"

Which was funny, and scarring, both.

Thanks for doing an AMA! You are bringing back old shows like 24 and Arrested Development, which is awesome. But most of the actors are attached to TV projects and movies, so it's probably hard to get them for 2-3 months to shoot. Are you optimistic that you can get them all together? Season 4 of Arrested Development just didn't have the same magic as the previous 3.

Yes, I'm optimistic we can get them all together.

You, Arnold and Justified's Boyd Crowder have the same hair. What goes into the process of this hair style?

I use Sebastian haircare high-protein gel, and TIGI's Bed Head. When I surf, it's Bed Head. And anything other than surfing, it's water-soluble gel.

How did you and Ron Howard meet and what led you to form Imagine?

We met during my curiosity discipline, when I met one person every day.

He was on the Paramount lot, and I saw him as he was, Richie Cunningham, and yelled out the window "HEY RON! LET'S MEET!"

I called his office, on the Paramount lot, and asked if he'd please come and meet me, and he came to my office.

We both expressed out dreams, that involved he being a movie director, and me being a movie producer, two things that we weren't at the time.

Just dreams.

That we made true.

Hello, Brian!

May I call you Brian?

That's not my question, incidentally. That's what we call a "polite lead-in," designed to put us on friendly footing before I ask for a favor. Of course, I don't actually have a favor to ask of you - unless you can get me a writing job somewhere or other, that is - so we'll just have to pretend that we're old friends.

Anyway: If you were to develop a line of men's underwear that was actually supposed to be worn as a hat, what would your brand name be?

looks perplexed

"Skivvies4All."

Hi Brian!

What did you want to be when you were 5 years old? When did you stop wanting to be that?

Congrats on the book!

I used to read the comic book "Richie Rich" where had gold garbage cans.

That became my dream. That I never achieved.

I wanted the life of Richie Rich. I probably figured that out when I was in high school, when I got cut from high school football, that became my new reality.

Would you ever be up to reading a first paragraph of a "manuscript"? Opening character happens to be named Victoria, not yours, mine... Saw you on OWN and looking forward to your read. Hopefully one day you will see mine...

If it's out and published, sure!

Have you passed on a movie that ended up being a success? Any regrets?

I know that I did. But I can't remember which one. I selectively take out bad memories, haha!

Variety says that you "hope to begin production" on Arrested Development Season 5 in June 2015. I know you can't comment on rumors, but does the timeline seem reasonable (article is from last year)?

It seems reasonable. But for further detail, contact Mitch Hurwitz, or Netflix.

♥...how are you feeling today, Brian (Spiritually, Mentally, & Physically)?

As a Montessori Methodist, I was a Disciplined, Unorthodox Dreamer! Do you Believe my ability to play pro sports & teach Empathy emanates from my early training in Curiosity? #GarryMarshallSoftballTeam ;-)

I'm feeling great in all 3 categories.

At least today.

I love the book "The Inner Game of Tennis." Because that's about visualizing, then actualizing, your dreams.