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— CH. 1 · INTRODUCTION —

Ram Bergman

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  • Ram Bergman spent part of his early twenties working as a valet in Los Angeles, parking cars while he tried to figure out how to make movies. He had no formal training in the film industry, only a passion for it and, in his own words, a willingness to keep at it. That willingness eventually carried him into producing partnerships with one of modern Hollywood's most in-demand writer-directors. What turned a valet with no industry background into a working producer? And whose career would end up entwined with his for decades?

  • Rishon LeZion, in Israel, is where Bergman was born and raised. He moved to the United States in 1991, settling first in New York before relocating to Los Angeles. Within the year, he was already producing his first film, treating each new job on set as its own kind of education.

    His producer credits piled up steadily through the 1990s. He started with Rave Review in 1994 and went on to credits including Black and White in 1999 and Stranger than Fiction in 2000. By the middle of the 2000s, Bergman had already produced more than a dozen features, all before his career took its most consequential turn.

  • A young writer-director named Rian Johnson had been trying for seven years to get his script for Brick made when Bergman first met him. Reading that screenplay, Bergman said, 'I realized I'd never seen anything like this.' With Bergman's help, Johnson finally got Brick made in 2005, for far less money than a project like it would typically cost. Their collaboration didn't stop there.

    Bergman went on to produce The Brothers Bloom in 2008 and Looper in 2012, both written and directed by Johnson. Reflecting on how the partnership grew, Bergman said, 'You don't think when you start out what it could lead to. You just focus on making the movie, but today we are partners and I think I'll be the luckiest man if I can continue making movies with him for the rest of my life.'

    In 2017, the two reunited on Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the second film in the sequel trilogy. Johnson wrote and directed it, and Bergman produced. Two years after The Last Jedi, Johnson and Bergman reunited once more, this time on Knives Out in 2019. That partnership was about to expand well past the two of them.

  • In 2018, the Israel Film Festival gave Bergman its Achievement in Film Award. Two years later, he was nominated for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures for Knives Out. The nomination came at the 2020 Producers Guild of America Awards.

    In September 2019, Johnson and Bergman launched their own production company, T-Street Productions, to generate original film and television content. Global media company Valence Media fully capitalized the venture. T-Street opened with a first-look deal tied to Valence Media's Media Rights Capital, covering both film and television projects. Valence Media, in turn, holds a substantial minority equity stake in T-Street itself. Johnson and Bergman also intended to develop original creations of their own through the company, not just produce other people's projects.

    Alongside Johnson, Bergman kept building a broader career too. He produced Don Jon in 2013 and A Tale of Love and Darkness in 2015. He also served as executive producer on Fair Play and American Fiction, both released in 2023. His partnership with Johnson, meanwhile, kept going too. Glass Onion arrived in 2022, and Wake Up Dead Man followed in 2025. One more project sits ahead of them, listed for now only as 2034, its title still unannounced.

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Common questions

Who is Ram Bergman?

Ram Bergman is an Israeli film producer known for producing Brick in 2005, The Brothers Bloom in 2008, Looper in 2012, Star Wars: The Last Jedi in 2017, and Knives Out in 2019, all written and directed by Rian Johnson.

Where was Ram Bergman born?

Ram Bergman was born and raised in Rishon LeZion, Israel.

How did Ram Bergman start his career in film?

Ram Bergman moved to the United States in 1991 in his early twenties, settling first in New York and then Los Angeles, and began producing films with no formal training, learning the craft on the job while working as a valet.

How did Ram Bergman meet Rian Johnson?

Ram Bergman met Rian Johnson while Johnson was trying to get his script for Brick made, a project Johnson had been developing for seven years. After reading it, Bergman said, 'I realized I'd never seen anything like this.'

What awards has Ram Bergman received?

Ram Bergman received an Achievement in Film Award at the 2018 Israel Film Festival and was nominated for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures for Knives Out at the 2020 Producers Guild of America Awards.

What is T-Street Productions and what is Ram Bergman's role in it?

T-Street Productions is a production company Ram Bergman launched with Rian Johnson in September 2019 to generate original film and television content. It is fully capitalized by Valence Media, which holds a substantial minority equity stake and gave T-Street a first-look deal through its Media Rights Capital label.

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4 references cited across the entry

  1. 2NewsIsraeli Ram Bergman To Produce New Star Wars MoviesGil Tanenbaum — June 23, 2014