Robert Lorenz (birthname:
Joseph Robert Lorenz) is a veteran producer and director, who has a long track record as a producing partner with Clint Eastwood over twelve years, starting with Eastwood’s
Blood Work (2002), and continuing with the Best Picture-winning
Million Dollar Baby (2004),
Flags of Our Fathers (2006),
Changeling (2008),
Gran Torino (2008),
Invictus (2009),
Hereafter (2010),
J. Edgar (2011), and
Jersey Boys (2014), including Lorenz earning three Best Picture Oscar nominations as lead producer with Eastwood for
Mystic River (2003),
Letters from Iwo Jima (2007), and
American Sniper (2015).
Before this, Lorenz worked with Eastwood as a first or second or second-second assistant director on
The Bridges of Madison County (1995),
Absolute Power (1997),
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997),
True Crime (1999),
Space Cowboys (2000),
Blood Work,
Mystic River,
Million Dollar Baby, and as a second unit director on
American Sniper.
Lorenz collaborated with the Clint Eastwood family in other capacities, including as lead producer on the Allison Eastwood-directed drama,
Rails & Ties (2007), starring Kevin Bacon and Marcia Gay Harden, and then in his debut as director/producer of the sports drama,
Trouble with the Curve (2012), starring Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams,
Justin Timberlake, and John Goodman, marking the first time Eastwood hadn’t directed himself since appearing in a cameo in
Casper (1995).
Beyond Eastwood, Lorenz worked as an assistant director with several other major directors, including Brian DePalma (
Femme Fatale in 1991), Alberto Sordi (
Acquitted for Having Committed the Deed in 1992), Sam Shepard (
Silent Tongue in 1993), Garry Marshall (
Exit to Eden in 1994), and Tamra Davis (
Crossroads in 2002).
Robert Lorenz expanded his portfolio with the action drama,
The Marksman (2021), on which he was director, a co-writer, and a producer, and which marked his first collaboration with star
Liam Neeson, with a supporting cast including Katheryn Winnick, Juan Pablo Raba, and Teresa Ruiz, and returned an underwhelming box-office take of $24 million on a $23-30 million budget.
Lorenz reunited with Neeson as director of the IRA-themed drama,
In the Land of Saints and Sinners (2023), co-starring Kerry Condon,
Jack Gleeson, Colm Meaney, Ciarán Hinds, Sarah Greene, and Niamh Cusack, which premiered at the Venice film festival.
Lorenz continued to grow his directorial credits with
Unabomb (date to be announced), from a script by Randy Brown about the FBI hunt for the Unabomber killer, Ted Kaczynski, and then as director of the airplane thriller,
Papa Alpha 333 (date to be announced), written by Michael Walker.
