Ezra Swerdlow, ‘First Wives Club’ Producer, Dies at 64

Swerdlow worked on several cult comedies including “Zombieland,” “Spaceballs,” and “21 Jump Street”

ezra swerdlow
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Ezra Swerdlow, the New York-based producer behind films like “The First Wives Club,” died last week at the age of 64, according to a spokesman from ICM Partners.

Born and raised on Long Island,” Swerdlow became one of the most prolific producers in New York’s movie industry after getting his start as a location scout on Woody Allen’s 1979 film “Stardust Memories.” From there, he became a unit manager on Martin Scorsese’s “The King of Comedy” before briefly moving to Los Angeles to work with Mel Brooks on “Spaceballs,” on which he was a co-producer.

Swerdlow’s producing career ignited in the ’90s, with executive producer credit on films like David Fincher’s “Alien 3,” the Dustin Hoffman/Robert De Niro black comedy “Wag The Dog,” and the hit revenge comedy “The First Wives Club,” whose director, Hugh Wilson, also passed away last week. Swerdlow’s credits in the 2000s include the horror-comedy “Zombieland,” the Disney Princess send-up “Enchanted,” and the 2012 film adaptation of “21 Jump Street.”

Swerdlow died in Boston on Jan. 23 after a battle with pancreatic cancer and ALS.

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