People: James Zatolokin

Growing up in Muskegon, James R. Zatolokin, '67, was very much of a movie buff. He remained one through college, law school, and his career as lawyer and investment banker until 1988. 'I moved to California specifically because of my interest in movies,' says Zatolokin, now a major player in Hollywood. 'Basically, as a venture capitalist, I wanted to invest in the movie business.'

After two low budget movies--Gingerale In The Afternoon, with actress Yardley Smith, and Heart of the Deal, an original Showtime movie starring Ruben Blades and Vincent Spano--James really struck the bigtime. He co-produced Cliffhanger, starring Sylvester Stallone. Released last summer, the movie about rock climbing became a blockbuster with more than $200 million in worldwide gross. 'That's the theatrical gross, before any video release,' he notes.

Not bad for something that cost $60 million to make and distribute. He and his partner, Gene Hines, had the backing of Carloco Pictures Inc., an independent studio. 'A producer is like a land developer,' explains James. 'You buy rights to a literary property. Once you own it, you seek directors and actors, you secure financial backing, typically from the studios. You're the owner, and generally you dictate the progress of the project. You also have the rights to the follow-ups.'

Indeed, James is looking forward to Cliffhanger's sequel, which, he predicts, 'will make more money because you already have a built-in awareness and can save on advertising.' James remains a solid Spartan in his Malibu home, where he lives with his wife and two children. 'My MSU experience was very positive,' he recalls. 'At that time, though, I could not conceive that I would be doing this today. This is a dream. When I first came out, it seemed like an impossible dream. But fortunately I was just foolish enough to forge ahead.'