Following College, Arlook moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the film industry. His first job was as a contestant coordinator on the game show Tic-Tac-Dough. Arlook worked as a servicing agent for Goldfarb Distributors, an international film distribution company, from 1984-1985, and eventually worked his way into sales and film development. In 1985, Arlook worked as an assistant to Academy Award-winning producer Scott Rudin, who at the time was president of production at 20th Century Fox.
High Bar Pictures
In 1986, at the age of 24, Arlook founded High Bar Pictures, and proved to have an eye for hiring talent. In 1989 he produced his first feature film, After Midnight, for MGM. While a low budget anthology thriller, the film is notable for its camera department, which was led by future Academy Award-nominated cinematographer Phedon Papamichael. Serving as key grip was future two-time Academy Award winner Janusz Kamiński ; while eventual Academy Award winner and noted director Wally Pfister served as the gaffer. Mauro Fiore, who served as best boy, is also noted for winning an Academy Award for his work on Avatar.
In 1990, Arlook joined the Gersh Agency as a literary agent, eventually becoming a partner and head of the Motion Picture Literature department. He developed the department from a handful of agents to employing over twenty.
The Arlook Group
In 2008 Arlook founded The Arlook Group, a talent management, production, and consulting company. Arlook specializes in managing writers and directors. The group employs several full-time managers who represent actors and talent. Arlook's first feature as Executive Producer came in 2010 with Waiting For Forever, starring Blythe Danner and Richard Jenkins. In 2012, he produced Goats, starring David Duchovny and Vera Farmiga. In 2009, Arlook produced his first documentary feature: Lucky Ducks, with writer and director Tracey Jackson, which sets out to answer the question of why today's privileged teens are the most unhappy and dysfunctional demographic in America. In 2014, Arlook produced a second feature documentary entitled, Turn it Up!, a celebration of the electric guitar with a unique perspective on people's passion for the instrument, hosted by Kevin Bacon. The film features such legends as Slash, B.B. King, Paul Stanley, as well as one of the final interviews given by Les Paul before his death. Arlook completed I Smile Back, starring Sarah Silverman in her first leading dramatic role, which led to her first SAG nomination. The film was released October 23, 2015 and was distributed by Broad Green Pictures. With his client, Morgan Spurlock, Arlook executive produces The HALO Effect on Nickelodeon. It premiered in January 2016. Arlook's film Journey is the Destination, based on the life of photojournalist Dan Eldon, premiered at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival. He also produced It Had To Be You, starring Tony Award-winning actress Cristin Milioti, which was released October 21, 2016 by Samuel Goldywn Films.
Upcoming Projects
Arlook has several projects in development. The company is currently producing The Kingdom of the North Sudan with Spurlock for Walt Disney Pictures. Arlook, partnered with Temple Hill Entertainment, is co-producing Rodham, a biopic of Hillary Rodham Clinton's early years as a young lawyer in Arkansas during the Watergate scandal; and Letters from Rosemary, a look at the troubled life of Rosemary Kennedy, the first-born daughter to Rose Fitzgerald and Joe Kennedy Sr, and being co-produced with Anonymous Content.
