Richard Sakai

Production

Richard Sakai

Born 1954-01-28 · San Francisco, California, USA

Richard Sakai (born January 28, 1954) is an American television and film producer. He is best known for his work on the animated sitcom The Simpsons, for which he is one of the original producers. In 1997, Sakai was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture for his work on the film Jerry Maguire (1996). Sakai began his career as an assistant to James L. Brooks in 1977. In 1984, Brooks invited Sakai to become a producer in his new film production company, Gracie Films. Sakai ultimately produced many of Brooks' films, such as Jerry Maguire, As Good as It Gets (1997), and Spanglish (2004). Sakai also produced Bottle Rocket (1996) and Riding in Cars with Boys (2001). Additionally, he was a producer for The Simpsons Movie (2007). As a television producer and director, Sakai has worked on many different shows. He has directed episodes of Taxi, Newhart, and Who's the Boss?. He has also produced episodes of The Tracey Ullman Show, The Critic, Phenom, and What About Joan? in addition to his work on The Simpsons, for which he has won several Emmy Awards. On The Simpsons, Sakai has been animated several times, most notably as: a karaoke singer in the episode "One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish"; an escaping prisoner in a commercial about "revolving door prisons" in "Sideshow Bob Roberts"; and a jazz vibraphone player in "Jazzy and the Pussycats". Sakai is currently president of Gracie Films. Description above from the Wikipedia article Richard Sakai, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Acting credits

Behind the camera

Yellow Mirror poster
8.0

A defective lamp reveals a heartbreaking truth about what Homer believes is reality, and an AI-powered tablet befriends and controls Maggie. The Simpsons struggle to find the light through two dark tales of the curious and bizarre.

Yellow Mirror

2026

The Simpsons Movie poster
7.0

After Homer accidentally pollutes the town's water supply, Springfield is encased in a gigantic dome by the EPA and the Simpsons are declared fugitives.

The Simpsons Movie

2007

Jerry Maguire poster
7.0

Jerry Maguire used to be a typical sports agent: willing to do just about anything he could to get the biggest possible contracts for his clients, plus a nice commission for himself. Then, one day, he suddenly has second thoughts about what he's really doing. When he voices these doubts, he ends up losing his job and all of his clients, save Rod Tidwell, an egomaniacal football player.

Jerry Maguire

1996

Extreme Makeover: Homer Edition poster
7.2

Homer and Marge's fun couples' date night goes off the rails when Marge learns Homer left the kids unsupervised with only the doorbell camera as a babysitter. Frustrated with her imperfect husband, a tipsy Marge stirs up a trilogy of fantasies of a different Homer.

Extreme Makeover: Homer Edition

2026

The Edge of Seventeen poster
7.2

Two high school girls are best friends until one dates the other's older brother, who is totally his sister's nemesis.

The Edge of Seventeen

2016

May the 12th Be with You poster
5.2

It's Mother's Day and Marge Simpson joins the moms of Disney+ on a special holiday outing that turns into an epic galactic adventure filled with heroes, villains, and Stewie from Family Guy.

May the 12th Be with You

2024

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. poster
7.1

When her family moves from New York City to New Jersey, an 11-year-old girl navigates new friends, feelings, and the beginning of adolescence.

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.

2023

The Good, the Bart, and the Loki poster
7.2

Loki is banished from Asgard once again and must face his toughest opponents yet: the Simpsons and Springfield’s mightiest heroes. The God of Mischief teams up with Bart Simpson in the ultimate crossover event paying tribute to the Marvel Cinematic Universe of superheroes and villains.

The Good, the Bart, and the Loki

2021

Spanglish poster
6.1

Mexican immigrant and single mother Flor Moreno finds housekeeping work with Deborah and John Clasky, a well-off couple with two children of their own. When Flor admits she can't handle the schedule because of her daughter, Cristina, Deborah decides they should move into the Clasky home. Cultures clash and tensions run high as Flor and the Claskys struggle to share space while raising their children on their own, and very different, terms.

Spanglish

2004

The Simpsons in Plusaversary poster
6.4

The Simpsons host a Disney+ Day party and everyone is on the list… except Homer. With friends from across the service and music fit for a Disney Princess, Plusaversary is Springfield's event of the year.

The Simpsons in Plusaversary

2021

Simpsley poster
8.0

When penniless con-artist Marge Bouvier is sent to Italy to convince wealthy sap Seymour Skinner to come home, she’s tempted by the trappings of his affluent lifestyle. But there’s a big fat fly in the ointment: Skinner’s clingy, dim-witted mooch of a houseguest, Homer Simpsley. Lies, lust and Italian lira are abound.

Simpsley

2026

Ella McCay poster
5.6

An idealistic young politician juggles familial issues and a challenging work life while preparing to take over the job of her mentor, the state’s longtime incumbent governor.

Ella McCay

2025

Maggie Simpson in "The Force Awakens from Its Nap" poster
6.6

In a daycare far, far away… but still in Springfield, Maggie is on an epic quest for her stolen pacifier. Her adventure brings her face-to-face with young Padawans, Sith Lords, familiar droids, Rebel scum, and an ultimate battle against the dark side, in this original short celebrating the Star Wars galaxy.

Maggie Simpson in "The Force Awakens from Its Nap"

2021

The Simpsons: O C'mon All Ye Faithful poster
7.0

The residents of Springfield search for Christmas cheer.

The Simpsons: O C'mon All Ye Faithful

2024

Riding in Cars with Boys poster
6.7

In 1965, a young woman with dreams of becoming a writer has a son at the age of 15 and struggles to make things work with the drug-addicted father.

Riding in Cars with Boys

2001

The New Simpsons Movie poster
NR

The sequel to the 2007 film. Plot TBA.

The New Simpsons Movie

2027

Maggie Simpson in "Playdate with Destiny" poster
7.4

When Maggie Simpson is rescued by a cute young baby from playground peril, it's girl meets boy, girl loses boy, guess what happens next?

Maggie Simpson in "Playdate with Destiny"

2020

Maggie Simpson in "Rogue Not Quite One" poster
5.7

On their way to daycare, Homer loses track of Maggie who hops in Grogu's hovering pram for a hyperspace-hopping adventure across the galaxy. Facing a squadron of Imperial TIE fighters, Maggie brings the battle to Springfield in this epic short celebrating all things Star Wars.

Maggie Simpson in "Rogue Not Quite One"

2023

Welcome to the Club poster
6.2

Heart set on becoming a princess, Lisa Simpson is surprised to learn being bad might be more fun.

Welcome to the Club

2022

Maggie Simpson in "The Longest Daycare" poster
7.0

Maggie must navigate an eventful first day in daycare. At the Ayn Rand School for Tots, Maggie is diagnosed with average intelligence. Barred from the gifted children, she longs to escape from her glue-guzzling classmates. But when a lonely caterpillar befriends her, she makes it her mission to save it from a ruthless butterfly smashing toddler.

Maggie Simpson in "The Longest Daycare"

2012

When Billie Met Lisa poster
5.2

Lisa Simpson is discovered by chart-topping artists Billie Eilish and FINNEAS while searching for a quiet place to practice her saxophone. Billie invites Lisa to her studio for a special jam session she’ll never forget.

When Billie Met Lisa

2022

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year poster
5.3

Sideshow Bob teams up with the most infamous villains of Disney+ to share the true meaning of the Halloween season. Filled with music, mayhem, and madness, this short from "The Simpsons" is simply to die for.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2024

Icebox poster
7.1

Forced to flee his home in Honduras, Óscar seeks asylum in the United States, only to find himself trapped in the immigration system.

Icebox

2018

A Terrifying Message from Al Gore poster
NR

Al Gore attempts to promote his film, An Inconvenient Truth (2006).

A Terrifying Message from Al Gore

2007