Scooter Braun's Movie Business Expanding Well Beyond Justin Bieber

In 2011, Scooter Braun made a splashy debut into the world of feature films, producing "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" concert documentary.

The movie, which carried a $13 million budget, grossed $100 million worldwide. 2013's "Believe," a behind-the-scenes look at Bieber's rise to superstardom generated about $11 million in worldwide box office.

"Those films really gave us a taste of what we could do," said Scott Manson, chief operating officer of Braun's film operation, SB Projects.

Braun was a producer on 2015's quirky girl-group fantasy "Jem and the Holograms" but has branched out considerably since then by backing the indie drama "Burden," starring Andrea Riseborough and Garrett Hedlund, who plays Mike Bruden in the story of an orphan raised within the Ku Klux Klan who attempts to break away after the girl he falls in love with urges him to leave for a better life together.

"Burden" is directed by Andrew Heckler from his own script. The producer is Robbie Brenner, who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture for "Dallas Buyers Club."

The company is also working on a film based on the Mitch Albom novel "The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto," which follows the life of the fictional musician Frankie Presto, an orphan born in a burning church in Spain in 1936. His only possession is an old guitar and six precious strings as he travels through the musical landscape of the 20th century, working with Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, Carole King, Little Richard and The Beatles.

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Manson admits that it's an eclectic slate so far with SB Projects aiming to finance two micro-budget projects and one mid-budget project with as much as $9 million.

"We'd willing put up single digits on a movie with a studio coming in for prints and advertising," he added. "Because of what we've already done, we do get a lot incoming calls."

Manson is quick to credit development exec James Shen with getting the slate assembled.

"We're still learning and we're trying to stay hungry and humble," he added. "Our motto is 'We're trying not to blow it."

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