12 movie producers at the top of their game to watch in 2020 and beyond

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"Ford v Ferrari."

• Business Insider is highlighting 12 movie producers who are at the top of their game.
• They include the team behind "A Quiet Place" and its upcoming sequel, as well as producers of Oscar nominated titles like "Ford v Ferrari" and "The Two Popes."
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Though directors often are portrayed in the press as the leaders of the creative process on a movie, the reality is producers are just as important - sometimes even more.

Before a director can yell "action," a producer is out there getting financing, nailing down a key crew member or actor, landing locations, and talking to the studio about production issues. A producer takes all this on so the director can focus on making the movie. And that's just one movie. Imagine being a producer overseeing a franchise.

Simply put: producers may not get a lot of attention, but they are the MVPs of many movies.

Here are 12 producers - ranging from those behind "A Quiet Place" to Oscar nominees "Ford v Ferrari" and "The Two Popes" - that you should keep an eye out for in 2020 and beyond:

Listed alphabetically by last name.