Neal H. Moritz was born in
Los Angeles, California, to Milton Moritz and Barbara (
née Levin). His paternal grandfather, Joseph Moritz, owned movie theaters in
Pittsburgh and was an early investor in
American International Pictures (AIP). Milton Moritz was born in Pittsburgh and moved to California after falling ill with
rheumatic fever at age eight, when his doctor suggested the family move to a better climate. He was head of marketing at AIP and was later CEO and president of the National Association of Theatre Owners of California/Nevada. Moritz is from a
Jewish family. Moritz grew up in
Westwood and graduated from
UCLA, after attending
Semester at Sea. When he came back, he gave away several backpacks that were popular with Chinese students. He had so many requests for the backpacks that he and a friend began a company importing purses and bags from Taiwan. He sold the company to an investor, and returned to school. He earned a master's degree from the Peter Stark Producing Program at the
University of Southern California's
School of Cinema-Television in 1985. He is a member of the school's Alumni Development Council. As of 2021, Moritz has been married for 20 years and has two children, aged 19 and 16. ==Career==