Back in the United States, William Morris named him in 1974 as head of the international motion picture department, where he advised directors and writers on the steps they needed to take to get their ideas produced as films by the studios.
[2] Shapiro resigned abruptly from Warner Bros. in July 1983, announcing that he had become an independent producer at the studio, based on his understanding of his agreement with the studio that he could become an independent producer "whenever the timing seemed appropriate and beneficial to all concerned".
The studio's operating income had dropped $6 million from the previous year, only one of 1982's top ten box office hits – Chariots of Fire – was a Warner Bros. release, and the studio was tied for last with Columbia Pictures in domestic film rentals.
Shapiro's departure was attributed in industry sources cited by The New York Times as due to poor financial results for the studio's films in the previous 18 months.
[4] Since leaving Warner Bros., Robert Shapiro Productions has produced films including Empire of the Sun, My Favorite Martian and Pee-wee's Big Adventure.