Bob sold the rights to The Right Stuff in 1978 while still at ICM which resulted in the acclaimed 1983 film directed by Philip Kaufman. During Bob’s time as a studio executive from 1979 to 1986 at ABC Motion Pictures and Columbia Pictures, Wolfe’s nonfiction work was often considered too academic or intellectual for mainstream audiences. For instance, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test was optioned by Charles Roven's brother but ultimately the film was never made. Bob later re-engaged with Tom Wolfe and his body of work when he returned to the agency business in 1986. 

Bob’s legal expertise, honed during his time at Yale Law School, proved invaluable in navigating complex copyright issues. At the time, the 1909 Copyright Act was still in effect, which granted copyrights for an initial term of 28 years, with the option in the 28th year to apply for a 28-year renewal. The 1976 Copyright Act introduced a critical change: it allowed authors to terminate domestic copyrights. Starting with works copyrighted in 1978, a five-year window opened after 35 years during which authors could reclaim their U.S. rights. This legislative shift provided Bob with an opportunity to revisit works from the late 1970s, including The Right Stuff and The World According to Garp, both of which were owned by Warner Bros.

Philip Kaufman (director), Sam Shepard and his real-life counterpart, Air Force officer Chuck Yeager.

Bob initially approached Peter Roth, the head of Warners TV, regarding both projects. Bob successfully avoided legal conflicts by impressing on Roth their mutual creative interest. Working together they then sold the Garp rights to HBO with author John Irving himself attached as the screenwriter. While HBO initially requested a one-hour pilot episode for the limited series, when Bob explained that Irving’s writing process involved working backward from the ending, HBO agreed to commit to Irving writing all five hours of the adaptation. Unfortunately, this adaptation was never produced.

Undeterred by Roth’s initial reluctance, Bob followed up with The Right Stuff. While at a lunch with Michael Hampton from Appian Way, Leonardo DiCaprio’s production company, they discovered a shared interest in pursuing a space project and joined forces. Together, Bob and Michael brought in writer Mark Lafferty to orchestrate the pitch that led to the successful sale of the rights for a television adaptation. This became the 2020 series The Right Stuff on National Geographic.