Taurus. [2], Donner was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to a Jewish family. She produced only two more of her husband's movies, Radio Flyer (1992), and Timeline (2003). Donner directed six films starring Mel Gibson overall, creating a Lethal Weapon franchise with three sequels, and the last one was Lethal Weapon 4, released in 1998. [7] While Donner has credits in all X-Men films, the last ones she actually produced were X-Men: Days of Future Past and Deadpool; Simon Kinberg took over the later films so Donner could instead make the TV show Legion,[8][9] with Donner only receiving producer credit out of loyalty. Hollywood Star Walk: Lauren Shuler Donner, Interview with Producer Lauren Shuler Donner (Part 1 of 2), Lauren Shuler Donner Confirms Fox Marvel Movies on Hold; Wants ‘X-Men’ Franchise to “Evolve”, Celebrities with Lupus: Lauren Schuler Donner, "Women in Film Los Angeles Announces the 2010 Crystal Lucy Awards Honorees", "Meet This Year's Honorary Degree Recipients", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lauren_Shuler_Donner&oldid=993645538, Boston University College of Communication alumni, Articles with short description added by PearBOT 5, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 11 December 2020, at 18:38. Donner has cast Kahan in some of his other films too. It starred Mel Gibson as a widowed narcotics detective with a suicidal bent "who breaks every rule for the sheer joy of it." Richard Donner Popularity . 90 Year Old #38. Richard Donner net worth: Richard Donner is an American director and producer who has a net worth of $200 million. Donner married producer/writer Jill Sherman in 1982. She was raised in Cleveland, where she took on photography and frequently went to the movies with a cousin. Together they enjoyed fifty-seven years of marriage and she survives. The film's action sequences were considered "truly spectacular" and made the film one of the year's biggest hits.[1]. He’s just an extremely charming, talented, great fuckin’ guy. Donner has mixed commercial flops (The Toy, Inside Moves, Radio Flyer) and successes (The Goonies, the Lethal Weapon series, Scrooged and Conspiracy Theory). Donner and Johns also co-wrote a story for Action Comics #1000, released in April 2018. Movie Actor. The production company The Donners' Company is owned by Donner and his wife, producer Lauren Shuler Donner. After directing the horror film The Omen, Donner became famous for the hailed creation of the first modern superhero film, Superman, starring Christopher Reeve. After being taught about cameras by the crew of The Tonight Show, Shuler asked NBC to work on the local news. [citation needed] This version of the film features the re-insertion of Marlon Brando's scenes as Jor-El, and relies on a minimum of footage shot by Richard Lester. Donner directed his first feature film in 1961, X-15, which starred Charles Bronson and Mary Tyler Moore. The Salkinds refused Donner's demand that Spengler be fired; instead, the Salkinds replaced Donner as director of Superman II with Richard Lester, who had worked with the Salkinds on The Three Musketeers and The Four Musketeers and as an uncredited producer on Superman. Doug Buck gets in the Christmas spirit with the classic Anti-Christ chiller, The Omen (Richard Donner,1976). Richard Donner's cousin is actor Steve Kahan, who played a policeman tracking Otis in Superman: The Movie, and played Captain Ed Murphy in the Lethal Weapon movie franchise. Raymond Richard Donner: Birthdate: 1904: Death: August 14, 1976 (71-72) Immediate Family: Son of Theodore Donner Fredrick Donner and Agnes A Donner Husband of Stephanie Frances Donner Father of Barbara Gloria Donner and Steven Matthew Donner Brother of Ador Paul Donner. He has been married to Lauren Shuler Donner since November 27, 1986. Principal photography of Superman included filming of its first sequel, Superman II. In 1978, Donner directed Superman: The Movie, starring Christopher Reeve in the title role. Taurus Director #31. He became the executive producer for the 2000 Marvel Comics film X-Men, then also an executive producer for the 2009 X-Men prequel, X-Men Origins: Wolverine. That is a combined net worth … [11] The book features a foreword by actor Mel Gibson. Richard married Rosemary Hellner on May 30, 1959. Afterwards she freelanced on Metromedia, working on rock concert shoots, sitcoms and TV movies. [11] She received an honorary Doctorate of Human Letters degree from Boston University in 2019 and was the Commencement Speaker for COM at Boston University. Gene Hackman refused to return for re-shoots; consequently, all the Lex Luthor scenes that appear in Superman II were filmed by Donner, although Donner received no onscreen credit for directing, because Donner refused to be on the credits. No matter what you say about Dick, it underrates him. Extremely professional. Richard Donner reflects on the legacy of Superman, the greatness of Christopher Reeve's performance, and why we still need the Man of Steel. "[12], The Directors Guild of America called the book "a compelling study of an ebullient, ballsy risk-taker who was a director even before he was aware of it" that "ably captures Donner's joy in doing a job he loves. Following the advice of a teacher, she moved to Los Angeles in hopes of entering the entertainment industry. See full bio » With David Janssen, Janice Rule, Kevin McCarthy, Barry Morse. [7] Her experience with Schumacher and Hughes led them to invite her to produce St. Elmo's Fire (1985) and Pretty in Pink (1986), both seminal films of the Brat Pack period. Donner continued to promote the view his contribution was superior to rest of the series. On October 16, 2008, Donner and Lauren Shuler Donner received stars in a double ceremony on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for their achievements in motion pictures, located at 6712 Hollywood Boulevard.[8][9][10]. In addition, Donner's wife has produced all of the films in the X-Men film series under their Donners' Company brand. Christopher Kent ( Lor-Zod) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Richard Donner was born on April 24, 1930 in New York City, New York, USA as Richard D. Schwartzberg. On November 10, 2010, Donner's authorized biography You're the Director... You Figure It Out: The Life and Films of Richard Donner by James Christie was published by BearManor Media. I love him."[7]. [2][7] In 2006, Donner was awarded the Women in Film Crystal Award along with Jennifer Lopez and Diane Warren. [4] Donner had a particularly successful year in 1993 overseeing two solid hits: Dave, a homespun political comedy, and Free Willy, a family film about a boy and his whale. Donner's name is also the German word for 'Thunder', and in ancient pagan times, the similarly-derived 'Donar' was the name in German lands for the Aesir deity Thor. [6] Her input on the script of Thank God It's Friday (1978) led her to become an associate producer for that film. First Name Richard. He was credited as an Executive Producer for X-Men and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Her films have grossed about $4.5 billion worldwide, mostly due to the X-Men film series. [4], As Donner worked in Los Angeles as an assistant editor of educational and medical films, she sought other jobs and despite having no original intention to work in television, a chance meeting at NBC headquarters led her to leave her data there. [4] The following year she persuaded Richard Donner to direct Ladyhawke, and the two fell in love, marrying a year after the film was released, 1985. She has served on the advisory boards of Planned Parenthood and TreePeople, and was instrumental in the campaigning for the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act.[2]. Directors. She studied film at Boston University, specializing in production and editing. She owns The Donners' Company with her husband, director Richard Donner. Film historian Michael Barson writes that Donner is "one of Hollywood's most reliable makers of action blockbusters". Richard Donner (born April 24, 1930) is an American film director, film producer, and comic book writer. He transitioned into television dramas in the late 1950s, directing some episodes of the Steve McQueen western serial Wanted: Dead or Alive and the Chuck Connors western The Rifleman. In 2013, the Donners were honored by The Women's Guild of Cedar Sinai Hospital. Richard Donner was born in New York City, New York, USA on Thursday, April 24, 1930 (Silent Generation). Although known for The Omen and the Lethal Weapon films, he is most famous for the hailed creation of the first modern superhero film, Superman, starring Christopher Reeve. – Superman, the invention of two U.S. Jews, is a profoundly Jewish character whose film history is entwined with that of American Jewry" by Nathan Abrams, "From The Archive: The Making Of Superman", "Richard Donner | Hollywood Walk of Fame", "Lauren Shuler Donner | Hollywood Walk of Fame", "Richard Donner – Hollywood Star Walk – Los Angeles Times", "You're the Director...You Figure It Out: The Life and Films of Richard Donner – Review", Archive of American Television interview, 2006, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Richard_Donner&oldid=992223708, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2015, Wikipedia articles with BIBSYS identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SELIBR identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with Trove identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Joseph L. Mankiewicz Excellence in Filmmaking Award, Writer 2 episodes (only writing credit in career), This page was last edited on 4 December 2020, at 04:01. In an interview in 2000, Gibson described his impressions of Donner: "Uncle Dick. Script Magazine described the book as an "engaging portrait of a warm-hearted (if occasionally gruff) man who can justly be considered the modern equivalent of Victor Fleming and Michael Curtiz – a highly talented, professional director of motion pictures who has thrived in the studio system and made some pretty good pictures to boot. AKA Richard Donald Schwartzberg. She worked on many jobs, but decided that the best for her would be as a camera operator due to her photography experience. 90 Year Olds. Despite the first film's success, Donner was fired from Superman II. Jeff Cohen, who portrayed the lovable Chunk in Richard Donner's The Goonies, paid his respect to the director in Los Angeles earlier this week.The Academy of Motion Picture Art … Richard Donner (born Richard Donald Schwartzberg, April 24, 1930) is an American director and producer of film and television and occasional comic-book writer. In 1973, the network invited Shuler to a vacation relief program filling in for employees on vacation. Donner has systemic lupus erythematosus,[10] and had kidney problems in her childhood. He’s an old veteran and has an understanding of film that is the culmination of years of experience. However, the influence of Superman can be seen in superhero films outside the Superman storyline. [12] Director Born in New York #44. Robert Donner, a character actor who specialized in playing eccentrics, including the crazed prophet Exidor on the popular sitcom "Mork & Mindy," has died. One of Donner's assistants in the late 1990s was comic book writer Geoff Johns. Richard Donner. Superman. Taurus Named Richard #13. He is a director and producer, known for Superman (1978), Ladyhawke (1985) and Lethal Weapon (1987). [5] A supernatural horror made in the wake of the success obtained by The Exorcist, the film stars Gregory Peck, David Warner and Lee Remick. Following Donner's dismissal, Marlon Brando's scenes were removed from Superman II and much of the film was re-shot under Lester's direction. Donner’s wife, producer Lauren Shuler Donner, was full of stories about falling in love with this “defender of the underdog” during the years-long process of making Ladyhawke (1985), which was originally supposed to be shot in Eastern Europe but wound up in Italy instead. In October 2006, Donner, Johns and artist Adam Kubert became the new creative team on Action Comics, the publisher's most time honored publication and one of DC Comics' two main Superman titles. [3], Donner started his career with hopes of acting. Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut was released on November 28, 2006, the same date as the DVD release of the summer film Superman Returns. [5] In his early career as a director he worked on over twenty-five television series including Have Gun Will Travel, The Fugitive, Combat!, Get Smart, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Wild Wild West, Gilligan's Island, Kojak, Tales from the Crypt and The Twilight Zone (most notably the famous "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" starring William Shatner and "From Agnes—With Love" starring Wally Cox), as well as the serial Danger Island from the children's program The Banana Splits.[5]. Mom, starring Michael Keaton. Later, Donner got a job at Desilu, where he directed commercials. After directing the horror film The Omen (1976), Donner became famous for directing the first modern superhero film, Superman (1978), starring Christopher Reeve. He was also nominated for Best Director in 1978 for Superman. "[13], Nominated – CableACE Award for Best Dramatic Series, Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films President's Award, Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Secrets of the Cryptkeeper's Haunted House, Sarah T. – Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic, Vanity Fair: "The Rude Warrior" by Peter Biskind, Variety Magazine: "Vet helmer’s long and boffo road" by Beverly Walker, Haaretz: "Superman, Man of Schlemiel? [3] He has a sister, Joan. Donner was a rare camerawoman in a male-dominated field, being the first woman admitted to the IATSE Electrical and Camera Guild #659. [3] She is the daughter of a wholesale distributor and a housewife. He is 90 years old and is a Taurus. Rotten Tomatoes' summary states that "Superman II meets, if not exceeds, the standard set by its predecessor". Christopher Reeve. After directing the horror film The Omen (1976), Donner became famous for directing the first modern superhero film, Superman (1978), starring Christopher Reeve. Donner and his wife like to share the love with both people — “The best thing you can do is get invited to a party at the Donners’ house,” Jackman says — and dogs. He is married to Lauren Shuler Donner, the primary producer of all the X-Men films under their family company. Most Popular #90574. She said their professional relationship helped her learn how to work on action films: "if I hadn't seen how he did action movies, I wouldn't have had the wherewithal to even pursue an X-Men or a Constantine, or any of those". Managed by: Robert Walter Mlodzik: Last Updated: March 5, 2015 And brings his daughter along. 'All right, kid,' he’ll say, and slap you on the back and let you try something, because even he doesn’t know sometimes. [5] After a traffic accident that had her hospitalized for months, Donner started working with screenwriter friends and became a creative executive/story editor on Motown Productions. The production company The Donners' Company is owned by Donner and his wife, producer Lauren Shuler Donner. The film became a hit worldwide, projecting both Reeve and Donner to international fame. She owns The Donners' Company with her husband, director Richard Donner.Her films have grossed about $4.5 … He got a bit part in a TV show directed by Martin Ritt, who encouraged Donner to become a director instead. In the case of Superman, it was Donner who insisted the subject of the comic book superhero should be treated "straight," as in portrayed with respect to the fantasy genre's particular conventions and tone, rather than "camp", an approach that strongly influenced later genre directors such as Tim Burton (Batman, Batman Returns), Bryan Singer (X-Men, X2, X-Men: Days of Future Past), Christopher Nolan (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises), and Zack Snyder (Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League), who have made successful superhero films of their own. Richard Donner is an American film director, comic book writer and film producer. In 2000, he received the President's Award from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films. Richard Lester: A hard day's life The man who "invented" the music video was the perfect film director for the Beatles. He has been married to Lauren Shuler Donner since November 27, 1986. 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