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Don Murphy

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Don Murphy is an American film producer who rose to prominence with the film Natural Born Killers. He is seen as a producer who, while hard to work with, has a drive to get results. Murphy grew up in Long Island and attended film school at the University of Southern California. He collaborated with Jane Hamsher to set up JD Productions, and he later created his own company, Angry Films. He was attached as a producer to the 2007 big-budget film Transformers, though he was criticized by the studios for using his personal website as a vehicle for Transformers fans to discuss the film, which had numerous negative postings. Murphy has several films in development with Angry Films.

Personal life

Don Murphy grew up in Long Island in the 1970s,[1] He was an undergraduate student at Georgetown University, where he was the film critic for the school's newspaper and also the head of the student film program. Though he almost attended Georgetown University Law Center,[2] he instead attended the School of Cinema-Television at the University of Southern California with Jane Hamsher.[3] He has been called a "comic-book lover".[1] Murphy has called Springsteen cover of "Little Drummer Boy" a favorite and also explained, "There's a lot of weird strange music I like." His favorite old-school film is And Then There Were None, and his favorite new-school film is The Nightmare Before Christmas. He also enjoys watching the TV show The Twilight Zone. His favorite books include The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Helter Skelter.[4] Murphy is 6'2" tall and has an Irish background.[2]

Murphy collaborated with Hamsher in writing her book, Killer Instinct, about their roles as producers in Natural Born Killers and beyond. Director Quentin Tarantino, who scripted Natural Born Killers, was given an "unflattering portrayal", and the director attacked Murphy at a Los Angeles restaurant in October 1997.[5] Harvey Weinstein brokered a truce between the two, and no charges were filed, though Murphy was reported to consider legal action.[6] Murphy later said of the ordeal, "I didn't say I wished Quentin Tarantino was dead. I didn't say I wanted him dead. I just said I'd celebrate his death."[7]

Murphy is married to Susan Montford, with whom he has professionally partnered. He is also friends with Brett Ratner, a director who also attended USC in the 1980s.[2]

Career

Don Murphy partnered with University of Southern California Jane Hamsher to form JD Productions. They rose to prominence as producers of the controversial 1994 film Natural Born Killers, the making of which Hamsher later chronicled in her book Killer Instinct. JD Productions continued to produce a string of films including the 1998 films Apt Pupil and Permanent Midnight.[8] Don Murphy formed his own company, Angry Films, in 1998.[4] The company's first production was The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen in 2003. The company's sophomore effort was Shoot 'Em Up in 2007. Don Murphy and his Angry Films are involved in developing numerous projects, including:

Reputation

Don Murphy is infamous as an "angry young producer" who started his career strongly with Natural Born Killers.[12] Murphy acknowledged, "I know what my reputation is in town—difficult, great taste, gets movies made. To me, that's fine. I'm not trying to win a popularity contest." Director Larry Clark said of the producer, "I think he's a great producer and a really good guy. I like him a lot." Screenwriter David Goyer had his own take: "He certainly wants to make good movies, but I think he's trying to appeal to his own sense of what's good and what's not, and he really doesn't give a shit what other people think. Sometimes it makes him reckless, and sometimes it makes him his own worst enemy, but he really fights for this, and he doesn't care about the politics. The funny thing is, he's actually a huge softie." Screenwriter Scott Rosenberg compared Murphy to mavericks Sam Peckinpah and Richard Brooks, explaining, "Don's a throwback to the old days of the bombastic, bellicose, belligerent producer. Takes no shit from anybody. Does not suffer fools gladly. But at the same time, he has this incredible taste for the most out-there, insane stuff." Murphy did not get along well with Bill Mechanic in producing The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, which had resulted in Murphy's ban from the set. Mechanic said of the ordeal, There were some behavioral issues, in terms of what I thought was inappropriate for somebody who was making a movie for us. But, Don and I made peace."[2]

Murphy accepts the reputation he has found in Hollywood: "'You have the best taste in town, you actually get movies made, but you can be hard to handle.' It's an assessment I can live with, especially since I'm not sure which good producer in Hollywood is easy to handle. Talent goes a long way, but tenacity is the only way a film gets made." His drive to pursue his interest in comic books has been a successful endeavor for him. Murphy introduced the graphic novel From Hell, which was produced into a 2001 film. Murphy explained his foresight: "The established properties with valuable names were already tapped. DC and Marvel have 100 properties each with good stories, but you wouldn't know what they were. If something is a good idea, it doesn't matter where it comes from." The producer also attracted attention to the graphic novel Torso, which is currently in development under director David Fincher. Murphy has also produced what The Hollywood Reporter calls "edgy production pieces" such as Permanent Midnight and Bully (2001). Murphy's personal ambition is to film A Cool Breeze on the Underground, which had struggled in development hell with numerous actors attached to the project.[12]

Transformers involvement

In June 2003, Murphy set up a forum on his personal website, donmurphy.net, to foment discussion among fans about the then-upcoming film Transformers. Murphy said of his goal, "With Transformers, we had this really rabid following. To be frank, I wanted to have some way where we could at least hear what people think." Murphy's behavior on the forum was viewed as combative, and Murphy described his approach: "I had my own persona, the angry sheriff. I will mock fans if that is what I have to do." He and fellow producer Tom DeSanto shopped a film treatment based on the Transformers toy line with little success. When Paramount Pictures later sought to develop Transformers, Steven Spielberg purchased Murphy and DeSanto's treatment and set up a partnership between DreamWorks and Paramount to co-finance the project. Murphy and DeSanto were both named producers for Transformers. With Murphy's active involvement, the studios expressed concern about how donmurphy.net might be perceived. As a result, Murphy distanced his website from the studios with an official disclaimer. In 2007, however, Murphy was nearly forced to shut down the website when "vitriolic fans criticized every aspect of the production".[1] According to The New York Times, "Don Murphy... is widely reviled by executives at Paramount and DreamWorks for allowing his personal Web site (donmurphy.net) to be used by Transformers fans to attack the two studios, and the movie's lead producer, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, in vicious personal terms... Asked if he would offer an apology to Mr. di Bonaventura for the nasty posts, Mr. Murphy, whose production company is called Angry Films, bluntly said, 'Nope.'"[13]

Director Michael Bay of Transformers criticized on his own message board that Murphy and DeSanto had tried to claim creative credit for the film. Though the post was removed shortly after, its appearance and removal was revealed on fan sites and blogs. With producer di Bonaventura's publicist questioning the coverage of Murphy and DeSanto, Paramount issued a statement to The New York Times, crediting only producers di Bonaventura and Bryce as doing work on Transformers. In an interview, Murphy did not claim creative credit but instead identified himself as a "liaison" to Transformers fans.[1]

Filmography

Don Murphy has been involved as a producer in the following films:

Murphy has also made minor appearances in two films, including an uncredited appearance as a prison guard in Natural Born Killers and as "Creep at Restaurant" in the 1998 film Hairshirt.[14]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Holson, Laura M. (2007-07-09). "Fans Get to Talk About ' Transformers ,' and the Knives Are Unsheathed". The New York Times. New York: The New York Times Company. Retrieved 2008-03-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  2. ^ a b c d e f Cullum, Paul (2002-11-13). "The Misfits". LA Weekly. Village Voice Media. Retrieved 2008-03-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  3. ^ Lindsey, Craig (1997-10-12). "Producer crafts petty Hollywood stab-and-tell story". Houston Chronicle. Texas: Hearst Corporation. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  4. ^ a b "10 Questions: Don Murphy". IGN. News Corporation. 2002-12-17. Retrieved 2008-03-16. {{cite news}}: |first= missing |last= (help); Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  5. ^ Caro, Mark (1997-11-09). "Gunning for Tarantino". Chicago Tribune. Illinois: Tribune Company. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  6. ^ Stein, Joel (1997-11-03). "Live Pulp". Time. Time Inc. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  7. ^ Stein, Joel (2000-05-15). "Sound Bites 1990-2000". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  8. ^ "JD Productions". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2008-03-16.
  9. ^ Brodesser, Claude (2005-06-07). "New Line takes on 'We3' killer cuties". Variety. Reed Business Information. Retrieved 2008-03-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ Garrett, Diane (2007-04-29). "Universal eyes 'Sight'". Variety. Reed Business Information. Retrieved 2008-03-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  11. ^ Gilstrap, Peter (2007-05-06). "Bruckheimer finds his 'Gemini Man'". Variety. Reed Business Information. Retrieved 2008-03-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  12. ^ a b Thompson, Anne (2006-01-13). "For producer Murphy, 'no' is not an answer". The Hollywood Reporter. Nielsen Company. Retrieved 2008-03-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  13. ^ Halbfinger, David M. (2007-06-30). "How a Fan of Comic Books Transformed Himself Into a Hollywood Player". The New York Times. New York: The New York Times Company. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  14. ^ "Don Murphy (III)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2008-03-16.

Further reading

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