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Todd Durham

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Todd Durham
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Filmmaker, comedy writer, novelist
Notable workHotel Transylvania franchise (creator)
Hyperspace aka Gremloids
Visions of Sugar-Plums
Mr. Smith Goes To Hell
WebsiteToddDurham.com

Todd Durham (/ˈdʌrəm/) is an American filmmaker, comedy writer, and novelist, best known as the creator of the Hotel Transylvania movie franchise for Columbia Pictures which he based on his book of the same name. He became the sixth sole-creator of an animated movie franchise that went on to generate over $1 billion from theatrical and ancillary markets after only one sequel. Durham’s works, including over forty screenplays and books, frequently combine fantasy storylines with character comedy.

Early life

Durham studied comedy writing at USC under brothers Danny Simon, mentor of Woody Allen, and Neil Simon.[1][2]

Career

Based on a half-hour 35mm film that he wrote and directed, a North Carolina movie studio signed Durham to a three-picture feature deal.[3][4] According to an article in GQ magazine, the studio “takes chances on budding writers, like Todd Durham” who wrote and directed the micro-budget sci-fi comedy feature, Hyperspace (a.k.a. Gremloids) starring Chris Elliott and Paula Poundstone.[5] Later James Cameron cast Elliott in The Abyss, part of which was shot at the same N.C. studio; Ray Bradbury would become an occasional advisor over the next two decades.[6][7] The movie gained a cult following and received worldwide media attention when fans in England formed the Gremloids Party, pitting Lord Buckethead, one of Durham’s characters from the movie, against Margaret Thatcher in her bid for reelection as Prime Minister.[8] See video of Buckethead and Thatcher from BBC News[9] and NBC Nightly News With Tom Brokaw.[10] Pursued by CAA, ICM, and WMA, Durham signed with Rick Jaffa, then wunderkind agent at William Morris, and worked as an uncredited script doctor on comedy projects at major studios.[11][12] He wrote screenplays for comedy actors, directors, and producers; the National Lampoon movie franchise; and many Saturday Night Live alumni.[13][14][15] Durham ghosted celebrity autobiographies, and authored his first novel Mr. Smith Goes To Hell and its screenplay, from which The Los Angeles Times quoted excerpts and described as having “some of the funniest depictions of Hades” alongside Gary Larson’s The Far Side.[16]

During his years as studio script doctor, Durham created the Hotel Transylvania movie franchise in which he outlined in a bible a series of seven animated feature films and its characters, a television series, video games, merchandising, hotel chain, and theme park.[17][18] After authoring the book Hotel Transylvania, he took the package unsolicited to Columbia Pictures and set it up at Sony Pictures Animation where he became the first of several screenwriters on the project.[1] In 2012 Hotel Transylvania, starring Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez, Andy Samberg, Kevin James, Fran Drescher, Steve Buscemi, Molly Shannon, David Spade, and Jon Lovitz, broke two box office records,[19] received a Golden Globe nomination,[20] and became one of animation’s highest-grossing movies.[21] In an early draft Durham created an ancient vampire character for Mel Brooks, but there was not a place for the grumpy, 600-year-old Count in the first movie, so he became Dracula’s father in the sequel.[18][22] After its release in 2015 Hotel Transylvania 2, featuring Brooks, broke box office records set by the original[23][24] and became Sandler’s biggest debut weekend.[25] With theatrical markets (worldwide box office) and ancillary markets (home media, cable, merchandising, books, video games, TV series, theme parks, etc.), franchise revenues surpassed ten figures.[21][26][27][28]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result
2013 Golden Globe Awards Best Animated Feature Hotel Transylvania nominated

References

  1. ^ a b "Columbia Pictures Press Kit - Hotel Transylvania" (PDF). {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  2. ^ Bernstein, Adam (2005-07-28). "TV Comedy Writer Danny Simon Dies". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2017-05-28.
  3. ^ "Change Of Pace". The Foothills View. April 29, 1983. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  4. ^ "Space Comedy Coming From Shelby". The Charlotte Observer. June 22, 1984. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  5. ^ "The Dixie DeMille". Gentleman's Quarterly. August 1986.
  6. ^ "The Metal Projector". Heavy Metal magazine. February 1985.
  7. ^ Elliott, Chris (2012). The Guy Under The Sheets. The Penguin Group.
  8. ^ "Meet the tiny, fringe parties who never win anything - but do enrich our democracy". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-05-28.
  9. ^ "Margaret Thatcher Vote Count". BBC News Archives. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  10. ^ Brokaw, Tom (June 11, 1987). "NBC Evening News With Tom Brokaw". TV News Archives. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  11. ^ "Todd Durham signs with WMA as writer, director". Variety. August 28, 1987.
  12. ^ "Hyperspace". The Los Angeles Times. April 22, 1990. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  13. ^ "(front page) Zadan's Storyline unfolds with slate of major projects". The Hollywood Reporter. November 7, 1988.
  14. ^ Lyons, Charles (1999-10-15). "Mouse, Keaton in talks for 'Strangers' project". Variety. Retrieved 2017-05-28.
  15. ^ "(front page) O'Donnell kids around in Nick, Dis pic projects". The Hollywood Reporer. July 8, 1999.
  16. ^ "It's Hotter Than Ever... HELL. After years of neglect, Hades is making a comeback. But it's been remodeled a bit". The Los Angeles Times. January 9, 1994. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  17. ^ "Hotel Transylvania". Sony Pictures Animation. Retrieved 2017-05-28.
  18. ^ a b "Hotel Transylvania". Facebook. Retrieved 2017-05-28.
  19. ^ "'Hotel Transylvania' Sets Box Office Records For September". Huffington Post. 2012-09-30. Retrieved 2017-05-28.
  20. ^ "Hotel Transylvania". www.goldenglobes.com. Retrieved 2017-05-28.
  21. ^ a b "The Numbers - Where Data and the Movie Business Meet". The Numbers. Retrieved 2017-05-28.
  22. ^ McNary, Dave (2014-11-26). "Mel Brooks to Voice Dracula's Father in 'Hotel Transylvania 2'". Variety. Retrieved 2017-05-28.
  23. ^ Mendelson, Scott. "Weekend Box Office: With $48.46M, 'Hotel Transylvania 2' Scores Adam Sandler's Biggest Debut Ever". Forbes. Retrieved 2017-05-28.
  24. ^ McClintock, Pamela. "'Hotel Transylvania 2' sets box office record". CNN. Retrieved 2017-05-28.
  25. ^ "Box office report: 'Hotel Transylvania 2' earns the biggest September opening ever". EW.com. 2015-09-27. Retrieved 2017-05-28.
  26. ^ ""hotel transylvania" merchandising". Google. Retrieved 2017-05-28.
  27. ^ "Sony Pictures Consumer Products Inc. and PlayFirst Join to Develop Mobile Game for Sony Pictures Animation's Upcoming 3D Animated Comedy, Hotel Transylvania" (Press release). Sony Pictures. July 10, 2012. Retrieved 2017-05-28.
  28. ^ "'Hotel Transylvania' TV Series Headed to Disney Channels Worldwide". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2017-05-28.
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