Laura Ziskin

Laura Ellen Ziskin[1] (March 3, 1950 – June 12, 2011)[2] was an American film producer. She was the executive producer of Pretty Woman (1990) and producer of Spider-Man (2002), Spider-Man 2 (2004), Spider-Man 3 (2007), The Amazing Spider-Man (2012; posthumous credit) and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014; posthumous credit).

Laura Ziskin
Ziskin c. 1968
Born
Laura Ellen Ziskin

(1950-03-03)March 3, 1950
San Fernando Valley, California, U.S.
DiedJune 12, 2011(2011-06-12) (aged 61)
Santa Monica, California, U.S.
EducationUSC School of Cinematic Arts
OccupationFilm producer
Years active1976–2011
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1978, divorced)​
    ​
    (m. 2010)​
    Children1

    She was the first woman to produce the Academy Awards telecast alone, producing the 74th Academy Awards (2002) and the 79th Academy Awards (2007).

    Early life and education

    Ziskin was born and raised in a Russian-Jewish family[3][4] in the San Fernando Valley, California, the daughter of Jay Ziskin and Elaine Edelman.[5] Her father was a psychologist and lawyer who died of prostate cancer, aged 77, on June 14, 1997.[6]

    After graduating from the USC School of Cinematic Arts in 1973,[5] Ziskin began by writing material for game shows, then became the personal assistant of Jon Peters. Ziskin quickly became a development executive, moving into feature films with Jon Peters' production company where she worked on the remake of A Star Is Born (1976), starring Barbra Streisand. She was the associate producer of The Eyes of Laura Mars (1978).

    Career

    Fogwood Films and as an independent producer

    Ziskin formed Fogwood Films with partner Sally Field in 1984, and produced Murphy's Romance (1985).[7] As an independent producer, Ziskin produced the thriller No Way Out (1987) for Orion Pictures.[8] Ziskin and partner Ian Sander produced two films featuring Dennis Quaid, the 1988 remake of D.O.A.[9] and Taylor Hackford's Everybody's All-American (also 1988).[10]

    Touchstone Pictures

    Ziskin's largest success came with the release of the comedy Pretty Woman (1990), starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, on which Ziskin served as executive producer for Touchstone Pictures.[11] Ziskin's next project, What About Bob? (1991), proved stressful. She and star Bill Murray had spirited disagreements during production which involved Murray pushing her into a lake and breaking her sunglasses.[12]

    Neither that film nor The Doctor (also 1991)[13] were anywhere near as strong at the box-office as Pretty Woman.[14] A switch to Columbia resulted in Stephen Frears' Hero (1992), a loose remake of Meet John Doe (1941), for which Ziskin both produced and supplied the story.[15] Ziskin directed her first short film Oh, What a Day! 1914, which was released in 1994,[16] and produced the Nicole Kidman tour-de-force To Die For (1995), under the banner of Laura Ziskin Productions.[17]

    Fox 2000

    By the time that last film was in release, Ziskin had been appointed president of Fox 2000, one of several offshoots 20th Century Fox developed to speed up their production and distribution.

    Among the films released were Edward Zwick's Gulf War drama Courage Under Fire (1996) and the romantic comedy One Fine Day (also 1996) and Pat O'Connor's Inventing the Abbotts (1997) and the big-budget disaster film Volcano (also 1997). Ziskin and Tom Rothman helped develop the script for The English Patient (1996) before studio head Bill Mechanic returned the rights to director Anthony Minghella, who then got it produced and distributed through Miramax.[18]

    Ziskin executive produced As Good as It Gets (1997). The film received seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. Its stars, Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt, received the leading role Oscars in the acting categories.

    Columbia Pictures

    After nearly five years in the same job, Ziskin resigned from Fox 2000 in November 1999 and within a month had a production deal at Columbia Pictures.

    After serving as the first solo female producer of an Academy Awards telecast in 2002, Ziskin returned to the big screen with the feature version of Spider-Man (2002). The film was released in early May to widespread acclaim from critics and became the highest-grossing film of its year. The success of the film led to two sequels, Spider-Man 2 (2004) and Spider-Man 3 (2007).

    In 2002, Ziskin was awarded the Crystal Award by Women in Film for her efforts at expanding the role of women in the entertainment industry.[19]

    Breast cancer activism

    In February 2004, Ziskin was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer, a disease doctors had repeatedly missed previously because of the diffuse type of cancer she had.[20]

    On May 28, 2008, Ziskin, along with Katie Couric, Sherry Lansing, the Entertainment Industry Foundation, the Noreen Fraser Foundation and Ellen Ziffren, created of the charitable organization Stand Up to Cancer.

    Death

    Ziskin died of breast cancer at her home in Santa Monica, California, on June 12, 2011, aged 61.[2][21] Her final films were the franchise reboot, The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) and The Butler (2013). She died a few weeks after principal filming ended on The Amazing Spider-Man but three weeks before filming began on The Butler.[22]

    In 2012, the Athena Film Festival created an award to be given in her honor: The Laura Ziskin Lifetime Achievement Award is given annually to a woman in the film industry whose leadership demonstrates vision and courage and sets a standard for other women to emulate.[23]

    Personal life

    When she was about 27, Ziskin married writer Julian Barry, relocating to Connecticut to help him raise his three children from a previous marriage. The couple later had a daughter, Julia Barry.[5][24] Ziskin was married to writer Alvin Sargent from 2010 until her death in 2011 from complications of breast cancer.[5]

    Filmography as producer and executive producer

    She was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.

    Film
    Year Film Credit Notes
    1978Eyes of Laura MarsAssociate producer
    1985Murphy's Romance
    1987No Way Out
    1988D.O.A.
    The Rescue
    Everybody's All-American
    1990Pretty WomanExecutive producer
    1991What About Bob?
    The Doctor
    1992Hero
    1995To Die For
    1997As Good as It GetsExecutive producer
    2002Spider-Man
    2004Spider-Man 2
    2005Stealth
    2007Spider-Man 3
    2012The Amazing Spider-ManPosthumous credit
    2013The ButlerPosthumous credit
    As writer
    Year Film
    1991What About Bob?
    1992Hero
    Miscellaneous crew
    Year Film Role
    1976A Star Is BornAssistant: Jon Peters
    Thanks
    Year Film Role
    2008KillshotThanks
    2012Lay the FavoriteFor
    The Amazing Spider-ManIn memory of
    2013The Butler
    2016CreedmoriaSpecial thanks

    Television
    Year Title Credit Notes
    1983One Cooks, the Other Doesn'tTelevision film
    2000Fail SafeTelevision film
    2001Dinner with FriendsExecutive producerTelevision film
    How I Learned to DriveTelevision film
    200274th Academy AwardsExecutive producerTelevision special
    2003TarzanExecutive producer
    200779th Academy AwardsExecutive producerTelevision special
    2008−10Stand Up to CancerExecutive producerTelevision special
    2015CancerExecutive producerDocumentary
    As writer
    Year Title Notes
    2008Stand Up to CancerTelevision special
    Miscellaneous crew
    Year Title Role Notes
    1977Minstrel ManAssistant to the producersTelevision film

    References
    1. Gale Research Company (2002). Contemporary theatre, film, and television, p. 388. Gale Research Co., ISBN 978-0-7876-5112-1
    2. Aljean Harmetz (June 13, 2011). "Laura Ziskin, Producer of 'Spider-Man' and 'Pretty Woman,' Dies at 61". The New York Times.
    3. Hyman, Paula; Moore, Deborah Dash (1997). Volume 1 of Jewish Women in America: An Historical Encyclopedia, p. 448. American Jewish Historical Society/Taylor & Francis, ISBN 978-0-415-91934-0
    4. Jewish Journal: "Goodbye to Laura Ziskin: ‘A mother in a man’s world’" BY DANIELLE BERRIN June 29, 2011
    5. Zeitchik, Steven; Nicole Sperling (June 14, 2011). "Laura Ziskin dies at 61; 'Spider-Man' producer". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 13, 2011.
    6. Staff report (June 21, 1997). "Jay H. Ziskin; Psychologist and Lawyer". Los Angeles Times. June 21, 1997.
    7. Miller, Gabriel (2000). The films of Martin Ritt: fanfare for the common man. Univ. Press of Mississippi, ISBN 978-1-57806-277-5
    8. Canby, Vincent (August 14, 1987). Film: 'No Way Out,' Washington Drama. New York Times
    9. James, Caryn (March 18, 1988). Film; 'D.O.A.,' Racing Death. The New York Times
    10. Maslin, Janet (November 4, 1988). Film; The Glory Fades in 'Everybody's All-American.' The New York Times
    11. Benson, Sheila (March 23, 1990). 'Pretty Woman': Roberts' Legs, a Cold Heart. Los Angeles Times
    12. Brownfield, Paul (February 29, 2004). THE ICONOCLAST; What about Bill?; Murray doesn't play the game – which might be how he keeps his craft fresh. Los Angeles Times
    13. Maslin, Janet (July 24, 1991). Film; William Hurt as Doctor Whose Spirit Heals When He Falls Ill. New York Times
    14. Fox, David J. (September 4, 1991). [The Long, Not-So-Hot Summer Industry Hopes Year-End Films Revive Sagging Box Office.] Los Angeles Times
    15. Turan, Kenneth (October 2, 1992). A Reluctant 'Hero.' Los Angeles Times
    16. Schick, Elizabeth A. (1997). Current Biography Yearbook, 1997. HW Wilson Co, ISBN 978-0-8242-0938-4
    17. Quigley, Eileen S. (2006). International Television & Video Almanac. Quigley Pub. Co., ISBN 978-0-900610-78-3
    18. Waxman, Sharon (2005). Rebels on the backlot: six maverick directors and how they conquered the Hollywood studio system, p. 257. HarperCollins, ISBN 978-0-06-054017-3
    19. McDonald, Kathy A. (September 20, 2002). Laura Ziskin: self-starting 'Spider-Man' producer stays real, seeks perfection. Variety
    20. Waxman, Sharon (January 7, 2007). She's Producing as Fast as She Can. The New York Times
    21. Littleton, Cynthia (June 12, 2011). "Producer Laura Ziskin dies at 61". Variety.
    22. Finke, Nikki (August 18, 2013). "Oprah's PR Blitz Helps 'The Butler' Open #1 With $25M: Soft Box Office As 'Kick Ass 2' Falls, 'Jobs' Biopic Dies, 'Paranoia' Bombs".
    23. The Laura Siskin Lifetime Achievement Award – Athena Film Festival "The 2013 Laura Ziskin Lifetime Achievement Award | Athena Film Festival". Archived from the original on September 18, 2013. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
    24. Schick, Elizabeth A. (1997). Current Biography Yearbook. HW Wilson Co., ISBN 978-0-8242-0938-4
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