Richard Donner (born April 24, 1930) is an American film director, comic book writer and film producer.After directing the horror film The Omen (1976), Donner became famous for the hailed creation of the first modern superhero film, Superman (1978), starring Christopher Reeve. The influence of this film eventually helped establish the superhero concept as a respected film genre.Donner later went on to direct such films as The Goonies (1985) and Scrooged (1988), while reinvigorating the buddy film genre with Lethal Weapon (1987) and its sequels. He and his wife, producer Lauren Shuler Donner, own the production company The Donners' Company, which is most well known for producing the X-Men film series.In 2000, he received the President's Award from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films. He was also nominated for Best Director in 1978 for Superman. Film historian Michael Barson writes that Donner had "emerged as one of Hollywood's most reliable makers of action blockbusters".
Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Nikola Tesla Satellite Award
Nominations
Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show
Movies
Superman, The Goonies, Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, Lethal Weapon, The Omen, Superman II, Lethal Weapon 2, Scrooged, Maverick, Lethal Weapon 4, Lethal Weapon 3, Conspiracy Theory, Ladyhawke, 16 Blocks, Assassins, Timeline, The Toy, Radio Flyer, Inside Moves, Salt and Pepper, X-15, Sarah T. �...
TV Shows
Perversions of Science
#
Trademark
1
Deep gruff voice
2
Often inserts lines of dialog or places PSA posters/stickers for animal rights, human rights, and gun control
[on casting Marlon Brando in Superman (1978)] Marlon's the kind of man that if he can collect his money and not do the deed, he'd be only too happy to do so.
2
[on Christopher Reeve] He's the real-life Superman. I know I will see him walk again.
3
[on László Kovács, cinematographer] He is and was such a genius. He loved light so much. He and Vilmos [cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond]. It was like you'd toss a coin. "Who are we going to get? Who's available? Get me one of them Hungarians!"
4
[on Mel Gibson] The most exciting thing that's come into my life as an actor and a friend. He's a very special human being.
5
[on Mel Gibson] Mel Gibson is God's gift to a director, but he tells the worst jokes in the world.
6
[Acknowledging Geoffrey Unsworth for developing the photography process that made the flying scenes in Superman (1978) possible] If it hadn't been for Geoffrey Unsworth, we wouldn't have had a movie.
His mother, Hattie, was born in New York, to Russian Jewish parents. His father, Fred Schwartzberg, was a Russian Jewish immigrant.
3
The novelization for Young Sherlock Holmes (1985) uses the word omen; Donner directed The Omen (1976), and The Goonies (1985) the same year as Holmes and both were scripted by Chris Columbus and produced by Steven Spielberg. The book also says one of the characters is a superman to Holmes; this may be an in-joke to Donner who directed The Goonies (1985) and the first two Superman movies; there is a scene in Donner's movie when Sloth reveals a shirt with Superman's S on it.
4
Mervyn LeRoy's "Little Caesar" is his favorite film.
Co-producer of the "X-Men" films directed by Bryan Singer, who later directed Superman Returns (2006), a little more than 30 years after Donner himself directed the first one, Superman (1978).
11
Was offered the job of directing Never Say Never Again (1983) but turned it down according to the book "The Films of Sean Connery" by Philip Lisa and Lee Pfeiffer.
12
Was considered to direct the first Batman film (Batman (1989)), and had actor Mel Gibson in mind for the role of Batman.
13
Was asked to direct the fourth Superman film (Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)), and considered it alongside Tom Mankiewicz, who had been the writer of the first two Superman films, but ultimately both Donner and Mankiewicz declined, as they had other projects to deal with at the time.
Actor Steve Kahan is his cousin. Kahan has appeared in 12 of his movies.
16
Kept both One-Eyed Willie's head and a model for the ship from The Goonies (1985). Aside from directing the film, he has an uncredited cameo as one of the sheriffs on the quads as the Goonies exit the cave with the ship. He's the one with the gray hair. Producer 'Steven Spielberg (I)' instructed the cast members to act cold and distant toward Donner on the last week of filming, which puzzled him. Shortly after filming wrapped, Donner went to his beach house in Hawaii, ran into a frenzied neighbor who took up his entire day. When he arrived home, the entire cast was there with Donner to celebrate with a cookout. Spielberg flew them over to Hawaii on the promise that they not speak a word of the surprise to Donner, which prompted them to act the way they were on the last week of filming.
17
Originally, Donner directed Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980) back to back, then cut back on filming the sequel to focus on finishing the first one for a Christmas release. A clash with producers Alexander Salkind and Ilya Salkind over the material led to Donner being fired before he could finish filming the second one and he was replaced with Richard Lester. Donner later estimated that he had directed 80% of the sequel and saw about 50% of his work in the theatrical film.
18
Frequently makes uncredited appearances in his own movies.
$100 Million
