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Revision as of 20:04, 16 March 2008 view sourceRTFA (talk | contribs)97 edits Separating personal life from career← Previous edit Revision as of 20:19, 16 March 2008 view source RTFA (talk | contribs)97 edits →Personal life: Strained relationship with Murphy and Tarantino after Natural Born KillersNext edit →
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==Personal life== ==Personal life==
Don Murphy grew up in ] in the 1970s,<ref name="new york times">{{cite news |first=Laura M. |last=Holson |authorlink= |author= |coauthors= |title= Fans Get to Talk About ' Transformers ,' and the Knives Are Unsheathed |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/09/business/media/09fans.html?pagewanted=1 |format= |work=] |publisher=] |location=New York |id= |pages= |page= |date=] |accessdate=2008-03-16 |language= |quote= |archiveurl= |archivedate= }}</ref> and he attended film school at the ] with ].<ref>{{cite news |first=Craig |last=Lindsey |authorlink= |author= |coauthors= |title=Producer crafts petty Hollywood stab-and-tell story |url= |format= |work=] |publisher=] |location=Texas |id= |pages= |page= |date=] |accessdate=2008-03-16 |language= |quote= |archiveurl= |archivedate= }}</ref> He has been called a "comic-book lover".<ref name="new york times"/> Don Murphy grew up in ] in the 1970s,<ref name="new york times">{{cite news |first=Laura M. |last=Holson |authorlink= |author= |coauthors= |title= Fans Get to Talk About ' Transformers ,' and the Knives Are Unsheathed |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/09/business/media/09fans.html?pagewanted=1 |format= |work=] |publisher=] |location=New York |id= |pages= |page= |date=] |accessdate=2008-03-16 |language= |quote= |archiveurl= |archivedate= }}</ref> and he attended film school at the ] with ].<ref>{{cite news |first=Craig |last=Lindsey |authorlink= |author= |coauthors= |title=Producer crafts petty Hollywood stab-and-tell story |url= |format= |work=] |publisher=] |location=Texas |id= |pages= |page= |date=] |accessdate=2008-03-16 |language= |quote= |archiveurl= |archivedate= }}</ref> He has been called a "comic-book lover".<ref name="new york times"/>

Murphy collaborated with Hamsher in writing her book, ''Killer Instinct'', about their roles as producers in '']'' and beyond. Director ], who filmed ''Natural Born Killers'', was given an "unflattering portrayal", and the director attached Murphy at a Los Angeles restaurant in October 1997.<ref>{{cite news |first=Mark |last=Caro |authorlink= |author= |coauthors= |title=Gunning for Tarantino |url= |format= |work=] |publisher=] |location=Illinois |id= |pages= |page= |date=] |accessdate=2008-03-16 |language= |quote=Just last month in a Los Angeles restaurant, he tried force-feeding a knuckle sandwich to ''Natural Born Killers'' producer Don Murphy, who added to the unflattering portrayal of Tarantino in a new book, ''Killer Instinct'', that chronicles the making of ''Killers'' (for which Tarantino wrote the original, much-altered screenplay). |archiveurl= |archivedate= }}</ref> ] brokered a truce between the two, and no charges were filed, though Murphy was reported to consider legal action.<ref>{{cite news |first=Joel |last=Stein |authorlink= |author= |coauthors= |title=Live Pulp |url= |format= |work=] |publisher=] |location= |id= |pages= |page= |date=] |accessdate=2008-03-16 |language= |quote= |archiveurl= |archivedate= }}</ref> 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."<ref>{{cite news |first=Joel |last=Stein |authorlink= |author= |coauthors= |title= Sound Bites 1990-2000 |url= |format= |work=] |publisher=] |location= |id= |pages= |page= |date=] |accessdate=2008-03-16 |language= |quote= |archiveurl= |archivedate= }}</ref>


==Career== ==Career==

Revision as of 20:19, 16 March 2008

Don Murphy is an American film producer who rose to prominence with the film Natural Born Killers. 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, and he attended film school at the University of Southern California with Jane Hamsher. He has been called a "comic-book lover".

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 filmed Natural Born Killers, was given an "unflattering portrayal", and the director attached Murphy at a Los Angeles restaurant in October 1997. Harvey Weinstein brokered a truce between the two, and no charges were filed, though Murphy was reported to consider legal action. 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."

Career

He formed JD Productions in Los Angeles with Hamsher, who documented the early days of the company in her book Killer Instinct. They produced a string of films including:

Angry Films

Murphy then formed his own company, Angry Films, which, beginning with The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, has produced a number of films and has others in various stages of production as of 2007, including Shoot 'Em Up with Clive Owen and Torso, a David Fincher film, as well as While She Was Out with Kim Basinger, and others. He is married to filmmaker Susan Montford.

According to reports in Variety, AngryFilms is set to produce: an adaptation of We3, a Vertigo Comics miniseries, for New Line Cinema.; an adaptation of Second Sight, a BBC miniseries, for Universal Studios.; and Gemini Man, for Walt Disney Company.

According to a report in Hollywood Reporter, AngryFilms is also set to produce Splice, with director Vincenzo Natali.

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". 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.'"

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.

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.

References

  1. ^ "For producer Murphy, 'no' is not an answer". Reuters Movie News. January 13 2006. Retrieved 2007-04-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ 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)
  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. Caro, Mark (1997-11-09). "Gunning for Tarantino". Chicago Tribune. Illinois: Tribune Company. Just last month in a Los Angeles restaurant, he tried force-feeding a knuckle sandwich to Natural Born Killers producer Don Murphy, who added to the unflattering portrayal of Tarantino in a new book, Killer Instinct, that chronicles the making of Killers (for which Tarantino wrote the original, much-altered screenplay). {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  5. 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)
  6. Stein, Joel (2000-05-15). "Sound Bites 1990-2000". Entetainment Weekly. Time Inc. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  7. "SECRET BIOGRAPHY". Retrieved 2008-02-13.
  8. Cullum, Paul (2002-11-13). "LA Weekly - News - The Misfits - Paul Cullum - The Essential Online Resource for Los Angeles". LA Weekly. Retrieved 2008-02-13. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. Fritz, Ben (2005-06-07). "New Line takes on 'We3' killer cuties". Variety Magazine. Reed Elsevier Inc. Retrieved 2007-03-23. Don Murphy is producing the pic with his AngryFilms shingle along with Susan Montford and Rick Benattar. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  10. Garrett, Dianne (2007-04-29). "Universal Eyes Sight". Variety Magazine. Reed Elsevier Inc. Retrieved 2007-09-17. Don Murphy is producing the pic with his AngryFilms shingle along with Susan Montford
  11. Gilstrap, Peter (2007-05-06). "Bruckheimer Finds HIs Gemini Man". Variety Magazine. Reed Elsevier Inc. Retrieved 2007-09-17. Don Murphy is producing the pic with his AngryFilms shingle along with Jerry Bruckheimer
  12. Kit, Borys (2007-04-20). "Natali in Lab". Hollywood Reporter. Reed Elsevier Inc. Retrieved 2007-09-17. Don Murphy is producing the pic with his AngryFilms shingle along with Susan Montford
  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.

External links

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