The Donners' Company
The Donners' Company (formerly Donner/Shuler-Donner Productions) is the film production company of director Richard Donner and producer Lauren Shuler Donner, founded in 1986. It is notable for the Free Willy films and X-Men film series.
| Formerly | Donner/Shuler-Donner Productions (1986–1999) |
|---|---|
| Type | Production company |
| Industry | Film production |
| Founded | 1986 |
| Founders | Richard Donner Lauren Shuler Donner |
| Headquarters | 4000 Warner Boulevard, , |
| Owners | Richard Donner Lauren Shuler Donner |
History
Donner/Shuler-Donner Productions
In 1986, film producer Lauren Shuler Donner announced that she would end her production deal with The Walt Disney Studios.[1] She announced that she would merge with Warner Bros.-based Richard Donner Productions, to create Donner/Shuler-Donner Productions, to be operating on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, California.[1]
The first film released under the name was Radio Flyer, which was directed by Richard Donner, produced by Lauren Shuler Donner, and it was released by Columbia Pictures.[2] It flopped at the box office.[3]
The banner made its first major success in 1993, with the box office hit Free Willy. Its success spawned two sequels, and a television series.[4]
The same year, the studio and Warner Bros. made a deal with Hammer Film Productions to do remake film projects based on its existing UK film productions.[5]
In 1994, the studio hit its first television project, with an animated adaptation of the motion picture Free Willy, and it was aired on ABC for two seasons.[6]
The Donners' Company
In 1999, it was announced that Donner/Shuler-Donner Productions was renamed to the better-sounding name The Donners' Company. On April 4, 2000, it was signed a deal with NBC Studios to produce shows for the NBC television network.[7]
That same year, the studio scored their first major success with X-Men, which was an instant box office hit, grossing over $296.8 million worldwide.[8]
In 2001, The Donners' Company signed a deal with Winchester Films to produce its feature films from its own.[9]
More recently, the company was producing two X-Men series for television, including Legion on FX, and The Gifted on Fox, both of which received cancellations in 2019.[10][11]
Filmography
1990s
| Year | Title | Director | Distributor | Notes | Budget | Gross (worldwide) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Radio Flyer | Richard Donner | Columbia Pictures | first film; co-production with Stonebridge Entertainment | $35 million | $4.6 million |
| 1993 | Dave | Ivan Reitman | Warner Bros. | co-production with Northern Lights Entertainment | $28 million | $63.3 million |
| Free Willy | Simon Wincer | co-production with Warner Bros. Family Entertainment, Regency Enterprises, Le Studio Canal+ and Alcor Films | $20 million | $153.6 million | ||
| 1994 | Maverick | Richard Donner | co-production with Icon Productions | $75 million | $183 million | |
| 1995 | Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home | Dwight H. Little | as Schuler-Donner/Donner; co-production with Warner Bros. Family Entertainment, Regency Enterprises, Le Studio Canal+ and Alcor Films | $31 million | $30 million | |
| Assassins | Richard Donner | co-production with Silver Pictures | $50 million | $83.3 million | ||
| 1997 | Volcano | Mick Jackson | 20th Century Fox | co-production with Fox 2000 Pictures and Moritz Original | $90 million | $122.8 million |
| Free Willy 3: The Rescue | Sam Pillsbury | Warner Bros. | as Shuler Donner/Donner; co-production with Warner Bros. Family Entertainment, Regency Enterprises | N/A | $3.4 million | |
| Conspiracy Theory | Richard Donner | last film released under Donner/Shuler-Donner insignia, co-production with Silver Pictures | $80 million | $137 million | ||
| 1998 | Bulworth | Warren Beatty | 20th Century Fox | uncredited; co-production with Mulholland Productions | $30 million | $29.2 million |
| Lethal Weapon 4 | Richard Donner | Warner Bros. | as DoShuDo Productions, co-production with Silver Pictures | $100–150 million | $285.4 million | |
| You've Got Mail | Nora Ephron | uncredited | $65 million | $250.8 million | ||
| 1999 | Any Given Sunday | Oliver Stone | first film under the branding of The Donners' Company, co-production with Ixtlan Productions | $55 million | $100.2 million |
2000s
2010s
2020s
| Year | Title | Director | Distributor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | The New Mutants | Josh Boone | 20th Century Studios | co-production with Marvel Entertainment, Kinberg Genre, Sunswept Entertainment and TSG Entertainment |
Television
| Years | Title | Creator | Network | Notes | Seasons | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994–1995 | Free Willy | created by: Patrick Loubert based on Free Willy by: Keith A. Walker Corey Bleachman developed by: Patsy Cameron Ted Anasiti |
ABC | as Donner/Shuler Donner Productions; co-production with Le Studio Canal+, Nelvana, Regency Enterprises and Warner Bros. Television | 2 | 21 |
| 2017–2019 | Legion | Noah Hawley based on Legion by: Chris Claremont Bill Sienkiewicz |
FX | co-production with 26 Keys Productions, Kinberg Genre, Bad Hat Harry Productions, Marvel Television and FX Productions | 3 | 27 |
| The Gifted | Matt Nix based on characters by: Stan Lee Jack Kirby |
Fox | co-production with Flying Glass of Milk Productions, Kinberg Genre, Bad Hat Harry Productions, Marvel Television and 20th Century Fox Television | 2 | 29 |
References
- "Unknown". Variety. unknown, c. 1980s/1990s. Check date values in:
|date=(help); Cite uses generic title (help) - Rosenthal, Donna (1990-10-28). "Rolling Along, Finally: New director Richard Donner restarts the troubled 'Radio Flyer,' the first feature for the new regime at Columbia Pictures". MOVIES. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2020-06-28.
- Boyar, Jay. "'RADIO FLYER' IS A FLOP". OrlandoSentinel.com. Retrieved 2020-06-28.
- Klady, Leonard (1993-07-06). "Free Willy". Variety. Retrieved 2020-06-28.
- "Warner strikes Hammer deal". Variety. 1993-08-02. Retrieved 2020-06-28.
- Lowry, Brian (1994-03-17). "'Beethoven,' 'Willy' hit TV". Variety. Retrieved 2020-06-28.
- Schneider, Michael (2000-04-04). "Donners party with NBC pact". Variety. Retrieved 2020-06-28.
- "X-Men (2000) – Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved 2020-06-28.
- Fleming, Michael; Harris, Dana (2001-05-14). "Donners shoot for Winchester". Variety. Retrieved 2020-06-28.
- "'Legion' Will End with Season 3 on FX". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2020-06-28.
- Andreeva, Nellie (2019-04-18). "'The Gifted' Canceled By Fox After 2 Seasons; Marvel Drama Could Potentially Find New Home At Disney". Deadline. Retrieved 2020-06-28.