Dany Garcia | |
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Born | Belleville, New Jersey, U.S. |
Alma mater | University of Miami (BBA) |
Occupations | |
Years active | 2008–present |
Organizations |
|
Title | Chairwoman |
Spouses |
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Children | Ava Raine |
Dany Garcia Rienzi is an American film producer and businesswoman. She is the founder of GSTQ and the CEO and chair of The Garcia Companies overseeing a portfolio of brands in business, entertainment, and food, including Teremana Tequila, Athleticon, and the Project Rock Collection at Under Armour, VOSS, Atom Tickets, Salt & Straw, ZOA Energy, Acorns, and the UFL. [1] [2]
Following her graduation from the University of Miami's School of Business, she began her career in finance at Merrill Lynch in 1992. In 2008, she began managing her ex-husband Dwayne Johnson's career. In 2012, Garcia co-founded the production company Seven Bucks Productions, for which she has since produced several films starring Johnson, [3] including Baywatch, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (both 2017), Shazam!, [4] Hobbs & Shaw , Jumanji: The Next Level (all 2019), Jungle Cruise , Red Notice (both 2021), DC League of Super-Pets , and Black Adam (both 2022). [5] [6] [7]
Garcia was born to Cuban immigrants and grew up in New Jersey. [6] She has one brother, Hiram, [8] and one sister. [9] Garcia majored in international marketing and finance at the University of Miami [6] and graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the university's School of Business in 1992. [10] [7] She became an associate vice president at Merrill Lynch and started her own wealth management firm, JDM Partners LLC in 2002. [9] [11] In 2008, Garcia transitioned from her career in finance to manage Dwayne Johnson's career, and is now his global strategic advisor. [6] [12]
In 2008, Garcia executive produced the documentary Theater of War, directed by John Walter and starring Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline. [13] [14] This was followed by the Christmas-themed romantic drama film Lovely, Still (2008), starring Martin Landau and Ellen Burstyn. [15] The following year, Garcia produced the documentary Racing Dreams (2009). Directed by Marshall Curry, the film follows two boys and a girl as they compete and aspire to become professional NASCAR drivers. [16] The film was critically acclaimed, winning Best Documentary at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival, where it was also runner up for the Audience Award. [17] The film received a 100% fresh rating from Rotten Tomatoes based on 26 reviews, with a weighted average of 7.38/10. [18] The film was called "The best film of the year" by the Los Angeles Times ("The Envelope") and "Absorbing… one of the rare documentaries you leave wishing it was a little longer, " by The New York Times . [19]
In 2012, Garcia and Johnson co-founded their production company, Seven Bucks Productions. [3] Garcia then produced the action film Snitch (2013), directed by Ric Roman Waugh and starring Johnson, [20] followed by the reality television series The Hero. [21] She later founded her multi-platform enterprise, The Garcia Companies and TGC Management, a global brand development and management company, representing actors Henry Cavill and Dwayne Johnson. [5] [6] [22] That same year, TNT ordered eight hour-long episodes for the reality television series Wake Up Call, which premiered in 2014 and into 2015. Garcia was executive producer for all eight episodes, which was described as The Hero's "natural successor." [21] Another reality TV series, Clash Of The Corps, premiered in 2016 with Fuse TV. [23] Garcia and Johnson later launched a digital channel for the short-TV series Millennials the Musical (2016). [24]
In 2017, Garcia executive produced several projects for TV and the web, all starring Johnson . The first one was Rock and a Hard Place for HBO, which focuses on the lives of incarcerated young people. [25] [26] [27] This was followed by the web series Logan Paul Summer Saga with American internet personality Logan Paul, [28] Bro/Science/Life: The Series, [29] [30] [31] and Lifeline. [32] [33]
Garcia later executive produced her first large budget film, Baywatch (2017), an action comedy film directed by Seth Gordon and based on the television series of the same name. The film was panned critically, [34] but a box office success, grossing $177.8 million worldwide, against a production budget of $69 million. [35] Garcia followed this up with Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017), [6] a fantasy adventure comedy film directed by Jake Kasdan. It the third installment of the Jumanji franchise, after Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005) and a direct sequel to Jumanji (1995), which was based on the 1981 children's book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle received positive reviews [36] and grossed $962.1 million worldwide, becoming one of Sony's highest-grossing films of all time. [37]
Rampage (2018), a science fiction monster film directed by Brad Peyton, and based on the video game series of the same name by Midway Games, was released the following year. [38] It grossed over $428 million worldwide [39] and received mixed reviews from critics. [40] Garcia's next film, Skyscraper (2018), [6] an action film written and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber, received similar critical responses. [41] Garcia then executive produced the documentary Stuntman (2018). [42] She returned to television as executive producer on HBO's most-watched half-hour comedy-drama [43] series Ballers for HBO. [44]
In 2019, Garcia executive produced The Titan Games , a sports competition series which premiered on NBC and has been renewed for a second season. [45] The same year, Seven Bucks’ made its Sundance Film Festival debut with the biographical sports comedy-drama film, Fighting with My Family , written and directed by Stephen Merchant and produced by Garcia, followed the same year. [46] [47] Garcia later produced a six-episode docu-series Finding Justice for BET, focusing on the stories of heroes, leaders, advocates and change agents in the African American community across America as they uncover injustices and fight to bring healing and change. [48]
Returning to the large screen, Garcia was executive producer for the superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name, Shazam! (2019), [4] The Fast and the Furious spin-off Hobbs & Shaw (2019), [49] and produced Jumanji: The Next Level (2019) which set the record Seven Bucks Productions’ biggest global opening weekend. [50] [51]
In August 2020, Garcia and Johnson led the consortium that purchased the XFL out of bankruptcy from its founder, Vince McMahon, the first woman to own an equal or majority ownership stake in a major professional sports league in the United States. [52] Garcia has followed the iterations of the XFL as both a fan and businesswoman since its original 2001 incarnation. [52] As Chairwoman, Garcia led the XFL’s ownership group alongside Dwayne Johnson and Gerry Cardinale's RedBird Capital Partners, which launched on February 18, 2023. [52] At the end of 2023, the XFL was merged with the Fox Corporation owned USFL to form the United Football League with Garcia retaining partial ownership.
After not releasing any new projects in 2020, Garcia partnered up with Disney for the Disney+ docuseries Behind the Attraction (2021), Disney+ documentary Stuntman (2021), and the blockbuster film Jungle Cruise (2021), based on the classic 1955 Disneyland ride. [53] She also produced Young Rock , an American television sitcom based upon long-time collaborator Johnson's life. [54] [55] [56] [57]
That same year, Garcia announced the launch of her latest venture, GSTQ. A lifestyle and fashion brand, GSTQ includes a highly curated, ready-to-wear fashion collection. [58]
Garcia met Dwayne Johnson while both were University of Miami college students, and they were married on May 3, 1997. By marrying Johnson, she joined the Samoan Anoaʻi family. [61] They have one child together, professional wrestler Ava Raine. [61] On June 1, 2007, the couple announced they were divorcing amicably. [61] The divorce was finalized in May 2008, and Garcia is now Johnson’s global strategic advisor. [62] In 2014, Garcia married bodybuilder and The Garcia Companies’ Chief Health and Fitness Brand Officer, Dave Rienzi. [7] They reside in Los Angeles and Orlando and have four dogs. [53]
Garcia is a bodybuilder and often credits the sport for shaping her relentless nature in business. She first competed in 2011 and went on to earn her International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation| pro card in 2014. She was the first-ever Women's Physique Division athlete to be signed to the Weider roster. [63]
Garcia holds several board positions. In 2008, she founded the Beacon Experience as part of the nationwide I Have a Dream Foundation that encourages at-risk students to continue their education beyond high school. [9] The same year, she was elected to the board of directors for Pediatrix Medical Group, Inc.'s. [11] Garcia is a trustee at the University of Miami and is the current president of the University of Miami Alumni Association. [64]
Featured films
Documentary films
Television
Year | Title | Notes |
---|---|---|
2011 | P.O.V. | |
2013 | The Hero | |
2014–2015 | Wake Up Call | |
2016 | Clash of the Corps | |
Millennials the Musical | ||
2016–2018 | Seven Bucks Digital Studios | TV series shorts |
2017 | Rock and a Hard Place | |
Soundtracks: Songs That Defined History | ||
Logan Paul Summer Saga | Web series | |
Bro/Science/Life: The Series | ||
Lifeline | ||
Reality Quest | Video short | |
2018 | Ballers | |
2019 | The Titan Games | |
Finding Justice | ||
K Great Thanks | ||
2021–2023 | Young Rock | |
2021 | Behind the Attraction | |
Dwayne Douglas Johnson, also known by his ring name The Rock, is an American actor, businessman, and professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he was integral to the development and success of the World Wrestling Federation during the Attitude Era, an industry boom period in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Johnson wrestled for the WWF for eight years before pursuing an acting career. His films have grossed over $3.5 billion in North America and over $10.5 billion worldwide, making him one of the world's highest-grossing and highest-paid actors. He is a co-owner of the United Football League, a professional American football league. He is also a member of the board of directors of TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of UFC and WWE. In 2012, he co-founded the entertainment production company Seven Bucks Productions. He is the founder of Teremana Tequila, which is approximately valued at $3.5 billion dollars.
Baywatch is an American action drama television series about lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, and Hawaii, starring David Hasselhoff. It was created by Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz, and Gregory J. Bonann, who produced the show throughout its 11-season run. The series focuses on both professional and personal challenges faced by the characters, portrayed by a large rotating ensemble cast that includes Pamela Anderson, Alexandra Paul, Gregory Alan Williams, Jeremy Jackson, Parker Stevenson, David Chokachi, Billy Warlock, Erika Eleniak, David Charvet, Yasmine Bleeth, and Nicole Eggert.
Jaume Collet-Serra is a Spanish-American film director and producer. He directed the horror films House of Wax (2005), Orphan (2009), and The Shallows (2016), as well as the Liam Neeson-led thriller films Unknown (2011), Non-Stop (2014), Run All Night (2015), and The Commuter (2018). Collet-Serra also directed the Dwayne Johnson-led films, Jungle Cruise (2021), based on the eponymous theme park attraction from Disney, and Black Adam (2022), based on the comic book character of the same name from DC.
American actor Dwayne Johnson, also known by his wrestling ring name "The Rock", has a long career in media, appearing in films, television series and video games. His films have grossed over $3.5 billion in North America and over $12.5 billion worldwide, making Johnson one of the most successful and highest-grossing box-office stars of all time.
Baywatch is a 2017 American action comedy film directed by Seth Gordon, with a screenplay by Mark Swift and Damian Shannon, from a story by Jay Scherick, David Ronn, Thomas Lennon, and Robert Ben Garant. It is based on the television series created by Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz, and Gregory J. Bonann and takes place within the same fictional universe. The film stars Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron. The story follows lifeguard Mitch Buchannon and his team who must take down a drug lord in an effort to save their beach.
Rampage is a 2018 American science fiction monster film directed by Brad Peyton and loosely based on the video game series of the same name by Midway Games, from a screenplay by Ryan Engle, Carlton Cuse, Ryan J. Condal and Adam Sztykiel. The film stars Dwayne Johnson in the lead role, Naomie Harris, Malin Åkerman, Jake Lacy, Joe Manganiello and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. It follows a primatologist who must team up with George, an albino western lowland gorilla who turns into a raging creature of enormous size and growing into bigger and larger sizes as a result of a rogue experiment, to stop two other mutated animals from destroying Chicago.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is a 2017 American fantasy adventure comedy film directed by Jake Kasdan from a screenplay by the writing teams of Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, and Scott Rosenberg and Jeff Pinkner, based on a story conceived by McKenna. The film is the third installment in the Jumanji film series and a stand-alone sequel to Jumanji (1995). It stars Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas, and Bobby Cannavale. The story focuses on a group of teenagers who come across Jumanji, now transformed into a video game twenty-two years after the events of the 1995 film. They find themselves trapped inside the game as a set of adult avatars, seeking to complete a treacherous quest alongside another player who has been trapped since 1996.
Jungle Cruise is a 2021 American fantasy adventure film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra from a screenplay written by Glenn Ficarra, John Requa, and Michael Green. It is based on Walt Disney's eponymous theme park attraction. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures, the film stars Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Édgar Ramírez, Jack Whitehall, Jesse Plemons, and Paul Giamatti. It tells the alternate history of the captain of a small riverboat who takes a scientist and her brother through a jungle in search of the Tree of Life while competing against a German expedition, and cursed conquistadors.
Madison Elizabeth Iseman is an American actress. She is known for starring in the CMT comedy television series Still the King (2016–2017). She is also known for appearing in the psychological thriller film Fear of Rain (2021), the fantasy adventure comedy films Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) and Jumanji: The Next Level (2019), the comedy horror film Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween (2018), the supernatural horror film Annabelle Comes Home (2019) and the Amazon Prime Video horror television series I Know What You Did Last Summer (2021).
Jumanji is an American media franchise, based on the children's book Jumanji (1981) and its sequel Zathura (2002), written by Chris Van Allsburg. The first film was produced by TriStar Pictures, and subsequent films by Columbia Pictures, both subsidiaries of Sony Pictures. The franchise follows the adventures of various people who find themselves imperiled when playing an enchanted game that comes with a variety of dangerous jungle elements that the players must survive as they play. Ultimately, the only way to end the disruptions is to finish the game while enduring its dangers.
Jon Bass is an American actor, known for his roles in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Super Pumped, Baywatch, and the comedy series Big Time in Hollywood, FL and Miracle Workers.
Hobbs & Shaw is a 2019 action buddy comedy film directed by David Leitch from a script by Chris Morgan and Drew Pearce. It is the first spin-off film and the overall ninth installment in the Fast & Furious franchise, set after the events of The Fate of the Furious (2017). It stars Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba, Vanessa Kirby, Eiza González, Cliff Curtis and Helen Mirren. In the film, Luke Hobbs (Johnson) and Deckard Shaw (Statham) joins Deckard's sister Hattie Shaw (Kirby) to take down Brixton Lore (Elba), a cybernetically enhanced terrorist, who is threatening the world with a deadly virus.
Jumanji: The Next Level is a 2019 American fantasy adventure film directed by Jake Kasdan, who co-wrote the script with Jeff Pinkner and Scott Rosenberg. The film is the fourth installment in the Jumanji film series and the sequel to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017). Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas, Alex Wolff, Morgan Turner, Ser'Darius Blain, and Madison Iseman reprise their roles from the previous film while Awkwafina, Danny Glover, and Danny DeVito join the cast. The film's plot takes place two years after Welcome to the Jungle, in which the same group of teenagers, along with an old friend and two unwitting additions, become trapped in Jumanji once again. There, they all find themselves facing new problems and challenges with both old and new avatars, while having to save the land from a new villain to escape.
Black Adam is a 2022 American superhero film based on the DC character of the same name. Produced by New Line Cinema, DC Films, Seven Bucks Productions, and FlynnPictureCo. and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is a spin-off from Shazam! (2019) and the 11th film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra from a script by Adam Sztykiel and the writing team of Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani, the film stars Dwayne Johnson as Teth-Adam / Black Adam, an ancient superhuman who is released from his magic imprisonment by a group of archeologists to free the nation of Kahndaq from the crime syndicate Intergang, whose local leader plans to obtain an ancient relic called the Crown of Sabbac to take control of it. Aldis Hodge, Noah Centineo, Sarah Shahi, Marwan Kenzari, Quintessa Swindell, and Pierce Brosnan appear in supporting roles.
Seven Bucks Productions is a production company involved with various platforms and mediums, credited with creating original releases for television, film, emerging technologies, and digital networks. The studio was co-created and founded by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Dany Garcia. The company produces a variety of projects, directly in relation with Johnson's film slate, these films have grossed $4.6 billion at box office.
The Seattle Sea Dragons were a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. The Sea Dragons competed in the second incarnation of the XFL. The team was founded by Vince McMahon’s Alpha Entertainment as the Seattle Dragons, and were owned-and-operated by Dwayne Johnson’s Alpha Acquico. The Sea Dragons played their home games at Lumen Field.
Red Notice is a 2021 American action comedy film written and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber starring Dwayne Johnson alongside Ryan Reynolds, Gal Gadot and Ritu Arya. It marks the third collaboration between Thurber and Johnson, following Central Intelligence (2016) and Skyscraper (2018). In the film, an FBI agent reluctantly teams up with a renowned art thief in order to catch an even more notorious thief.
The Houston Roughnecks were a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The Roughnecks competed in the XFL football league. The team was founded by Vince McMahon’s Alpha Entertainment and were an owned-and-operated by Dwayne Johnson’s Alpha Acquico. The Roughnecks played their home games at TDECU Stadium. The Roughnecks had a franchise regular season record of 12-3 (.800), the highest win percentage among all XFL teams.
Behind the Attraction is a documentary television series by Brian Volk-Weiss for Disney+ produced by Dwayne Johnson's Seven Bucks Productions and Volk-Weiss's The Nacelle Company. The first five episodes were released on July 21, 2021, with the remaining five released August 25 of that same year. The documentary is narrated by Paget Brewster. The series features interviews with fans and Imagineers and analyzes the history, popularity and transformation of Disney attractions and destinations over time.
Red One is an upcoming American Christmas action-adventure comedy film directed by Jake Kasdan and written by Chris Morgan, from an original story by Hiram Garcia. The film stars Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, Kiernan Shipka, Lucy Liu, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, J. K. Simmons, Nick Kroll and Kristofer Hivju. Johnson, Hiram Garcia, Dany Garcia, Kasdan, Melvin Mar, and Morgan serve as producers.