David Heyman

Last updated

David Heyman
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Japan Premiere Red Carpet- David Heyman (35622208766).jpg
Heyman in 2016
Born
David Jonathan Heyman

(1961-07-26) 26 July 1961 (age 64)
London, England
Education Westminster School
Alma mater Harvard University
Occupation(s)Producer
Founder of Heyday Films
Employer Heyday Films
Notable work Harry Potter
Spouse
Rose Uniacke
(m. 2006)
Children1
Parent(s) John Heyman
Norma Heyman

David Jonathan Heyman (born 26 July 1961) is a British film producer and the founder of Heyday Films. Heyman is best known as the producer of all eight installments of the Harry Potter film series, which are based on a series of popular fantasy novels of the same name by author J. K. Rowling. He then produced all three installments of its spin-off prequel series, Fantastic Beasts . His work makes him the second-most commercially successful producer of all time.

Contents

Early life

Heyman was born in London. He is the son of John Heyman, producer of the films The Go-Between and Jesus , and Norma Heyman ( née Pownall), an actress, and Oscar-nominated producer of the films Dangerous Liaisons and Mrs Henderson Presents . [1] [2] [3] His paternal grandparents were German Jews who left Nazi Germany and emigrated to England prior to World War II, while his mother's family was English. [4] [5] [6] [7] At age seven, he was a page boy in the wedding of his godmother, Diana Dors, to actor Alan Lake. [8] Heyman went to Westminster School and, following graduation, he decided to study abroad. He studied art history at Harvard University, [9] [10] where he was an All-American sabreman for the fencing team. [11]

Career

Heyman started in the film industry as a production assistant on David Lean's A Passage to India , and in 1986, Heyman became a creative executive at Warner Bros., and he was assistant to Mark Canton. In 1987, he became vice president of United Artists, which joined a series of changes as original production VPs had quit, [12] and subsequently embarked on an independent producing career with his first film, Juice , in 1992, followed by the cult "stoner" film The Stoned Age (1994) and others.

In 1997 Heyman returned to London and founded his own production company, Heyday Films. He has since produced a number of films including the Harry Potter film adaptations. Other notable productions during this time include the 2007 blockbuster I Am Legend and the 2008 films The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas , Is Anybody There? , and Yes Man .

After finishing work on the Harry Potter films, Heyman reunited with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban director Alfonso Cuarón to produce the 2013 science fiction thriller Gravity , starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. The film grossed more than $700 million worldwide and was nominated for ten Academy Awards including Best Picture, winning seven including Best Director for Cuarón. He also produced the 2013 comedy We're the Millers and the 2014 family film Paddington , for which he was nominated for the Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film.

Heyman produced the Warner Bros. film adaptation of J. K. Rowling's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them , which was released in November 2016, as well as its 2018 sequel. [13] [14]

In 2020, he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood with Quentin Tarantino, and both of them were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. In addition, Heyman was also nominated for the same award for Marriage Story with Noah Baumbach.

In 2023, he produced Barbie , which became the highest-grossing Warner Bros. film, surpassing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 , which he also produced. He was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture for Barbie.

In March 2025, Amazon MGM Studios announced that Heyman and Amy Pascal would oversee the Bond film franchise moving forward and produce future installments in the series through their Pascal Pictures and Heyday Films banners, respectively. [15]

Personal life

Heyman currently lives in Pimlico, London, and is married to interior designer Rose Uniacke (née Batstone). They have one son, Harper Heyman. [16] [17] [18] He is stepfather to four children from her previous marriage. [18]

Filmography

Film

YearFilmNotesRef.
1992 Juice
1994 The Stoned Age
1996 The Daytrippers Executive producer
1999 Ravenous
2001 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
2002 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
2004 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
2005 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
2007 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
I Am Legend
2008 The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
Is Anybody There?
Yes Man
2009 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
2010 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1
2011 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
2013 We're the Millers Executive producer
Gravity
2014 Testament of Youth
Paddington
2016 The Light Between Oceans
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
2017 Paddington 2
2018 Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
2019 Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Marriage Story
2020 The Secret Garden
2022 Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
White Noise
2023 Barbie
Wonka
2025 The Rivals of Amziah King
Jay Kelly Post-production
TBA Klara and the Sun Post-production
Artificial Filming
The Adventures of Cliff Booth Filming

Television

YearTitleCreditNotesRef.
1994 Blind Justice Television film
2005 Threshold Executive producer
2011 Page Eight Television film
2013 The Thirteenth Tale Television film
2014 Turks & Caicos Executive producerTelevision film
Salting the Battlefield Executive producerTelevision film
2018 The Long Song Executive producer
2019 The InBetween Executive producer
The Capture Executive producer
2019–2025 The Adventures of Paddington Executive producer
2021 Clickbait Executive producerMiniseries
2024 Apples Never Fall Executive producerMiniseries
2027 Harry Potter Executive producerUpcoming series
As an actor
YearFilmRoleNotes
1970 Bloomfield Eldad
1999 Ravenous Mr. Janus
2000 Whipped Suit
2007 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Healer in PortraitUncredited
2011 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 Dining Wizard in PaintingUncredited

Awards and nominations

YearTitleAwardCategoryResultRef.
2013 Academy Award Best Picture Gravity Nominated [63]
2019 Marriage Story Nominated [64]
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Nominated [65]
2023 Barbie Nominated [66]
2001 BAFTA Awards Outstanding British Film Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Nominated [67]
2004 Outstanding British Film Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Nominated [68]
2010 Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award Harry Potter Won [69]
2013 Best Film Gravity Nominated [70]
Outstanding British Film Won
2014 Outstanding British Film Paddington Nominated [71]
2016 Outstanding British Film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Nominated [72]
2019 Best Film Marriage Story Nominated [73]
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Nominated
2001 BAFTA Children's Award Feature Film Harry Potter and the Philosopher's StoneNominated
2002 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Nominated
2004Harry Potter and the Prisoner of AzkabanWon
2006 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Nominated
2007 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Nominated
2011 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 Nominated
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 Won
2014PaddingtonWon
2011 BAFTA Television Award Best Single Drama Page Eight Nominated
2022 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts Nominated
2001 Producers Guild of America Award Best Theatrical Motion Picture Harry Potter and the Philosopher's StoneNominated
2013GravityWon
2015Lifetime Achievement AwardReceived
2019Best Theatrical Motion PictureMarriage StoryNominated
Once Upon a Time in HollywoodNominated
2023BarbieNominated
2011 Art Directors Guild Award Outstanding Contribution to Cinematic Imagery AwardHarry Potter seriesWon
2019 Critics' Choice Movie Award Best Picture Once Upon a Time in HollywoodWon
Marriage StoryNominated
2014 Empire Award Best British Film PaddingtonNominated
Best Comedy Won

References

  1. MacNab, Geoffrey (2 July 2011). "David Heyman: Man behind the magic". The Independent . London. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
  2. "If You Missed the Book, Try the Movies; John Heyman Is Filming the Bible – Vol. 13 No. 10". 10 March 1980. Archived from the original on 15 September 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  3. "Norma Heyman". IMDb.
  4. Pfefferman, Naomi (11 September 2008). "Producer David Heyman and the lives of outsiders, from 'Potter' to 'Pajamas'". Jewish Journal. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  5. Pfefferman, Naomi (14 July 2011). ""Harry Potter" Producer David Heyman's Jewish Connection". Jewish Journal. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  6. Curtis, Nick (10 January 2014). "Pulling power: meet David Heyman, the super-producer behind Gravity". Evening Standard. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  7. Dagan, Carmel (9 June 2017). "John Heyman, Distinguished Financier and Producer, Dies at 84". Variety. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  8. "Diana Dors Arrives For Her Wedding". Getty Images. 23 November 1968.
  9. "Producer David Heyman and the lives of outsiders, from 'Potter' to 'Pajamas'". 11 September 2008.
  10. Berglof, Annie Maccoby (28 February 2014). "'Gravity' film producer David Heyman on venturing into the unknown" . Financial Times. Archived from the original on 11 December 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  11. "Swordsmen Foil Cornell, 17-10; Women Fencers Succumb, 10-6 | Sports | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  12. "David Heyman To United Artists As Production Veep; Draizin Exists". Variety . 25 November 1987. p. 29.
  13. "Harry Potter producer talks about upcoming Fantastic Beasts spinoff". Entertainment Weekly. 2 October 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  14. "New J.K. Rowling Movie Gets Release Date". The Hollywood Reporter. 13 May 2014. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  15. Ritman, Alex (25 March 2025). "Amazon's James Bond Franchise Officially Sets Amy Pascal, David Heyman as Producers of New Film". Variety . Retrieved 25 March 2025.
  16. "David Heyman: Man behind the magic". The Independent. Retrieved 16 January 2014
  17. "Grand Simplicity". The New York Times. 15 February 2013.
  18. 1 2 Withers, Jane (21 February 2017). "Meet the Interior Designer Beloved by the Beckhams and Jo Malone". Vogue.
  19. Jensen, Jeff (19 November 2010). "David Heyman: The man who discovered Harry Potter". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  20. Hopkins, Nic (10 April 2004). "Producing Potter". The Times . Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  21. Mcnab, Geoffrey (2 July 2011). "David Heyman: Man behind the magic". The Independent . Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  22. Jensen, Jeff (17 March 2000). "Choosing a director for Harry Potter". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  23. McCarthy, Todd (7 November 2002). "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets". Variety . Retrieved 5 August 2025.
  24. Lowry, Brian (27 May 2004). "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban". Variety . Retrieved 5 August 2025.
  25. McCarthy, Todd (9 November 2005). "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire". Variety . Retrieved 5 August 2025.
  26. Honeycutt, Kirk (10 July 2007). "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 5 August 2025.
  27. Fleming, Michael (25 April 2006). "Legend reborn again at Warners". Variety . Retrieved 3 August 2025.
  28. Elley, Derek (11 September 2008). "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas". Variety . Retrieved 3 August 2025.
  29. Kemp, Stuart (10 December 2009). "Q&A: David Heyman". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 5 August 2025.
  30. "Jim Carrey Is A Yes Man". Empire . 14 July 2007. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
  31. McCarthy, Todd (5 July 2009). "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince". Variety . Retrieved 5 August 2025.
  32. 1 2 "David Heyman | No 27". The Guardian . 24 September 2010. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
  33. McCarthy, Todd (5 August 2013). "We're the Millers: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 5 August 2025.
  34. Kroll, Justin (6 October 2010). "Sandra Bullock in talks for Gravity". Variety . Retrieved 3 August 2025.
  35. Tartaglione, Nancy (20 May 2012). "Saoirse Ronan Attached To Testament Of Youth; Simon Curtis Preps Golden Lady". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  36. Dawtrey, Adam (13 September 2007). "WB bears down on Paddington film". Variety . Retrieved 3 August 2025.
  37. Fleming Jr, Mike (27 November 2012). "DreamWorks Acquiring Debut Novel The Light Between Oceans". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 3 August 2025.
  38. Ford, Rebecca (22 January 2016). "Harry Potter Producer Reveals Secrets Behind Fantastic Beasts Film". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 5 August 2025.
  39. Keslassy, John Hopewell,Elsa (10 May 2016). "Cannes: 'Paddington 2' Sets Production Date".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  40. Tartaglione, Nancy (16 November 2017). "First Look: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald Is 2nd Title In WB Franchise". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 5 August 2025.
  41. Fleming, Mike Jr. (14 November 2017). "Bidding Heats on Quentin Tarantino Script As David Heyman Boards As Producer". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on 14 November 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  42. Producer David Heyman Talks ‘Marriage Story’ Impact on Audiences: “The Journey Does Not End”
  43. Jaafar, Ali (7 June 2016). "David Heyman And Studio Canal Reteam For Classic Tale 'The Secret Garden', Tap Jack Thorne To Adapt". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on 8 June 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  44. Khatchatourian, Maane; McNary, Dave (13 October 2016). "'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' to Be Five-Film Franchise". Variety. Archived from the original on 29 October 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  45. Kroll, Justin (28 January 2021). "Noah Baumbach Signs Exclusive Deal With Netflix". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  46. Kroll, Justin (22 October 2021). "Ryan Gosling To Play Ken Opposite Margot Robbie In Barbie Movie From Warner Bros, LuckyChap & Mattel". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  47. Kroll, Justin (19 October 2016). "Willy Wonka New Film in the Works From David Heyman and Warner Bros. (Exclusive)". Variety . Archived from the original on 19 October 2020. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  48. Tartaglione, Nancy (8 May 2023). "Matthew McConaughey To Star In 'The Rivals Of Amziah King' From 'Vast Of Night' Filmmaker Andrew Patterson – Cannes". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  49. Kroll, Justin (14 December 2023). "George Clooney And Adam Sandler To Star In Noah Baumbach's Next Movie At Netflix". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  50. Fleming, Mike Jr. (27 July 2020). "Sony & Elizabeth Gabler's 3000 Pictures Win Nobel Author Kazuo Ishiguro's Upcoming 'Klara And The Sun'". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 20 March 2021.
  51. Kroll, Justin (3 June 2025). "Luca Guadagnino Eyes 'Artificial' At Amazon MGM As Next Movie With Andrew Garfield, Monica Barbaro And 'Anora' Actor Yura Borisov Circling". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 4 June 2025.
  52. McGowan, Andrew (30 July 2025). "Everything We Know About David Fincher's 'The Adventures of Cliff Booth'". Variety . Retrieved 2 August 2025.
  53. Sandler, Adam (1 July 1994). "Blind Justice". Variety . Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  54. Rooney, David (14 September 2011). "Page Eight: Toronto Review". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  55. Kemp, Stuart (5 June 2013). "Vanessa Redgrave, Olivia Colman to Star in BBC Drama The Thirteenth Tale". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  56. 1 2 Daniels, Nia (22 April 2013). "Screen Global Production". Screen Global Production . Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  57. White, Peter (28 November 2017). "David Heyman To Adapt The Long Song For BBC One". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  58. 1 2 Szalai, Georg (27 November 2018). "David Heyman, NBCUniversal's Heyday Television U.K. Name Tom Winchester President". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  59. Ritman, Alex. "Paddington TV Series With Ben Whishaw Coming to Nickelodeon". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  60. Tartaglione, Nancy (25 August 2019). "Netflix, Tony Ayres & David Heyman Team For Clickbait Thriller Series". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  61. White, Peter (24 March 2021). "David Heyman Scores TV Rights To Apples Never Fall From Big Little Lies & Nine Perfect Strangers Author Liane Moriarty". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  62. D'Alessandro, Anthony (12 April 2023). "Harry Potter Series A Go With J.K. Rowling Executive Producing, Set For 10-Year Run On Max". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  63. "86th Academy Awards". Oscars.org . 7 October 2014. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  64. "92nd Academy Awards". Oscars.org . Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  65. "92nd Academy Awards". Oscars.org . Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  66. "96th Academy Awards". Oscars.org . Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  67. "55th BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org . Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  68. "58th BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org . Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  69. "64th BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org . Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  70. "67th BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org . Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  71. "68th BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org . Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  72. "70th BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org . Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  73. "73rd BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org . Retrieved 23 January 2024.