Gary Goddard

Last updated

Gary Goddard
Gary Goddard 2006 (cropped).jpg
Gary Goddard in 2006
Born (1954-07-18) July 18, 1954 (age 69)

Gary Goddard (born July 18, 1954) is an American producer and director who co-founded the Landmark Entertainment Group. In 2002, he left it to form Gary Goddard Entertainment (GGE), later known as the Goddard Group, an entertainment design firm based in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. The firm reorganized, changed ownership, and was rebranded Legacy Entertainment in 2018 after Goddard left the company following accusations of sexual assault.

Contents

Arts career

Theater

Goddard has produced several shows on and off-Broadway, including the 2009 revival of Hair (Tony Award winner, Best Revival of a Musical), Neil LaBute's reasons to be pretty (Tony Award nominee, Best Play), Jekyll & Hyde , Jesus Christ Superstar (one-night concert event), The Wiz at Encores!, among others.

Film

Goddard directed the 1987 movie Masters of the Universe . [1]

Goddard had developed Broadway 4D, a proposed American [2] musical film to be written and directed by Goddard with Bryan Singer. Produced by Nigel Wright and Bad Hat Harry Productions, the film was in 2014 expected to star Christina Aguilera, Hugh Jackman, Matthew Morrison, Harvey Fierstein, Lea Salonga, and George Katt. [3] It was to be shot in Brooklyn, New York City [2] [4] [5] with a budget of $60 million to $90 million. [6]

Television

Goddard has created several television shows, including Captain Power , Mega Babies , and Skeleton Warriors . [7]

Entertainment designer

Goddard co-founded Landmark Entertainment Group in Los Angeles, California, in 1980. [8] The firm designs theme parks, live entertainment and other visitor attractions, in the United States and other countries. In 2002, he left Landmark and formed the Goddard Group design firm, [9] which was rebranded Legacy Entertainment after he left the company in 2018.

Sexual assault allegations

In April 2014, Goddard and frequent film collaborator Bryan Singer, along with several other filmmakers, were sued by actor Michael Egan III, who alleged that they had sexually assaulted him when he was a minor and had videotaped some of the assaults. Egan withdrew his lawsuit against Goddard in June 2014. By August of that year, he had dropped his lawsuits against the other defendants as well. [10] [11]

On November 10, 2017, actor Anthony Edwards wrote an essay on Medium in which he alleged Goddard molested him and raped his best friend "for years", starting when they were 12 years old. [12] [13] Goddard's publicist denied the allegations. [14] Brian Claflin, an aspiring artist and fashion designer from Salt Lake City, accused Goddard of a 1999 sexual assault at his Beverly Hills residence; Claflin died by suicide in Berlin in 2014. [15]

Filmography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Spacey</span> American actor (born 1959)

Kevin Spacey Fowler is an American actor. Known for his work on stage and screen, he has received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Tony Award, and two Laurence Olivier Awards. Spacey was named an honorary Commander and Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2010 and 2015, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Edwards (actor)</span> American actor and director (born 1962)

Anthony Charles Edwards is an American actor, director, and producer. He played Dr. Mark Greene on the first eight seasons of ER, for which he received a Golden Globe Award and six Screen Actors Guild Awards, and was nominated for four consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards. He has appeared in various films and television series, including Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Top Gun, Zodiac, Gotcha!, Miracle Mile, Revenge of the Nerds, Planes, Northern Exposure and Designated Survivor.

People v. Jackson was a 2005 criminal trial held in Santa Barbara County Superior Court in Santa Maria, California. The American pop singer Michael Jackson was charged with molesting Gavin Arvizo, who was 13 years old at the time of the alleged abuse, at his Neverland Ranch estate in Los Olivos, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Rapp</span> American actor (born 1971)

Anthony Deane Rapp is an American actor and singer who originated the role of Mark Cohen in the Broadway production of Rent. Following his original performance of the role in 1996, he reprised it in the film version of the show and the show's United States tour in 2009. He also performed Charlie Brown in the 1999 Broadway revival of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown and originated the role of Lucas in the musical If/Then in 2014. Since 2017 he has played Lieutenant Commander Paul Stamets on the television series Star Trek: Discovery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regal Cinemas</span> Movie theater chain in the United States

Regal Cinemas is an American movie theater chain headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee. A division of Cineworld, Regal operates the second-largest theater circuit in the United States, with 6,853 screens in 511 theaters as of December 31, 2021. The three main theatre brands operated by Regal Entertainment Group are Regal Cinemas, Edwards Theatres, and United Artists Theatres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bryan Cranston</span> American actor, director, and producer

Bryan Lee Cranston is an American actor, producer, and director. He is mainly known for portraying Walter White in the AMC crime drama series Breaking Bad (2008–2013) and Hal in the Fox sitcom Malcolm in the Middle (2000–2006). He has received a number of awards, including six Primetime Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, and a Golden Globe, in addition to a nomination for an Academy Award.

Spyglass Media Group, LLC is an American film and television production and finance company founded by Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum in 1998.

<i>T2-3D: Battle Across Time</i> Defunct attraction at Universal parks

T2-3D: Battle Across Time was an attraction at Universal Studios Florida, Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Japan. The version of the show at in Hollywood had its final performance on December 31, 2012; the show then closed January 1, 2013. The version in Florida had its final performance on October 8, 2017; the show then closed October 9. The version in Osaka closed on September 14, 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, making the show on September 13, 2020, the final performance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bryan Singer</span> American filmmaker (born 1965)

Bryan Jay Singer is an American filmmaker. He is the founder of Bad Hat Harry Productions and has produced almost all of the films he has directed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ron Jeremy</span> American pornographic actor (born 1953)

Ronald Jeremy Hyatt is an American writer and former pornographic actor.

Digital Entertainment Network was a multimedia dot-com company founded in the late-1990s by Marc Collins-Rector and his partner, Chad Shackley. Rector and Shackley had sold their ISP, Concentric Network, and used the proceeds of that sale, along with additional investor funding, to launch DEN. In February 1999, Jim Ritts resigned as commissioner of the LPGA to become chairman of DEN.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hollywood Land</span> Land at Disney California Adventure

Hollywood Land is a themed land at Disney California Adventure park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. The area is inspired by the 1930s Golden Age period of Hollywood and hosts attractions themed to this concept, including a backlot of a typical Hollywood studio. The land opened as Hollywood Pictures Backlot with the park in 2001.

APA is one of the largest diversified talent agencies in the entertainment industry with headquarters in Los Angeles, New York, Nashville, Atlanta, Toronto, and London. Founded in 1962 by a group of former MCA agents in New York, the company represents actors, writers, producers, showrunners, directors, performers, physical production services, film studios, as well as luxury and lifestyle brands across all media platforms worldwide. The agency also packages feature films and television series such as Away on Netflix, The Dublin Murders on Showtime, All Rise on CBS, and For Life on ABC, as well as classic TV series Home Improvement and Roseanne. APA was one of the first among the top 5 packaging agencies to sign The WGA's new franchise agreement on January 21, 2020, when the agency integrated its Television and Motion Picture departments under one APA Scripted Literary banner.

Legacy Entertainment is a themed entertainment integrator and design firm based in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. The company, then known as Gary Goddard Entertainment (GGE) and later the Goddard Group, was formed by Gary Goddard in 2002, after leaving his previous company, Landmark Entertainment Group. Goddard Group reorganized, changed ownership, and was rebranded Legacy Entertainment in 2018 when Gary Goddard left the company following accusations of sexual assault.

Jeffrey Marc "Jeff" Herman is an American trial lawyer who specializes in representing victims of sexual abuse, and has been described as a "[t]op church sex abuse attorney". He is the founding and managing partner of the South Florida-based firm Herman Law, and has been described in the media as "the nation's leading attorney when it comes to handling high-profile sexual abuse lawsuits".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boy Scouts of America sex abuse cases</span> Allegations involving child molestation

The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with 2.3 million youth members and approximately 889,000 adult volunteers in 2017. In 1979 there were over 5 million youths in BSA.

<i>An Open Secret</i> 2014 documentary film by Amy J. Berg on child sexual abuse in Californias film industry

An Open Secret is a 2014 American documentary film directed by Amy J. Berg exposing child sexual abuse in the film industry in California.

Landmark Entertainment Group is a global entertainment design firm based in Los Angeles, California, United States, that creates theme parks, theme park attractions, live entertainment productions, and virtual reality attractions. Co-founded by Gary Goddard and Tony Christopher in 1980, it became known for producing attractions at the Universal Studios theme parks, including The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, Jurassic Park: The Ride, and Terminator 2: 3D.

Anthony Earl Christopher is the CEO and president of Landmark Entertainment Group. He creates, directs, designs, and produces theatrical live entertainment and indoor and outdoor themed entertainment attractions.

There have been many reported cases and accusations of sexual abuse in the American film industry reported against people related to the medium of cinema of the United States.

References

  1. "'Masters' A Lesson In More Thrills For Less". Chicago Tribune. August 13, 1987. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
  2. 1 2 McPhee, Ryan. "Broadway 4D Cancels Planned Times Square Attraction Featuring Filmed Broadway Performances". broadway.com. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
  3. Samantha Gergen. "'Broadway 4D'". backstage.com. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  4. "Broadway 4D Project Back on Track; Times Square Theatre To Be Rescued". Playbill. August 18, 2015.
  5. "Broadway 4D Project Back on Its Feet with New Producers?". broadwayworld.com.
  6. David, Cara Joy. "Industry Editor Exclusive: What Ever Happened to Broadway 4D?". Broadway World. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  7. "Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future". IGN . Retrieved March 23, 2012.
  8. Martin, Hugo (December 7, 2011). "L.A. company to help build martial arts theme park in China". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  9. McNary, Dave (February 26, 2013). "Goddard Forms Film Production Unit". Variety. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  10. Dave McNary, "Sexual Abuse Suit Against Gary Goddard Withdrawn" Variety , June 28, 2014.
  11. "Man Drops Sex Abuse Lawsuit Against X-Men Director Bryan Singer". Reuters. August 27, 2014. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  12. Edwards, Anthony (November 10, 2017). "Yes Mom, There is Something Wrong". Medium . Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  13. Libby Hill, "Anthony Edwards pens powerful essay accusing Gary Goddard of molestation", Los Angeles Times , November 10, 2017.
  14. Erik Pedersen, "Gary Goddard's Rep Responds To Anthony Edwards' Allegations: 'I Can Unequivocally Deny Them'", Deadline Hollywood , November 10, 2017.
  15. "A notorious mansion. An alleged assault by a Hollywood producer. A suicide. What happened to Brian Claflin?", Garcia-Roberts, Gus. Los Angeles Times. May 11, 2018. Retrieved May 12, 2018.