Kevin Sullivan (producer)

Last updated
Kevin Sullivan
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Born
Kevin Roderick Sullivan

c. 1955 (age 68–69)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Nationality Canadian
Alma mater University of Toronto (1979, B.S.)
OccupationPresident of Sullivan Entertainment Inc
Years active1979–present
Spouse Trudy Grant

Kevin Roderick Sullivan (born c. 1955) is a Canadian writer, director and producer of film and television programs. He is best known for detailed period movies such as the Anne of Green Gables series of films, his movie adaptation of Timothy Findley's novel The Piano Man's Daughter , feature films and TV-movies such as Under the Piano , Butterbox Babies , Sleeping Dogs Lie and the CBS mini-series Seasons of Love, as well as long-running television series such as Road to Avonlea and Wind at My Back .

Contents

Early life

Sullivan began his film-making career at the early age of 24. His father, Glenn A. Sullivan, was a successful attorney and his uncle, Senator Joseph A. Sullivan, was a prominent doctor with a seat in the Canadian senate from 1957 to 1985. Kevin Sullivan did not follow in either of their footsteps. [1] His first foray into film-making was with a half-hour Hans Christian Andersen Christmas special, titled The Fir Tree (1979), of which he edited and also had a small acting role. [2] From there Sullivan wrote, produced and directed Krieghoff (1979), a widely acclaimed docu-drama in French and English on the life of the prominent German artist and illustrator of 19th century Quebec.[ citation needed ]

Sullivan graduated from the University of Toronto in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science in biology. That year, he founded Sullivan Films (later Sullivan Entertainment) with Trudy Grant [3] [4] (to whom he is now married) and they created a successful international production and distribution company that has been operating for over thirty years.

Career

In 1980 Sullivan wrote, produced, and directed Megan Carey (1980), a film about a young Irish immigrant indentured on a farm in 19th century Canada. His first feature film was The Wild Pony (1982), which he co-wrote, co-produced and directed, it became a turning point for Sullivan, having been the first feature-length movie to be made exclusively for pay-TV in Canada. [5]

In 1984 he purchased the rights to Anne of Green Gables , completing the screenplay for the four-hour miniseries in 1985 with co-writer Joe Wiesenfeld. Anne of Green Gables and its sequel were the highest rated dramatic productions to air in Canadian TV history. [6] Cinematic feature versions played in theatres in Japan for five years straight. [1] Anne of Green Gables has been studied in US film schools as a model of TV Drama with a wide appeal to a wide variety of viewers. Part of Anne of Green Gables' immense attraction was its rich look, featuring painstakingly recreated sets and detailed costumes that imbued it with a magical reality. That look, or a variation on its theme, has become the hallmark of every Sullivan production since. [7]

The success of Anne of Green Gables, starring Megan Follows, Richard Farnsworth and Colleen Dewhurst led to three sequels: Anne of Green Gables – The Sequel (1987 aka Anne of Avonlea – US release) starring Follows, Dewhurst and Wendy Hiller, Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story (1998) and most recently Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning (2009), starring Barbara Hershey and Shirley MacLaine. Sullivan penned all three sequel screenplays as well as the novel for Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning. An educational, animated series Anne of Green Gables: The Animated Series produced for PBS Kids and Road to Avonlea produced for CBC and Disney, were each successful spin offs from the Anne of Green Gables franchise. [8]

Set in early 1900s Prince Edward Island, Road to Avonlea was the most popular and most lucrative drama series in Canadian TV history. [9] Co-produced with a strong influence by Disney, Road to Avonlea was filmed on a 300-acre farm and in Sullivan's studio and back-lot in Toronto. [10] In recent years, Road to Avonlea fans from around the world have organized Avonlea Conventions (Avcon) in Toronto to meet with stars of the show, tour filming locations and celebrate their love of the show. [11]

With Wind at My Back , the 67 episode depression-era series produced as a follow-up to Road to Avonlea, Sullivan created an entire 1930s town on his company's 1.5 acre studio backlot, one of the largest in Canada, located at Sullivan Entertainment's 60,000 square foot studio and sound-stages in Toronto, which the company continues to operate. He has accumulated thousands of items of period costumes, sets and props ranging from the 1860s to the 1960s. [12]

Inspired by a lifelong interest in Baroque Architecture and the beauty of Mozart's hometown of Salzburg, in 2006 (the "Mozart-Jahre") Sullivan decided to create a contemporary, English-language feature film of the composer's classic opera The Magic Flute , entitled Magic Flute Diaries . [13] The film was a full-scale CGI production created like a variation of Sin City and 300 with elaborate studio green-screen production design. Special choreography sequences and backdrops were shot on location in palaces, monasteries and gardens in Austria and Germany. [14]

Sullivan produced a companion documentary to Magic Flute Diaries titled Mozart Decoded, which takes a historical look at Mozart's involvement with the Freemasons and his genius as a composer. [15] Sullivan productions have reportedly been viewed in more than 140 countries. [12]

Sullivan Entertainment's 1999 efforts to transition to a publicly traded company triggered a dispute with Lucy Maud Montgomery's heirs. [16] Its prospectus informed potential investors that its' shows based on Montgomery's work had been profitable, generating $35.7 million CAD in 1997 alone. However Montgomery's heirs had been told two shows based on works Sullivan believed it had acquired dramatic rights to, had failed to turn a profit, so they sued. Sullivan counter-sued, for damage to his reputation, successfully providing evidence that the heirs of Montgomery had no reversionary copyright claims to the dramatic rights to the original novel they had sold him. The matter was eventually settled between the parties. Sullivan is a licensee of the Anne of Green Gables trademarks. [17] [ circular reference ]

Sullivan is currently writing and producing an adaptation of Timothy Findley's Famous Last Words about the plot to kidnap the Duke and Duchess of Windsor in Lisbon in 1936, known as Operation Willi. He is also developing a film adaptation of "The Ballad of Blind Tom", based on the book by Deirdre O'Connell about the life of musical prodigy Blind Tom Wiggins. [18]

Books

As a writer and art-enthusiast, Sullivan is the author of Beyond Green Gables, a behind-the-scenes look at the production design and inspiration for his films. Sullivan's Publishing Division, Davenport Press, has released over 50 books. These titles are available as hard books and ebooks. They include novels Anne of Green Gables ~ A New Beginning, a children's book series based on Anne of Green Gables: The Animated Series, and an assortment of specialty coffee table books. [19]

Other endeavors

Sullivan Entertainment owns and operates a four-acre studio/backlot facility in Toronto which holds and rents an assortment of props, set pieces and costumes that were used in Sullivan productions.[ citation needed ]

Sullivan is also an art collector. This interest compelled him to produce the documentary Out of the Shadows . Narrated by Donald Sutherland, the documentary shows how new types of x-rays and digital imaging are allowing scientists to see beneath layers of paint to reveal and authenticate paintings by masters such as Rembrandt, Goya, Caravaggio and Van Gogh. Out of the Shadows closely follows the scientific journey of a group of material physicists and art historians during the attribution of Rembrandt's painting Old Man with a Beard at the Brookhaven National Synchrotron in Long Island, New York. The film premiered at The Metropolitan Museum in New York in June 2012. [20]

Awards and recognition

Having produced over 500 hours of movies and television in his thirty-year career he has also won hundreds of international awards, including three Emmy Awards, [21] a Peabody Award for outstanding contribution to television, Gemini, Cable-Ace & Prix Jeunesse Awards.[ citation needed ]

List of awards

Selected filmography

Director

Executive producer

Screenwriter

Kevin Sullivan's Anne Series

  1. Anne of Green Gables – 1985
  2. Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel – 1987
  3. Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story – 2000
  4. Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning – 2008

Related Research Articles

<i>Anne of Green Gables</i> 1908 novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Anne of Green Gables is a 1908 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery. Written for all ages, it has been considered a classic children's novel since the mid-20th century. Set in the late 19th century, the novel recounts the adventures of 11 year old orphan girl Anne Shirley sent by mistake to two middle-aged siblings, Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, who had originally intended to adopt a boy to help them on their farm in the fictional town of Avonlea in Prince Edward Island, Canada. The novel recounts how Anne makes her way through life with the Cuthberts, in school, and within the town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anne Shirley</span> Fictional character Anne Cuthbert

Anne Shirley is a fictional character introduced in the 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery. Shirley is featured throughout the classic book series, which revolve around her life and family in 19th and 20th-century Prince Edward Island.

Road to Avonlea is a Canadian television series first broadcast in Canada between January 7, 1990, and March 31, 1996, as part of the CBC Family Hour anthology series, and in the United States starting on March 5, 1990. It was created by Kevin Sullivan and produced by Sullivan Films in association with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and the Disney Channel, with additional funding from Telefilm Canada. It follows the adventures of Sara Stanley, a young girl sent to live with her relatives in early 20th-century eastern Canada. It was loosely adapted from novels by Lucy Maud Montgomery, with many characters and episodes inspired by her stories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackie Burroughs</span> Canadian actress (1939–2010)

Jacqueline Burroughs was a British-born Canadian actress. Burroughs starred in over 100 films and television shows over her career including Heavy Metal, The Care Bears Movie, The Grey Fox, Anne of Green Gables and was most well-known for her role as Hetty King in the TV series Road to Avonlea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colleen Dewhurst</span> Canadian-American actress (1924–1991)

Colleen Rose Dewhurst was a Canadian-American actress mostly known for theatre roles. She was a renowned interpreter of the works of Eugene O'Neill on the stage, and her career also encompassed film, early dramas on live television, and performances in Joseph Papp's New York Shakespeare Festival. One of her last roles was playing Marilla Cuthbert in the Kevin Sullivan television adaptations of the Anne of Green Gables series and her reprisal of the role in the subsequent TV series Road to Avonlea. In the United States, Dewhurst won two Tony Awards and four Emmy Awards for her stage and television work. In addition to other Canadian honors over the years, Dewhurst won two Gemini Awards for her portrayal of Marilla Cuthbert; once in 1986 and again in 1988. It is arguably her best known role because of the Kevin Sullivan produced series’ continuing popularity and also the initial co-production by the CBC; allowing for rebroadcasts over the years on it, and also on PBS in the United States. The initial broadcast alone was seen by millions of viewers.

<i>Anne of Green Gables</i> (1985 film) 1985 film

Anne of Green Gables is a 1985 Canadian made-for-television drama film based on the 1908 novel of the same name by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery, and is the first in a series of four films. The film stars Megan Follows in the title role of Anne Shirley and was produced and directed by Kevin Sullivan for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It was released theatrically in Iran, Israel, Europe, and Japan.

<i>Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel</i> 1987 film

Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel is a 1987 Canadian television miniseries film. A sequel to the 1985 miniseries Anne of Green Gables, it is based on Lucy Maud Montgomery's novels Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, and Anne of Windy Poplars. The story follows Anne Shirley as she leaves Green Gables in Avonlea, Prince Edward Island to teach at a prestigious ladies' college in New Brunswick. The main cast from the original film reprised their roles, including Megan Follows, Jonathan Crombie, Colleen Dewhurst, Patricia Hamilton, and Schuyler Grant.

<i>Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story</i> Canadian TV series or program

Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story is a 2000 miniseries television film, and the third installment in a series of four films. The film was highly anticipated among fans of Anne of Green Gables, and was the most controversial and heavily criticized of the three film adaptations written and produced by Kevin Sullivan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Megan Follows</span> Canadian actress and director

Megan Elizabeth Laura Diana Follows is a Canadian-American actress and director. She is known for her role as Anne Shirley in the 1985 Canadian television miniseries Anne of Green Gables and its two sequels. From 2013 to 2017, she starred as Catherine de' Medici, Queen of France, in the television drama series Reign.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Crombie</span> Canadian actor and voice actor

Jonathan Crombie was a Canadian actor and voice-over artist, best known for playing Gilbert Blythe in CBC Television's 1985 telefilm Anne of Green Gables and its two sequels.

<i>Anne of Green Gables</i> (1956 film) 1956 television film by Don Harron

Anne of Green Gables (1956) is a Canadian television film directed by Don Harron. The film was based upon the 1908 novel, Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery.

Patricia Ruth Hamilton was a Canadian actress who had an active career on stage, television, and film from the 1960s through the 2010s. She had a lengthy association as a stage actress with the Tarragon Theatre with whom she appeared in multiple world premieres of works by Canadian playwrights; including Judith Thompson's I Am Yours (1987) for which she won a Dora Mavor Moore Award in 1988. She also appeared as a guest actress at other theaters in Canada and internationally including the American Shakespeare Theatre, the Stratford Festival, the Edinburgh International Festival, and The Old Vic.

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<i>Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning</i> 2008 film directed by Kevin Sullivan

Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning is a 2008 Canadian made-for-television drama film and the fourth and final film in Sullivan Entertainment's Anne of Green Gables series. It was released in 2008 on CTV. Before the broadcast, CTV had recently acquired the rights to the entire Anne catalogue including the 1985 miniseries.

<i>Anne of Green Gables: The Animated Series</i> Television series

Anne of Green Gables: The Animated Series is a Canadian animated children's television series produced by Sullivan Entertainment and developed by writer/director/producer Kevin Sullivan, based on the 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery. Many supporting characters are sourced from Sullivan's television series Road to Avonlea, which is based on Montgomery's books The Story Girl and The Golden Road. One season of the series was produced, with 26 episodes, originally airing from 2001 to 2002. The series was developed for PBS member stations and was originally distributed by PBS from 2001 to 2005, then later by American Public Television from 2010-2015. It is the second animated series based on the Anne of Green Gables story. The first one is of the same name, produced by Nippon Animation in 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trudy Grant</span>

Trudy Grant, President of Sullivan Entertainment International and COO of the Sullivan Entertainment Group, has been part of the establishment of the Canadian entertainment industry for nearly thirty years. Grant, who is married to Kevin Sullivan, has won numerous awards for her work in television and film.

<i>Lantern Hill</i> (film) Canadian TV series or program

Lantern Hill is a 1989 television film written and directed by filmmaker Kevin Sullivan and based L.M. Montgomery's novel Jane of Lantern Hill. The film was co-produced by Sullivan Entertainment, the Disney Channel and CBC Television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosemary Dunsmore</span> Canadian TV, film, and theatre actress

Rosemary Dunsmore is a Canadian TV, film, and theatre actress, director, and educator. She was awarded a Dora Mavor Moore Award for her 1982 performance in Straight Ahead/Blind Dancers. In 2009 she won the ACTRA Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film The Baby Formula. She has starred in some well-known Canadian productions, including The Campbells, Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel, Road to Avonlea, Mom P.I., Murdoch Mysteries and Orphan Black.

<i>Magic Flute Diaries</i> 2008 Canadian film

Magic Flute Diaries is a 2008 direct-to-DVD Canadian drama film written and directed by Kevin Sullivan, loosely inspired by Mozart's classic opera The Magic Flute. It stars Rutger Hauer, Warren Christie and Mireille Asselin.

Kate Macdonald Butler is a Canadian television producer, and President of the Heirs of L.M. Montgomery. She is a granddaughter of celebrated author Lucy Maud Montgomery, and one of the heirs to her intellectual property rights, and has been a principal in multiple lawsuits to secure those rights.

References

  1. 1 2 Sanati, Maryam (January 1, 1999). "Biography of Kevin Sullivan". Toronto Life.
  2. ↑ "The Fir Tree (1979) - Full cast and crew". IMDb. Retrieved February 20, 2009.
  3. ↑ "Sullivan Entertainment: Through the Years". www.anneofgreengables.com. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
  4. ↑ "Academy Award-Winning Actress Shirley MacLaine joins the cast of CTV's Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning". CTV News. October 23, 2007. Archived from the original on June 25, 2009.
  5. ↑ Allward, Suzanne (May 7, 1983). "Megan Carey". TV Guide.
  6. ↑ "CBC Archives".
  7. ↑ Atherton, Tony (April 3, 1999). "Anne of Green Gables". The Ottawa Citizen.
  8. ↑ Brioux, Bill (December 2008). "Anne of Green Gables franchise/spinoffs". Starweek.
  9. ↑ Newcomb, Horace (December 1996). Encyclopedia of Television. Routledge. ISBN   978-1579583941.
  10. ↑ Knelman, Martin (March 1996). "Road to Avonlea". The Financial Post Magazine.
  11. ↑ Marchand, Philip (July 31, 2007). "Avcon". Toronto Star.
  12. 1 2 Atherton, Tony (January 6, 1996). "Kevin Sullivan profile". The Ottawa Citizen.
  13. ↑ "Magic Flute Diaries (2008)". IMDb. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  14. ↑ Taylor, Kate (July 4, 2006). "Mozart, by way of Sin City". Globe and Mail.
  15. ↑ "Film delves into life of Mozart". Canada.com. December 20, 2008. Archived from the original on May 16, 2014. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
  16. ↑ Gayle Macdonald (2003-10-25). "The red-haired girl goes to court". The Globe and Mail . Archived from the original on 2020-04-30. It estimated earnings of $6.4-million for that fiscal year on revenue of $35.7-million. Those numbers stuck in the craw of Macdonald and Lucy Maud's granddaughter Kate Macdonald Butler, who had been informed in 1997 by Sullivan Entertainment that none of the programs had reported a net profit.
  17. ↑ Anne of Green Gables (1985 film)#Lawsuits
  18. ↑ Smith, R.J. (2009-02-01). "'The Ballad of Blind Tom, Slave Pianist: America's Lost Musical Genius'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-06-14.
  19. ↑ "Sullivan bibliography". Archived from the original on April 8, 2013. Retrieved April 10, 2013.
  20. ↑ Dobrzynski, Judith H. (January 25, 2012). "Old Man with a Beard". AJ Blog Central.
  21. 1 2 "Kevin Sullivan". IMDb. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  22. ↑ John J. O'Connor (June 2, 1989). "TV Weekend; A Coming-of-Age Film and Martin Short". New York Times .
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