Lynda Obst

Last updated

Lynda Obst
Born
Lynda Rosen

(1950-04-14) April 14, 1950 (age 73)
Alma mater Pomona College
Columbia University
Occupation(s)Film producer, author
OrganizationLynda Obst Productions
Spouse David Obst (div.)

Lynda Rosen Obst [1] (born April 14, 1950) [1] is an American feature film producer and author.

Contents

Career

Obst is a graduate of Pomona College in Claremont, California and then studied philosophy in the graduate program at Columbia University. [2] Later she worked as an editor at The New York Times before moving to Los Angeles with her then-husband David Obst. Starting at The Geffen Film Company as a d-girl, her first major project was developing the scripts that would eventually become Flashdance .

Obst partnered with Debra Hill in 1986. The partnership would go on to produce Adventures in Babysitting , Heartbreak Hotel and The Fisher King , among other projects. Following The Fisher King (1991), Obst and Hill parted ways; she became an in-studio producer going on to produce such notable films as Sleepless in Seattle , One Fine Day , Someone Like You , Contact, Hope Floats and The Siege .

In 1989, Obst founded the production company Lynda Obst Productions. Initially based at Columbia Pictures, it moved to 20th Century Fox in 1993. By 2007, the company was named Obst/Rosen Productions. [3]

In 2009, Obst completed principal photography as producer on the Ricky GervaisMatthew Robinson co-writing and directing debut, The Invention of Lying (originally titled "This Side of the Truth"), starring Ricky Gervais and Jennifer Garner. The film was released in October 2009. She was also the producer of Gurinder Chadha's Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging , released by Nickelodeon in 2008. In 2014, Obst collaborated with director Christopher Nolan to co-produce Interstellar , a science-fiction drama starring Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway. This marked the first time her production company, Lynda Obst Productions, was credited for a production.

Obst is the author of the memoir Hello, He Lied (1996), which details her experiences in the modern studio system. She was one of the central figures in the battle over the Richard Preston article Crisis in the Hot Zone . Rick Rosen, one of the founders of the Endeavor talent agency, is Obst's younger brother.

Lynda Obst Productions

Lynda Obst Productions
IndustryFilm
Founded1989
Headquarters Culver City, Los Angeles, California, United States
Key people
Lynda Obst
OwnerLynda Obst
Website lyndaobstproductions.com

Lynda Obst Productions is an American film and television production company founded by Lynda Obst. She formed the company in 1989 and moved it to Columbia Pictures. [4] In 1993, her company moved to 20th Century Fox. [5] While Obst has producer credits for films from the 1980s to present, Interstellar was the first to display her company banner. [6]

Film and television

Filmography

She was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.

Film

YearFilmCredit
1983 Flashdance Associate producer
1987 Adventures in Babysitting
1988 Heartbreak Hotel
1991 The Fisher King
1992 This Is My Life
1993 Sleepless in Seattle Executive producer
1994 Bad Girls Executive producer
1996 One Fine Day
1997 Contact Executive producer
1998 Hope Floats
The Siege
2001 Someone like You
2002 Abandon
2003 How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
2008 Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging
2009 The Invention of Lying
2014 Interstellar
Thanks
YearFilmRole
1995 Pie in the Sky Thanks
2003 I Love Your Work Special thanks
2009 A Single Man The producers wish to thank
2019 Above Suspicion Special thanks

Television

YearTitleCreditNotesOther notesRef.
1989 Adventures in Babysitting Executive producerTelevision pilot
1999The '60sExecutive producer
2002Hello, He Lied & Other Truths from the Hollywood TrenchesExecutive producerUncreditedDocumentary
2012−14 The Soul Man Executive producer
2014−15 Helix Executive producer
2010−15 Hot in Cleveland Executive producer
2015−16 Good Girls Revolt Executive producer [8]
2019 The Hot Zone
2021 The Hot Zone: Anthrax Executive producer
As writer
YearTitleNotesOther notes
2002Hello, He Lied & Other Truths from the Hollywood TrenchesDocumentaryUncredited

Publications

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References

  1. 1 2 Lynda Obst, TCM, retrieved 8 February 2014
  2. About us, Lynda Obst Productions, retrieved 8 February 2014
  3. McNary, Pamela McClintock,Dave; McClintock, Pamela; McNary, Dave (March 20, 2007). "Obst, Rosen team up". Variety. Retrieved April 25, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. Hindes, Andrew (January 12, 1999). "Par's Obst tackle". Variety . Retrieved September 29, 2014.
  5. Eller, Claudia (January 5, 1993). "Obst moving shingle from Sony to Fox lot". Variety . Retrieved September 29, 2014.
  6. Fleming, Mike (August 13, 2013). "Christopher Nolan Starts 'Interstellar'". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved August 13, 2013.
  7. Spangler, Todd (October 24, 2016). "Spin Promotes Amazon's 'Good Girls Revolt' With One-Time Revival of Print Mag (Exclusive)". Variety . Retrieved July 1, 2017.
  8. Young, Sage. "How Historically Accurate Is 'Good Girls Revolt'? The Amazon Series Stays True To The Era" . Retrieved October 30, 2016.