Pen Densham | |
|---|---|
 Densham in 2011 | |
| Born | 14 October 1947 [1] Ruislip, Middlesex, England |
| Occupation(s) | Film and television writer, producer |
Pen Densham (born 14 October 1947) is a British-Canadian film and television producer, writer, and director, [2] [3] known for writing and producing films such as Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves [4] and television revivals of The Outer Limits and The Twilight Zone , as well as writing, producing and directing MGM's Moll Flanders . [5]
Born in Ruislip, Middlesex, England in October 1947 to Raymond Densham who worked in the British film industry, [4] Pen left school at age 15 and was hired by British TV to photograph The Rolling Stones to sell to national magazines. At 19 he moved to Canada where he directed commercials and documentaries, working with Marshall McLuhan.
Densham went on to found Insight Productions in Toronto with John Watson. The company gained recognition for documentaries such as Life Times Nine , one of two Insight films that earned Academy Award nominations. In total, Densham and Watson received over 70 international awards for their works including medals from the Queen of the United Kingdom for their contribution to the Arts of Canada. The first drama Densham wrote and directed, If Wishes Were Horses, won 14 awards, was reviewed by TV guide as "The best film of any length shown on Canadian TV", and brought Densham's work to the attention of Norman Jewison. Jewison, with Telefilm Canada, sponsored Densham to move to Hollywood.
In Hollywood Densham and Watson founded Trilogy Entertainment Group. [6] They were employed as creative consultants on films such as Rocky II and Footloose . In 1988 Densham directed Trilogy's first studio feature, The Kiss , [7] for Tri-Star. In 1990 Densham re-envisioned the Robin Hood story, creating a new characterization and adding new concepts. Densham and Watson sold their spec script for Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and produced the film for Morgan Creek Productions and Warner Brothers. The film became one of Warner Brothers' largest grossing movies ever, spinning off games, toy lines and the No. 1 music single from Bryan Adams, "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You". In the same year they were producers on Backdraft with Ron Howard directing for Imagine Entertainment and Universal Pictures. Backdraft generated one of the longest-lasting attractions at the Universal Studios Tour.
Inspired by the loss of his mother, Densham wrote and directed a personal version of Moll Flanders for MGM and Spelling Entertainment, based loosely on the novel by Daniel Defoe, starring Morgan Freeman and Robin Wright. Densham also wrote and directed Houdini, an $8 million TNT feature for television starring Johnathon Schaech, Mark Ruffalo and Emile Hirsch. In 1992, Trilogy Entertainment Group jumped into its television foray by signing it with RHI Entertainment, with potential off-net syndication rights handled by Columbia Pictures Television. [8]
In television Densham wrote and supervised the re-franchising of The Outer Limits science fiction anthology series, which he executive-produced with his partners for its award-winning seven-year-run on American television. In the process Densham earned the unique distinction of being named number eight in the 50 Most Powerful People in Science Fiction list compiled by Cinefantastique magazine. In 2003 he re-introduced The Twilight Zone fantasy anthology series to American audiences on UPN.
Densham became a published author with his book about screenplay writing and selling creativity in Hollywood, Riding the Alligator: Strategies for a Career in Screenplay Writing (And Not Getting Eaten), published by Michael Wiese Books in January 2011. [9] The title comes from the cover photo of Densham at the age of four astride a live seven-foot alligator in one of his parents' theatrical short films. Written with the goal of supporting emerging creative people finding their own voice and path through the Hollywood industry as well as artistic endeavors in general, the book includes supportive essays by professional screenwriters Shane Black, Nia Vardalos, Andrea Berloff, Eric Roth, John Watson, Robin Swicord, Todd Robinson, Alan McElroy, Anthony Peckham, Ron Shelton and Laeta Kalogridis. The book received positive reviews from Academy Award-winning writer-director-producers like Paul Haggis and Ron Howard, as well as actors like Jeff Bridges, Morgan Freeman, Robin Wright and Emile Hirsch.
| Year | Film | Producer | Director | Writer | Other | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Life Times Nine | Yes | Documentary short Nominated – Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film | |||
| Streetworker | Yes | Documentary short | ||||
| 1974 | Thoroughbred | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Documentary short Also cinematographer |
| 1978 | F.I.S.T. | Yes | Creative consultant Directed by Norman Jewison | |||
| 1979 | Rocky II | Yes | Supervisor: fight and training montages Directed by Sylvester Stallone | |||
| 1980 | Coal Miner's Daughter | Yes | Creative consultant Directed by Michael Apted | |||
| Don't Mess with Bill | Yes | Documentary short Directed by John Watson Nominated – Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject) | ||||
| 1981 | Escape to Victory | Yes | Creative consultant Directed by John Huston | |||
| Nighthawks | Yes | Creative consultant Directed by Bruce Malmuth | ||||
| 1984 | Success Is the Best Revenge | Yes | Directed by Jerzy Skolimowski | |||
| Footloose | Yes | Creative consultant Directed by Herbert Ross | ||||
| 1985 | The Zoo Gang | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| 1988 | The Kiss | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also lyrics: song "Under My Skin" Nominated – Fantasporto International Film Festival Award | |
| 1990 | A Gnome Named Gnorm | Yes | Yes | Directed by Stan Winston | ||
| 1991 | Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves | Yes | Yes | Directed by Kevin Reynolds | ||
| 1994 | Blown Away | Yes | Directed by Stephen Hopkins | |||
| 1995 | Tank Girl | Yes | Directed by Rachel Talalay | |||
| 1996 | Moll Flanders | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| Larger than Life | Yes | Yes | Directed by Howard Franklin | |||
| 2002 | The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys | Executive | Directed by Peter Care | |||
| 2005 | Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story | Yes | Directed by Akbar Khan | |||
| 2007 | Just Buried | Yes | Directed by Chaz Thorne | |||
| 2013 | Phantom | Yes | Directed by Todd Robinson | |||
| 2019 | The Last Full Measure | Yes | ||||
| Harriet | Executive | Directed by Kasi Lemmons | ||||
| 2020 | Meeting the Beatles in India | Executive | Documentary film Directed by Paul Saltzman |
| Year | Program | Executive producer | Director | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | If Wishes Were Horses | Yes | Yes | Television special | |
| 1993 | Lifepod | Yes | Yes | Television film | |
| Taking Liberty | Yes | Yes | Television pilot | ||
| 1993–94 | Space Rangers | Yes | Yes | Series creator | |
| 1995–2001 | The Outer Limits | Yes | Yes | 87 episodes Won – CableACE Award for Dramatic Series | |
| 1996–99 | Poltergeist: The Legacy | Yes | 70 episodes | ||
| 1997 | Buffalo Soldiers | Yes | Television film | ||
| 1997–98 | Fame L.A. | Yes | 22 episodes | ||
| 1998 | The Wonderful World of Disney | Co-executive | 1 episode | ||
| The Magnificent Seven | Yes | Yes | Series creator | ||
| Creature | Yes | Miniseries | |||
| The Taking of Pelham One Two Three | Yes | Television film | |||
| Houdini | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2002 | Brother's Keeper | Yes | |||
| The Twilight Zone | Yes | Yes | 3 episodes | ||
| Breaking News | Yes | 13 episodes | |||
| Carrie | Yes | Television film |
John Thomas Sayles is an American independent film director, screenwriter, editor, actor, and novelist. He is known for writing and directing the films The Brother from Another Planet (1984), Matewan (1987), Eight Men Out (1988), Passion Fish (1992), The Secret of Roan Inish (1994), Lone Star (1996), and Men with Guns (1997).
Robert Towne is an American screenwriter and director. He started with writing films for Roger Corman including The Tomb of Ligeia (1964). Later, he was a part of the New Hollywood wave of filmmaking. He wrote the Academy Award-winning original screenplay for Roman Polanski's Chinatown (1974), which is widely considered one of the greatest screenplays. Towne also wrote the sequel, The Two Jakes (1990), and the Hal Ashby comedy-dramas The Last Detail (1973) and Shampoo (1975). He has collaborated with Tom Cruise on the films Days of Thunder (1990), The Firm (1993) and the first two installments of Mission: Impossible franchise.
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is a 1991 American action adventure film based on the English folk tale of Robin Hood that originated in the 12th century. Directed by Kevin Reynolds and written by Pen Densham and John Watson, the film stars Kevin Costner as Robin Hood, Morgan Freeman as Azeem, Christian Slater as Will Scarlett, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as Marian, and Alan Rickman as the Sheriff of Nottingham.
Danny Strong is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. As an actor, Strong is best known for his roles as Jonathan Levinson in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Doyle McMaster in Gilmore Girls and Danny Siegel in Mad Men. He also wrote the screenplays for Recount, the HBO adaptation Game Change, Lee Daniels' The Butler, and co-wrote the two-part finale of The Hunger Games film trilogy, Mockingjay – Part 1 and Mockingjay – Part 2. Strong also is a co-creator, executive producer, director, and writer for the Fox series Empire and created, wrote and directed the award-winning Hulu miniseries Dopesick.
Terence Patrick Winter is an American writer and producer of television and film. He is the creator, writer, and executive producer of the HBO television series Boardwalk Empire (2010–2014). Before creating Boardwalk Empire, Winter was a writer and executive producer for the HBO television series The Sopranos, from the show's second to sixth and final season (2000–2007).
Vanessa Taylor is an American screenwriter and television producer. She is best known for writing the screenplay for the films Hope Springs, Divergent, and The Shape of Water. For her work on The Shape of Water, Taylor was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
Semi Chellas is a director, writer, producer who has written for film, television and magazines. She was born in Palo Alto, California and grew up in Calgary, Alberta. She is known for her work on the television series Mad Men and her film adaptation of American Woman based on Susan Choi's novel of the same name.
The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television's 16th Gemini Awards were held on October 29, 2001, to honour achievements in Canadian television. The awards show, which was hosted by Mike Bullard, took place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and was broadcast on CBC Television.
The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television's 10th Gemini Awards was held on March 3, 1996 to honour achievements in Canadian television. The awards show, which was hosted by Albert Schultz, took place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and was broadcast on CBC Television.
For Those Who Hunt the Wounded Down is a novel by David Adams Richards, published in 1993. It was the final volume in his Miramichi trilogy, which also included the novels Nights Below Station Street (1988) and Evening Snow Will Bring Such Peace (1990).
The Outer Limits is a television series that originally aired on Showtime, Syfy, and in syndication between 1995 and 2002. The series is a revival of the original The Outer Limits series that aired from 1963 to 1965.
The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television's 12th Gemini Awards were held on March 1, 1998, to honour achievements in Canadian television. There were two awards ceremonies in 1998; the 13th was held on October 4, 1998. The 12th awards ceremony was hosted by Cathy Jones and Steve Smith. It took place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and was broadcast on CBC Television.
John van Bruggen is a Canadian animator and writer. His wife, Arna Selznick, was the director of 1985's The Care Bears Movie. He and Selznick were layout supervisors on its 1986 sequel. They are partners in the creative services company dancingmonkeys.
Lewis John Carlino was an American screenwriter and director. His career spanned five decades and included such works as The Fox, The Brotherhood, The Mechanic, The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea, I Never Promised You a Rose Garden, Resurrection, and The Great Santini. Carlino was nominated for many awards, including the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
John Watson is a British film and television producer, he is best known for the film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, a production that he also co-wrote the screenplay
Orville H. Hampton was an American screenwriter who worked mostly in low-budget films, particularly for producers Robert E. Kent and Edward Small. A screenplay that he and Raphael Hayes wrote for One Potato, Two Potato (1964) was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
Richard Barton Lewis is an American film producer and writer. He is the founder and CEO of Southpaw Entertainment and co-founder of Trilogy Entertainment.
T. J. Scott is a Canadian film and television director, screenwriter, producer, and former stuntman and actor. He is primarily known for his work directing popular television series such as Orphan Black, Xena: Warrior Princess, Gotham, Star Trek: Discovery, Longmire, 12 Monkeys, The Strain, and Spartacus.
Saverio "Sam" Grana is a Canadian Academy Award-nominated television and film producer and screenwriter, most noted for the film Train of Dreams and the television miniseries The Boys of St. Vincent.
Andrew Rai Berzins is a Canadian film and television writer. He is most noted as cowriter with Andrew Wreggitt of the television film Borealis, for which they won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Writing in a Dramatic Program or Miniseries at the 2nd Canadian Screen Awards in 2014.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
