Rick McCallum | |
---|---|
Born | Richard McCallum August 22, 1954 |
Nationality | American |
Occupation | Film producer |
Children | 1 |
Relatives | Michael York (stepfather) |
Richard McCallum (born August 22, 1954) is an American film producer. He is mostly known for his work on The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles as well as the Star Wars Special Editions and Prequel Trilogy. He is best known for his frequent collaborations with American filmmaker George Lucas, though he was also a long-time producer for British television playwright Dennis Potter, most notably on The Singing Detective and Dreamchild.
McCallum's career as producer began with Pennies from Heaven (1981), the film version of the 1978 BBC TV drama, for director Herbert Ross and writer Dennis Potter. After the commercial failure of the film, Potter invited McCallum to go to work in England. [1] During the 1980s, McCallum's work with Potter included producing the films Dreamchild (1985), an unusual exploration by Potter of the creation of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland , which was nominated for two BAFTA awards, [2] and Track 29 directed by Nicolas Roeg; executive producing the landmark BBC-TV series The Singing Detective ; and in 1989 producing the Potter-directed TV series Blackeyes .
During the 1980s, McCallum also produced movies with filmmakers including David Hare ( Strapless ); Neil Simon ( I Ought to Be in Pictures ); Harvey Fierstein, whose HBO film Tidy Endings received two CableACE Awards; [3] and Nicolas Roeg's Castaway . McCallum also produced the music video for the Rolling Stones' "Undercover of the Night", directed by Julien Temple.
He first met George Lucas on the set of Dreamchild. [4] [5]
Several years after their first meeting, Lucas was preparing his first weekly live-action television program, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles , and turned to McCallum to produce the ambitious series, which was to be shot in 35 countries. With a unique perspective on the eventful early life of Indiana Jones – including its cinematic qualities, an emphasis on storytelling and characters, and an enticing promise of new adventures each week – McCallum helped attract a stellar list of writers and actors to the creative ranks of the series. Among the directors with whom McCallum worked on the series were Bille August, Nicolas Roeg, David Hare, Mike Newell, Deepa Mehta, Terry Jones, Gavin Millar, Simon Wincer, and Carl Schultz. During its run, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences honored Young Indiana Jones with 12 Emmy Awards from 27 nominations. [6] The series debuted on DVD in 2007, and McCallum served alongside Lucas as a joint executive producer on a series of 94 acclaimed documentaries that accompany the episodes and illuminate the real-life history behind their stories.
When Young Indiana Jones ended, McCallum produced Radioland Murders (1994), for which Lucas served as executive producer and the originator of the story.
During production of Radioland Murders, Lucas confided to McCallum his plans for three new Star Wars movies. To further test the nascent digital technology just then becoming available, in part from developments they made on Young Indiana Jones, McCallum produced revised versions of A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back , and Return of the Jedi – released in 1997 as the Special Editions.
Assembling the teams that worked both in front of and behind the cameras, McCallum produced the next three films, which Lucas wrote and directed: Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999), Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002) and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005). The Star Wars prequels also ushered in a new era of digital filmmaking, and McCallum played a leading role in its development, overseeing a team of creative and technical professionals that developed and created the industry's first all-digital production pipeline. [7] McCallum makes a cameo appearance in The Phantom Menace near the end of the film when Palpatine arrives on Naboo. [8] [9]
McCallum was one of the producers of Red Tails , an action-adventure movie on which Lucas was executive producer, that pays tribute to the spirit of World War II's Tuskegee Airmen. The movie was released nationally in the U.S. on January 20, 2012.
Following Lucasfilm's announced acquisition by The Walt Disney Company, on October 31, 2012, ForceCast.net podcast Lucasfilm's Steve Sansweet stated that "Rick has retired from Lucasfilm". [10] He had been involved with a potential live-action series set within the Star Wars universe, [11] but the show was put on hold in 2010 due to budget concerns. [12]
After leaving Lucasfilm, McCallum settled in Prague in Czechia. [13] His Prague-based company, Film United, develops film projects and provides production services for Czech and European feature films. [14] [15] Films that McCallum is developing include R'ha , a science fiction feature film based on an earlier short film, to be directed by Kaleb Lechowski and written by Matthew Graham; [14] In the Fog , a World War II film by Ukrainian director Sergei Loznitsa; [16] So Far So Good (Zatím dobrý), based on the novel by Jan Novák about the Mašín brothers; [13] [17] and (as executive producer) A Long Way Home, directed by Paki Smith and written by Alex Rose. [18]
McCallum's mother, photographer Pat York, [19] [20] is married to actor Michael York. His father, Roy Alwood McCallum, was a US military pilot. [21] [22] McCallum's daughter, Olivia 'Mousy' McCallum, also works in the film industry. [23] [24]
George Walton Lucas Jr. is an American filmmaker and philanthropist. He created the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises and founded Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chairman of Lucasfilm before selling it to The Walt Disney Company in 2012. Nominated for four Academy Awards, he is considered to be one of the most significant figures of the 20th-century New Hollywood movement, and a pioneer of the modern blockbuster. Despite this, he has remained an independent filmmaker away from Hollywood for most of his career.
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace is a 1999 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas in his first directorial effort since 1977. The film stars Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, Ahmed Best, Ian McDiarmid, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Pernilla August, and Frank Oz. It is the fourth film in the Star Wars film series, the first film of the prequel trilogy and the first chronological chapter of the "Skywalker Saga". Set 32 years before the original trilogy, during the era of the Galactic Republic, the plot follows Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi as they try to protect Queen Padmé Amidala of Naboo in hopes of securing a peaceful end to an interplanetary trade dispute. Joined by Anakin Skywalker—a young slave with unusually strong natural powers of the Force—they simultaneously contend with the mysterious return of the Sith. The film was produced by Lucasfilm and distributed by 20th Century Fox.
Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones is a 2002 American epic space opera film directed by George Lucas and written by Lucas and Jonathan Hales. The sequel to The Phantom Menace (1999), it is the fifth film in the Star Wars film series and second chronological chapter of the "Skywalker Saga". The film stars Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Lee, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, and Frank Oz.
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith is a 2005 American epic space opera film that is the sequel to The Phantom Menace (1999) and Attack of the Clones (2002). It is the sixth film in the Star Wars film series, the third installment in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, and third chronological chapter of the "Skywalker Saga". It is written and directed by George Lucas, who also served as executive producer. The film stars Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Lee, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, and Frank Oz.
Qui-Gon Jinn is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. He was introduced as a Jedi Master in the prequel film The Phantom Menace (1999), and is portrayed by Liam Neeson. He appears in the series Tales of the Jedi, and is featured as a Force spirit in the animated series The Clone Wars (2008) and the live-action miniseries Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022). Qui-Gon also appears in novels, comics and video games.
Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC is an American film and television production company founded by filmmaker George Lucas in 1971 in San Rafael, California, and later moved to San Francisco in 2005. It has been a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Studios since 2012 and is best known for creating and producing the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises, as well as its leadership in developing special effects, sound, and computer animation for films.
Skywalker Sound is the American sound effects, sound editing, sound design, sound mixing and music recording division of Lucasfilm. Founded in 1975, the company's main facilities are located at George Lucas's Skywalker Ranch in Lucas Valley, near Nicasio, California.
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles is an American television series that aired on ABC from March 4, 1992, to July 24, 1993. Filming took place in various locations around the world, with "Old Indy" bookend segments filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina and on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. The series was a Lucasfilm production in association with Amblin Television and Paramount Television.
The Art of Star Wars is a series of books by various editors featuring concept art from the Star Wars motion picture saga. The books mainly feature artwork accompanied by a short explanation of the scene and the artist's ideas, but also script notes, posters and other information. The first books were published by Ballantine Books, a subsidiary of Random House, with later editions appearing under the DelRey and LucasBooks imprints. Later titles were published by Harry N. Abrams.
The Star Wars prequel trilogy, colloquially referred to as the prequels, is a series of epic space-opera films written and directed by George Lucas. It was produced by Lucasfilm Ltd. and distributed by 20th Century Fox. The trilogy was released from 1999 to 2005 and is set before the original Star Wars trilogy (1977–1983), chronologically making it the first act of the Skywalker Saga. Lucas had planned a prequel trilogy before the release of the original film, but halted major Star Wars films beyond the original trilogy by 1981. When computer-generated imagery (CGI) had advanced to the level he wanted for the visual effects he wanted for subsequent films, Lucas revived plans for the prequels by the early 1990s. The trilogy marked Lucas's return to directing after a 22-year hiatus following the original Star Wars film in 1977, as well as a 16-year hiatus between the classic and prequel trilogies.
Radioland Murders is a 1994 American comedy thriller film directed by Mel Smith and executive produced by George Lucas from a story by Lucas. Radioland Murders is set in the 1939 atmosphere of old-time radio and pays homage to the screwball comedy films of the 1930s. The film tells the story of writer Roger Henderson trying to settle relationship issues with his wife Penny while dealing with a whodunit murder mystery in a radio station. The film stars an ensemble cast, including Brian Benben, Mary Stuart Masterson, Scott Michael Campbell, Michael Lerner, and Ned Beatty. Radioland Murders also features numerous small roles and cameo appearances, including Michael McKean, Bobcat Goldthwait, Jeffrey Tambor, Christopher Lloyd, George Burns, Billy Barty, and Rosemary Clooney.
Gavin Millar was a Scottish film director, critic and television presenter.
Star Wars Celebration is a large fan convention held to celebrate the Star Wars franchise. The event is usually held annually in varying locations around the world, and commonly features a host of Star Wars project announcements, panel discussions featuring actors, producers and writers, screenings, exhibits, cosplay and merchandise sales. It began in 1999, when Lucasfilm held the first Star Wars Celebration in Denver, Colorado to celebrate the upcoming release of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.
Indiana Jones is an American media franchise consisting of five films and a prequel television series, along with games, comics, and tie-in novels, that depicts the adventures of Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones Jr., a fictional professor of archaeology.
Red Tails is a 2012 American war film directed by Anthony Hemingway in his feature directorial debut, and starring Terrence Howard and Cuba Gooding Jr. The film is about the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African-American United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) servicemen during World War II. The characters in the film are fictional, although based on real individuals. The film was produced by Lucasfilm Ltd. and released by 20th Century Fox, and would be the last film Lucasfilm released before being purchased by The Walt Disney Company nine months later. This was Cuba Gooding Jr.'s first theatrically released film in five years since his starring role in 2007's Daddy Day Camp.
George Lucas is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, editor, and entrepreneur. His most well known work includes both the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises and establishing Lucasfilm. In addition to producing feature films, he has also created television series and written books.
Jonathan Hales is a British playwright and screenwriter. He is noted for his work with George Lucas, including The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles television series and Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones.
Jonathan W. Rinzler was a film historian and writer, known for publishing books about the behind the scenes of blockbuster movies such as Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Rinzler also wrote the novel Indiana Jones and the Mystery of Mount Sinai, as well as All Up, about the Space Race.
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