The Donners' Company

Last updated
The Donners' Company
FormerlyDonner/Shuler-Donner Productions (1986–1999)
Company type Private
IndustryFilm production
Founded1986;38 years ago (1986)
Founders
Headquarters 4000 Warner Boulevard, ,
United States
OwnerLauren Shuler Donner

The Donners' Company (formerly Donner/Shuler-Donner Productions) is the film production company of director Richard Donner and producer Lauren Shuler Donner, founded in 1986. It is notable for the Free Willy and X-Men franchise.

Contents

History

Donner/Shuler-Donner Productions

In 1986, film producer Lauren Shuler Donner announced that she would end her production deal with The Walt Disney Studios. [1] She announced that she would merge with Warner Bros.-based Richard Donner Productions, to create Donner/Shuler-Donner Productions, to be operating on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, California. [1]

The first film released under the name was Radio Flyer , which was directed by Richard Donner, produced by Lauren, and it was released by Columbia Pictures in 1992. [2] It flopped at the box office. [3]

The banner made its first major success in 1993 with box office hits Dave and Free Willy . The latter's success spawned two sequels, and a television series. [4] That year, the studio and Warner Bros. originally made a deal with Hammer Film Productions to do remake film projects based on its existing UK film productions. [5]

In 1994, the studio hit its first television project, with an animated adaption of Free Willy, and it was aired on ABC for two seasons. [6]

The Donners' Company

In 1999, it was announced that Donner/Shuler-Donner Productions was renamed to the better-sounding name The Donners' Company. On April 4, 2000, it was signed a deal with NBC Studios to produce shows for the NBC television network. [7]

That same year, the studio scored a major success with X-Men , which was an instant box office hit, grossing over $296.8 million worldwide. [8]

In 2001, The Donners' Company signed a deal with Winchester Films to produce its feature films from its own. [9]

More recently, the company was producing two X-Men series for television, including Legion on FX, and The Gifted on Fox. In 2019, the latter was cancelled months before the former concluded its third and final season. [10] [11]

Richard Donner died on July 5, 2021. He was 91. [12]

Filmography

1990s

YearTitleDirectorDistributorNotesBudgetGross (worldwide)
1992 Radio Flyer Richard Donner Columbia Pictures first film; co-production with Stonebridge Entertainment $35 million$4.6 million
1993 Dave Ivan Reitman Warner Bros. co-production with Northern Lights Entertainment$28 million$63.3 million
Free Willy Simon Wincer co-production with Le Studio Canal+, Regency Enterprises and Alcor Films$20 million$153.6 million
1994 Maverick Richard Donnerco-production with Icon Productions $75 million$183 million
1995 Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home Dwight Little as Shuler-Donner/Donner; co-production with Le Studio Canal+., Regency Enterprises and Alcor Films$31 million$30 million
Assassins Richard Donnerco-production with Silver Pictures $50 million$83.3 million
1997 Volcano Mick Jackson 20th Century Fox as Shuler Donner/Donner; co-production with Fox 2000 Pictures and Moritz Original $90 million$122.8 million
Free Willy 3: The Rescue Sam Pillsbury Warner Bros.as Shuler Donner/Donner; co-production with Regency EnterprisesN/A$3.4 million
Conspiracy Theory Richard Donneras Shuler Donner/Donner Productions; last film released under Donner/Shuler-Donner insignia; co-production with Silver Pictures$80 million$137 million
1998 Bulworth Warren Beatty 20th Century Foxuncredited; co-production with Mulholland Productions$30 million$29.2 million
Lethal Weapon 4 Richard DonnerWarner Bros.as DoShuDo Productions; co-production with Silver Pictures$100–150 million$285.4 million
You've Got Mail Nora Ephron as Lauren Shuler Donner$65 million$250.8 million
1999 Any Given Sunday Oliver Stone first film under the branding of The Donners' Company; co-production with Ixtlan Productions$55 million$100.2 million

2000s

YearTitleDirectorDistributorNotesBudgetGross (worldwide)
2000 X-Men Bryan Singer 20th Century Foxco-production with Marvel Entertainment Group and Bad Hat Harry Productions $75 million$296.3 million
2001 Out Cold The Malloys Buena Vista Pictures co-production with Touchstone Pictures, Spyglass Entertainment and Barber/Birnbaum$24 million$14.8 million
2003 Just Married Shawn Levy 20th Century Foxuncredited; co-production with Robert Simonds$18 million$101.5 million
X2 Bryan Singerco-production with Marvel Enterprises and Bad Hat Harry Productions$110 million$407.7 million
Timeline Richard Donner Paramount Pictures co-production with Mutual Film Company, Cobalt Media Group and Artists Production Group$80 million$43.9 million
2005 Constantine Francis Lawrence Warner Bros. Picturesco-production with Vertigo/DC Comics, Village Roadshow Pictures, Batfilm Productions, Weed Road Pictures, 3 Arts Entertainment and di Bonaventura Pictures $100 million$230.9 million
2006 16 Blocks Richard Donneruncredited; Alcon Entertainment, Millennium Films, Cheyenne Enterprises, Emmett/Furla Films, Equity Pictures and Nu Image Films $55 million$65.7 million
She's the Man Andy Fickman Paramount Picturesco-production with DreamWorks Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment $20 million$57.2 million
X-Men: The Last Stand Brett Ratner 20th Century Foxco-production with Marvel Entertainment, Dune Entertainment and Ingenious Film Partners $210 million$460.4 million
Unaccompanied Minors Paul Feig Warner Bros. Picturesco-production with Village Roadshow Pictures$26 million$21.9 million
2008 Semi-Pro Kent Alterman New Line Cinema uncredited; co-production with Mosaic Media Group $55 million$43.9 million
The Secret Life of Bees Gina Prince-Bythewood Fox Searchlight Pictures co-production with Overbrook Entertainment $11 million$39.9 million
2009 Hotel for Dogs Thor Freudenthal Paramount Picturesco-production with DreamWorks Pictures, Nickelodeon Movies, Cold Spring Pictures and The Montecito Picture Company $35 million$117 million
X-Men Origins: Wolverine Gavin Hood 20th Century Foxco-production with Marvel Entertainment, Seed Productions, Dune Entertainment and Ingenious Film Partners $150 million$373.1 million
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant Paul Weitz Universal Pictures co-production with Relativity Media and Depth of Field$40 million$39.2 million

2010s

YearTitleDirectorDistributorNotesBudgetGross (worldwide)
2011 X-Men: First Class Matthew Vaughn 20th Century Foxco-production with Marvel Entertainment, Dune Entertainment, Ingenious Film Partners, and Bad Hat Harry$140–160 million$353.6 million
2013 The Wolverine James Mangold co-production with Marvel Entertainment and TSG Entertainment $100–132 million$414.8 million
2014 X-Men: Days of Future Past Bryan Singerco-production with Marvel Entertainment, Bad Hat Harry, Simon Kinberg and TSG Entertainment$200–220 million$747.9 million
2016 Deadpool Tim Miller co-production with Marvel Entertainment, Kinberg Genre and TSG Entertainment$58 million$782.6 million
X-Men: Apocalypse Bryan Singerco-production with Marvel Entertainment, Bad Hat Harry, Hutch Parker, Kinberg Genre and TSG Entertainment$178 million$543.9 million
2017 Logan James Mangold co-production with Marvel Entertainment, Kinberg Genre, Hutch Parker and TSG Entertainment$97 million$619 million
2018 Deadpool 2 David Leitch uncredited; co-production with Marvel Entertainment, Kinberg Genre, Maximum Effort and TSG Entertainment$110 million$785.8 million
2019 Dark Phoenix Simon Kinberg uncredited; co-production with Marvel Entertainment, Kinberg Genre, Hutch Parker and TSG Entertainment$200 million$252.4 million

2020s

YearTitleDirectorDistributorNotesBudgetGross
(worldwide)
2020 The New Mutants Josh Boone 20th Century Studiosuncredited; co-production with Marvel Entertainment, Kinberg Genre, Sunswept Entertainment and TSG Entertainment$67–80 million$49.2 million [13] [14]

Television

YearsTitleCreatorNetworkNotesSeasonsEpisodes
1994–95 Free Willy Patrick Loubert
based on Free Willy by:
Keith A. Walker
Corey Blechman
developed by:
Patsy Cameron
Ted Anasiti
ABC co-production with Le Studio Canal+, Nelvana, Regency Enterprises and Warner Bros. Television 221
2017–19 Legion Noah Hawley
based on Legion by:
Chris Claremont
Bill Sienkiewicz
FX co-production with 26 Keys Productions, Kinberg Genre, Bad Hat Harry Productions, Marvel Television and FXP327
The Gifted Matt Nix
based on characters by:
Stan Lee
Jack Kirby
Fox co-production with Flying Glass of Milk Productions, Kinberg Genre, Bad Hat Harry Productions, Marvel Television and 20th Century Fox Television 229

In development

Television

TitleDeveloperNetworkNotes
Our Time [15] Sarah Watson Disney+ co-production with The Jackal Group, Amblin Television and Warner Bros. Television

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