W. D. Richter

Last updated

W. D. Richter
Born
Walter Duch Richter

(1945-12-07) December 7, 1945 (age 77)
New Britain, Connecticut, United States
Alma mater Dartmouth College
Occupation(s)Film director, producer, screenwriter

Walter Duch Richter (born December 7, 1945) is an American screenwriter, film director and film producer. [1] He is best known for adapting Invasion of the Body Snatchers , directing The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension [2] and co-writing Big Trouble in Little China .

Contents

Biography

Richter graduated from Dartmouth College and attended USC Film School. He began script writing for Hollywood in the 1970s. He wrote the comedy Slither (1973), followed by two similarly styled comedies, Peeper (1975) and Nickelodeon (1976). He branched into other genres starting with the 1970s remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

He wrote scripts throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In the early 1980s, Richter formed his own production company (with producer Neil Canton), Canton/Richter, and directed The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension . The film did poorly at the box office, and the company ended.

In 1981, he wrote a screenplay based on Eric Van Lustbader's novel The Ninja for Irvin Kershner to direct with Richard Zanuck and David Brown and 20th Century Fox to produce, which ultimately never got made. Richter continued to write screenplays however, and has since written Home for the Holidays and Stealth .

Filmography

YearTitleDirectorWriterProducerNotes
1973 Slither NoYesYes
1975 Peeper NoYesNo
1976 Nickelodeon NoYesNo
1978 Invasion of the Body Snatchers NoYesNo
1979 Dracula NoYesNo
1980 Brubaker NoYesNoNominated—Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay
1981 All Night Long NoYesNo
1982 Hard Feelings NoYesNo
1984 The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai
Across the 8th Dimension
YesNoYes
1986 Big Trouble in Little China NoYesNo
1991 Late for Dinner YesNoYes
1993 Needful Things NoYesNo
1995 Home for the Holidays NoYesNo
2005 Stealth NoYesNo

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References

  1. Rose of Sharon Winter (2012). "W D Richter: Full Biography". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times . Baseline & All Movie Guide. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  2. Vincent Canby (October 5, 1984). "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension! (1984) FILM: SCI-FI FARCE, 'BUCKAROO BONZAI'". The New York Times. Retrieved March 29, 2012.