Adventure Inc Press Kit - Production Biographies
Biography
GALE ANNE HURD
Executive Producer
Gale Anne Hurd is executive producing "Adventure Inc.," the new weekly action/adventure from Tribune Entertainment and Fireworks Entertainment.
One of the world's foremost producers of action adventure films and an originator of the event film, Hurd's exceptional career in the feature film and television industry spans more than two decades and has generated an extraordinary body of work. She has produced more than two-dozen feature films, earned numerous Academy Award nominations and awards and generated over $2 billion dollars in revenue.
Hurd is currently producing the upcoming feature "The Hulk" (in association with Avi Arad and Marvel Studios), Universal Pictures' tentpole film for summer 2003 release. The film, which stars Eric Bana ("Blackhawk Down"), Academy Award winner Jennifer Connelly ("Beautiful Mind"), Nick Nolte and Sam Elliot, is directed by Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe Award-winning director, Ang Lee ("Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon").
The producer of a number of distinguished television films, Hurd was responsible for the production of HBO's Emmy-nominated "Sugartime," which starred John Turturo and Mary-Louise Parker, as well as the Emmy-winning "Cast a Deadly Spell," which featured Julianne Moore in her first starring role. In addition, Hurd produced the Paul Schrader - directed "Witch Hunt," starring Dennis Hopper and Penelope Ann Miller.
In 1984, Hurd earned a place in film history with the classic sci-fi thriller "The Terminator," one of Time magazine's top ten films of the year, which was directed by James Cameron and starred Arnold Schwarzenegger and Michael Biehn. That worldwide success was followed by the Academy Award winning film "Aliens," the blockbuster sequel to Ridley Scott's 1979 sci-fi thriller "Alien," and "The Abyss," which also won an Academy Award for best visual effects and received three additional nominations.
Hurd's other feature adventure film credits include "The Ghost and the Darkness," "Dante's Peak," "The Relic," and the mega-bit "Armageddon," which was the number one film at the box office in 1998.
A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Stanford University, Hurd began her career in entertainment as an executive assistant to filmmaker Roger Corman, at whose legendary New World Pictures she learned all aspects of the business. Rising to become New World's head of
marketing and later one of the company's producers, she displayed the creative talent and business skills that continue to define her career.
Hurd's service to the entertainment community is as extensive as her box-office grosses, credits and awards. She serves as a board member of Women in Film, The Ocean Conservancy, International Seakeepers Society and Mulholland Tomorrow. For the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, she serves on the Executive Committee of the Producer's Branch, chairs the Festival Grants Committee and co-chairs the Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowship Committee. Recently, Hurd served on the steering committee for Hollywood for Habitat, a local outreach program of Habitat for Humanity.
In 1998, she received the Crystal Award from Women in Film, an organization established in 1977 to honor those outstanding women who have helped enhance the role of women within the entertainment industry. Hurd was also recognized by the American Film Institute, which provides grants in her name to the Institute's Directing Workshop for Women.
Biography
JAY FIRESTONE
Executive Producer
Executive producer Jay Firestone is one of the international entertainment industry's most accomplished film and television executives whose numerous producing credits span television series and movies, as well as feature films. In 1996, Firestone established Fireworks Entertainment to produce, distribute and finance television programs and feature films. Acquired by Can West Global Communications Corp. in May 1998, Fireworks is now the core operation of Can West Entertainment, giving Can West a major presence in television and film production and distribution.
Firestone is currently serving as executive producer of "Adventure Inc.," the new weekly first-run action hour from Tribune Entertainment and Fireworks Entertainment starring Michael Biehn, the hit syndicated drama series "Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda" and "Mutant X," as well as Fireworks Television's new Discovery Kid's on NBC series "Black Hole High."
Since Fireworks inception, Firestone has executive produced the successful television series "Relic Hunter," "Queen of Swords," "La Femme Nikita," "FX: The Series," "Being Eve" and "Caitlin's Way." He served as co-executive producer for "Highlander: The Raven" and was consulting producer for 44 episodes of "18 Wheels of Justice." His other television series credits include co-executive producer of the hit police action series "Pacific Blue."
Firestone has also executive produced a myriad of television miniseries and movies, including "A Wrinkle in Time," the highly anticipated new miniseries produced by BLT Productions in association with Fireworks and Miramax, "Blonde," the 4-hour CBS miniseries based on Joyce Carol Oates' novel of the same name, "Blacktop," "Robocop: Prime Directives," "Poison" and "The Girl Next Door."
In the feature film arena, Firestone was executive producer of the award winning pictures "The Believer," which was honored with the Grand Jury Prize at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival, and "An American Rhapsody," which won Best Picture at the 2001 Hollywood Film Festival, as well as "Who is Cletis Tout?," starring Tim Allen and Christian Slater, "Interstate 60" and "Trinity."
In his position as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Can West Entertainment, Firestone oversees the company's Los Angeles and London-based television operations, its Los Angeles-based feature film division, Fireworks Pictures, as well as the company's interest in New York-based IDP Distribution, an independent distribution and marketing entity formed by Fireworks in 2000 as a joint venture with Samuel Goldwyn Films of Los Angeles and Carl Icahn's Stratosphere Entertainment of New York.
Prior to forming Fireworks Entertainment, Firestone was Vice Chairman of Alliance Communications Corporation, and is widely regarded as a key contributor to the company's impressive growth. During his stint at Alliance, Firestone was producer of ABC's first CGI animated series "ReBoot," for which he won a Gemini award.
Firestone's work has garnered a number of other industry awards, including a Chrysler Canada's People's Choice Award for "Nikita." He was also nominated for Entrepreneur of the year in 1998.
Biography
ADAM HAIGHT
Executive Producer
In addition to his responsibilities as executive producer of "Adventure Inc.," Adam Raight is also President and COO of Fireworks Entertainment. He joined Fireworks at its inception and has been a vital contributor to its impressive growth including the company's significant expansion in both production and distribution. Today he oversees the development, production and distribution operations for Toronto based Fireworks Entertainment, which is owned and operated by Canada's Can West Entertainment and is responsible for all key genres, including miniseries, television movies, hour dramas and children's half-hour live-action series.
Haight was a key player in bringing the highly anticipated new mini-series "A Wrinkle in Time" (ABC) to Fireworks. While at the company, he has been involved in the continuing development of the ratings hit syndicated dramas "Mutant X," and "Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda," which are co-produced with Tribune Entertainment.
At Fireworks, Haight has overseen all of the company's previously developed programming, including such tremendously successful series as "La Femme Nikita," co-produced with USA, the syndicated action hours "Relic Hunter" and "Queen of Swords," both produced with Paramount, "18 Wheels of Justice" and "Highlander: The Raven" and the mini-series "Blonde" for CBS.
Haight's goal since the start of Fireworks, was to move the company into the live-action children's half-hour category, which was successfully accomplished with "Real Kids, Real Adventures" (Discovery Kids), which was nominated for an Emmy Award and series such as "Caitlin's Way" (Nickelodeon), "100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd" (Nickelodeon), "Being Eve" (Noggin), "Even Stevens" (Disney) and "Black Hole High" (Discovery Kids on NBC).
Haight also developed and produced Fireworks' television movies including "RoboCop Prime Directives" (Sci Fi), "Blacktop" (HBO) "Poison" and "The Girl Next Door" (HBO), along with the feature films "Who is Cletis Tout?" "Interstate 60," and "Trinity."
Prior to joining Fireworks, Haight was one of Canada's most experienced producers. His drama series credits include "Night Heat," "Diamonds," "TNT," "Counterstrike," "Hidden Room" and "Due South." Haight has also produced numerous long form projects including "Almost Golden: The Jessica Savitch Story," for which he received an Emmy Award nomination.
Biography
WENDY GREAN
Producer
Wendy Grean's newest project is "Adventure Inc.," the new weekly action-hour from Tribune Entertainment and Fireworks Entertainment.
Grean, whose remarkable career in entertainment spans more than three decades, has amassed an impressive list of credits in both feature film and television. She acted as producer on "What Makes a Family," a made-for-television-movie for Columbia TriStar, starring Whoopi Goldberg and Brooke Shields.
Grean was the producer on "Picture Claire," a feature film with Juliette Lewis, Gina Gershon and Mickey Rourke, which was set in Toronto. After which she produced "Cypher," with Jeremy Northam and Lucy Lui, a feature film, which is slated for release in fall 2002. Grean also produced the Canadian television series "Power Play" which won three Gemini Awards.
During the early 1990's, Grean formed King St. Entertainment, which enabled her to produce and finance the television series "Catwalk" and "Boogies Diner." Both series were highly successful domestically and internationally and helped launch the careers of Neve Campbell and Monika Schnarre.
Her other television projects include "Ford: The Man and the Machine" a four-hour miniseries starring Cliff Robertson, Hope Lange and Heather Thomas as well as "Spearfield's Daughter," a six-hour miniseries starring Christopher Plummer and Kim Braeden. She also worked on the notable series "John Woo's Once a Thief" as well as "The Hunger," and "The Hitchhiker," which was nominated for two Ace Awards. Other projects include "In Praise of Older Women" with Tom Berenger and Karen Black as well as "Angela" starring Sophia Loren and John Houston. Grean was part of the team that produced the celebrated film "The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz," which featured Richard Dreyfuss in his first starring role.
© 2002 Tribune Media Services
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