David Heyman
Encyclopedia
David Jonathan Heyman (born 26 July 1961) is a British film producer and the founder of Heyday Films
. He obtained the film rights to the Harry Potter
series in 1999 and has produced all eight installments in the series of films.
from Harvard University
in 1983. He is the son of John Heyman
, producer of films such as The Go-Between
and Jesus
, and Norma Heyman, producer of Dangerous Liaisons
and Mrs Henderson Presents.
He got his start in the film industry as a production assistant on David Lean's
A Passage to India
and in 1986, Heyman became a Creative Executive at Warner Brothers. In the late 80's, he became Vice President of United Artists
and subsequently embarked on an independent producing career with his first film, Juice
in 1992, followed by the cult "stoner" film The Stoned Age
(1994) and others.
In 1997, Heyman returned to London and decided that he would focus on film adaptations of books. He founded his own production company, Heyday Films
, and since then produced a number of notable films, including the popular Harry Potter
film adaptations, beginning with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
and ending with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Part 2
. Heyman makes a cameo appearance
as a wizard featured in a magical moving portrait on the DVD of the third film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
.
In 2005, Heyman was the executive producer of the CBS
television series Threshold
, while notable recent productions include the 2007 blockbuster I Am Legend
with Will Smith
, holocaust drama The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
starring David Thewlis
and Yes Man
starring Jim Carrey
. He has also produced the John Crowley
movie Is Anybody There?, starring Michael Caine
.
After the Harry Potter films, Heyman is attached to film adaptations of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
, directed by Steve Kloves
, and Paddington Bear
. He is also developing projects with Potter directors Alfonso Cuarón
and David Yates
. He will produce Cuarón's science-fiction film Gravity
and romance story The History of Love
, while Yates' war drama, St. Nazaire, is also said to be in the works along with other projects.
Heyman is married to interior designer Rose Uniacke, and they have one son.
's British Academy Film Awards
.
Heyday Films
Heyday Films is a British film production company, founded by producer David Heyman in London, 1997.Its first feature film production was Ravenous, directed by Antonia Bird. It is most notable for producing the Harry Potter film series, based on the novels by J. K...
. He obtained the film rights to the Harry Potter
Harry Potter (film series)
The Harry Potter film series is a British-American film series based on the Harry Potter novels by the British author J. K. Rowling...
series in 1999 and has produced all eight installments in the series of films.
Life and career
Heyman was born in London, England. He went to school in the United States, earning a degree in Art HistoryArt history
Art history has historically been understood as the academic study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts, i.e. genre, design, format, and style...
from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1983. He is the son of John Heyman
John Heyman
John Heyman is a British film and TV producer, who since the mid 1980s has mainly been involved in film financing. Married to his wife Nizza since 1982, this is his second marriage. He has five children, David , Lil , Gabrielle , Dahlia and Daniel...
, producer of films such as The Go-Between
The Go-Between (film)
The Go-Between is Harold Pinter's 1970 film adaptation of the novel by L. P. Hartley. A British production directed by Joseph Losey, it stars Dominic Guard , Julie Christie, Alan Bates, Margaret Leighton, Michael Redgrave, Michael Gough and Edward Fox.Pinter's screenplay—his final collaboration...
and Jesus
Jesus (1979 film)
Jesus , is a 1979 motion picture which depicts the life of Jesus Christ according primarily to the Gospel of Luke in the Bible...
, and Norma Heyman, producer of Dangerous Liaisons
Dangerous Liaisons
Dangerous Liaisons is a 1988 drama film based upon Christopher Hampton's play, Les liaisons dangereuses, which in turn was a theatrical adaptation of the 18th-century French novel Les Liaisons dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos....
and Mrs Henderson Presents.
He got his start in the film industry as a production assistant on David Lean's
David Lean
Sir David Lean CBE was an English film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor best remembered for big-screen epics such as The Bridge on the River Kwai , Lawrence of Arabia ,...
A Passage to India
A Passage to India
A Passage to India is a novel by E. M. Forster set against the backdrop of the British Raj and the Indian independence movement in the 1920s. It was selected as one of the 100 great works of English literature by the Modern Library and won the 1924 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction. Time...
and in 1986, Heyman became a Creative Executive at Warner Brothers. In the late 80's, he became Vice President of United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
and subsequently embarked on an independent producing career with his first film, Juice
Juice (film)
Juice is a 1992 American crime drama film that stars rapper Tupac Shakur and Omar Epps. Additional cast members include Jermaine "Huggy" Hopkins, Khalil Kain, Samuel L. Jackson, and features cameo appearances by Queen Latifah, EPMD, Special Ed, Ed Lover, Doctor Dré, Flex Alexander, Fab Five...
in 1992, followed by the cult "stoner" film The Stoned Age
The Stoned Age
The Stöned Age is a 1994 American comedy film directed by James Melkonian, set during the 1970s about two long haired stoners named Michael Hubbs and Joe Connolly and one night cruising Southern California looking for alcohol, parties, and chicks.-Plot summary:The story takes place in Torrance,...
(1994) and others.
In 1997, Heyman returned to London and decided that he would focus on film adaptations of books. He founded his own production company, Heyday Films
Heyday Films
Heyday Films is a British film production company, founded by producer David Heyman in London, 1997.Its first feature film production was Ravenous, directed by Antonia Bird. It is most notable for producing the Harry Potter film series, based on the novels by J. K...
, and since then produced a number of notable films, including the popular Harry Potter
Harry Potter (film series)
The Harry Potter film series is a British-American film series based on the Harry Potter novels by the British author J. K. Rowling...
film adaptations, beginning with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, released in the United States and India as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, is a 2001 fantasy film directed by Chris Columbus and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. The film is the first instalment in the Harry Potter film series,...
and ending with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Part 2
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 is a 2011 epic fantasy film directed by David Yates and the second of two films based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the eighth and final instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by David...
. Heyman makes a cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
as a wizard featured in a magical moving portrait on the DVD of the third film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a 2004 fantasy film directed by Alfonso Cuarón and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the third instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by Chris Columbus, David Heyman and Mark Radcliffe...
.
In 2005, Heyman was the executive producer of the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
television series Threshold
Threshold (TV series)
Threshold was a science fiction drama television series that first aired on CBS in September 2005. Produced by Brannon Braga, David S. Goyer and David Heyman, the series focuses on a secret government project investigating the first contact with an extraterrestrial species.The series was first...
, while notable recent productions include the 2007 blockbuster I Am Legend
I Am Legend (film)
I Am Legend is a 2007 post-apocalyptic science fiction film directed by Francis Lawrence and starring Will Smith. It is the third feature film adaptation of Richard Matheson's 1954 novel of the same name, following 1964's The Last Man on Earth and 1971's The Omega Man. Smith plays virologist Robert...
with Will Smith
Will Smith
Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...
, holocaust drama The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (film)
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a 2008 historical-drama film based on the novel of the same name by Irish writer John Boyne. Directed by Mark Herman and produced by David Heyman, it stars Asa Butterfield, Jack Scanlon, David Thewlis, Vera Farmiga and Rupert Friend.A Holocaust drama, the film...
starring David Thewlis
David Thewlis
David Thewlis is an English actor of stage and screen. His most commercially successful role to date has been that of Remus Lupin, in the Harry Potter film series...
and Yes Man
Yes Man (film)
Yes Man is a 2008 comedy film directed by Peyton Reed, written by Nicholas Stoller, Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel and starring Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel, Bradley Cooper, John Michael Higgins, Rhys Darby, Maile Flanagan, Danny Masterson, and Terence Stamp...
starring Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey
James Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
. He has also produced the John Crowley
John Crowley (director)
John Crowley is an Irish television, theatre and film director. He is perhaps best known for his feature film debut Intermission .-Education:Crowley earned a B.A. in philosophy from University College Cork.-Career:...
movie Is Anybody There?, starring Michael Caine
Michael Caine
Sir Michael Caine, CBE is an English actor. He won Academy Awards for best supporting actor in both Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules ....
.
After the Harry Potter films, Heyman is attached to film adaptations of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a 2003 novel by British writer Mark Haddon. It won the 2003 Whitbread Book of the Year and the 2004 Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book...
, directed by Steve Kloves
Steve Kloves
Stephen Keith "Steven" Kloves is an Academy Award-nominated American screenwriter mainly renowned for his adaptations of novels, especially for the Harry Potter film series and for Wonder Boys...
, and Paddington Bear
Paddington Bear
Paddington Bear is a fictional character in children's literature. He appeared on 13 October 1958 and was subsequently featured in several books, most recently in 2008, written by Michael Bond and first illustrated by Peggy Fortnum....
. He is also developing projects with Potter directors Alfonso Cuarón
Alfonso Cuarón
Alfonso Cuarón Orozco is a Mexican film director, screenwriter and film producer, best known for his films Children of Men, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Y tu mamá también, and A Little Princess.- Early life :...
and David Yates
David Yates
David Yates is an English filmmaker who rose to mainstream prominence directing the final four films in the Harry Potter film series. He helmed the series' fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth installments, all of which became an instant blockbuster success and made him the most commercially...
. He will produce Cuarón's science-fiction film Gravity
Gravity (film)
Gravity is a 2012 American science fiction thriller film directed by Alfonso Cuarón. The film stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as surviving astronauts in a damaged space station. Cuarón wrote the screenplay with his son and attempted to develop the project at Universal Pictures. The project...
and romance story The History of Love
The History of Love
The History of Love: A Novel is the second novel by the American writer Nicole Krauss, published in 2005. The book was a 2006 finalist for the Orange Prize for Fiction.-Plot:...
, while Yates' war drama, St. Nazaire, is also said to be in the works along with other projects.
Heyman is married to interior designer Rose Uniacke, and they have one son.
Awards
In 2011, Heyman received the award of Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema for the Harry Potter franchise at the BAFTABritish Academy of Film and Television Arts
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a charity in the United Kingdom that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation.-Introduction:...
's British Academy Film Awards
British Academy Film Awards
The British Academy Film Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts . It is the British counterpart of the Oscars. As of 2008, it has taken place in the Royal Opera House, having taken over from the flagship Odeon cinema on Leicester Square...
.
- Nominated Academy of Science Fiction Fantasy & Horror Films for the Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film in 2011 for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (dir. David YatesDavid YatesDavid Yates is an English filmmaker who rose to mainstream prominence directing the final four films in the Harry Potter film series. He helmed the series' fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth installments, all of which became an instant blockbuster success and made him the most commercially...
, 2010).
- Won CineEurope Producer of the Decade in 2011.
- Won CinemaCon Hall Of Fame in 2011 for Harry Potter series.
- Won BAFTA Children's Award – Kid's Vote for Film of the Decade in 2011 for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (dir. Alfonso CuarónAlfonso CuarónAlfonso Cuarón Orozco is a Mexican film director, screenwriter and film producer, best known for his films Children of Men, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Y tu mamá también, and A Little Princess.- Early life :...
, 2004).
- Won ITV National Movie Award – Special Recognition in 2010 for Harry Potter series.
- Won ITV National Movie Award for Best Family Film in 2010 for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (dir. David YatesDavid YatesDavid Yates is an English filmmaker who rose to mainstream prominence directing the final four films in the Harry Potter film series. He helmed the series' fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth installments, all of which became an instant blockbuster success and made him the most commercially...
, 2009).
- Nominated by the Academy of Science Fiction Fantasy & Horror Films for the Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film in 2010 for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (dir. David YatesDavid YatesDavid Yates is an English filmmaker who rose to mainstream prominence directing the final four films in the Harry Potter film series. He helmed the series' fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth installments, all of which became an instant blockbuster success and made him the most commercially...
, 2009).
- Nominated for BAFTA Children's Award – Kid's Vote for Best Feature Film in 2009 for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (dir. David YatesDavid YatesDavid Yates is an English filmmaker who rose to mainstream prominence directing the final four films in the Harry Potter film series. He helmed the series' fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth installments, all of which became an instant blockbuster success and made him the most commercially...
, 2009).
- Nominated by the Academy of Science Fiction Fantasy & Horror Films for the Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film in 2008 for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (dir. David YatesDavid YatesDavid Yates is an English filmmaker who rose to mainstream prominence directing the final four films in the Harry Potter film series. He helmed the series' fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth installments, all of which became an instant blockbuster success and made him the most commercially...
, 2007).
- Won ITV National Movie Award for Best Family Film in 2007 for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (dir. David YatesDavid YatesDavid Yates is an English filmmaker who rose to mainstream prominence directing the final four films in the Harry Potter film series. He helmed the series' fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth installments, all of which became an instant blockbuster success and made him the most commercially...
, 2007).
- Nominated for the Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film in 2005 for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (dir. Alfonso CuarónAlfonso CuarónAlfonso Cuarón Orozco is a Mexican film director, screenwriter and film producer, best known for his films Children of Men, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Y tu mamá también, and A Little Princess.- Early life :...
, 2004).
- Won BAFTA Children's Award for Best Feature Film in 2004 for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (dir. Alfonso CuarónAlfonso CuarónAlfonso Cuarón Orozco is a Mexican film director, screenwriter and film producer, best known for his films Children of Men, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Y tu mamá también, and A Little Princess.- Early life :...
, 2004).
- Nominated for BAFTA Children's Award for Best Feature Film in 2004 for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (dir. Chris ColumbusChris Columbus (filmmaker)Christopher Joseph "Chris" Columbus is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Columbus had his largest success with the first two films in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, along with Home Alone, the last...
, 2002).
- Won ShoWest's Producer of the Year in 2003; becoming the first British producer to earn the accolade.
- Nominated for the Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film in 2002 for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (dir. Chris ColumbusChris Columbus (filmmaker)Christopher Joseph "Chris" Columbus is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Columbus had his largest success with the first two films in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, along with Home Alone, the last...
, 2001).
- Nominated for BAFTA Children's Award for Best Feature Film in 2002 for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (dir. Chris ColumbusChris Columbus (filmmaker)Christopher Joseph "Chris" Columbus is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Columbus had his largest success with the first two films in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, along with Home Alone, the last...
, 2001).
Filmography
| Motion Picture | Year | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Juice Juice (film) Juice is a 1992 American crime drama film that stars rapper Tupac Shakur and Omar Epps. Additional cast members include Jermaine "Huggy" Hopkins, Khalil Kain, Samuel L. Jackson, and features cameo appearances by Queen Latifah, EPMD, Special Ed, Ed Lover, Doctor Dré, Flex Alexander, Fab Five... |
1992 | producer |
| Blind Justice | 1994 | TV producer |
| The Stöned Age The Stoned Age The Stöned Age is a 1994 American comedy film directed by James Melkonian, set during the 1970s about two long haired stoners named Michael Hubbs and Joe Connolly and one night cruising Southern California looking for alcohol, parties, and chicks.-Plot summary:The story takes place in Torrance,... |
1994 | producer |
| Ravenous Ravenous Ravenous is a 1999 horror film directed by Antonia Bird and starring Guy Pearce, Robert Carlyle and Jeffrey Jones. The film revolves around cannibalism in 1840s California and some elements bear similarities to the story of the Donner Party and that of Alferd Packer... |
1999 | producer |
| Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, released in the United States and India as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, is a 2001 fantasy film directed by Chris Columbus and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. The film is the first instalment in the Harry Potter film series,... |
2001 | producer |
| Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is a 2002 fantasy film directed by Chris Columbus and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the second instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by David Heyman... |
2002 | producer |
| Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a 2004 fantasy film directed by Alfonso Cuarón and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the third instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by Chris Columbus, David Heyman and Mark Radcliffe... |
2004 | producer |
| Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a 2005 fantasy film directed by Mike Newell and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the fourth instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by David Heyman... |
2005 | producer |
| Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a 2007 fantasy film directed by David Yates and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the fifth instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Michael Goldenberg and produced by David Heyman and David Barron... |
2007 | producer |
| I Am Legend I Am Legend (film) I Am Legend is a 2007 post-apocalyptic science fiction film directed by Francis Lawrence and starring Will Smith. It is the third feature film adaptation of Richard Matheson's 1954 novel of the same name, following 1964's The Last Man on Earth and 1971's The Omega Man. Smith plays virologist Robert... |
2007 | producer |
| The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (film) The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a 2008 historical-drama film based on the novel of the same name by Irish writer John Boyne. Directed by Mark Herman and produced by David Heyman, it stars Asa Butterfield, Jack Scanlon, David Thewlis, Vera Farmiga and Rupert Friend.A Holocaust drama, the film... |
2008 | producer |
| Is Anybody There? | 2008 | producer |
| Yes Man Yes Man (film) Yes Man is a 2008 comedy film directed by Peyton Reed, written by Nicholas Stoller, Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel and starring Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel, Bradley Cooper, John Michael Higgins, Rhys Darby, Maile Flanagan, Danny Masterson, and Terence Stamp... |
2008 | producer |
| Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a 2009 fantasy film directed by David Yates and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the sixth instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by David Heyman and David Barron... |
2009 | producer |
| The Nephilim | 2010 | post-production executive producer |
| Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 | 2010 | producer |
| Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 | 2011 | producer |
| St. Nazaire | 2012 | producer |
| The History of Love The History of Love The History of Love: A Novel is the second novel by the American writer Nicole Krauss, published in 2005. The book was a 2006 finalist for the Orange Prize for Fiction.-Plot:... |
2012 | announced producer |
| Gravity Gravity (film) Gravity is a 2012 American science fiction thriller film directed by Alfonso Cuarón. The film stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as surviving astronauts in a damaged space station. Cuarón wrote the screenplay with his son and attempted to develop the project at Universal Pictures. The project... |
2012 | producer |
External links
- Interview with David Heyman about The Boy In The Striped Pajamas and Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince
- Boy in the Striped Pajamas Interview & Biographies
- Film Journal International: David Heyman Interview
- Daily Mail Rose Uniacke Interview
- Interview with David Heyman about the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and his projects after the Harry Potter films end (Direct audio link to the interview)