Richard P. Rubinstein
Encyclopedia
Richard P. Rubinstein (born June 15, 1947 in Brooklyn
, New York
) is an American
film and television producer, who has worked mainly in the science fiction
and horror
genres. In the 1970s and 1980s he collaborated frequently with horror director George A. Romero
, including on the seminal 1978 zombie film Dawn of the Dead and the 1984-1988 anthology horror television series Tales from the Darkside
. In the 1980s and 1990s Rubinstein produced a substantial number of projects based on the writings of horror novelist Stephen King
.
, a composer who wrote the music for some of the films and series Rubinstein produced.
Rubinstein received an undergraduate degree from American University
, and an MBA from Columbia University
.
for television commercials. He got his first associate producer credit in the early 1970s for the one-hour TV special A Night with Nicol Williamson
, produced by Dore Schary
. In 1973 Rubinstein produced The Winners, a series of one-hour profiles about various American sports heroes, and in 1974 he independently produced a similar one-hour television special profiling O. J. Simpson
.
co-founded the production company Laurel Entertainment. In 1979 Rubinstein took the company public
, to raise more money.
In 1984 Romero left Laurel Entertainment to pursue his own projects, although the two would continue to collaborate. In 1988, Rubinstein and Aaron Spelling
merged Laurel Entertainment and Spelling's own production company, Spelling Television
as subsidiaries of a new public company, The Spelling Entertainment Group. Rubinstein remained head of the Laurel Entertainment division.
In 1992, Spelling Entertainment Group was bought by Blockbuster Entertainment, and in 1994 it in turn was bought by Viacom
. In 1995, Rubinstein, who was still head of the Laurel division, left to found his own, smaller production company, New Amsterdam Entertainment in New York City.
(1977), Knightriders
(1981), Creepshow
(1982) and Day of the Dead (1985).
Rubinstein also executive produced Romero's 1984-1988 anthology horror series Tales from the Darkside
, which was based on the success of Creepshow. After Tales from the Darkside ended, Rubinstein executive produced the similar anthology show Monsters
, which ran from 1988 to 1991, this one without involvement from Romero.
Rubinstein also co-produced the 2004 remake of Romero's Dawn of the Dead, again without involvement from Romero (Romero was critical of the remake, saying it was more like a "video game").
Creepshow
, which Rubinstein co-produced and which had a screenplay written by King, based on a combination of some of King's published short stories as well as new plots. In 1987, via Laurel Entertainment, Rubinstein executive-produced its sequel, Creepshow 2
, again written by King. In the 1980s, two anthology horror series that Rubinstein executive-produced, Tales from the Darkside and Monsters, included episodes based on short stories by King. The 1990 anthology horror film Tales from the Darkside: The Movie
also included a chapter based on a short story by King. Rubinstein co-produced the 1991 miniseries Golden Years, which was written by King, based on an original concept.
Rubinstein also produced a string of film and television adaptations of other written works by Stephen King, including the 1989 film Pet Sematary
, the 1994 miniseries The Stand
, the 1995 miniseries The Langoliers
, the 1996 film Thinner
and the 1997 film The Night Flier
. These were often co-produced with Mitchell Galin
.
series of books by Frank Herbert
. With Galin, Rubinstein produced the 2000 miniseries Frank Herbert's Dune
and its 2003 follow-up, Frank Herbert's Children of Dune. In 2008, Rubinstein attempted to produce a film adaptation of Dune with Paramount Pictures
, but in 2011 Paramount dropped the effort.
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film and television producer, who has worked mainly in the science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and horror
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
genres. In the 1970s and 1980s he collaborated frequently with horror director George A. Romero
George A. Romero
George Andrew Romero is a Canadian-American film director, screenwriter and editor, best known for his gruesome and satirical horror films about a hypothetical zombie apocalypse. He is nicknamed "Godfather of all Zombies." -Life and career:...
, including on the seminal 1978 zombie film Dawn of the Dead and the 1984-1988 anthology horror television series Tales from the Darkside
Tales from the Darkside
Tales from the Darkside is an anthology horror TV series produced by George A. Romero; it originally aired from 1983 to 1988. Similar to Amazing Stories, The Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, The Outer Limits, and Tales From The Crypt, each episode was an individual short story that ended with a plot...
. In the 1980s and 1990s Rubinstein produced a substantial number of projects based on the writings of horror novelist Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
.
Early life and family
Rubinstein was born in Brooklyn in 1947. His younger brother, born in 1952, is Donald RubinsteinDonald Rubinstein
Donald Rubinstein is a film composer, singer/songwriter and multi-media artist who is best known for his scoring collaborations with George A...
, a composer who wrote the music for some of the films and series Rubinstein produced.
Rubinstein received an undergraduate degree from American University
American University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
, and an MBA from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
.
Career
Rubinstein began his production career as a production assistantProduction assistant
A production assistant, also known as a PA, is a job title used in filmmaking and television for a person responsible for various aspects of a production...
for television commercials. He got his first associate producer credit in the early 1970s for the one-hour TV special A Night with Nicol Williamson
Nicol Williamson
Nicol Williamson is a Scottish-born English actor who was described by English playwright John Osborne as "the greatest actor since Marlon Brando".-Early life:...
, produced by Dore Schary
Dore Schary
Isadore "Dore" Schary was an American motion picture director, writer, and producer, and playwright who became head of production at MGM and eventually president of the studio...
. In 1973 Rubinstein produced The Winners, a series of one-hour profiles about various American sports heroes, and in 1974 he independently produced a similar one-hour television special profiling O. J. Simpson
O. J. Simpson
Orenthal James "O. J." Simpson , nicknamed "The Juice", is a retired American collegiate and professional football player, football broadcaster, and actor...
.
Laurel Entertainment
In the mid-1970s Rubinstein and horror director George A. RomeroGeorge A. Romero
George Andrew Romero is a Canadian-American film director, screenwriter and editor, best known for his gruesome and satirical horror films about a hypothetical zombie apocalypse. He is nicknamed "Godfather of all Zombies." -Life and career:...
co-founded the production company Laurel Entertainment. In 1979 Rubinstein took the company public
Initial public offering
An initial public offering or stock market launch, is the first sale of stock by a private company to the public. It can be used by either small or large companies to raise expansion capital and become publicly traded enterprises...
, to raise more money.
In 1984 Romero left Laurel Entertainment to pursue his own projects, although the two would continue to collaborate. In 1988, Rubinstein and Aaron Spelling
Aaron Spelling
Aaron Spelling was an American film and television producer. As of 2009, Spelling's eponymous production company Spelling Television holds the record as the most prolific television writer, with 218 producer and executive producer credits...
merged Laurel Entertainment and Spelling's own production company, Spelling Television
Spelling Television
Spelling Television Inc. was a television production company that produced popular shows such as Charmed, Beverly Hills, 90210, 7th Heaven, Dynasty and Melrose Place. The company was founded by television producer Aaron Spelling in 1969...
as subsidiaries of a new public company, The Spelling Entertainment Group. Rubinstein remained head of the Laurel Entertainment division.
In 1992, Spelling Entertainment Group was bought by Blockbuster Entertainment, and in 1994 it in turn was bought by Viacom
Viacom
Viacom Inc. , short for "Video & Audio Communications", is an American media conglomerate with interests primarily in, but not limited to, cinema and cable television...
. In 1995, Rubinstein, who was still head of the Laurel division, left to found his own, smaller production company, New Amsterdam Entertainment in New York City.
Association with George Romero
Through Laurel Entertainment, Rubinstein co-produced or executive produced a number of Romero's films, most notably Dawn of the Dead but also MartinMartin (film)
Martin is a 1978 American horror film written and directed by George A. Romero.Romero claims that Martin is the favorite of all his films...
(1977), Knightriders
Knightriders
Knightriders is a 1981 film written and directed by George A. Romero. It was filmed entirely on location in Pennsylvania, especially in Fawn Township and Natrona...
(1981), Creepshow
Creepshow
Creepshow is a 1982 American horror anthology film directed by George A. Romero and written by Stephen King. The film's ensemble cast included Ted Danson, Leslie Nielsen, Hal Holbrook, E.G...
(1982) and Day of the Dead (1985).
Rubinstein also executive produced Romero's 1984-1988 anthology horror series Tales from the Darkside
Tales from the Darkside
Tales from the Darkside is an anthology horror TV series produced by George A. Romero; it originally aired from 1983 to 1988. Similar to Amazing Stories, The Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, The Outer Limits, and Tales From The Crypt, each episode was an individual short story that ended with a plot...
, which was based on the success of Creepshow. After Tales from the Darkside ended, Rubinstein executive produced the similar anthology show Monsters
Monsters (TV series)
Monsters is a syndicated horror anthology series which originally ran from 1988 to 1991 and reran on the Sci-Fi Channel during the 1990s. As of 2011, Monsters airs on NBC Universal's horror/suspense-themed cable channel Chiller in sporadic weekday marathons.In a similar vein to Tales from the...
, which ran from 1988 to 1991, this one without involvement from Romero.
Rubinstein also co-produced the 2004 remake of Romero's Dawn of the Dead, again without involvement from Romero (Romero was critical of the remake, saying it was more like a "video game").
Association with Stephen King
Rubinstein's first known professional collaboration with Stephen King was the 1982 anthology filmAnthology film
An anthology film is a feature film consisting of several different short films, often tied together by only a single theme, premise, or brief interlocking event . Sometimes each one is directed by a different director...
Creepshow
Creepshow
Creepshow is a 1982 American horror anthology film directed by George A. Romero and written by Stephen King. The film's ensemble cast included Ted Danson, Leslie Nielsen, Hal Holbrook, E.G...
, which Rubinstein co-produced and which had a screenplay written by King, based on a combination of some of King's published short stories as well as new plots. In 1987, via Laurel Entertainment, Rubinstein executive-produced its sequel, Creepshow 2
Creepshow 2
Creepshow 2 is an American horror comedy anthology film directed by Michael Gornick, who was George A. Romero's cinematographer on the original Creepshow. Released in 1987, the screenplay for Creepshow 2 was penned by Romero , and once again based upon stories by Stephen King...
, again written by King. In the 1980s, two anthology horror series that Rubinstein executive-produced, Tales from the Darkside and Monsters, included episodes based on short stories by King. The 1990 anthology horror film Tales from the Darkside: The Movie
Tales from the Darkside: The Movie
Tales from the Darkside: The Movie is a 1990 movie directed by John Harrison based on the anthology television series Tales from the Darkside...
also included a chapter based on a short story by King. Rubinstein co-produced the 1991 miniseries Golden Years, which was written by King, based on an original concept.
Rubinstein also produced a string of film and television adaptations of other written works by Stephen King, including the 1989 film Pet Sematary
Pet Sematary (film)
Pet Sematary is a 1989 horror film adaptation of Stephen King's novel of the same name. Directed by Mary Lambert and written by King, the film features Dale Midkiff as Louis Creed, Denise Crosby as Rachel Creed, Blaze Berdahl as Ellie Creed, Miko Hughes as Gage Creed, and Fred Gwynne as Jud Crandall...
, the 1994 miniseries The Stand
The Stand (TV miniseries)
# Project Blue [1:33]# The Dream Begins [2:08]# On the Road to Kansas [3:57]# The Trashmen in Vegas [1:58]# Headin' West [1:56]# Larry & Nadine [2:38]# Mother Abigail [3:10]# 'Sorry Mister, I Don't Understand' [2:54]# Mid Country [3:22]...
, the 1995 miniseries The Langoliers
The Langoliers (TV miniseries)
The Langoliers is a miniseries consisting of 2 episodes of 2 hours each . It was directed and written by Tom Holland and based on the novella by Stephen King. The series was produced by Mitchell Galin and David R. Kappes...
, the 1996 film Thinner
Thinner (film)
Thinner is a 1996 horror film directed by Tom Holland and written by Michael McDowell with the screenplay by Tom Holland. The film is based on the Stephen King novel of the same name.-Plot:...
and the 1997 film The Night Flier
The Night Flier (film)
The Night Flier is a 1997 film based on the short story of the same name which was written by Stephen King. It was directed by Mark Pavia and starred Miguel Ferrer and Julie Entwisle.-Synopsis:...
. These were often co-produced with Mitchell Galin
Mitchell Galin
Mitchell Galin is an American film and television producer. He is best known for his work on Stephen King's The Stand for ABC and Frank Herbert's Dune for Syfy...
.
Dune series
Rubinstein holds the film and television rights to the DuneDune (franchise)
Dune is a science fiction franchise which originated with the 1965 novel Dune by Frank Herbert. Considered by many to be the greatest science fiction novel of all time, Dune is frequently cited as the best-selling science fiction novel in history...
series of books by Frank Herbert
Frank Herbert
Franklin Patrick Herbert, Jr. was a critically acclaimed and commercially successful American science fiction author. Although a short story author, he is best known for his novels, most notably Dune and its five sequels...
. With Galin, Rubinstein produced the 2000 miniseries Frank Herbert's Dune
Frank Herbert's Dune
Frank Herbert's Dune is a 2001 3D video game based on the 2000 Sci Fi Channel miniseries of the same name. The game was not a commercial or critical success, and was the last product by Cryo Interactive, which went bankrupt shortly after the game's failure.As Paul, the son of the Duke Atreides's...
and its 2003 follow-up, Frank Herbert's Children of Dune. In 2008, Rubinstein attempted to produce a film adaptation of Dune with Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
, but in 2011 Paramount dropped the effort.
Awards and accolades
- Rubinstein received a Monte Carlo TV Festival award and a Christopher AwardChristopher AwardThe Christopher Award is presented to the producers, directors, and writers of books, motion pictures and television specials that "affirm the highest values of the human spirit"...
for The Vernon Johns Story, a 1994 TV movie starring James Earl JonesJames Earl JonesJames Earl Jones is an American actor. He is well-known for his distinctive bass voice and for his portrayal of characters of substance, gravitas and leadership...