David Kirschner(I)
- Producer
- Writer
- Additional Crew
David Kirschner Productions maintains an eclectic slate of projects,
focusing primarily on family and genre films. Currently in production
is the film adaptation of the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning short
story, Martian Child, written by sci-fi luminary, David Gerrold (Star
Trek's "The Troubles with Tribbles"). John Cusack (High Fidelity,
Identity) stars in the film, which will be directed by Menno Meyjes,
writer/director of 2004's acclaimed Max for Lions Gate, and
Oscar-nominated screenwriter of The Color Purple, as well as the Denzel
Washington-starrer, The Siege. The comedy-drama follows the neurotic
travails of a science-fiction writer (Cusack) who adopts a boy claiming
to be a Martian. Seth Bass & Jon Tolins (Broadway's "Twilight of the
Golds") wrote the script.
Later this summer, Kirschner and producing partner, Corey Sienega, will
team up with Mike Medavoy to produce the biography of famed children's
author and illustrator Beatrix Potter (The Tale Peter Rabbit). Starring
Oscar-winner Renee Zelwegger (Bridget Jones, Chicago), the magical
romantic-drama was written by Tony Award-winner Richard Maltby (Miss
Saigon, Ain't Misbehavin') and will be directed by Chris Noonan (Babe).
Last year Kirschner produced Seed Of Chucky, the fifth installment of
the successful horror-franchise, which opened in theaters in November.
Additionally, Kirschner served as Executive Producer on last summer's
5-hour scifi-thriller miniseries, 5 Days Til Midnight. Starring
Oscar-winner Timothy Hutton (Ordinary People, Falcon And The Snowman),
this television event aired June 7-10 on the Sci-Fi Channel.
In Fall 2003, New Line released the successful family film, Secondhand
Lions, into theaters. The film stars Oscar winners Michael Caine and
Robert Duvall, and Oscar nominee, Haley Joel Osment, and was written
and directed by Tim McCanlies (Iron Giant). The film is now in
development as a Broadway musical. The upcoming Martian Child is
Kirschner's second production with New Line.
In 2002, Kirschner produced Lions Gate's critically acclaimed thriller
Frailty. Directed by Bill Paxton, who also starred alongside Matthew
McConaughey, the film was lauded by the National Board of Review that
year for Excellence in Filmmaking.
A native of suburban Los Angeles, Kirschner began his career as an
illustrator for Jim Henson's Muppet and Sesame Street characters. At
23, he wrote and illustrated a series of children's books entitled Rose
Petal Place. This property spawned a total of 16 books, two television
specials and over 1100 different products.
In 1986, Kirschner created and executive produced with Steven Spielberg
the smash hit An American Tail, which became one of the most successful
animated films in history. This film was followed by the sequel AN
American Tail 2: Fievel Goes West, a Saturday morning animated series,
and direct-to-video features American Tails 3, 4, and 5. Kirschner's
second feature film was the horror hit Child's Play, whose leading
character, "Chucky", an animatronic doll which Kirschner created,
became a cult star and spawned a second successful franchise with
Child's Play II, child's play III, and the 1998 box-office winner,
Bride Of Chucky, starring Jennifer Tilly. Seed Of Chucky, the hit
horror comedy and fifth installment in the popular Child's Play
franchise, opened in theaters in November.
Kirschner's next production, Disney's hit comedy-thriller, Hocus Pocus,
was based on his short story and starred Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica
Parker, and Kathy Najimy.
Kirschner also created and produced the NBC's Emmy-nominated The
Dreamer Of Oz. Starring John Ritter, the television event was based on
the life of The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz creator L. Frank Baum. Kirschner
also produced the Emmy Award-winning The Halloween Tree, written and
narrated by Ray Bradbury. Kirschner later served as Executive Producer
of Gene Roddenberry's Earth: Final Conflict. A two-time Emmy nominee
over its five-year run, Earth recently sold into 2nd run syndication
and now can be seen on the Sci-Fi Channel.
On the theatrical side, Kirschner executive produced the box-office
smash The Flintstones, again in partnership with Spielberg. He then
co-wrote and produced the Twentieth Century Fox/Turner live-action and
animated fantasy The Pagemaster. This film was based upon the book
co-written by Kirschner which was named the American Library
Association's "Children's Book of the Year."
Kirschner also produced the critically acclaimed animated feature Cats
Don't Dance, released by Warner Brothers in the spring of 1997. Cats
won both the Golden Crown at Annecy and the prestigious Annie Award
(the American Animation Awards) for Best Feature, beating out Disney's
Hercules and Warner Brothers' Space Jam. In Summer 2000, Twentieth
Century Fox released Titan A.E., a space adventure loosely based on the
Robert Louis Stevenson classic, Treasure Island.
Currently in production at Universal is an animated adaptation of the
classic Curious George books, for which Kirschner is teamed up with
producers Ron Howard and Brian Grazer. Will Ferrell is
starring.
focusing primarily on family and genre films. Currently in production
is the film adaptation of the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning short
story, Martian Child, written by sci-fi luminary, David Gerrold (Star
Trek's "The Troubles with Tribbles"). John Cusack (High Fidelity,
Identity) stars in the film, which will be directed by Menno Meyjes,
writer/director of 2004's acclaimed Max for Lions Gate, and
Oscar-nominated screenwriter of The Color Purple, as well as the Denzel
Washington-starrer, The Siege. The comedy-drama follows the neurotic
travails of a science-fiction writer (Cusack) who adopts a boy claiming
to be a Martian. Seth Bass & Jon Tolins (Broadway's "Twilight of the
Golds") wrote the script.
Later this summer, Kirschner and producing partner, Corey Sienega, will
team up with Mike Medavoy to produce the biography of famed children's
author and illustrator Beatrix Potter (The Tale Peter Rabbit). Starring
Oscar-winner Renee Zelwegger (Bridget Jones, Chicago), the magical
romantic-drama was written by Tony Award-winner Richard Maltby (Miss
Saigon, Ain't Misbehavin') and will be directed by Chris Noonan (Babe).
Last year Kirschner produced Seed Of Chucky, the fifth installment of
the successful horror-franchise, which opened in theaters in November.
Additionally, Kirschner served as Executive Producer on last summer's
5-hour scifi-thriller miniseries, 5 Days Til Midnight. Starring
Oscar-winner Timothy Hutton (Ordinary People, Falcon And The Snowman),
this television event aired June 7-10 on the Sci-Fi Channel.
In Fall 2003, New Line released the successful family film, Secondhand
Lions, into theaters. The film stars Oscar winners Michael Caine and
Robert Duvall, and Oscar nominee, Haley Joel Osment, and was written
and directed by Tim McCanlies (Iron Giant). The film is now in
development as a Broadway musical. The upcoming Martian Child is
Kirschner's second production with New Line.
In 2002, Kirschner produced Lions Gate's critically acclaimed thriller
Frailty. Directed by Bill Paxton, who also starred alongside Matthew
McConaughey, the film was lauded by the National Board of Review that
year for Excellence in Filmmaking.
A native of suburban Los Angeles, Kirschner began his career as an
illustrator for Jim Henson's Muppet and Sesame Street characters. At
23, he wrote and illustrated a series of children's books entitled Rose
Petal Place. This property spawned a total of 16 books, two television
specials and over 1100 different products.
In 1986, Kirschner created and executive produced with Steven Spielberg
the smash hit An American Tail, which became one of the most successful
animated films in history. This film was followed by the sequel AN
American Tail 2: Fievel Goes West, a Saturday morning animated series,
and direct-to-video features American Tails 3, 4, and 5. Kirschner's
second feature film was the horror hit Child's Play, whose leading
character, "Chucky", an animatronic doll which Kirschner created,
became a cult star and spawned a second successful franchise with
Child's Play II, child's play III, and the 1998 box-office winner,
Bride Of Chucky, starring Jennifer Tilly. Seed Of Chucky, the hit
horror comedy and fifth installment in the popular Child's Play
franchise, opened in theaters in November.
Kirschner's next production, Disney's hit comedy-thriller, Hocus Pocus,
was based on his short story and starred Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica
Parker, and Kathy Najimy.
Kirschner also created and produced the NBC's Emmy-nominated The
Dreamer Of Oz. Starring John Ritter, the television event was based on
the life of The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz creator L. Frank Baum. Kirschner
also produced the Emmy Award-winning The Halloween Tree, written and
narrated by Ray Bradbury. Kirschner later served as Executive Producer
of Gene Roddenberry's Earth: Final Conflict. A two-time Emmy nominee
over its five-year run, Earth recently sold into 2nd run syndication
and now can be seen on the Sci-Fi Channel.
On the theatrical side, Kirschner executive produced the box-office
smash The Flintstones, again in partnership with Spielberg. He then
co-wrote and produced the Twentieth Century Fox/Turner live-action and
animated fantasy The Pagemaster. This film was based upon the book
co-written by Kirschner which was named the American Library
Association's "Children's Book of the Year."
Kirschner also produced the critically acclaimed animated feature Cats
Don't Dance, released by Warner Brothers in the spring of 1997. Cats
won both the Golden Crown at Annecy and the prestigious Annie Award
(the American Animation Awards) for Best Feature, beating out Disney's
Hercules and Warner Brothers' Space Jam. In Summer 2000, Twentieth
Century Fox released Titan A.E., a space adventure loosely based on the
Robert Louis Stevenson classic, Treasure Island.
Currently in production at Universal is an animated adaptation of the
classic Curious George books, for which Kirschner is teamed up with
producers Ron Howard and Brian Grazer. Will Ferrell is
starring.