Lawrence Gordon (producer)
Lawrence Gordon is an American producer and motion picture executive. He specializes in producing action-oriented films and other genres. Some of his most popular productions include Predator, Die Hard, Die Hard 2, Predator 2, Point Break, Boogie Nights and .
Life and career
Gordon was raised in a Jewish family in Belzoni, Mississippi. He graduated from Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana. After moving to Los Angeles, he began his producing career in 1964 working for Aaron Spelling and became writer and associate producer on the TV series Burke's Law. He quickly moved up the ranks and took executive producer roles at ABC and Screen Gems.In the 1970s he was a key executive at American International Pictures and received credit as executive producer on John Milius's Dillinger. He left as worldwide production head in 1973 to produce his first solo production, Hard Times, for Columbia Pictures. In 1978 he had two high-grossing films with Hooper and The End, both starring Burt Reynolds.
He and Walter Hill were going to make The Last Gun. Financing fell through so they made The Warriors instead.
In the early 1980s, he created the TV series Matt Houston. He served as President of 20th Century Fox from 1984 to 1986.
In 1989, he produced Field of Dreams, which received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.
He subsequently formed Largo Entertainment which was backed by the Japanese company JVC. This was revolutionary as it was the first time a Japanese company had seriously invested in a film enterprise.
Under the Largo Entertainment banner, Gordon produced Point Break, Mulholland Falls, G.I. Jane, and 23 other films.
In 1994, he left Largo. Gordon Company was split up into two companies Golar, in tandem with the Lawrence Gordon Productions shingle headed by Lawrence Gordon, and Daybreak Productions, headed up by Charles Gordon over the late 1990s.
Gordon also had an independent production deal with Universal Pictures under the shingle Lawrence Gordon Productions. Under Lawrence Gordon Productions, he produced Jumpin' Jack Flash, Boogie Nights, Mystery Men, franchise, the Hellboy franchise and Watchmen.
Gordon has been credited with giving some of the most prolific producers their start in entertainment such as Joel Silver, Scott Rudin, Amy Pascal, and James L. Brooks.
He has three children including filmmaker and musician, George Joseph Gordon, who is married to the sister of the late Wall Street Journal columnist Michael J. Ybarra.
Selected filmography
All films, he was producer unless otherwise noted.Film
;Miscellaneous crew| Year | Film | Notes |
| 1991 | Point Break | President: Largo Entertainment |
| 1992 | Back in the USSR | President: Largo Entertainment |
| 1992 | Unlawful Entry | President: Largo Entertainment |
| 1992 | Dr. Giggles | President: Largo Entertainment |
| 1992 | Used People | President: Largo Entertainment Presenter |
| 1994 | Timecop | President: Largo Entertainment |
| 1995 | Waterworld | Presenter |
| 1997 | The Devil's Own | Presenter |
| 1997 | Event Horizon | Presenter |
| 1999 | Mystery Men | Presenter |
;Thanks
| Year | Film | Notes |
| 2020 | Da 5 Bloods | Special thanks |
Television
;As writer| Year | Title | Notes |
| 1982 | The Renegades | Television film |
| 1983 | The Renegades | |
| 1982−84 | Matt Houston |