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Laurie MacDonald
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Laurie MacDonald

Laurie MacDonald, the co-head of DreamWorks Pictures with Walter F. Parkes, is also a prolific motion picture producer. She and Parkes are currently producing the horror sequel The Ring 2, having previously produced the hit film The Ring, starring Naomi Watts. Watts reprises her role in the sequel, which is being directed by Hideo Nakata, the director of Ringu, upon which The Ring was based. MacDonald is also teamed with Parkes as a producer on Brad Silberling's Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, starring Jim Carrey, Meryl Streep and Jude Law.

In 2002, MacDonald served as an executive producer on Steven Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks. She and Parkes also produced that summer's sequel Men in Black II, which reunited stars Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones and director Barry Sonnenfeld. The duo had earlier produced the 1997 sci-fi comedy smash Men in Black, which brought them Producers of the Year honors at ShoWest.

MacDonald was an executive producer on the Oscar-winning Best Picture Gladiator, which was one of the most honored and successful films of 2000. Her credits as an executive producer also include the recent remake of The Time Machine, The Mask of Zorro, The Peacemaker, Amistad and Twister.

During her tenure as co-head of DreamWorks Pictures, MacDonald has overseen such hit features as American Beauty, which won numerous honors, including the Academy Award for Best Picture; and Steven Spielberg's Oscar-winning drama Saving Private Ryan, which was the most successful of any film released in 1998 at the domestic box office.

MacDonald began her producing career as a documentary and news producer at KRON, the NBC affiliate in San Francisco. She later joined Columbia Pictures, where she served as a Vice President of Production. After four years, she started a production company with Walter Parkes. Immediately prior to joining DreamWorks, MacDonald oversaw development and production at Amblin Entertainment.


Note: This profile was written in or before 2004.

Laurie MacDonald Facts

OccupationProducer

Selected Filmography

Not available.