Lauren Shuler Donner
I grew up outside Cleveland, Ohio, and I went to college at Boston University. I majored in film. Then I came out to Los Angeles.
I was attracted to the comics because of the characters and, particularly, Wolverine because he is so complex. He is so damaged and tragic in many ways - he doesn't have his memory. His body was invaded. He has unrequited love for Jean Grey.
I've been looking for an opportunity to break into the Chinese market due to its devoted and passionate audience and have found the perfect partner in Cristal Pictures.
Not many people know 'Hellblazer.'
You have to have somebody to root for. I truly believe that's how you ground a movie. You ground them in the characters.
I'm dying to do a 'Gambit' movie with Channing Tatum.
I really liked 'Walk The Line,' and I really liked 'Girl Interrupted,' and I really liked '3:10 To Yuma.'
I personally have close ties to Marvel because of Kevin Feige, because Kevin worked for me.
For me, I think Bob Iger is one of the smartest men in the country.
We love 'X-Force.' It allows us to be a little grittier.
The thing about Texas is that it's a little larger than life.
I love to say that what's great about 'Legion' is that if you haven't read a comic book and you haven't seen an 'X-Men' movie, you can come in and understand it - and this can be your comic.
The first two actors we cast were Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen. Because we started so highbrow, we were able to get anyone. Plus, some of these people have children, and their kids love 'X-Men.' They'll do it because of them - that's our little extra ace in the hole.
My mandate to myself since I've been involved in these movies was 'make every single movie different, so there's never 'X-Men' fatigue.'
I'm a huge fan, and I didn't grow up with it, I didn't grow up reading 'X-Men' comics. I became a huge fan; I had somebody in my company who gave me the biographies of all the characters. I read Logan's first and was like, 'What a great, tragic character.' I just loved him.
The first movie I produced was a movie that Joel Schumacher wrote and directed called 'Amateur Night at the Dixie Bar and Grill.'
The first writer I developed a script with was John Hughes, and that was 'Mr. Mom.' That was my first feature film.
I think people really don't understand what a producer does versus what a director does. I mean, the producer is often the person that is on the movie the longest - it's their material that they are then bringing the director onto to bring it to the screen. Are we overlooked? Absolutely.
When I first set out to make movies, that's what I thought I was going to do - make movies that mean something. And each movie had its own message, some stronger than others. Even 'X-Men' has its own message of tolerance.
The thrill of doing television versus features is, in television, you get to focus more on the characters.
I'm obsessed with 'Peaky Blinders.' Those characters are awful, and yet you root for them. You love them! Same with 'Breaking Bad.'
The cinematic universe will not worry about 'Legion.' They will not worry about these TV worlds at all.
The thematic core of 'X-Men' is tolerance. It's that for those of us who are different in any way - in a big way, whether it's you're a minority, you're a woman, you're a Muslim, you are suppressed or marginalized - it can go the whole spectrum - but even if you are shy or you feel like an outsider - and X-Men are outsiders.
I didn't tell anyone I had lupus for many, many years, and I didn't tell anyone I had cancer. I was afraid no one would hire me, and I also felt it was deeply personal. It was nobody's business. Now, of course, my feelings have changed.
I wanted to tell people you can live a full life, even if you're not feeling well.
Almost everyone I know is battling something, whether it's allergies or depression. Whatever it is, it makes you feel less than who you are. I believe part of life's challenge is to work through that.
When I was in my 20s, I was always sick. I was always feeling exhausted.
I would say that the first 'X-Men' was the hardest. It took us a long time to get it going.
I feel fortunate every day I'm in this business. No matter how hard it is, no matter how ruthless some people are, I was born to do this; I was born for movies.
Don't take rejection personally.
Sometimes, I've had the experience with a director where I didn't share the same vision of the movie.
I like having an idea, or hearing an idea, and getting it into a proper script.
Producing is figuring out how to make each character have a distinct voice, how to make the story twist and turn - that's the biggest challenge.
People would congratulate Dick for my movies. It bothered me for a long, long time.
Dick understands what I go through. He understands the difficulty and the brutality of the business.
People would ask for my autograph because they had never seen a woman behind the camera before.
I've really tried to use the power of film to effect change.
The accomplishment that I am most proud of is that 'Free Willy' and 'Dave' got a political message out, which isn't easy to do within the constraints of studio moviemaking.
In the past, I've been a workaholic. I'm trying not to be anymore.
It was a fear we had when we started 'Legion,' that there were too many comic-book series out there, and how do you stand out. Our mandate always is to make something different in feel and tone. You try to avoid someone thinking, 'Gee, I've seen this before.'
I stayed in the East for about a year after I graduated. Then, I came out to Los Angeles and started knocking on doors and working my way up. This was the '70s. I had been told how tough it was for a woman trying to make it in Hollywood, but I sort of had blinders on. I just did things anyway.
I've been very fortunate, but it also never occurred to me that I couldn't do something or that I couldn't ask if I could try something.
The thrill of doing television versus features is in television you get to focus more on the characters.Collection: Character
What we always want to say [in X-men] is, "It's OK to be yourself, and actually it's a gift to be yourself. Whatever it is that you have, that may be your gift." I think that's what we always want to say, and spread it out, so have tolerance for other people who are different also.Collection: Being Yourself
I always feel like every film takes the franchise and hangs it in the balance.Collection: Balance
I am really excited that we have Jemaine Clement in the show [X-men], because I freakin' love Flight of the Concords. It was so exciting to work with him.Collection: Men
I find myself watching cable and television much more than going to the movies.Collection: Television
At a certain point people want to see other movies besides comic book movies so you have to be really careful what you're going to pick, and how many are going to be released within a year.Collection: Book
The best writers are gravitating to that world. What's rewarding also is this: you have a two hour movie, you can't really delve into character that much. In a TV show you can. You can delve into character. You can get into nitty gritty.Collection: Character
I've never produced a series, so for me [X-men] was a wonderful challenge.Collection: Men