David Jonathan Heyman (born 26 July 1961) is a British film producer and the founder of

Heyday Films Heyday Films Ltd. is a British film studio founded in 1996 by producer David Heyman in London, England, and currently headquartered in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counti ...

. Heyman secured the rights to the ''Harry Potter'' film series in 1999 and went on to produce all eight installments of the franchise. He also received three Academy Award nominations for his work on the films ''

Gravity In physics, gravity () is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things with mass or energy. Gravity is, by far, the weakest of the four fundamental interactions, approximately 1038 times weaker than the stro ...

'', '' Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'', and '' Marriage Story''.

Early life

Heyman was born in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. He is the son of

John Heyman John Heyman (27 April 1933 – 9 June 2017) was a British film and TV producer also involved in television production, consulting, and film financing. Early life and family Heyman was born in Leipzig to German-Jewish parents. His fathe ...

, producer of the films ''

The Go-Between ''The Go-Between'' is a novel by L. P. Hartley published in 1953. His best-known work, it has been adapted several times for stage and screen. The book gives a critical view of society at the end of the Victorian era through the eyes of a naï ...

'' and ''

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...

'', and Norma Heyman (''

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

'' Pownall), an actress, and Oscar-nominated producer of the films '' Dangerous Liaisons'' and '' Mrs Henderson Presents''. His paternal grandparents were German Jews who left

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

and emigrated to England prior to

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, while his mother's family was

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

. At age seven, he was a page boy in the wedding of his godmother, Diana Dors, to actor Alan Lake. Heyman went to

Westminster School (God Gives the Increase) , established = Earliest records date from the 14th century, refounded in 1560 , type = Public school Independent day and boarding school , religion = Church of England , head_label = Hea ...

and, following graduation, he decided to study abroad. He earned a degree in

art history Art history is the study of aesthetic objects and visual expression in historical and stylistic context. Traditionally, the discipline of art history emphasized painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, ceramics and decorative arts; yet today, ...

from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of highe ...

in 1983., where he was an All-American sabreman for the fencing team.

Career

Heyman started in the film industry as a production assistant on David Lean's '' A Passage to India'', and in 1986, Heyman became a creative executive at

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

, and he was assistant to

Mark Canton Mark Canton (born June 19, 1949) is an American film producer and executive. Life and early career Canton was born to a Jewish family in Queens, New York, the son of Shirley and Arthur Canton, who worked in the film industry on marketing and pu ...

. In 1987, he became vice president of

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the stu ...

, which joined a series of changes as original production VPs had quit, and subsequently embarked on an independent producing career with his first film, '' Juice'', in 1992, followed by the cult "stoner" film ''

The Stoned Age ''The Stoned Age'' is a 1994 American comedy film directed by James Melkonian, following two long-haired stoners who spend a night touring the suburbs of Los Angeles, looking for alcohol, parties, and young women. Plot The film is set in Torr ...

'' (1994) and others. In 1997 Heyman returned to London and founded his own production company,

. He has since produced a number of films including the ''

Harry Potter ''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, all of whom are students at ...

'' film adaptations. Other notable productions during this time include the 2007 blockbuster '' I Am Legend'' and the 2008 films ''

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas ''The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas'' is a 2006 Holocaust novel by Irish novelist John Boyne. Much like the process he undertakes when writing most of his novels, Boyne has said that he wrote the entire first draft in two and a half days, without ...

'', '' Is Anybody There?'', and '' Yes Man''. After finishing work on the ''Harry Potter'' films, Heyman reunited with ''

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'' is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling and is the third in the ''Harry Potter'' series. The book follows Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, a young wizard (fantasy), wizard ...

'' director

Alfonso Cuarón Alfonso Cuarón Orozco ( , ; born 28 November 1961) is a Mexican filmmaker. He is known for directing films in a variety of genres including the family drama ''A Little Princess'' (1995), the romantic drama ''Great Expectations'' (1998), the c ...

to produce the 2013 science fiction thriller ''

'', starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. The film grossed more than $700 million worldwide and was nominated for ten

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

including Best Picture, winning seven including Best Director for Cuarón. He also produced the 2013 comedy '' We're the Millers'' and the 2014 family film ''

Paddington Paddington is an area within the City of Westminster, in Central London. First a medieval parish then a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965. Three important landmarks of the district are Padd ...

'', for which he was nominated for the

Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film The BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Film is given annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts presented at the British Academy Film Awards. The award was first given at the 1st British Academy Film Awards, first recognising the ...

. Heyman produced the Warner Bros. film adaptation of J. K. Rowling's ''

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them ''Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'' (often referred to as simply ''Fantastic Beasts'') is a 2001 guide book written by British author J. K. Rowling (under the pen name of the fictitious author Newt Scamander) about the magical crea ...

'', which was released in November 2016, as well as its 2018 sequel. He is also set to produce '' Fables'', based on the comic book series. He was announced as the producer of the fantasy film ''The Queen of the Tearling'', starring Emma Watson and based on

the novel ''The Novel'' (1991) is a novel written by American author James A. Michener. A departure from Michener's better known historical fiction, ''The Novel'' is told from the viewpoints of four different characters involved in the life and work of ...

written by Erika Johansen. Warner Bros. has acquired the film rights and will distribute the film. Heyman is also currently developing projects with ''Potter'' director

David Yates David Yates (born 8 October 1963) is an English film director, producer and screenwriter, who has directed feature films, short films, and television productions. He is best known for directing the final four films in the ''Harry Potter'' ser ...

and has long been developing a film adaptation of

Mark Haddon Mark Haddon (born 28 October 1962) is an English novelist, best known for ''The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time'' (2003). He won the Whitbread Award, the Dolly Gray Children's Literature Award, Guardian Prize, and a Commonwealth Wr ...

's 2003 novel ''

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time ''The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time'' is a 2003 mystery novel by British writer Mark Haddon. Its title refers to an observation by the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes (created by Arthur Conan Doyle) in the 1892 short story " ...

'' with ''Potter'' screenwriter Steve Kloves. It was announced in 2016 that Heyman had partnered with China's Alibaba Pictures to produce a movie about '' Warriors'', feral cats who have a complex social hierarchy and reside in a forest, originally written by Erin Hunter. In May 2018 it was announced that

STX Entertainment STX Entertainment is a mini-major American entertainment and media company. Founded in March 2014 by film producer Robert Simonds, the studio produces film, television, and digital media projects. In April 2020, STX announced that it would merg ...

had come on board to co-produce the ''Warriors'' film, with STX board member

Gigi Pritzker Gigi Pritzker (born July 27, 1962) is an American billionaire and film producer. She is a member of the Pritzker family. Pritzker is co-founder of the film production and financing company Odd Lot Entertainment, producing several films including ...

working alongside Heyman. As of 2021, no director or release date has yet been announced for the film, and no information has been released since. In 2020, he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for '' Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'' with

Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, dark humor, non-linear storylines, cameos, ensembl ...

, and both of them were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. In addition, Heyman was also nominated for the same award for '' Marriage Story'' with Noah Baumbach.

Personal life

Heyman currently lives in Pimlico,

, and is married to interior designer Rose Uniacke (née Batstone). They have one son. He is the stepfather to her four children from her previous marriage to businessman and mathematician, Robie Uniacke, the partner of actress Rosamund Pike since 2009.

Filmography

He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.

Film

;As an actor ;Thanks

Television

Awards

References

External links

*
Interview with David Heyman about ''The Boy In The Striped Pajamas'' and ''Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince''

Boy in the Striped Pajamas Interview & Biographies

Film Journal International: David Heyman Interview

Interview with David Heyman about the ''Harry Potter'' series, ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows'', and his projects after the ''Harry Potter'' films endDirect audio link to the interview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heyman, David 1961 births Living people British people of English descent British people of German-Jewish descent Businesspeople from London English film producers Golden Globe Award-winning producers Harvard University alumni People educated at Westminster School, London