Michael De Luca (born August 13, 1965) is an American film studio executive, film producer and

screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

. He is also the former president of production at both

New Line Cinema New Line Productions, Inc., Trade name, doing business as New Line Cinema, is an American film production, film and television production company that is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, a division of the Major film studios, ...

and DreamWorks. De Luca has been nominated for three Academy Awards for Best Picture. De Luca formerly served as the chairman of the

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

Motion Picture Group and currently serves as a co-chairperson and CEO of Warner Bros. Pictures Group (now known as Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group).

Early life

De Luca was born and raised in

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, New York. His mother was a German-Jewish immigrant, and his father, who was Italian American and

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

, worked at ConEdison. De Luca began pursuing a career in show business in 1986. Originally tapped to work as a story editor, he rose fairly quickly through the ranks, thanks in part to his mentor, chairman and co-founder of New Line Cinema

Robert Shaye Robert Kenneth Shaye (born March 4, 1939) is an American businessman, film producer, actor, director, and writer. Shaye is the founder of New Line Cinema, a film production studio that was most successful for distributing ''The Lord of the Rin ...

. De Luca completed his degree from

Tisch School of the Arts The New York University Tisch School of the Arts (commonly referred to as Tisch) is the performing, cinematic, and media arts school of New York University. Founded on August 17, 1965, as the School of the Arts at New York University, Tisch ...

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

in 1995.

Career

De Luca began his career in 1988, working as a writer on the TV series '' Freddy's Nightmares''. In 1990, De Luca made his debut in the film industry as an associate producer on '' Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III,'' which was quickly followed by his writing/producing role on the film '' Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare''. He wrote the 1994

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...

'' In the Mouth of Madness'', directed by

John Carpenter John Howard Carpenter (born January 16, 1948) is an American filmmaker, composer, and actor. Most commonly associated with horror film, horror, action film, action, and science fiction film, science fiction films of the 1970s and 1980s, he is ...

. De Luca co-wrote the story for the 1995

film adaptation A film adaptation transfers the details or story of an existing source text, such as a novel, into a feature film. This transfer can involve adapting most details of the source text closely, including characters or plot points, or the original sou ...

of the popular British comic book character

Judge Dredd Judge Joseph Dredd is a fictional character created by writer John Wagner and artist Carlos Ezquerra. He first appeared in the second issue of the British weekly anthology Comic book, comic ''2000 AD (comics), 2000 AD'' (1977). He is the magazi ...

, starring

Sylvester Stallone Sylvester Gardenzio "Sly" Stallone (; born July 6, 1946) is an American actor and filmmaker. In a Sylvester Stallone filmography, film career spanning more than fifty years, Stallone has received List of awards and nominations received by Syl ...

as the eponymous lead. In 1996, De Luca, was approached by the producers Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore for '' Star Trek: Voyager'' and pitched an idea which turned into an opportunity to write an episode for the series, ''Threshold''. De Luca is a former President of Production for

. During his tenure at New Line Cinema, he oversaw a variety of films that would come to define the studio, including '' Seven'', ''

Friday Friday is the day of the week between Thursday and Saturday. In countries that adopt the traditional "Sunday-first" convention, it is the sixth day of the week. In countries adopting the ISO 8601-defined "Monday-first" convention, it is the fifth ...

'', ''

Boogie Nights ''Boogie Nights'' is a 1997 American drama film written, directed, and co-produced by Paul Thomas Anderson. It is set in Los Angeles's San Fernando Valley and focuses on a young nightclub dishwasher who becomes a popular star of pornographic ...

'', ''

Austin Powers ''Austin Powers'' is a series of American satirical spy comedy films created by Mike Myers, who stars as the British spy Austin Powers as well as his arch-nemesis, Dr. Evil. The series consists of '' International Man of Mystery'' (1997), ' ...

'', ''

Rush Hour A rush hour (American English, British English) or peak hour (Australian English, Indian English) is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice e ...

'', ''

Blade A blade is the Sharpness (cutting), sharp, cutting portion of a tool, weapon, or machine, specifically designed to puncture, chop, slice, or scrape surfaces or materials. Blades are typically made from materials that are harder than those they a ...

'', ''

American History X ''American History X'' is a 1998 American crime drama film directed by Tony Kaye (in his feature directorial debut) and written by David McKenna. The film stars Edward Norton and Edward Furlong as two brothers from Los Angeles who are invol ...

'', and ''

Magnolia ''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view that one takes up. Recent molecular and morphological research shows that former genera ''Talauma'', ''Dugandiodendr ...

''. After New Line Cinema, De Luca became President of Production at DreamWorks, his tenure lasting from 2001 to 2004. After his contract with DreamWorks ended, De Luca signed a production deal with

Sony Pictures Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio conglomerate that produces, acquires, and distributes filmed entertainment (theatrical motion pictures, television programs, and rec ...

and started his own production company, Michael De Luca Productions. His first release under his production company was '' Ghost Rider'' (2007) starring

Nicolas Cage Nicolas Kim Coppola (born January 7, 1964), known professionally as Nicolas Cage, is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Nicolas Cage, various accolades, including an Academy A ...

, followed by '' 21'' and '' The Love Guru'' (both 2008) starring

Mike Myers Michael John Myers, (born May 25, 1963) is a Canadian actor, comedian, and filmmaker. His accolades include seven MTV Movie & TV Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2002, he was awarded a star on the Hollywood W ...

. He was nominated for the

Best Picture Oscar The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards (also known as Oscars) presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the Film producer, producers ...

two years in a row for ''

The Social Network ''The Social Network'' is a 2010 American biographical drama film directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin, based on the 2009 book '' The Accidental Billionaires'' by Ben Mezrich. It portrays the founding of social networkin ...

'' (2010) and ''Moneyball'' (2011). He received a third nomination in 2014 for producing '' Captain Phillips by Paul Greengrass''. De Luca also produced the 2011 remake of the cult classic vampire horror film '' Fright Night''. De Luca and Dana Brunetti reunited for '' Fifty Shades of Grey,'' the 2015 film adaptation of the best-selling novel of the same name. It was a massive financial success, becoming one of the highest-grossing R-rated films of all time. On January 3, 2020, it was announced that De Luca had been appointed Chairman of the

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

Motion Picture Group. In July 2022 he and Pamela Abdy left for Warner Bros. Pictures Group, taking up the roles of co-chairpersons and CEO, respectively.

Personal life

De Luca was previously in a relationship with actress

Julianne Moore Julie Anne Smith (born December 3, 1960), known professionally as Julianne Moore, is an American actress and children's author. Prolific in film since the early 1990s, she is known for her portrayals of emotionally troubled women in independent ...

, star of New Line's ''

''. In 2009, he married actress Angelique Madrid (born 1974) from Ft. Worth, Texas; she had been a contestant on the first season of ABC's '' The Bachelor''. They have two children.

Filmography

Film

Executive producer * '' Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III'' (1990) * '' Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare'' (1991) * '' The Mask'' (1994) * ''

Don Juan DeMarco ''Don Juan DeMarco'' is a 1995 American romantic comedy-drama film starring Johnny Depp as John Arnold DeMarco, a man who believes himself to be Don Juan, the greatest lover in the world. Clad in a cape and domino mask, DeMarco undergoes psych ...

'' (1994) * '' In the Mouth of Madness'' (1994) * '' Last Man Standing'' (1996) * '' The Long Kiss Goodnight'' (1996) * '' B.A.P.S.'' (1997) * '' Wag the Dog'' (1997) * '' Dark City'' (1998) * '' Lost in Space'' (1998) * ''

'' (1998) (Uncredited) * '' Pleasantville'' (1998) * '' Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me'' (1999) * '' Detroit Rock City'' (1999) * '' Body Shots'' (1999) * '' The Bachelor'' (1999) * ''

'' (1999) * '' Lost Souls'' (2000) * '' Little Nicky'' (2000) * '' Thirteen Days'' (2000) * '' Hedwig and the Angry Inch'' (2001) * '' Blow'' (2001) * '' Town & Country'' (2001) * ''

Storytelling Storytelling is the social and cultural activity of sharing narrative, stories, sometimes with improvisation, theatre, theatrics or embellishment. Every culture has its own narratives, which are shared as a means of entertainment, education, cul ...

'' (2001) * '' Rush Hour 2'' (2001) * '' Knockaround Guys'' (2001) * '' Life as a House'' (2001) * '' I Am Sam'' (2001) * '' Run Ronnie Run!'' (2002) * '' John Q.'' (2002) * '' Blade II'' (2002) * ''

Highway A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It includes not just major roads, but also other public roads and rights of way. In the United States, it is also used as an equivalent term to controlled-access highway, or ...

'' (2002) * '' Unconditional Love'' (2002) * '' Simone'' (2002) * '' A Man Apart'' (2003) Co-executive producer * '' Deep Cover'' (1992) * '' Loaded Weapon 1'' (1993) * '' One Night Stand'' (1997) * ''

'' (1997) * ''

'' (1998) Producer * '' Zathura: A Space Adventure'' (2005) * '' Ghost Rider'' (2007) * '' 21'' (2008) * '' The Love Guru'' (2008) * ''

Brothers A brother (: brothers or brethren) is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingl ...

'' (2009) * ''

'' (2010) * '' Drive Angry'' (2011) * ''

Priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

'' (2011) * '' Fright Night'' (2011) * ''

Butter Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of Churning (butter), churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 81% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread (food ...

'' (2011) * ''

Moneyball Moneyball or money ball may refer to: * '' Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game'', 2003 book by Michael Lewis ** ''Moneyball'' (film), 2011 film adaptation of the book * ''Moneyball'' (album), 2025 album by Dutch Interior * Sabermetrics ...

'' (2011) * '' The Sitter'' (2011) * '' Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance'' (2011) * '' Captain Phillips'' (2013) * '' Dracula Untold'' (2014) * '' Fifty Shades of Grey'' (2015) * '' Fifty Shades Darker'' (2017) * '' Fifty Shades Freed'' (2018) * '' Under the Silver Lake'' (2018) * ''

The Sisters Brothers ''The Sisters Brothers'' is a 2011 Western fiction, Western novel by Canadian-born author Patrick deWitt. The darkly comic story takes place in Oregon and California in 1851. The narrator, Eli Sisters, and his brother Charlie are assassins taske ...

'' (2018) * '' The Kitchen'' (2019) * '' 12 Mighty Orphans'' (2021) * '' Reminiscence'' (2021) * '' Ricky Stanicky'' (2024) * '' The Fire Inside'' (2024) Writer * '' The Lawnmower Man'' (1987) (Short film) * '' Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare'' (1991) * '' In the Mouth of Madness'' (1994) * ''

'' (1995) ;Miscellaneous crew ;Thanks

Television

TV specials * 89th Academy Awards (2017) * 90th Academy Awards (2018) Executive producer Writer ;Miscellaneous crew ;As an actor

References

External links

*
DeLuca Interview at ColliderVarietyDeLuca at Hollywood
{{DEFAULTSORT:De Luca, Michael 1965 births Living people American male screenwriters American television writers American male television writers American people of German-Jewish descent American writers of Italian descent Film producers from New York (state) Golden Globe Award–winning producers Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer executives Primetime Emmy Award winners Screenwriters from New York (state) Tisch School of the Arts alumni Writers from Brooklyn