Australian film and television producer
Bruna Papandrea
Born 1971 (age 54–55) Occupation Film producer Years active 1997 – present Works Wild Big Little Lies Gone Girl Spouse Steve Hutensky Children 2
Bruna Papandrea AM Australian film andtelevision producer and the founder of production companyMade Up Stories . Prior to Made Up Stories, Papandrea co-founded the production companyPacific Standard withReese Witherspoon .
Early life and education [ edit ] Papandrea was raised inAdelaide ,South Australia ,[ 1] single mother .[ 2]
She moved toNew York City in the 1990s after establishing a career in film production. She briefly returned to Australia to produce the 2000 filmBetter Than Sex AFI Award forBest Film , before moving to London in 2001. She served as a production executive at the film studioMirage Enterprises and later returned to New York to work for GreeneStreet Films, a production company for independent films, as a creative director. At GreeneStreet she executive produced the 2006 romantic comedyWedding Daze Smart People Milk The Marc Pease Experience All Good Things [ 3]
In 2011, Papandrea producedWarm Bodies zombie comedy film directed byJonathan Levine and released in 2013.[ 4]
In 2012, she and actressReese Witherspoon co-founded Pacific Standard, aBeverly Hills -based production company focusing on creating films made by and about women.[ 5] [ 1] Gone Girl Wild Hot Pursuit [ 5] HBO seriesBig Little Lies Luckiest Girl Alive [ 6]
Papandrea launched her current production company,Made Up Stories , in January 2017 to carry on her mission in championing female filmmakers, adapting female-written novels and creating stories featuring multi-faceted female characters. The company is also committed to inclusivity in less-acknowledged departments behind-the-scenes such as transportation teams and gaffers. Papandrea has expressed intent to start a foundation, Made Up Solutions, to provide opportunities for women from low socio-economic and diverse backgrounds.[ 7] [ 8]
In April 2020, Papandrea andGregg Fienberg founded the "It Takes Our Village" initiative, along with numerous A-list Hollywood producers to help raise money for below-the-line crews affected by COVID-19.[ 9] [ 10]
On October 12, 2023 an open letter was published by Creative Community for Peace, whose mission statement is "to galvanize support against the cultural boycott of Israel."[ 11] [ 12] [ 13] [ 14]
2015: Papandrea received theAustralians in Film International Award.[ 2]
2018: Papandrea was honored byG'Day USA , receiving Outstanding Achievement in Film & TV Award.[ 15]
2020: Papandrea won theDon Dunstan Award , and appeared "In Conversation" with one of the patrons of theAdelaide Film Festival ,Margaret Pomeranz AM [ 16] [ 1]
2020: Papandrea was named toVariety's L.A. Women's Impact Report 2020.[ 17]
2020: Papandrea was named as one of 40 Australians who mattered in Film & TV for 2020 byThe Age's Good Weekend .[ 18]
2021: Papandrea received theAustralian Women's Film Festival (AWFF) Groundbreaker Award.[ 19]
2021: Papandrea was included inThe Hollywood Reporter's 2021 Women In Entertainment Power 100[ 20]
2021: Papandrea was included inDeadline's DISRUPTORS 2021 class[ 21]
2023: Papandrea was appointed aMember of the Order of Australia in the2023 Australia Day Honours .[ 22]
2024: Received theAustralian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA),Byron Kennedy Award .[ 23]
Awards and nominations [ edit ] 2000: Nominated for theAustralia Film Institute (AFI) Award Best Film forBetter Than Sex
2017: Winner of thePrimetime Emmy for Outstanding Limited Series forBig Little Lies
2018: Winner of theGolden Globe for Best Television Series or Motion Picture Made for Television forBig Little Lies (season 1)
2018: Nominated for theBAFTA TV Award for Best International forBig Little Lies
2018: Nominated for thePGA Award for Outstanding Producer of Episode Television, Drama forBig Little Lies (season 1)
2019: Winner of theAACTA Award for Best Film forThe Nightingale
2020: Winner of theFilm Critics Circle of Australia Awards for Best Film forThe Nightingale
2020: Nominated for thePGA Award for Outstanding Producer of Episode Television, Drama forBig Little Lies (season 2)
2020: Nominated for theGolden Globe for Best Television Series, Drama forBig Little Lies (season 2)
2021: Nominated for theCritics' Choice Television Awards forBest Limited Series forThe Undoing
2021: Nominated for theGolden Globe forBest Limited Series or Television Film forThe Undoing
2021: Nominated for thePGA Award's David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Limited Series Television forThe Undoing
Papandrea is married to producer Steve Hutensky and gave birth to twins in 2012. She hassystemic lupus erythematosus (lupus), diagnosed in August 2010, which causes her chronic joint pain.[ 24]
Before she started her own production companies, Papandrea produced various films with other companies, including:[ 3]
Year Title Director Gross (worldwide) Notes 2013 Warm Bodies Jonathan Levine $117 million ASummit Entertainment film 2014 Wild Jean-Marc Vallée $52.5 million Produced as Pacific StandardNominated for twoAcademy Awards
2014 Gone Girl David Fincher $369.3 million Produced as Pacific StandardNominated for oneAcademy Award
2015 Hot Pursuit Anne Fletcher $51.7 million Produced as Pacific Standard 2019 Lucy in the Sky Noah Hawley n/a Produced by Bruna PapandreaPremiered at theToronto International Film Festival
2018 The Nightingale Jennifer Kent n/a Premiered in competition at the75th Venice International Film Festival , winning two awardsSwept the9th AACTA Awards including winningBest Film andBest Director
Distributed in the United States byIFC Films
2019 Little Monsters Abe Forsythe n/a Premiered at theSundance Film Festival Released in the United States byNEON andHulu
2020 Penguin Bloom Glendyn Ivin $6 million[ 25] (AUS & NZ only)
Premiered at the 2020Toronto International Film Festival Released in Australia byRoadshow on January 21, 2021,
Releasing in North America, U.K., France and select countries in Asia byNetflix on Jan. 27, 2021
2021 The Dry Robert Connolly $17 million[ 26] (AUS & NZ only)
Released in Australia byRoadshow on January 1, 2021,Releasing in N. America byIFC Films on May 21, 2021
2022 Luckiest Girl Alive Mike Barker n/a Will be released by Netflix[ 27] 2024 Force of Nature: The Dry 2 Robert Connolly To be released in Australia byRoadshow on February 8, 2024 TBA Ashley's War — N/a — N/a Distributed byUniversal Pictures ; co-production withHello Sunshine [ 28] [ 29]
Year Title Network Notes 2017-2019 Big Little Lies HBO Produced as Pacific Standard (S1) and Bruna Papandrea (S2)Created byDavid E. Kelley , based on theLiane Moriarty book
S1 nominated for 16Emmy Awards , winning eight includingOutstanding Limited Series
2018 Queen America Facebook Watch Created byMeagan Oppenheimer 2020 The Undoing HBO Created by David E. Kelley, based on aJean Hanff Korelitz bookNominated for theCritics' Choice Television Awards forBest Limited Series
Nominated for 4Golden Globe Awards includingBest Limited Series or Television Film
2021 Tell Me Your Secrets Amazon Prime Video Created by Harriet Warner Pieces of Her Netflix Created by Charlotte Stoudt, based on theKarin Slaughter book Nine Perfect Strangers Hulu Created byDavid E. Kelley , based on theLiane Moriarty book 2022 Anatomy Of A Scandal Netflix Created byDavid E. Kelley andMelissa James Gibson , based on the Sarah Vaughan book Long Slow Exhale Spectrum Originals /BET Created byPam Veasey Roar Apple TV+ Created byLiz Flahive andCarly Mensch , based on the short story collection byCecelia Ahern Wolf Like Me Peacock ,Stan Created byAbe Forsythe 2023 The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart Amazon Prime Video Created bySarah Lambert , based on theHolly Ringland novel 2024 The Last Anniversary Binge Created bySamantha Strauss , based on theLiane Moriarty novel
Projects in development [ edit ] ^a b c Smith, Matthew (14 October 2020)."Big Little Lies producer Bruna Papandrea inspires a new generation of Adelaide's female filmmakers" .ABC News . Australian Broadcasting Corporation.Archived from the original on 16 October 2020. Retrieved16 October 2020 . ^a b "Reese Witherspoon Honors Bruna Papandrea at Australians in Film Gala" .Variety . 26 October 2015.Archived from the original on 20 October 2020. Retrieved16 October 2020 .^a b "Bruna Papandrea" .Focus Features . Archived fromthe original on 21 April 2016. Retrieved9 February 2015 .^ Goldberg, Matt (4 January 2013)."Producer Bruna Papandrea Talks Working with Director Jonathan Levine, Aiming for a PG-13 Rating, Zombie Sex, and More on the Set of WARM BODIES" . Collider.com.Archived from the original on 9 February 2015. Retrieved9 February 2015 . ^a b Riley, Jenelle (7 October 2014)."Reese Witherspoon, Bruna Papandrea Push for Female-Driven Material With Pacific Standard" .Variety Archived from the original on 12 January 2015. Retrieved9 February 2015 . ^ Kroll, Justin (1 September 2016)."Reese Witherspoon Parts Ways With Producing Partner Bruna Papandrea" .Variety Archived from the original on 17 March 2017. Retrieved16 March 2017 . ^ "Producer Bruna Papandrea Didn't See A Space For Women In Hollywood, So She Created One Herself" .Bustle . 22 February 2019.Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved29 October 2020 .^ "Bruna Papandrea: From Adelaide to Hollywood" .www.australiaunlimited.com .Archived from the original on 29 September 2020. Retrieved29 October 2020 .^ "Mark Ruffalo, David E. Kelley and More Launch COVID-19 Relief Fund for Film Crews | Hollywood Reporter" .www.hollywoodreporter.com . 8 April 2020.Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved29 October 2020 .^ McNary, Dave (8 April 2020)."Producers Launch 'It Takes Our Village' Relief Fund for Crews Impacted By Coronavirus" .Variety .Archived from the original on 3 November 2020. Retrieved29 October 2020 . ^ "Our Mission - Creative Community for Peace" . 14 July 2015.^ "Israel Under Attack – Open Letter - Creative Community for Peace" . 12 October 2023.^ "NoHostageLeftBehind" . Archived fromthe original on 24 October 2023.^ "Several Hundred Hollywood Figures Sign Open Letter to Biden on Israel: "No Hostage Can be Left Behind" .The Hollywood Reporter ^ "2018 G'Day USA Los Angeles Gala, LA" .Average Socialite . 27 January 2018.Archived from the original on 2 November 2020. Retrieved29 October 2020 .^ "The Don Dunstan Award" .Adelaide Film Festival . 9 September 2020.Archived from the original on 10 September 2020. Retrieved10 September 2020 .^ Garrett, Diane; Arnold, Thomas K.; Aswad, Jem; Barker, Andrew; Burlingame, Jon; Dore, Shalini; Hendrickson, Paula; Herman, James Patrick (28 October 2020)."Variety's L.A. Women's Impact Report 2020" .Variety .Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved29 October 2020 . ^ Quinn, Karl (27 November 2020)."Good Weekend's 40 Australians Who Mattered: Film and TV" .The Age .Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved30 November 2020 . ^ Anabel, Anita (14 February 2021)."A Film Festival "Created By Women, For Women" Is Coming to Australia — TheLatch—" .thelatch.com.au/ .Archived from the original on 16 April 2021. Retrieved22 February 2021 . ^ T. H. R. Staff (12 May 2021)."The Hollywood Reporter's 2021 Women in Entertainment Power 100" .The Hollywood Reporter .Archived from the original on 12 May 2021. Retrieved12 May 2021 . ^ "Deadline Hollywood - AwardsLine - 07/06/21 - Disruptors/Cannes" .issuu . 30 June 2021.Archived from the original on 15 July 2021. Retrieved7 July 2021 .^ "Australia Day 2023 Honours: Full list" .The Sydney Morning Herald . 25 January 2023.Archived from the original on 25 January 2023. Retrieved25 January 2023 .^ "Bruna Papandrea Announced as the Recipient of the 2024 AACTA Byron Kennedy Award" .www.aacta.org . Retrieved26 November 2024 .^ Lew, Janine (23 November 2014)."Reese Witherspoon Honors Bruna Papandrea at Lupus LA Luncheon" .Variety Archived from the original on 9 February 2015. Retrieved9 February 2015 . ^ "Penguin Bloom" .Box Office Mojo .Archived from the original on 2 February 2021. Retrieved29 March 2021 .^ "The Dry" .Box Office Mojo .Archived from the original on 2 February 2021. Retrieved4 May 2021 .^ "Mila Kunis to Star in 'Luckiest Girl Alive' Film at Netflix" .TheWrap . 22 February 2021.Archived from the original on 21 February 2023. Retrieved22 February 2021 .^ Kroll, Justin (12 November 2020)." .Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on 15 November 2020. Retrieved16 November 2020 . ^ Patten, Dominic (1 March 2021)."Coen Brothers, Eva Longoria & Steven Soderbergh Films Among 22 Features Allocated CA Tax Credits" .Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved1 March 2021 . ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (28 November 2018)."Bruna Papandrea's Made Up Stories Lands JoAnn Chaney Thriller Novel 'As Long As We Both Shall Live' .Deadline .Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved23 April 2020 . ^ Hipes, Patrick (11 October 2018)."Aussie Novel 'The Lost Flowers Of Alice Hart' Headed For TV In Deal With Bruna Papandrea" .Deadline .Archived from the original on 9 May 2020. Retrieved23 April 2020 . ^ Petski, Denise (9 October 2018)."Bruna Papandrea's Made Up Stories Acquires Signe Pike's Novel 'The Lost Queen' For Television" .Deadline .Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved23 April 2020 . ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (22 June 2018)."Bruna Papandrea's Made Up Stories Acquires Jessica Knoll Novel 'The Favorite Sister' For Series" .Deadline .Archived from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved23 April 2020 . ^ Andreeva, Nellie (26 September 2017)."Bruna Papandrea Options Tina Brown's 'Vanity Fair Diaries' For Limited TV Series" .Deadline .Archived from the original on 25 May 2020. Retrieved23 April 2020 . ^ "Lynette Howell Taylor, Bruna Papandrea Team for Cinderella Reimagining 'Stepsister' .The Hollywood Reporter . 13 May 2019.Archived from the original on 30 December 2019. Retrieved23 April 2020 .^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (20 October 2020)."Endeavor Content Acquires Jennifer Donnelly Fantasy Novel 'Poisoned'; 51 Entertainment & Made Up Stories Producing" .Deadline .Archived from the original on 14 November 2020. Retrieved20 October 2020 . ^ "How Australian producer Bruna Papandrea is championing women on and off screene" .Vogue Australia . 18 December 2019.Archived from the original on 16 April 2020. Retrieved23 April 2020 .^ Otterson, Joe (15 July 2020)."Bruna Papandrea to Develop Christina Baker Kline's 'The Exiles' as TV Series (EXCLUSIVE)" .Variety .Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved22 July 2020 . ^ "Nina Dobrev to Star in 'Woman 99' Adaptation Acquired by Bruna Papandrea's Production Banner" .The Hollywood Reporter . 23 July 2020.Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved28 July 2020 .^ Petski, Denise (10 September 2020)." .Deadline .Archived from the original on 19 October 2020. Retrieved11 September 2020 . ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (8 October 2020)."Made Up Stories & Snoot Entertainment To Adapt Novel 'To Sleep In A Sea Of Stars' Into Feature Film" .Deadline .Archived from the original on 19 November 2020. Retrieved9 October 2020 . ^ Kroll, Justin (12 November 2020)." .Deadline .Archived from the original on 15 November 2020. Retrieved13 November 2020 . ^ Petski, Denise (15 December 2020)." .Deadline .Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved4 January 2021 . ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (11 March 2021)."Nicole Kidman & Bruna Papandrea Team On Feature Film Adaptation Of YA Novel 'Mice' .Deadline .Archived from the original on 11 March 2021. Retrieved11 March 2021 . ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (13 May 2021)."Erin French Memoir 'Finding Freedom: A Cook's Story' Sells After 18-Bidder Auction To Bruna Papandrea's Made Up Stories & Endeavor Content" .Deadline .Archived from the original on 13 May 2021. Retrieved13 May 2021 . ^ Perez, Lexy (9 June 2021)."Bruna Papandrea's Made Up Stories, Raelle Tucker Team for Adaptation of Novel 'The Change' (Exclusive)" .The Hollywood Reporter .Archived from the original on 9 June 2021. Retrieved9 June 2021 .
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