Pen Densham | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Densham in 2011 | |
| Born | (1947-10-14)14 October 1947 (age 77)[1] Ruislip, Middlesex, England |
| Occupation(s) | Film and television writer, producer |
Pen Densham (born 14 October 1947) is a British-Canadian film and television producer, writer, and director,[2][3] known for writing and producing films such asRobin Hood: Prince of Thieves[4] and television revivals ofThe Outer Limits andThe Twilight Zone, as well as writing, producing and directing MGM'sMoll Flanders.[5]
Born inRuislip, Middlesex, England in October 1947 to Raymond Densham who worked in the British film industry,[4] Pen left school at age 15 and was hired by British TV to photographThe Rolling Stones to sell to national magazines. At 19 he moved to Canada where he directed commercials and documentaries, working withMarshall McLuhan.
Densham went on to foundInsight Productions in Toronto withJohn Watson. The company gained recognition for documentaries such asLife Times Nine, one of two Insight films that earned Academy Award nominations. In total, Densham and Watson received over 70 international awards for their works including medals from the Queen of the United Kingdom for their contribution to the Arts of Canada. The first drama Densham wrote and directed,If Wishes Were Horses, won 14 awards, was reviewed by TV guide as "The best film of any length shown on Canadian TV", and brought Densham's work to the attention ofNorman Jewison. Jewison, withTelefilm Canada, sponsored Densham to move to Hollywood.
In Hollywood Densham and Watson founded Trilogy Entertainment Group.[6] They were employed as creative consultants on films such asRocky II andFootloose. In 1988 Densham directed Trilogy's first studio feature,The Kiss,[7] forTri-Star. In 1990 Densham re-envisioned the Robin Hood story, creating a new characterization and adding new concepts. Densham and Watson sold their spec script forRobin Hood: Prince of Thieves and produced the film forMorgan Creek Productions andWarner Brothers. The film became one of Warner Brothers' largest grossing movies ever, spinning off games, toy lines and the No. 1 music single fromBryan Adams, "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You". In the same year they were producers onBackdraft withRon Howard directing forImagine Entertainment andUniversal Pictures.Backdraft generated one of the longest-lasting attractions at theUniversal Studios Tour.
Inspired by the loss of his mother, Densham wrote and directed a personal version ofMoll Flanders forMGM andSpelling Entertainment, based loosely on the novel byDaniel Defoe, starringMorgan Freeman andRobin Wright. Densham also wrote and directed Houdini, an $8 million TNT feature for television starringJohnathon Schaech,Mark Ruffalo andEmile Hirsch. In 1992, Trilogy Entertainment Group jumped into its television foray by signing it withRHI Entertainment, with potential off-net syndication rights handled byColumbia Pictures Television.[8]
In television Densham wrote and supervised the re-franchising ofThe Outer Limits science fiction anthology series, which he executive-produced with his partners for its award-winning seven-year-run on American television. In the process Densham earned the unique distinction of being named number eight in the 50 Most Powerful People in Science Fiction list compiled byCinefantastique magazine. In 2003 he re-introducedThe Twilight Zone fantasy anthology series to American audiences onUPN.
Densham became a published author with his book about screenplay writing and selling creativity in Hollywood,Riding the Alligator: Strategies for a Career in Screenplay Writing (And Not Getting Eaten), published by Michael Wiese Books in January 2011.[9] The title comes from the cover photo of Densham at the age of four astride a live seven-foot alligator in one of his parents' theatrical short films. Written with the goal of supporting emerging creative people finding their own voice and path through the Hollywood industry as well as artistic endeavors in general, the book includes supportive essays by professional screenwritersShane Black,Nia Vardalos,Andrea Berloff,Eric Roth, John Watson,Robin Swicord,Todd Robinson,Alan McElroy,Anthony Peckham,Ron Shelton andLaeta Kalogridis. The book received positive reviews from Academy Award-winning writer-director-producers likePaul Haggis andRon Howard, as well as actors likeJeff Bridges,Morgan Freeman,Robin Wright andEmile Hirsch.
| Year | Film | Producer | Director | Writer | Other | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Life Times Nine | Yes | Documentary short Nominated –Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film | |||
| Streetworker | Yes | Documentary short | ||||
| 1974 | Thoroughbred | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Documentary short Alsocinematographer |
| 1978 | F.I.S.T. | Yes | Creative consultant Directed byNorman Jewison | |||
| 1979 | Rocky II | Yes | Supervisor: fight and training montages Directed bySylvester Stallone | |||
| 1980 | Coal Miner's Daughter | Yes | Creative consultant Directed byMichael Apted | |||
| Don't Mess with Bill | Yes | Documentary short Directed byJohn Watson Nominated –Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject) | ||||
| 1981 | Escape to Victory | Yes | Creative consultant Directed byJohn Huston | |||
| Nighthawks | Yes | Creative consultant Directed byBruce Malmuth | ||||
| 1984 | Success Is the Best Revenge | Yes | Directed byJerzy Skolimowski | |||
| Footloose | Yes | Creative consultant Directed byHerbert Ross | ||||
| 1985 | The Zoo Gang | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| 1988 | The Kiss | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also lyrics: song "Under My Skin" Nominated –Fantasporto International Film Festival Award | |
| 1990 | A Gnome Named Gnorm | Yes | Yes | Directed byStan Winston | ||
| 1991 | Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves | Yes | Yes | Directed byKevin Reynolds | ||
| 1994 | Blown Away | Yes | Directed byStephen Hopkins | |||
| 1995 | Tank Girl | Yes | Directed byRachel Talalay | |||
| 1996 | Moll Flanders | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| Larger than Life | Yes | Yes | Directed byHoward Franklin | |||
| 2002 | The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys | Executive | Directed byPeter Care | |||
| 2005 | Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story | Yes | Directed byAkbar Khan | |||
| 2007 | Just Buried | Yes | Directed byChaz Thorne | |||
| 2013 | Phantom | Yes | Directed byTodd Robinson | |||
| 2019 | The Last Full Measure | Yes | ||||
| Harriet | Executive | Directed byKasi Lemmons | ||||
| 2020 | Meeting the Beatles in India | Executive | Documentary film Directed byPaul Saltzman |
| Year | Program | Executive producer | Director | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | If Wishes Were Horses | Yes | Yes | Television special | |
| 1993 | Lifepod | Yes | Yes | Television film | |
| Taking Liberty | Yes | Yes | Television pilot | ||
| 1993–94 | Space Rangers | Yes | Yes | Series creator | |
| 1995–2001 | The Outer Limits | Yes | Yes | 87 episodes Won –CableACE Award for Dramatic Series Nominated –Gemini Award for Best Dramatic Series | |
| 1996–99 | Poltergeist: The Legacy | Yes | 70 episodes | ||
| 1997 | Buffalo Soldiers | Yes | Television film | ||
| 1997–98 | Fame L.A. | Yes | 22 episodes | ||
| 1998 | The Wonderful World of Disney | Co-executive | 1 episode | ||
| The Magnificent Seven | Yes | Yes | Series creator | ||
| Creature | Yes | Miniseries | |||
| The Taking of Pelham One Two Three | Yes | Television film | |||
| Houdini | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2002 | Brother's Keeper | Yes | |||
| The Twilight Zone | Yes | Yes | 3 episodes | ||
| Breaking News | Yes | 13 episodes | |||
| Carrie | Yes | Television film |
