JOHN GOLDWYN TAPPED BY DISCOVERY CHANNEL TO EXPAND SCRIPTED DIVISION
January 7, 2015
(Los Angeles, Calif.) - Discovery Channel announced today that John Goldwyn has been engaged by the network as an executive producer for scripted programming. Goldwyn most recently served as executive producer for the series Gracepoint for Shine America and Fox Broadcasting Company and is known for his work in producing the Peabody/Emmy award-winning hit cable series Dexter, which ran for eight seasons. Goldwyn will work closely with Rich Ross, who took over as president of Discovery Channel this month.
"John is a true visionary and over his nearly 30-year career has demonstrated a proven ability to connect with a diverse range of audiences spanning both across film and television," Ross said. "He is the perfect creative voice to join a network with such a global reach and important mission."
Grandson of the legendary Hollywood producer Samuel Goldwyn, he began his motion picture career at The Ladd Company in 1981. During his tenure there, Goldwyn developed the hugely successful Police Academy franchise, the second installment of which he executive-produced in 1985.
In the fall of 1985, Goldwyn joined Alan Ladd Jr. at MGM/United Artists and oversaw such hits as Running Scared (1986), Moonstruck (1987) and A Fish Called Wanda (1988). In 1988, Goldwyn became executive vice president of worldwide production and was responsible for all aspects of production and development for the studio.
In 1990, Goldwyn left MGM/United Artists to join Paramount Pictures and was promoted to president of the Paramount Motion Picture Group one year later. In 2002, chairwoman Sherry Lansing elevated Goldwyn to vice chairman of the Paramount Motion Picture Group.
While Goldwyn was a senior executive at the studio, Paramount Pictures took home three Best Picture Oscars® for Forrest Gump, Braveheart and Titanic. Other notable films released under his aegis include Indecent Proposal; Wayne's World and its sequel, Wayne's World 2; The Firm; The Truman Show; The First Wives Club; Mission: Impossible and its sequel, Mission: Impossible II; Tom Clancy's Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger and The Sum of All Fears; What Women Want; Saving Private Ryan; Deep Impact; Mean Girls; and many others.
In 2004, Goldwyn became an independent producer at the studio. John also produced the critically acclaimed I'm Not There with Christine Vachon. This biography of Bob Dylan, written and directed by Todd Haynes, stars Richard Gere, Cate Blanchett, Heath Ledger and Christian Bale. For her outstanding work portraying one of the many sides of Dylan, Cate Blanchett was nominated for an Academy Award®.
In 2005, Goldwyn teamed with Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels to form Michaels/Goldwyn Productions at Paramount. Their first collaboration, Hot Rod, starring Andy Samberg and directed by Akiva Schaffer, was released by Paramount Pictures in August 2007. In 2008, they produced the comedy Baby Mama, starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, for Universal Pictures. MacGruber, starring Will Forte, Kristen Wiig, and Val Kilmer was produced for Relativity Media/Universal in 2010, and The Guilt Trip, starring Barbra Streisand and Seth Rogen, was produced for Paramount in 2012.
The feature film, The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty, produced with his father Samuel Goldwyn, Jr. in association with Red Hour Films (Ben Stiller & Stuart Cornfeld), was released by 20th Century Fox on Christmas day, 2013. The film was directed by Ben Stiller and starred Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Sean Penn, Shirley MacLaine, Patton Oswalt, Adam Scott, and Kathryn Hahn.
Goldwyn is currently in post production on the comedy feature Masterminds, directed by Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite) and starring Zach Galifianakis, Owen Wilson, Kristen Wiig and Jason Sudeikis. Masterminds will be released by Relativity Media Studios in August.
About Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is dedicated to creating the highest quality non-fiction content that informs and entertains its consumers about the world in all its wonder, diversity and amazement. The network, which is distributed to 100.8 million U.S. homes, can be seen in 210 countries and territories, offering a signature mix of compelling, high-end production values and vivid cinematography across genres including, science and technology, exploration, adventure, history and in-depth, behind-the-scenes glimpses at the people, places and organizations that shape and share our world. For more information, please visit www.discovery.com.
About Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is the world's #1 nonfiction media company reaching more than two billion cumulative subscribers in 223 countries and territories. Discovery is dedicated to satisfying curiosity through 162 worldwide television networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science and Investigation Discovery, as well as U.S. joint venture networks OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, The Hub and 3net, the first 24-hour 3D network. Across the Nordic region, Discovery owns and operates SBS Discovery Media, a top-three portfolio of 20 television brands that feature leading nonfiction content, as well as locally produced entertainment programs, sports and the best scripted series and movies from major studios. Discovery also is the leading provider of educational products and services to schools, including an award-winning series of digital textbooks, and owns and operates a diversified portfolio of digital media services, including Revision3. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.