Laura Ellen Ziskin (March 3, 1950 – June 12, 2011) was an American film producer. In 1990, she was the sole executive producer of the hit comedy Pretty Woman. Ziskin became the first woman to produce the Academy Awards telecast alone in 2002. She repeated the job in 2007.
Laura Ziskin rose to become one of Hollywood’s leading independent producers and studio executives. She is best known for producing the blockbuster Spider-Man film trilogy which broke box office records worldwide and became the highest grossing film franchise in Sony Picture Entertainment’s history. She will be remembered for her humanity as the proud producer of the historic three-network "Stand Up To Cancer" televised fundraisers, which has raised $200 million to fight the disease.
In 1984, Ziskin partnered with Sally Field in Fogwood Films and produced Murphy’s Romance, which yielded an Academy Award nomination for James Garner as Best Actor. She also produced No Way Out starring then-newcomer Kevin Costner and Gene Hackman. In 1990, she was Executive Producer of Pretty Woman, which remains one of the highest grossing films in Disney’s history.
In 1991, Ziskin produced the comedy hit What About Bob?, from a story by Ziskin and Sargent. And she produced the drama The Doctor. A year later, she produced Hero, which was also from a story by Ziskin and Sargent, and two years later, To Die For.
In 1994, Ziskin was named President of Fox 2000 Pictures, a newly formed feature film division of 20th Century Fox. Under her stewardship, Fox 2000 released such films as Courage Under Fire, One Fine Day, Inventing The Abbotts, Volcano, Soul Food, Never Been Kissed, Fight Club, Anywhere But Here, Anna And The King, and The Thin Red Line, which garnered 7 Academy Award nominations including Best Picture.
She is survived by her husband, screenwriter Alvin Sargent.
Sources: Deadline, TMZ, Perez, Wiki
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