Whether you are into comic book adaptation to the cinema or not, you have not been able to escape the craze behind the X-Men saga. Just when you think that the producers have run out of angles and content, they hit you with a new take and new characters. I have to admit, killing off Wolverine in the film Logan has me still a little unnerved, but I just watch the movies, I don’t write them – at least not yet. One of the brilliant minds behind the rise of X-men is Hollywood Producer Lauren Shuler Donner. Donner, who specializes in family and youth-oriented entertainment has been instrumental in making the X-Men saga one of the most successful adaptations of comic book content of all time.
Here are few facts to help you learn more about Lauren Shuler Donner.
1. She is Married to Director Richard Donner
When you are talented and have a remarkable ability to see the thing through a creative lens in ways that most people cannot, it does not hurt to be married to a respected director like Richard Donner. What the Donners have accomplished in Hollywood is impressive, to say the least, and from the looks of things, they are quite finished yet. Whether the two will be working together in the near future is uncertain, but everyone knows that even when they are not working together, they are working together.
2. Her Moves Have Grossed $4.5 Billion Globally
The thought that one person could be responsible for generating $4.5 billion dollars on a global level by producing movies is absolutely crazy to the average person. What makes this accomplishment that much more remarkable is the fact that the vast majority of the money generating worldwide by Donner is a direct result of the X-Men series. She definitely hit a home run with the X-men – lightening in a bottle.
3. She Has Had a Passion for Film Since Her Youth
Donner was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio as the daughter of the wholesale distributor and a stay-at-home mom (which was not that uncommon back in 1949). Donner took up photography and spent a lot of time at the movies with a cousin. She would eventually take up film study at Boston University, where she specialized in editing and production. It was actually the advice of one of her teachers that led to her moving to Los Angeles and the rest is history, as they say.
4. She is Behind the Film Mr. Mom
Everyone knows her the name Lauren Shuler Donner due to the massive success of the X-men series, but Donner got her film debut when she convinced John Huges, a National Lampoon writer, to write the screenplay for Mr. Mom. The 1983 film starred Micheal Keaton and was a relative success. One year later, she convinced her soon-to-be husband, Richard Donner, to direct LadyHawke, and it was during the process of working on this film together that they two fell in love.
5. She Suffers from Lupus
As more people become aware of the complex and destructive force of Lupus, we are surprised at the number of people who struggle with the disease on a daily basis. Lauren has Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, which likely contributed to the kidney problems she experienced during her childhood. It is possible that her health issues have influenced her liberal views when it comes to politics. She admits that she likes to work on films that support her personal views and beliefs.
