Todd Durham
{{Short description|American filmmaker and writer}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Todd Durham
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| nationality = American
| other_names =
| occupation = {{flatlist|
- Filmmaker
- comedy writer
- novelist
}}
| known_for =
| notable_works = Hotel Transylvania franchise (creator)
Hyperspace AKA Gremloids
Visions of Sugar-Plums
Mr. Smith Goes To Hell
| website = [http://www.ToddDurham.com ToddDurham.com]
}}
Todd Durham is an American filmmaker, comedy writer, and novelist, best known as the creator of the concept for the Hotel Transylvania film franchise and as the creator of Lord Buckethead. Durham's works, including over forty screenplays and books, frequently combine fantasy storylines with character comedy.
Education and career
Durham studied comedy writing at USC under brothers Danny Simon and Neil Simon.{{Cite web|title=Columbia Pictures Press Kit - Hotel Transylvania|url=http://www.visualhollywood.com/movies_2012/hotel_transylvania/notes.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121222034223/https://www.visualhollywood.com/movies_2012/hotel_transylvania/notes.pdf|archive-date=2012-12-22|access-date=2020-08-17}}
Based on a half-hour 35mm film that he wrote and directed, a North Carolina movie studio signed Todd Durham to a three-picture feature deal.{{Cite news|title=Change Of Pace|date=April 29, 1983|work=The Foothills View}}{{Cite news|title=Space Comedy Coming From Shelby|date=June 22, 1984|work=The Charlotte Observer}} Durham then wrote and directed a low-budget comedy film, Hyperspace, starring Chris Elliott and Paula Poundstone.{{Cite journal|date=August 1986|title=The Dixie DeMille|journal=Gentleman's Quarterly}} The film was the first appearance of the "intergalactic spacelord" Lord Buckethead, a persona used by several people to stand in British elections.{{Cite news|last=Saunders|first=Tristram Fane|date=2017-06-09|title=The real Lord Buckethead: the cult sci-fi film that inspired Theresa May's election rival|language=en-GB|work=The Telegraph|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/real-lord-buckethead-cult-sci-fi-film-inspired-theresa-mays/|access-date=2020-08-18|issn=0307-1235}} In 2017, Durham asserted his ownership of the character, and future incarnations have been authorized by him.{{Cite news|last=Waterson|first=Jim|date=2019-05-26|title=Double trouble: the fight to be the real Lord Buckethead|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/may/26/lord-buckethead-double-trouble-theresa-may|access-date=2020-08-18|issn=0261-3077}}
Durham signed with Rick Jaffa, then agent at William Morris, and worked as an uncredited script doctor on comedy projects.{{Cite journal|date=August 28, 1987|title=Todd Durham signs with WMA as writer, director|journal=Variety}}{{Cite news|title=Hyperspace|date=April 22, 1990|work=The Los Angeles Times}} He wrote screenplays for comedy actors, directors, and producers, the National Lampoon film franchise, and Saturday Night Live alumni.{{Cite journal|date=November 7, 1988|title=(front page) Zadan's Storyline unfolds with slate of major projects|journal=The Hollywood Reporter}}{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/1999/film/news/mouse-keaton-in-talks-for-strangers-project-1117756669/|title=Mouse, Keaton in talks for 'Strangers' project|last=Lyons|first=Charles|date=1999-10-15|work=Variety|access-date=2017-05-28|language=en-US}}{{Cite journal|date=July 8, 1999|title=(front page) O'Donnell kids around in Nick, Dis pic projects|journal=The Hollywood Reporter}} Durham ghostwrote celebrity autobiographies, and authored his first novel, Mr. Smith Goes To Hell, and its screenplay.{{Cite news|last=Rivenburg|first=Roy|date=1994-01-09|title=It's Hotter Than Ever . . .HELL, : After years of neglect, Hades is making a comeback. But it's been remodeled a bit.|work=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-01-09-vw-9919-story.html|access-date=2020-08-17}}
= ''Hotel Transylvania'' =
During his years as a studio script doctor, Durham came up with the concept of Hotel Transylvania and brought it to Sony Pictures Animation. The first film in the series, Hotel Transylvania, was released in 2012 with mixed reviews from critics.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5227667/?ref_=nv_sr_2 Todd Durham] at Internet Movie Database
- [http://www.ToddDurham.com Todd Durham] at [http://www.ToddDurham.com ToddDurham.com]
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Durham, Todd}}
Category:Film directors from California
Category:American animated film directors
Category:American male screenwriters
Category:American comedy writers
Category:American male novelists
Category:American writers of young adult literature
Category:American fantasy writers
Category:American science fiction writers
Category:20th-century American novelists
Category:21st-century American novelists
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Place of birth missing (living people)
Category:Sony Pictures Animation people
Category:20th-century American male writers