William J. Macdonald (filmmaker)

{{short description|American film and television producer and writer}}

William J. Macdonald is an American film and television producer and writer.

Career

Macdonald has an undergraduate degree from Georgetown University and a Juris Doctor degree from the Fordham University School of Law in New York.{{cite web |title=William J. Macdonald, Advisor |publisher=Zeros & Ones |date=January 8, 2007 |url=http://www.zerosones.com/company/advisors/macdonald.aspx |accessdate=2007-01-09 |archive-date=2006-05-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060507133908/http://www.zerosones.com/company/advisors/macdonald.aspx |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |date=2021-06-13 |title=Bill Macdonald |url=https://www.americaabroadmedia.org/staff-1/bill-mcdonald |access-date=2023-07-10 |website=America Abroad Media |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-07-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230710195305/https://www.americaabroadmedia.org/staff-1/bill-mcdonald |url-status=live }}

Macdonald worked in international trade and business affairs. Eventually he rose to run Hollywood producer Robert Evans' production company at Paramount Pictures.

Macdonald has a producer, co-producer or executive producer credit on Sliver, Jade, An Occasional Hell, Rough Riders, Molly and One Man's Hero. He co-wrote one episode for the TNT series, Witchblade, which ran from 2001–2002.

He was also a co-creator of the HBO original series Rome (in association of the BBC) along with John Milius and Bruno Heller.{{Cite web |date=2023-04-04 |title=10 TV Shows That Remained Great Throughout Their Entirety, According to Reddit |url=https://collider.com/great-tv-shows-for-whole-run-reddit/ |access-date=2023-07-10 |website=Collider |language=en |archive-date=2023-07-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230710195304/https://collider.com/great-tv-shows-for-whole-run-reddit/ |url-status=live }} MacDonald served as an executive producer and writer on the series. The episode "Caesarion" (2005) was written by Macdonald.

Macdonald also wrote a drama series about the history of New Orleans called Storyville that had begun filming a pilot by January 2016.{{Cite web |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=2016-01-21 |title='Storyville' New Orleans Drama Pilot From Bill Macdonald & Walt Becker Set To Film |url=https://deadline.com/2016/01/storyville-new-orleans-drama-pilot-bill-macdonald-walt-becker-1201687130/ |access-date=2023-07-10 |website=Deadline |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-07-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230710195304/https://deadline.com/2016/01/storyville-new-orleans-drama-pilot-bill-macdonald-walt-becker-1201687130/ |url-status=live }}

Macdonald wrote an unproduced screenplay based on Iris Chang's novel The Rape of Nanking.{{cite web |title=Pic projects revisit Nanking massacre: Produce Green's $50 mil pic based on Chang's tome |first= Clifford |last= Coonan |date=October 15, 2006 |work= Variety|url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117951891.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 |accessdate= 2007-01-09}}

Filmography

He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.

=Film=

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;" ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" \| Year ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" \| Film ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" \| Credit
1993	Sliver	Co-producer
1995	Jade	Executive producer
1996	An Occasional Hell	Executive producer
1997	The Saint
rowspan=2\| 1999	Molly
One Man's Hero
2017	Grow House	Executive producer

;As an actor

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role

1996

An Occasional Hell

Arresting Officer #1

=Television=

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;" ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" \| Year ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" \| Title ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" \| Credit ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" \| Notes
1997	Rough Riders	Executive producer	Television film
2005−07	Rome	Executive producer
2017	The Saint	Executive producer	Television film