Raffaella De Laurentiis
About
Biography
Filmography
Biography
This daughter of legendary film producer Dino De Laurentiis, has followed in producing highly commercial fare. Raffaella De Laurentiis earned her stripes working for her father before striking out on her own, with such Rob Cohen-directed features as "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story" (1993), "Dragonheart" and "Daylight" (both 1996).
As a teenager, De Laurentiis started her career in movies in the late 1960s working as an assistant in props and set dressing on her father's films. By 1973, she had become an assistant in costume design on Luchino Visconti's "Ludwig," but soon decided to move into film producing instead. She worked as a production assistant on another of her father's film, "Hurricane" (made in 1977, released 1979). While her initiation as producer came with the South Seas romance "Beyond the Reef" (1981), her sophomore effort, "Conan the Barbarian" (1981), brought her and her star, Arnold Schwarzenegger, to international prominence. Before overseeing the sequel "Conan the Destroyer" (1985), De Laurentiis worked on David Lynch's overblown yet visually striking box-office bomb "Dune" (1984).
The producer made motion picture history in 1986 with "Tai-Pan," the first American production to be filmed in the Peoples Republic of China. Despite that cachet, the result was a confusing, badly acted, unsubtle adventure. The following year, De Laurentiis briefly joined her father's company as head of production, but struck out on her own in 1988. Her maiden effort, "Prancer" (1989), was a family Christmas story that disappeared faster than melting snow. By the 90s, however, she began to fare better, notably with the biopic of Bruce Lee, "Dragon," and other more action-oriented melodramas, including Ron Howard's profile of firefighters, "Backdraft" (1991) and "Kull the Conqueror" (1997), a mythical sword and sorcery epic starring Kevin Sorbo. De Laurentiis has occasionally worked in TV, notably co-executive producing (with Rob Cohen) four "Vanishing Son" TV-movies and a subsequent spin-off series.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Producer (Feature Film)
Film Production - Unit (Feature Film)
Misc. Crew (Feature Film)
Producer (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1975
Moved to Bora Bora to spend two years designing and supervising construction of the Hotel Marara, built to house the cast and crew of "Hurricane"
1977
First job in production (as assistant), "Hurricane" (produced by father; released in 1979)
1981
Produced first feature, "Beyond the Reef"
1985
Produced first major American film to be shot in China, "Tai-Pan"
1987
Named president of production, De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (appointed January; announced resignation in August)
1988
Formed Raffaella Productions, Inc.
1993
Produced "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story"; initial collaboration with director Rob Cohen
1994
Executive produced "Vanishing Son" movies for TV
1996
Produced "Dragonheart" and "Daylight"; both directed by Rob Cohen
1997
Produced "Kull the Conquerer"
Family
