Denise Dinovi
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
Producer of offbeat Hollywood hits best known for her association with director Tim Burton. Di Novi began as a print copy editor and segued to on-air reporting and film criticism for "City-TV" in Canada. She entered film in 1980 as a unit publicist on a Canadian feature, "Final Assignment." That year, she also joined Filmplan International, a Canadian production company, where she worked in various capacities. Di Novi moved to Los Angeles and received an associate producer credit on "Going Beserk" (1983), a raucous comedy starring John Candy. She next joined New World Pictures as vice president in charge of production. Di Novi received her first full producer credit on the teen black comedy "Heathers" (1989). She then joined forces with eccentric film stylist Tim Burton as head of his production company and subsequently produced "Edward Scissorhands" (1990), the successful sequel "Batman Returns" (1992) and "Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas" (1993), a macabre animated fantasy. In 1992 Di Novi left Burton's company to form her own Di Novi Pictures in conjunction with Columbia.
Di Novi's first picture under her new banner, "Little Women" (1994), was a critically acclaimed adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's classic novel directed by Gillian Armstrong featuring an outstanding female ensemble headed by Winona Ryder and Susan Sarandon.
Filmography
Producer (Feature Film)
Life Events
1980
First film credit, as unit publicist for "Final Assignment"
1980
Served in various production capacities for Filmplan International
1983
Moved to L.A.
1983
Feature debut as an associate producer, "Going Beserk"
1985
Served as vice president of production for New World Pictures
1989
First film as producer, "Heathers"; first film with director Michael Lehmann and screenwriter Daniel Waters
1990
First collaboration with director Tim Burton, "Edward Scissorhands"
1992
Founded Di Novi Pictures, in association with Columbia Pictures
1999
Was producer of "Message in a Bottle", based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks
2000
Executive produced the NBC miniseries "The 70's"
2000
Served as executive producer of "The District" (CBS)
2001
Was a producer of "Original Sin", featuring Antonio Banderas and Angelina Jolie
2002
Served as producer of "A Walk to Remember", based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks
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