This biographical article is written like a résumé. (May 2024) |
Bruna Papandrea AM (born 1971) is an Australian film and television producer and the founder of production company Made Up Stories. Prior to Made Up Stories, Papandrea co-founded the production company Pacific Standard with Reese Witherspoon.
Bruna Papandrea | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1971 (age 52–53) Adelaide, South Australia, Australia |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Occupation | Film producer |
| Years active | 1997 – present |
| Works | Wild; Big Little Lies; Gone Girl |
| Spouse | Steve Hutensky |
| Children | 2 |
Early life and education
editPapandrea was raised in Adelaide, South Australia,[1] by a single mother.[2]
Career
editShe moved to New York City in the 1990s after establishing a career in film production. She briefly returned to Australia to produce the 2000 film Better Than Sex, which was nominated for the AFI Award for Best Film, before moving to London in 2001. She served as a production executive at the film studio Mirage Enterprises and later returned to New York to work for GreeneStreet Films, a production company for independent films, as a creative director. At GreeneStreet she executive produced the 2006 romantic comedy Wedding Daze before joining another independent production company, Groundswell Productions, in Los Angeles in February 2006. There she was responsible for producing Smart People (2008), Milk (2008), The Marc Pease Experience (2009), and All Good Things (2010).[3]
In 2011, Papandrea produced Warm Bodies, a zombie comedy film directed by Jonathan Levine and released in 2013.[4]
In 2012, she and actress Reese Witherspoon co-founded Pacific Standard, a Beverly Hills-based production company focusing on creating films made by and about women.[5][1] Their first two projects at Pacific Standard were Gone Girl and Wild, both adapted from books whose rights were acquired by Papandrea and Witherspoon before publication. Both films were released in 2014, by which time they had also completed production on the 2015 comedy film Hot Pursuit.[5] In 2016, they announced that they were ending their partnership, though they would continue to work on the projects that were in the middle of production, including the HBO series Big Little Lies and a film adaptation of the novel Luckiest Girl Alive.[6]
Papandrea launched her current production company, Made Up Stories, in January 2017 to carry on her mission in championing female filmmakers, adapting female-written novels and creating stories featuring multi-faceted female characters. The company is also committed to inclusivity in less-acknowledged departments behind-the-scenes such as transportation teams and gaffers. Papandrea has expressed intent to start a foundation, Made Up Solutions, to provide opportunities for women from low socio-economic and diverse backgrounds.[7][8]
In April 2020, Papandrea and Gregg Fienberg founded the "It Takes Our Village" initiative, along with numerous A-list Hollywood producers to help raise money for below-the-line crews affected by COVID-19.[9] Papandrea credited "below-the-line crews" as "the backbone of our industry". “They are our community – and our community is in need. This initiative is personal to me as I’m a working-class girl who grew up with unions protecting my family. I want to help provide that protection to those who are a vital part in creating stories; the stories that are providing escapism and comfort to people around the world."[10]
On October 12, 2023 an open letter was published by Creative Community for Peace, whose mission statement is "to galvanize support against the cultural boycott of Israel."[11] The open letter states: "More than 2000 leaders from the entertainment industry have signed an open letter released by the non-profit entertainment industry organization Creative Community For Peace in support of Israel." Papandrea joined the petition.[12] On October 23, 2023 Papadrea signed a second petition, 'NoHostageLeftBehind'.[13] The petition consisted of 'Several Hundred Hollywood figures'[14] petitioning for President Joe Biden to secure the release of more Israeli hostages.
Recognition
edit2015: Papandrea received the Australians in Film International Award.[2]
2018: Papandrea was honored by G'Day USA, receiving Outstanding Achievement in Film & TV Award.[15]
2020: Papandrea won the Don Dunstan Award, and appeared "In Conversation" with one of the patrons of the Adelaide Film Festival, Margaret Pomeranz AM in mid-October during the 2020 event.[16][1]
2020: Papandrea was named to Variety's L.A. Women's Impact Report 2020.[17]
2020: Papandrea was named as one of 40 Australians who mattered in Film & TV for 2020 by The Age's Good Weekend.[18]
2021: Papandrea received the Australian Women's Film Festival (AWFF) Groundbreaker Award.[19]
2021: Papandrea was included in The Hollywood Reporter's 2021 Women In Entertainment Power 100[20]
2021: Papandrea was included in Deadline's DISRUPTORS 2021 class[21]
2023: Papandrea was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2023 Australia Day Honours.[22]
2024: Received the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA), Byron Kennedy Award.[23]
Awards and nominations
edit2000: Nominated for the Australia Film Institute (AFI) Award Best Film for Better Than Sex
2017: Winner of the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Limited Series for Big Little Lies
2018: Winner of the Golden Globe for Best Television Series or Motion Picture Made for Television for Big Little Lies (season 1)
2018: Nominated for the BAFTA TV Award for Best International for Big Little Lies
2018: Nominated for the PGA Award for Outstanding Producer of Episode Television, Drama for Big Little Lies (season 1)
2019: Winner of the AACTA Award for Best Film for The Nightingale
2020: Winner of the Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards for Best Film for The Nightingale
2020: Nominated for the PGA Award for Outstanding Producer of Episode Television, Drama for Big Little Lies (season 2)
2020: Nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Television Series, Drama for Big Little Lies (season 2)
2021: Nominated for the Critics' Choice Television Awards for Best Limited Series for The Undoing
2021: Nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Limited Series or Television Film for The Undoing
2021: Nominated for the PGA Award's David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Limited Series Television for The Undoing
Personal life
editPapandrea is married to producer Steve Hutensky and gave birth to twins in 2012. She has systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus), diagnosed in August 2010, which causes her chronic joint pain.[24]
Filmography
editBefore she started her own production companies, Papandrea produced various films with other companies, including:[3]
- Better Than Sex (2000)
- Wedding Daze (2006)
- Milk (2008)
- Smart People (2008)
- The Marc Pease Experience (2009)
- All Good Things (2010)
- Not Suitable for Children (2012)
Films
edit| Year | Title | Director | Gross (worldwide) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Warm Bodies | Jonathan Levine | $117 million | A Summit Entertainment film |
| 2014 | Wild | Jean-Marc Vallée | $52.5 million | Produced as Pacific Standard
Nominated for two Academy Awards |
| 2014 | Gone Girl | David Fincher | $369.3 million | Produced as Pacific Standard
Nominated for one Academy Award |
| 2015 | Hot Pursuit | Anne Fletcher | $51.7 million | Produced as Pacific Standard |
| 2019 | Lucy in the Sky | Noah Hawley | n/a | Produced by Bruna Papandrea
Premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival |
| 2018 | The Nightingale | Jennifer Kent | n/a | Premiered in competition at the 75th Venice International Film Festival, winning two awards
Swept the 9th AACTA Awards including winning Best Film and Best Director Distributed in the United States by IFC Films |
| 2019 | Little Monsters | Abe Forsythe | n/a | Premiered at the Sundance Film Festival |
| 2020 | Penguin Bloom | Glendyn Ivin | $6 million[25]
(AUS & NZ only) |
Premiered at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival
Released in Australia by Roadshow on January 21, 2021, Releasing in North America, U.K., France and select countries in Asia by Netflix on Jan. 27, 2021 |
| 2021 | The Dry | Robert Connolly | $17 million[26]
(AUS & NZ only) |
Released in Australia by Roadshow on January 1, 2021,
Releasing in N. America by IFC Films on May 21, 2021 |
| 2022 | Luckiest Girl Alive | Mike Barker | n/a | Will be released by Netflix[27] |
Television series
editProjects in development
edit- Film adaptation of the thriller novel As Long As We Both Shall Live by JoAnn Chaney[28]
- Television adaptation of The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart based on the debut novel from Australian writer Holly Ringland[29]
- Adaptation of the historical epic The Lost Queen by Signe Pike for television[30]
- TV series based on the Jessica Knoll novel The Favorite Sister[31]
- A limited TV series on Tina Brown based on her book The Vanity Fair Diaries[32]
- Film adaptations of the YA fantasy books Stepsister[33] and Poisoned[34] by Jennifer Donnelly with Lynette Howell Taylor's 51 Entertainment
- The multi-generational novel The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty[35]
- TV adaptation of Christina Baker Kline's new book The Exiles[36]
- TV show based on Greer Macallister's historical thriller Woman 99 with Nina Dobrev[37]
- TV adaptation of Marie Lu's Warcross with John Cameron[38]
- Feature film adaptation of Christopher Paolini's first adult novel, the sci-fi space opera To Sleep in a Sea of Stars with Snoot Entertainment[39]
- Universal's film adaptation of Gayle Tzemach Lemmon's novel, Ashley's War: The Untold Story of a Team of Women Soldiers on the Special Ops Battlefield[40]
- TV adaptation of Elizabeth Acevedo's dual-narrative YA Novel, Clap When You Land[41]
- Film adaptation of Gordon Reece's debut novel, Mice, in partnership with Nicole Kidman's Blossom Films[42]
- Film adaptation of Erin French's memoir, Finding Freedom: A Cook's Story; Remaking Life From Scratch[43]
- TV adaptation of Kirsten Miller's upcoming novel, The Change, in partnership with Raelle Tucker[44]
References
edit- ^ a b c Smith, Matthew (14 October 2020). "Big Little Lies producer Bruna Papandrea inspires a new generation of Adelaide's female filmmakers". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 16 October 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
- ^ a b "Reese Witherspoon Honors Bruna Papandrea at Australians in Film Gala". Variety. 26 October 2015. Archived from the original on 20 October 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
- ^ a b "Bruna Papandrea". Focus Features. Archived from the original on 21 April 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
- ^ Goldberg, Matt (4 January 2013). "Producer Bruna Papandrea Talks Working with Director Jonathan Levine, Aiming for a PG-13 Rating, Zombie Sex, and More on the Set of WARM BODIES". Collider.com. Archived from the original on 9 February 2015. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
- ^ a b Riley, Jenelle (7 October 2014). "Reese Witherspoon, Bruna Papandrea Push for Female-Driven Material With Pacific Standard". Variety. Archived from the original on 12 January 2015. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (1 September 2016). "Reese Witherspoon Parts Ways With Producing Partner Bruna Papandrea". Variety. Archived from the original on 17 March 2017. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
- ^ "Producer Bruna Papandrea Didn't See A Space For Women In Hollywood, So She Created One Herself". Bustle. 22 February 2019. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
- ^ "Bruna Papandrea: From Adelaide to Hollywood". www.australiaunlimited.com. Archived from the original on 29 September 2020. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
- ^ "Mark Ruffalo, David E. Kelley and More Launch COVID-19 Relief Fund for Film Crews | Hollywood Reporter". www.hollywoodreporter.com. 8 April 2020. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
- ^ McNary, Dave (8 April 2020). "Producers Launch 'It Takes Our Village' Relief Fund for Crews Impacted By Coronavirus". Variety. Archived from the original on 3 November 2020. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
- ^ "Our Mission - Creative Community for Peace". 14 July 2015.
- ^ "Israel Under Attack – Open Letter - Creative Community for Peace". 12 October 2023.
- ^ https://www.nohostageleftbehind.com/ [bare URL]
- ^ "Several Hundred Hollywood Figures Sign Open Letter to Biden on Israel: "No Hostage Can be Left Behind"". The Hollywood Reporter. 24 October 2023.
- ^ "2018 G'Day USA Los Angeles Gala, LA". Average Socialite. 27 January 2018. Archived from the original on 2 November 2020. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
- ^ "The Don Dunstan Award". Adelaide Film Festival. 9 September 2020. Archived from the original on 10 September 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
- ^ Garrett, Diane; Arnold, Thomas K.; Aswad, Jem; Barker, Andrew; Burlingame, Jon; Dore, Shalini; Hendrickson, Paula; Herman, James Patrick (28 October 2020). "Variety's L.A. Women's Impact Report 2020". Variety. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
- ^ Quinn, Karl (27 November 2020). "Good Weekend's 40 Australians Who Mattered: Film and TV". The Age. Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ Anabel, Anita (14 February 2021). "A Film Festival "Created By Women, For Women" Is Coming to Australia — TheLatch—". thelatch.com.au/. Archived from the original on 16 April 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ T. H. R. Staff (12 May 2021). "The Hollywood Reporter's 2021 Women in Entertainment Power 100". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 12 May 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
- ^ "Deadline Hollywood - AwardsLine - 07/06/21 - Disruptors/Cannes". issuu. 30 June 2021. Archived from the original on 15 July 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
- ^ "Australia Day 2023 Honours: Full list". The Sydney Morning Herald. 25 January 2023. Archived from the original on 25 January 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
- ^ "Bruna Papandrea Announced as the Recipient of the 2024 AACTA Byron Kennedy Award". www.aacta.org. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
- ^ Lew, Janine (23 November 2014). "Reese Witherspoon Honors Bruna Papandrea at Lupus LA Luncheon". Variety. Archived from the original on 9 February 2015. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
- ^ "Penguin Bloom". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on 2 February 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
- ^ "The Dry". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on 2 February 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
- ^ "Mila Kunis to Star in 'Luckiest Girl Alive' Film at Netflix". TheWrap. 22 February 2021. Archived from the original on 21 February 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (28 November 2018). "Bruna Papandrea's Made Up Stories Lands JoAnn Chaney Thriller Novel 'As Long As We Both Shall Live'". Deadline. Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
- ^ Hipes, Patrick (11 October 2018). "Aussie Novel 'The Lost Flowers Of Alice Hart' Headed For TV In Deal With Bruna Papandrea". Deadline. Archived from the original on 9 May 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
- ^ Petski, Denise (9 October 2018). "Bruna Papandrea's Made Up Stories Acquires Signe Pike's Novel 'The Lost Queen' For Television". Deadline. Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (22 June 2018). "Bruna Papandrea's Made Up Stories Acquires Jessica Knoll Novel 'The Favorite Sister' For Series". Deadline. Archived from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (26 September 2017). "Bruna Papandrea Options Tina Brown's 'Vanity Fair Diaries' For Limited TV Series". Deadline. Archived from the original on 25 May 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
- ^ "Lynette Howell Taylor, Bruna Papandrea Team for Cinderella Reimagining 'Stepsister'". The Hollywood Reporter. 13 May 2019. Archived from the original on 30 December 2019. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (20 October 2020). "Endeavor Content Acquires Jennifer Donnelly Fantasy Novel 'Poisoned'; 51 Entertainment & Made Up Stories Producing". Deadline. Archived from the original on 14 November 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
- ^ "How Australian producer Bruna Papandrea is championing women on and off screene". Vogue Australia. 18 December 2019. Archived from the original on 16 April 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (15 July 2020). "Bruna Papandrea to Develop Christina Baker Kline's 'The Exiles' as TV Series (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
- ^ "Nina Dobrev to Star in 'Woman 99' Adaptation Acquired by Bruna Papandrea's Production Banner". The Hollywood Reporter. 23 July 2020. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ Petski, Denise (10 September 2020). "'Warcross' Television Series Based On Book In The Works From Bruna Papandrea & John Cameron". Deadline. Archived from the original on 19 October 2020. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (8 October 2020). "Made Up Stories & Snoot Entertainment To Adapt Novel 'To Sleep In A Sea Of Stars' Into Feature Film". Deadline. Archived from the original on 19 November 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (12 November 2020). "'Homeland' Director Lesli Linka Glatter To Direct Adaptation Of 'Ashley's War' For Universal; Molly Smith Metzler Penning Script". Deadline. Archived from the original on 15 November 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
- ^ Petski, Denise (15 December 2020). "'Clap When You Land' Novel In Works For Television By Bruna Papandrea's Made Up Stories". Deadline. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (11 March 2021). "Nicole Kidman & Bruna Papandrea Team On Feature Film Adaptation Of YA Novel 'Mice'". Deadline. Archived from the original on 11 March 2021. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (13 May 2021). "Erin French Memoir 'Finding Freedom: A Cook's Story' Sells After 18-Bidder Auction To Bruna Papandrea's Made Up Stories & Endeavor Content". Deadline. Archived from the original on 13 May 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
- ^ Perez, Lexy (9 June 2021). "Bruna Papandrea's Made Up Stories, Raelle Tucker Team for Adaptation of Novel 'The Change' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 9 June 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2021.