Lawrence A. Gordon (born March 25, 1936) is an American producer and motion picture executive. He specializes in producing action-oriented films and other genres. Some of his most popular productions include 48 Hours (1982), Predator (1987), Die Hard (1988), Die Hard 2 (1990), Predator 2 (1990), Point Break (1991), Boogie Nights (1997), Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), Hellboy (2004), and Watchmen (2009).
Early life and education Gordon was born on March 25, 1936, in Yazoo City or Belzoni, Mississippi and raised in a Jewish familyGoldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life: "Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish Communities – Belzoni, Mississippi" retrieved October 25, 2017 in Belzoni. He graduated from Tulane University in New Orleans.
Career After moving to Los Angeles, he began his producing career in 1964, working for Aaron Spelling, and became a writer and associate producer on the TV series Burke's Law. He quickly moved up the ranks and worked as an executive producer at ABC and at Screen Gems.
In early 1968, Gordon joined American International Pictures. In August 1969, he was named vice president for motion picture and film development. He resigned in February 1970 to form his own company. In 1971 Gordon went to Screen Gems, and he returned to AIP in January 1972 as head of production. Among the films released under his auspices were Slaughter and Boxcar Bertha. He received credit as executive producer on John Milius's Dillinger (1973).
Gordon left as worldwide production head in early 1974 to form his own company and did a deal with Columbia Pictures. Its first film was Hard Times (1975). It was written and directed by Walter Hill, who then collaborated with Gordon on a short-lived TV series, Dog and Cat. After a stint at Columbia, he moved to Paramount Pictures in the late 1970s to develop ideas, mainly for the unmade Paramount Television Service, while also working on blockbusters under the deal like The Warriors. In 1978, he had two high-grossing films with Hooper and The End, both starring Burt Reynolds. Gordon and Walter Hill were going to make The Last Gun, but the film was cancelled because of poor financing. The Warriors was created instead. In the early 1980s, he created the TV series Matt Houston. Gordon worked on multiple films in the 1970s and 1980s with fellow producer Joel Silver, most notably Streets of Fire and 48 Hrs.
In July 1984, he replaced Joe Wizan as head of production at 20th Century Fox. Two months later, he was appointed president of Fox Entertainment Group. In January 1986, he resigned as president and chief operating officer, citing poor health due to a heart condition. He was planning to reactivate Lawrence Gordon Productions in a two-year independent production deal with the studio. For three years, from 1986 until its founding of Largo Entertainment in 1989, Lawrence Gordon Productions was based at 20th Century Fox, sometimes heading under the name The Gordon Company, when he was with his brother Charles Gordon.
In 1989, he produced Field of Dreams, which received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. He subsequently formed Largo, backed by the Japanese company JVC. Gordon used his production company Golar (Golar, Inc.; credited in films as Golar Productions) to enter the Largo joint venture with JVC and BOH, Inc. Largo developed films that were distributed by studios such as 20th Century Fox under the "Largo Agreement". He left Largo in 1994 to sign a deal with Universal Pictures. At that time, The Gordon Company was restructured: Golar continued in tandem with Lawrence Gordon Productions (headed by Lawrence Gordon), while Daybreak Productions was headed by Charles Gordon. Both Larry and Chuck produced together one last time under the banner of The Gordon Company on Waterworld.
Gordon also had an independent production deal with Universal Pictures under the name Lawrence Gordon Productions. Under Lawrence Gordon Productions, he produced Jumpin' Jack Flash, Boogie Nights, Mystery Men, K-9, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Hellboy and its sequel The Golden Army, and Watchmen.
Selected filmography He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted. Film
As producer Year Film Credit Notes 1973 Dillinger Executive producer 1975 Hard Times 1977 Rolling Thunder Executive producer 1978 The End The Driver Hooper Executive producer 1979 The Warriors 1980 Xanadu 1981 Paternity 1982 Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again 48 Hrs. 1984 Streets of Fire 1985 Brewster's Millions 1986 Jumpin' Jack Flash 1987 Predator 1988 The Couch Trip The Wrong Guys Executive producer Die Hard 1989 Leviathan Executive producer Field of Dreams K-9 Lock Up Family Business 1990 Another 48 Hrs. Die Hard 2 Predator 2 1991 The Rocketeer 1995 Waterworld 1997 The Devil's Own Event Horizon Boogie Nights Executive producer 1999 Mystery Men K-911 Executive producer Direct-to-video Thieves 2001 Lara Croft: Tomb Raider K-PAX 2002 K-9: P.I. Executive producer Direct-to-video 2003 Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life 2004 Hellboy 2008 Hellboy II: The Golden Army 2009 Watchmen Under the HoodExecutive producerDirect-to-videoTales of the Black FreighterExecutive producerDirect-to-video 2019 Hellboy 2022 Prey Executive producer 2024Watchmen: Chapter IExecutive producerWatchmen: Chapter IIExecutive producer 2025Predator: Killer of Killers Executive producer Predator: Badlands Executive producer
As writer Year Film Credit 1969 The Devil's 8 Story
As an actor Year Film Role 1971 The Christian Licorice Store Hollywood Party Guest
Miscellaneous crew Year Film Role 1991 Point Break President: Largo Entertainment 1992 Back in the USSR Unlawful Entry Dr. Giggles Used People President: Largo EntertainmentPresenter 1994 Timecop President: Largo Entertainment 1995 Waterworld Presenter 1997 The Devil's Own Event Horizon 1999 Mystery Men
Thanks Year Film Role 2020 Da 5 Bloods Special thanks
Television
As producer Year Title Credit Notes1971The PointTelevision film 1975 The Missing Are Deadly Executive producer Television film Home Cookin''' || Executive producer || Television film |- | rowspan="2" |1977 | rowspan="2" |Dog and Cat| Executive producer || Television pilot |- | Executive producer || |- | 1978 || Lacy and the Mississippi Queen || Executive producer || Television film |- |1979 |The Nightingales|Executive producer |Television film |- | 1980 || Stunts Unlimited || Executive producer || Television film |- | 1982 || rowspan="2" | The Renegades || Executive producer || Television pilot |- | rowspan="3" | 1983 || Executive producer || |- | Just Our Luck || Executive producer || |- | Lone Star || Executive producer || Television film |- | 1984 || The Streets || Executive producer || Television film |- | 1982−85 || Matt Houston || Executive producer || |- | 1985 || Our Family Honor || Executive producer || |- | 1997 || Timecop || Executive producer || |- | 2006 || Hellboy: Sword of Storms || Executive producer || Television film |- | 2007 || Hellboy: Blood and Iron || Executive producer || Television film |- | 2019 || Watchmen || Consulting producer || |- |2023 |Bill Russell: Legend|Executive producer |Documentary |- | rowspan="2" | TBA || The Warriors || Executive producer||Future series |- |Field of Dreams''Executive producerFuture series
As writer Year Title Notes1965 Burke's LawTeleplays (2 episodes)1967−68The Guns of Will SonnettTeleplays (2 episodes)1969−70The New PeopleCreator1971Five Desperate WomenStory; television film 1982 The Renegades Story; television pilot 1983 CreatorJust Out LuckCreator 1982−84 Matt Houston Creator1985−86Our Family HonorCreator
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