Bonnie Arnoldis an American film producer and executive who has worked atWalt Disney Animation Studios,Pixar Animation StudiosandDreamWorks Animation.Arnold was born inAtlanta, Georgia,and rose to prominence in Hollywood during the initial wave ofcomputer animation.
Bonnie Arnold | |
|---|---|
 Arnold in 2018 | |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | University of Georgia Boston University |
| Occupation(s) | Film producer Media executive |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Notable work | Toy Story Tarzan Over the Hedge The Last Station How to Train Your Dragon series |
| Children | 1 |
Life and career
editArnold has a B.S. in journalism from theUniversity of Georgiaand a M.S. in journalism fromBoston University.Her interest in journalism led her to her first professional assignment as unit publicist forAmerican Playhouse'sdebut production,King of America.[1]Arnold's first job on aHollywoodfeature was as production coordinator forNeil Simon'sThe Slugger's Wife,a 1984 film shot in Atlanta and produced byRay Stark,who was responsible for many of Simon andBarbra Streisand's movie hits. "I got a real sense of filmmaking the Hollywood way," Arnold recalls.[2]From there, she freelanced in film production in Atlanta and met producerDavid Picker,who invited her to work atColumbia Picturesin Los Angeles. While working on theTony ScottmovieRevengeat Columbia, Arnold metKevin Costnerand ended up joining theDances with Wolvesproduction as associate producer. In 1992, Arnold was recruited byPeter SchneiderandJohn Lasseterto work onToy Storyfor Disney.[3]WhenToy Storybecame a box office smash, she producedTarzan,overseeing a crew of 1,100 and a $130 million budget—four and a third times that ofToy Story.In 2001, after she finishedTarzan,Jeffrey Katzenberginvited Arnold to produceOver the HedgeatDreamWorks Animation.[4]
Arnold continued to work on theHow to Train Your Dragonfranchise, for which she has received aGolden Globe Awardand twoAcademy Awardnominations.
After DreamWorks saw a series of financially disappointing films, DreamWorks Animation named Arnold co-president of feature animation in early 2015. Along withMireille Soria,she was tasked with overseeing creative development and production of DWA's theatrical releases.[5]In 2016, Soria stepped down from her role as co-president to return to producing, leaving Arnold the sole president of feature animation.[6]
Arnold remained an executive at DreamWorks until 2017, when she returned to her work as a full time producer. Upcoming from Arnold, she will produce aPeanutsfeature film forApple TV+.Work on the project began in 2024.[7]She is an executive producer onNetflix'sThat Christmas,scheduled for release in December 2024. Arnold served as executive producer onOrion and the Darkthat launched on Netflix in February 2024.[8]
To date, Arnold's films have grossed over $2.2 billion at the box office. In addition, she is a member of theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciencesand theBritish Academy of Film and Television Arts.[9]
Personal life
editUnlike most people in the animation industry whose love for animation arises out of the moment they watched a specific film, Arnold's lifelong obsession with animation came about because of the quality of the music for an animated film: Disney Animation'sCinderella.[10]As a young girl in 1962, she had a 78 rpmrecordof the soundtrack on a portable player, and she listened to the entire soundtrack for that film all the time.[10]
Arnold resides inSanta Monicawith her husband and daughter. Her favorite hobbies include playing tennis and reading anything by Mississippi writerEudora Welty.She credits her interest in family movies to her mother, a teacher and avid film buff who often took her and her brother to watch movies at a theater where her uncle worked as a projectionist.[11][12]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Dances with Wolves | Associate Producer | |
| 1991 | The Addams Family | ||
| 1995 | Toy Story | Producer | |
| 1999 | Tarzan | ||
| 2006 | Over the Hedge | ||
| 2009 | The Last Station | ||
| 2010 | How to Train Your Dragon | ||
| 2014 | How to Train Your Dragon 2 | ||
| 2019 | How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World | [13] | |
| 2024 | Orion and the Dark | Executive Producer | |
| That Christmas |
References
edit- ^"Producers & Directors".Archived fromthe originalon April 18, 2012.RetrievedApril 18,2007.
- ^"Whistling While She Works".Archived fromthe originalon February 8, 2007.RetrievedApril 18,2007.
- ^"Our People: Bonnie Arnold".Archived fromthe originalon October 20, 2014.RetrievedOctober 20,2014.
- ^"Our People: Bonnie Arnold".Archived fromthe originalon October 20, 2014.RetrievedOctober 20,2014.
- ^Graser, Marc (January 4, 2015)."DreamWorks Animation Names Bonnie Arnold, Mireille Soria Co-Presidents of Feature Animation".Variety.RetrievedFebruary 28,2015.
- ^"Breaking: Mireille Soria Out As Dreamworks Animation's Co-President".Cartoon Brew.December 22, 2016.RetrievedJune 22,2017.
- ^"Apple sets its first original Peanuts feature film, taking Snoopy and Charlie Brown on an epic adventure through the Big City".
- ^Giardina, Carolyn (June 13, 2024)."'Toy Story' Producer Bonnie Arnold Honored at Annecy Animation Festival ".Variety.RetrievedAugust 7,2024.
- ^"Bonnie Arnold | USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism".annenberg.usc.edu.Archived fromthe originalon October 22, 2018.
- ^abArnold, Bonnie (2020)."Foreword".InDiamond, Ron(ed.).On Animation: The Director's Perspective, Volume 2.Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press. pp. ix–x.ISBN9781351657792.
- ^Bonnie Arnold: How I Made It
- ^"Bonnie Arnold | USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism".annenberg.usc.edu.Archived fromthe originalon October 22, 2018.
- ^DreamWorks Animation (September 2, 2014)."Highest Grossing Animated Film of the Year Continues to Breathe Fire Into Global Box Office Third Chapter of Epic Story Lands on June 9, 2017".DreamWorks Animation.Archived fromthe originalon October 21, 2014.RetrievedOctober 20,2014.
External links
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