Mark Canton
Mark Canton | |
|---|---|
 Canton at the 2011 WonderCon | |
| Born | June 19, 1949[1][2] New York City,U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of California |
| Occupation | Film producer |
| Years active | 1974–present |
| Spouse(s) | Wendy Finerman(divorced),Karen Finerman(former-sister-in-law) |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Neil Canton(brother) |
Mark Cantonis an American film producer and executive.
Early life and education
[edit]Canton was born to a Jewish family[3]inQueens,New York City, the son of Shirley and Arthur Canton, who worked in the film industry on marketing and publicity - including such films asLawrence of Arabia.As a young adult, he met well-known movie personalities likeAlfred Hitchcock,David Lean,andDoris Daywhen they visited the family's apartment.[4]
After working in the mail room ofWarner Bros.while studying at theUniversity of California, Los Angeles,[5]Canton started working for20th Century Foxand later had jobs with film directorFranklin Schaffner,with producerJon Peters,and in the 1970s as executive assistant toMike MedavoyatUnited Artists.[4]
Career
[edit]Canton worked as executive vice president atWarner Bros.from 1980 onwards. Successes he was involved in at the time include 1983'sNational Lampoon's Vacation,Purple Rain,and theBatmanandLethal Weaponfilm series,[6]but also notorious box office failures likeThe Bonfire of the Vanities(1990),[7]a picture he described as "the best movie I ever saw" at its first screening.[8]
In 1991, Canton quitWarner Bros.where he was executive vice president of the Worldwide Motion Picture Production unit.[9]Warner Bros. let him out of his contract fifteen months early with studio headBob Dalysaying "from our standpoint this was a job that was going to be eliminated."[10]He then became chairman ofSony'sColumbia Pictures(laterColumbia-TriStar Pictures), where he was involved with some failures likeGeronimo: An American Legend,but also with blockbusters such asMen in Black,Air Force One,andMy Best Friend's Wedding.[6]
Canton was fired by Sony in 1996, after a series of relative flops includingLast Action Hero(a film Canton described as "probably the best action movie of all time"[11]) andThe Cable Guy,before his final string of movies could become blockbusters.[12]Described at the time as both "known for enthusiasm, rapid-fire talk, a sleek Italian wardrobe and a youthful style"[5]and "a braggart who was lucky to have become chairman of a studio in the first place",[13]Canton was in those years "one of the most powerful executives in Hollywood".[4]
In 1998, Canton became an independent film producer, withJack FroststarringMichael Keatonas his first major production.[14]Backed by the German company Senator Entertainment from August 2000 onwards, he struck a first-look deal with Warner Bros. By the end of 2001, the shares of Senator had dropped substantially and Canton had to close down his production company.[15]
In 2002, he was the chief executive of Artists Production Group, the movie branch ofArtist Management Group.[6]After leaving APG in November 2003, he created Atmosphere Entertainment together with Mark Kimsey, an investment manager. The aims were to produce films and television programming.[16]With this company, he produced blockbusters such as300,Immortals,andThe Spiderwick Chronicles.In his roles as executive, chairman, and producer, Canton has been involved in over 300 major Hollywood productions.[17]
Other activities and roles
[edit]As of 2023[update]Canton is a vice-president on the board of theIschia Global Film & Music Festival,an international film festival held on the Italian island ofIschia.[18]
Personal life
[edit]Canton was married to Oscar-winning producerWendy Finerman,with whom he has three children.[4]
His brother is the film producerNeil Canton.[4]They co-produced the 2000 filmGet Carter.
Filmography
[edit]He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.
Film
[edit]- Production manager
| Year | Film | Role | Box Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Caddyshack | Executive in charge of production | $39.8 million[46] |
- Miscellaneous crew
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | The Taking of Pelham One Two Three | Production aide |
- Thanks
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Preston Tylk | Thanks |
| 2013 | Getaway | Special thanks |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Credit | Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999−2001 | Jack & Jill | Executive producer | |
| 2014–20 | Power | Executive producer | Nominated -NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Drama Series |
| 2020 | The Freak Brothers | Executive producer | |
| 2020−21 | Power Book II: Ghost | Executive producer | |
| 2021 | Power Book III: Raising Kanan | Executive producer | |
| 2022 | Power Book IV: Force | Executive producer | |
| 2024 | The Spiderwick Chronicles | Executive producer |
References
[edit]- ^"Birthday 🎂 🎂week to remember. Preserve your memories. Thank you to my awesome family and friends for everything. Love each and every one of you. Grateful. Beyond words. Always. All ways. Onward we journey. Together we go forward. Just Love. Ob la di Ob la da life goes on la la la la life goes on @the Beatles".instagram.com.
- ^"today is my birthday. the most important part of my life are my three children. unconditionally. always. for always. all ways. forever. they are the gift. As were all of us. as are all of ours. need no other presents. none of us do #friends#family#health#life FREE THESE CHILDREN. THAT'S OUR JOB. AMERICA PUT THE CLOWN 🤡 IN. NOW ITS TIME TO CHANGE. Let's band together and stand up for the real America. Land of the free home of the brave. United States. The rest is unacceptable. Fight the Flight. We do not surrender to American dictators. Not on our watch. Not in our lifetime. Happy birthday that 🎂".instagram.com.
- ^Brady, Celia (April 1990)."Vain Man: Why Guber-Peters May Bomb in Tokyo".Spy Magazine. p. 42.RetrievedNovember 15,2017.
- ^abcdeWeinraub, Bernard (February 8, 1994)."Film Boss Rules the Stars With His Awe".The New York Times.RetrievedNovember 4,2008.
- ^abWeinraub, Bernard (October 4, 1991)."From Errand Boy to Studio Chief".New York Times.RetrievedNovember 4,2008.
- ^abcLyman, Rick (February 20, 2002)."It's a Rare Scene: Movie Executive With 9 Lives; From Warner Brothers to Columbia, and, Now, Paired With Ovitz".The New York Times.RetrievedNovember 4,2008.
- ^Andersen, Kurt (July 5, 1993)."How To Run a Movie Studio".Time.Archived fromthe originalon December 15, 2007.RetrievedNovember 11,2008.
- ^Griffin, Nancy; Masters, Kim (1996).Hit & Run: How Jon Peters and Peter Guber took Sony for a Ride in Hollywood.Simon & Schuster. p. 367.
- ^Fabrikant, Geraldine (September 6, 1991)."THE MEDIA BUSINESS; Vice President Is Leaving Warner Brothers".The New York Times.RetrievedNovember 4,2008.
- ^Griffin & Masters. p. 318
- ^Griffin & Masters. p. 368
- ^Busch, Anita M. (July 10, 1997)."Canton's Sony Roundabout".Variety.RetrievedNovember 4,2008.
- ^Masters, Kim (September 23, 1996)."Water Torture".Time.Archived fromthe originalon November 6, 2010.RetrievedNovember 4,2008.
- ^"Inside Moves".Variety.March 17, 1998.RetrievedNovember 4,2008.
- ^Harris, Dana; Dunkley, Cathy (October 21, 2001)."Canton fires staff, Senator backing out".Variety.RetrievedNovember 4,2008.
- ^"Mark Canton Forms Atmosphere Entertainment MM LLC".BusinessWire. December 10, 2003.RetrievedNovember 4,2008.
- ^Mitchell, Peter (August 5, 2005)."Simon the Star".The Age.RetrievedNovember 4,2008.
- ^"About Us".Ischia Global Fest.RetrievedOctober 28,2023.
- ^"Die Laughing (1980) - Financial Information".The-numbers.com.RetrievedFebruary 1,2018.
- ^"Jack Frost (1998) - Financial Information".The-numbers.com.RetrievedFebruary 1,2018.
- ^"Get Carter (2000) - Financial Information".The-numbers.com.RetrievedFebruary 1,2018.
- ^"Red Planet (2000)".Box Office Mojo. August 28, 2002.RetrievedFebruary 1,2018.
- ^"Angel Eyes (2001)".Box Office Mojo. August 28, 2002.RetrievedFebruary 1,2018.
- ^"Trapped (2002)".Box Office Mojo.RetrievedFebruary 1,2018.
- ^"Taking Lives (2004)".Box Office Mojo.RetrievedFebruary 1,2018.
- ^"Godsend (2004)".Box Office Mojo.RetrievedFebruary 1,2018.
- ^"George A. Romero's Land of the Dead (2005) - Financial Information".The-numbers.com.RetrievedFebruary 1,2018.
- ^"300 (2007)".Box Office Mojo.RetrievedFebruary 1,2018.
- ^"Full of It (2007)".Box Office Mojo. March 8, 2007.RetrievedFebruary 1,2018.
- ^"The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)".Box Office Mojo. May 8, 2008.RetrievedFebruary 1,2018.
- ^"A Perfect Getaway (2009)".Box Office Mojo. September 17, 2009.RetrievedFebruary 1,2018.
- ^"Fame (2009) - Financial Information".The-numbers.com.RetrievedFebruary 1,2018.
- ^"Letters to Juliet (2010) - Financial Information".The-numbers.com.RetrievedFebruary 1,2018.
- ^"Piranha 3D (2010) - Financial Information".The-numbers.com.RetrievedFebruary 1,2018.
- ^"Immortals (2011)".Box Office Mojo. February 23, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 1,2018.
- ^"The Cold Light of Day (2012) - Financial Information".The-numbers.com.RetrievedFebruary 1,2018.
- ^"Black November (2015) - Financial Information".The-numbers.com.RetrievedFebruary 1,2018.
- ^"Piranha 3DD (2012)".Box Office Mojo. June 21, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 1,2018.
- ^"Freelancers (2012) - Financial Information".The-numbers.com.RetrievedFebruary 1,2018.
- ^"Escape Plan (2013)".Box Office Mojo.RetrievedFebruary 1,2018.
- ^"300: Rise of An Empire (2014)".Box Office Mojo. May 29, 2014.RetrievedFebruary 1,2018.
- ^"Cake (2015)".Box Office Mojo. February 19, 2015.RetrievedFebruary 1,2018.
- ^"Outcast (2014)".Boxofficemojo.com.RetrievedFebruary 1,2018.
- ^"The Pyramid (2014)".Box Office Mojo.RetrievedFebruary 1,2018.
- ^"The Last Witch Hunter (2015)".Box Office Mojo. December 31, 2015.RetrievedFebruary 1,2018.
- ^"Caddyshack (1980)".Box Office Mojo. January 1, 1982.RetrievedFebruary 1,2018.
External links
[edit]| International | |
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| National | |
