Hollywood Trailblazer: The Debra Hill Story, a feature documentary about the titular producer and screenwriter, has begun production with Causeway Pictures, Deadline is reporting. Oscar winner and Halloween franchise star, Jamie Lee Curtis is serving as an executive producer on the movie about Hill.
The late filmmaker died of cancer on March 7, 2005. She’s best known for her professional partnership with John Carpenter, as they co-scribed such classic horror movies as Halloween (1978), Halloween II (1981) and The Fog (1980). One of the final films Hill produced was the 2005 remake of The Fog, which was helmed by Stigmata director Rupert Wainwright.
Hollywood Trailblazer is being helmed by Irish filmmakers Jim McMorrow and Margaret McGoldrick. The documentary was developed with Northern Ireland Screen and Blue Finch Film Releasing, who are handling world sales.
The movie’s producers include Margaret McGoldrick and Chris Patterson of Causeway Pictures. In addition to Curtis, the documentary’s executive producers also include Mike Chapman on behalf of Blue Finch Films and Kerry Deignan Roy (William Shatner: You Can Call Me Bill).
Besides the Halloween and The Fog franchises, Hill is also known for producing Clue, Adventures In Babysitting, The Dead Zone, The Fisher King and World Trade Centre. She also co-penned Escape from New York and its sequel, Escape from L.A., with Carpenter.
Hill was recently honored by the Producers Guild of America with the presentation of the 2023 Debra Hill Fellowship Award. The award was established shortly after her death in 2005 to honor her legacy, and has since provided an annual grant award to a graduating producer of that year.
Hollywood Trailblazer filmmakers said the documentary aims to shine a light on the prolific filmmaker. They want to honor her because she’s often referred to as “the godmother of indie filmmaking.” She garnered that nickname because she was responsible for giving many contemporary Hollywood filmmakers and actors their first break.
The upcoming movie will features interviews with such filmmakers and actors as Curtis, Carpenter, Stacey Sher, David Gordon Green, Terry Gilliam, Lynda Obst, Kim Gottlieb-Walker, Andrea Berloff, Alan Jones and Kim Newman. The documentary’s team also working with the late producer-writer’s brother, Bob Hill.
“The story of Debra Hill is a multi-faceted one.
She was, and still is, an inspiration to filmmakers across the globe, and her legacy as a formidable, creative producer, mentor, trailblazer, and pioneer in cinema and environmental activism is an eternally relevant story,” McMorrow said. “It is a privilege to bring this to the screen for all of us that she shaped through her life and work.”
McGoldrick added: “Jim and I have been blown away by the response to telling Debra’s story. Debra was an incredible filmmaker and storyteller who not only excelled at her job but did it with the love and respect of everyone around her. Her passion was infectious and when women weren’t getting the chance to lead the charge, Debra was paving paths.
She’s an incredibly inspirational figure for anyone wanting to forge a career in the film industry and I’m very honored to be a part of the team getting to tell her story.”