Sean Daniel


Sean Peter Daniel is an American film producer and movie executive.

Life and career

Born to a Jewish family, Daniel attended Manhattan's High [School of Music & Art], graduating in 1969. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in film from the California Institute of the Arts in 1973.
In 1976, he joined Universal Pictures as a film production executive and in 1985, at the age of 34, he became the youngest production president in the studio's history. He has built a nearly 50-year career in the entertainment industry. As a producer and studio executive, Daniel has helped shape the vernacular of modern cinema, overseeing some of the most widely beloved, critically acclaimed films ever made. During his tenure, Daniel supervised the financing and production of such acclaimed National Lampoon's Animal House, Coal Miner's Daughter, The Blues Brothers, The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Brazil, Field of Dreams, Do the Right Thing, Back to the Future, Midnight Run, Born on [the Fourth of July (film)|Born on the Fourth of July], Missing, Weird Science, Uncle Buck, The Great Outdoors, Born in East L.A., Fletch, Rumble Fish, Gorillas in the Mist, Darkman, and Monty Python's The Meaning of Life.
Following his tenure as an executive at the studio, Daniel started Alphaville Films with James Jacks and developed and produced 1999's blockbuster action adventure Mummy (1999 film)|Mummy] starring future Academy Awards winners Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz. Daniel produced the four subsequent films in the global franchise: The Mummy Returns, which launched the film career of Dwayne Johnson, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, and The Scorpion King and Mummy. All told, the franchise has earned almost $2 billion worldwide.
Daniel also produced Malcolm D. Lee's hit romantic comedy The [Best Man Holiday], the Richard Linklater classic Dazed and Confused, the renowned western Tombstone, Nora Ephron's supernatural comedy Michael, the Coen Brothers's film Intolerable Cruelty, the Chris Rock, Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz comedy Down to Earth, the rap-music comedy CB4, also with Chris Rock, and John Woo's first American film, Hard Target.
Daniel's recent credits include Scary [Stories to Tell in the Dark (film)|Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark], which he produced with Guillermo Del Toro, Richard Linklater's feature Everybody Wants Some!!, and the documentary Belushi.
He has served as an executive producer on the Netflix's phenomenon The Witcher, Peacock's The Best Man: The Final Chapters, the acclaimed Amazon Prime Video series The Expanse, based on James S.A. Corey's The New York Times best-selling book franchise, and Graceland, from White Collar creator Jeff Eastin. He executive produced the TNT original film Freedom Song, directed by Phil Alden Robinson and starring Danny Glover, HBO's Everyday People; and the USA Network four-hour mini series Attila, starring Gerard Butler.

Selected filmography

''He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.''

Film

;Production manager
YearFilmRoleNotes
1978Animal HouseExecutive in charge of productionUncredited
1980Coal Miner's DaughterExecutive in charge of productionUncredited
1982MissingExecutive in charge of productionUncredited
1985The Breakfast ClubExecutive in charge of productionUncredited
1985Back to the FutureExecutive in charge of productionUncredited
1985BrazilExecutive in charge of productionUncredited
1985FletchExecutive in charge of productionUncredited
1989Do the Right ThingExecutive in charge of productionUncredited
1989Field of DreamsExecutive in charge of productionUncredited

;As an actor
YearFilmRole
1985Spies Like UsAce Tomato Driver
1990DarkmanPoliceman #2

;Thanks
YearFilmRole
1995MallratsThe director would like to thank: For bringing a pedigree to the project
1998A Simple PlanThanks