Todd Durham
| Todd Durham | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Filmmaker, comedy writer, novelist |
| Notable work |
Hotel Transylvania franchise (creator) Hyperspace AKA Gremloids Visions of Sugar-Plums Mr. Smith Goes To Hell |
| Website | ToddDurham.com |
Todd Durham (/ˈdʌrəm/) is an American filmmaker, comedy writer, and novelist, best known as the creator of the Hotel Transylvania movie franchise for Columbia Pictures which he based on his book of the same name. He became the sixth sole-creator of an animated movie franchise that went on to generate over $1 billion from theatrical and ancillary markets after only one sequel. Durham’s works, including over forty screenplays and books, frequently combine fantasy storylines with character comedy.
Durham studied comedy writing at USC under brothers Danny Simon, mentor of Woody Allen, and Neil Simon.
Based on a half-hour 35mm film that he wrote and directed, a North Carolina movie studio signed Durham to a three-picture feature deal. According to an article in GQ magazine, the studio “takes chances on budding writers, like Todd Durham” who wrote and directed the micro-budget sci-fi comedy feature, Hyperspace (a.k.a. Gremloids) starring Chris Elliott and Paula Poundstone. Later James Cameron cast Elliott in The Abyss, part of which was shot at the same N.C. studio; Ray Bradbury would become an occasional advisor over the next two decades. The movie gained a cult following and received worldwide media attention when fans in England formed the Gremloids Party, pitting Lord Buckethead, one of Durham’s characters from the movie, against Margaret Thatcher in her bid for reelection as Prime Minister. See video of Buckethead and Thatcher from BBC News and NBC Nightly News With Tom Brokaw. Pursued by CAA, ICM, and WMA, Durham signed with Rick Jaffa, then wunderkind agent at William Morris, and worked as an uncredited script doctor on comedy projects at major studios. He wrote screenplays for comedy actors, directors, and producers; the National Lampoon movie franchise; and many Saturday Night Live alumni. Durham ghosted celebrity autobiographies, and authored his first novel Mr. Smith Goes To Hell and its screenplay, from which The Los Angeles Times quoted excerpts and described as having “some of the funniest depictions of Hades” alongside Gary Larson’s The Far Side.
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