David Michaels(III)
- Producer
- Writer
- Director
David Michaels has been an industry fixture since his early twenties having worked with renown auteurs David Lynch, Olivier Dahan, and Mark Pellington. Two of Michaels' films have premiered in the official selection at the Cannes Film Festival and others have won many awards both domestically and internationally. His industry relationships run wide and deep, having set projects at Universal Pictures, Warner Brothers, Fox 2000, Walden Media, HBO, CBS, Sony, Jersey Films (Danny DeVito, Stacey Sher), Interscope/Radar (Ted Field), Blue Wolf Productions (Robin Williams), Parkway Productions (Penny Marshall), Magnolia Pictures (Tom Quinn, Mark Cuban), Hallmark, Showtime, and many others. Over the years, he has been represented by WME and UTA and counseled by attorneys Jake Bloom, Barry Hirsch, Craig Emanuel, and Phillip Rosen.
Since 2022, Michaels has been serving as the Creative Director and Head of Development for 828 Productions in New Mexico. The company is currently underway on the construction of a new state-of-the-art motion picture studio and backlot situated on 35 acres in Las Cruces. 828 develops, packages, produces, and finances independent films. 828 is one of three film partners with the State of New Mexico where it focuses on the production of independent films, while Netflix and NBC/Universal are the State's studio partners.
Michaels earned his first stripes as a personal assistant to Samuel Goldwyn, Jr. supervising the productions of various iconic cult films such as "Sid and Nancy". After experiencing first-hand the rewards associated with quality filmmaking, he sought more personal creative freedom and set out to create his own identity. This led to a position as the Senior Vice President of Motion Pictures for publicly traded Lancit Media Entertainment, where he sought source IP with a focus on children's picture books and young adult novels for development and packaging, before going out on his own.
During this time, he effectively packaged projects with Robin Williams, Cameron Diaz, Jeff Bridges, Whoopi Goldberg, Danny DeVito, Cathy Schulman, Rick Yorn, Michael Menchel, Pamela Abdy, David Lynch, Howard Rosenman, Stacey Sher, and Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. These projects include "The Giver" (Walden Media, Weinstein Company), "The Watsons Go to Birmingham" (CBS, Sony, Hallmark, Walden Media), "Taxi Dog" (James Hart, Warner Brothers, Radar Pictures), "The Marx Brothers" (Universal Pictures, Jersey Films), "Fenwick's Suit" (Fox 2000, John August), "Dry Fire" (HBO, Penny Marshall), "Sleepless Beauty" (Warner Brothers, Larry Wilson), "The Guardian Angels" (MGM, John Avildsen), "Surveillance" (Magnolia Pictures, Mark Cuban, Warner Brothers), "Shelter Island" (Showtime Networks), and "Murder at the Cannes Film Festival" (Merv Griffin, E! Entertainment). "Surveillance" premiered to critical acclaim at the Cannes Film Festival in 2008.
Ultimately finding his foothold, Michaels took the leap as an independent producer and screenwriter. Since this pivotal moment, he has acquired, developed, and packaged films in partnership with the likes of David Lynch (Twin Peaks, Mulholland Drive) and Sandy Stern (Being John Malkovich).
Additional projects include "Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story" (Ken Kwapis), "Seasons of Dust" (Tim Blake Nelson, Chloe Grace Moretz, James Franco, Robert Redford), "Last Summer" (Finn Wittrock, Abby Cornish), and "A Fall From Grace" (Tim Roth, Forest Whitaker, Vincent D'Onofrio). Michaels often credits his wisdom and wherewithal to powwows with close friend and mentor Cassian Elwes (Mudbound, Dallas Buyers Club, The Butler).
Michaels has also partnered with producer Laila Nabulsi to launch a multimedia stage adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson's "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", and he's executive produced the award-winning documentary "Despite the Gods" which follows filmmaker Jennifer Lynch attempting to film a movie in Bollywood (India). His interest in documentaries continues with a definitive look into the secrecy behind Fidel Castro's infamous Cuban Boxing Federation.
As a screenwriter, Michaels penned "M" which has inspired a number of high-profile actors to passionately join the project. Those thespians have included Woody Harrelson, Anjelica Huston, Ryan Gosling, Giovanni Ribisi, Juno Temple, Tim Roth, Jason Lee, Dave Matthews, Alanis Morissette, Lili Taylor, and Jim Broadbent. George Parra (American Hustle, Silver Linings Playbook) and Jory Weitz (Napoleon Dynamite) are producing while Butch Vig (Foo Fighters, Green Day) handles the soundtrack.
Michaels co-wrote "Sold" with award-winning filmmaker Olivier Dahan (La Vie En Rose, Grace of Monaco) who will also direct. Paris-based producer Isaac Sharry is organizing the shoot in New York, Israel, and Thailand.
Michaels has also co-created and written the pilot and series bible for "The Seventh". The series is based on Coast Guardsman and Commander Steve Blankenship and his covert work as the first point of drug interdiction against Colombian and Mexican cartels. The United States Coast Guard is in full support of the project. Producing partners include Cassian Elwes.
Michaels and Parra produced the independent film "Puppy Love". Written and directed by Michael Maxxis. It stars Hopper Penn, Paz De La Huerta, Rosanna Arquette, Michael Madsen, Mickey Avalon, Wayne Newton, Colleen Camp, and Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone". Larry Smith (Only God Forgives, Eyes Wide Shut) served as cinematographer, Wayne Wahrman (I Am Legend, Constantine) as editor, Lon Bender (Nocturnal Animals, The Revenant) as sound designer, and Kim Ayers (American Horror Story) as key make-up artist. The movie also features a soundtrack album produced by Butch Vig which includes original music from Portugal The Man, Kurt Vile, LP, Mickey Avalon, Josh Carter (Phantogram), and Wayne Newton. The movie went on to win best feature at the Oldenburg Film Festival in 2020.
Inspired by "American Psycho", Michaels has written "The Third Parent" and it will also mark his feature film directorial debut. The film is being produced by Gary Michael Walters (Whiplash, Nightcrawler, Neon Demon), Wendy Rutland (Parkland, Woman in Black, Dark Places), and Spencer Young. Michaels' creative team consists of Evan Webber/production designer (Shape of Water, Handmaid's Tale, Pan's Labyrinth), Larry Smith/cinematographer (Eyes Wide Shut, Only God Forgives, Bronson), Robert Kurtzman/makeup FX (Men in Black, Doctor Sleep, From Dusk Till Dawn), Butch Vig/composer (Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Garbage), and Jason Ruder/music editor (Joker Folie Á Deux, Nightmare Alley, Joker).
Clarence Fuller produced Michaels' short film "Chinatown". Michaels wrote and directed the short which premiered to favorable reviews at the Cannes Film Festival in 2010.
In 2021, Michaels produced "Signs of Love", which is Fuller's feature-film writing and directing debut. The movie stars siblings Hopper and Dylan Penn (Flag Day), Zoë Bleu (Arquette), Rosanna Arquette, Wass Stevens, and Cree Kawa. The movie went on to win best feature at both the Brooklyn and Rome Film Festivals that same year.
Michaels is also producing Rosanna Arquette's writing and feature film directorial debut "Co-Pilot". Cassian Elwes is serving as the project's executive producer. Kerry Barden and Paul Schnee are the film's casting directors.
As a committed philanthropist, Michaels continues to mentor the exceptional pool of talent emerging from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London. Michaels also curates' art-driven charitable events which directly benefit the David Lynch Foundation.
He also serves as co-chair with musician/producer Butch Vig for the Industry Advisory Group of Joey's Song, which is an annual benefit concert whose proceeds are used in the research to find cures for rare and contractable epilepsies found in children and the families who experience these traumatic difficulties.
Since 2022, Michaels has been serving as the Creative Director and Head of Development for 828 Productions in New Mexico. The company is currently underway on the construction of a new state-of-the-art motion picture studio and backlot situated on 35 acres in Las Cruces. 828 develops, packages, produces, and finances independent films. 828 is one of three film partners with the State of New Mexico where it focuses on the production of independent films, while Netflix and NBC/Universal are the State's studio partners.
Michaels earned his first stripes as a personal assistant to Samuel Goldwyn, Jr. supervising the productions of various iconic cult films such as "Sid and Nancy". After experiencing first-hand the rewards associated with quality filmmaking, he sought more personal creative freedom and set out to create his own identity. This led to a position as the Senior Vice President of Motion Pictures for publicly traded Lancit Media Entertainment, where he sought source IP with a focus on children's picture books and young adult novels for development and packaging, before going out on his own.
During this time, he effectively packaged projects with Robin Williams, Cameron Diaz, Jeff Bridges, Whoopi Goldberg, Danny DeVito, Cathy Schulman, Rick Yorn, Michael Menchel, Pamela Abdy, David Lynch, Howard Rosenman, Stacey Sher, and Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. These projects include "The Giver" (Walden Media, Weinstein Company), "The Watsons Go to Birmingham" (CBS, Sony, Hallmark, Walden Media), "Taxi Dog" (James Hart, Warner Brothers, Radar Pictures), "The Marx Brothers" (Universal Pictures, Jersey Films), "Fenwick's Suit" (Fox 2000, John August), "Dry Fire" (HBO, Penny Marshall), "Sleepless Beauty" (Warner Brothers, Larry Wilson), "The Guardian Angels" (MGM, John Avildsen), "Surveillance" (Magnolia Pictures, Mark Cuban, Warner Brothers), "Shelter Island" (Showtime Networks), and "Murder at the Cannes Film Festival" (Merv Griffin, E! Entertainment). "Surveillance" premiered to critical acclaim at the Cannes Film Festival in 2008.
Ultimately finding his foothold, Michaels took the leap as an independent producer and screenwriter. Since this pivotal moment, he has acquired, developed, and packaged films in partnership with the likes of David Lynch (Twin Peaks, Mulholland Drive) and Sandy Stern (Being John Malkovich).
Additional projects include "Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story" (Ken Kwapis), "Seasons of Dust" (Tim Blake Nelson, Chloe Grace Moretz, James Franco, Robert Redford), "Last Summer" (Finn Wittrock, Abby Cornish), and "A Fall From Grace" (Tim Roth, Forest Whitaker, Vincent D'Onofrio). Michaels often credits his wisdom and wherewithal to powwows with close friend and mentor Cassian Elwes (Mudbound, Dallas Buyers Club, The Butler).
Michaels has also partnered with producer Laila Nabulsi to launch a multimedia stage adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson's "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", and he's executive produced the award-winning documentary "Despite the Gods" which follows filmmaker Jennifer Lynch attempting to film a movie in Bollywood (India). His interest in documentaries continues with a definitive look into the secrecy behind Fidel Castro's infamous Cuban Boxing Federation.
As a screenwriter, Michaels penned "M" which has inspired a number of high-profile actors to passionately join the project. Those thespians have included Woody Harrelson, Anjelica Huston, Ryan Gosling, Giovanni Ribisi, Juno Temple, Tim Roth, Jason Lee, Dave Matthews, Alanis Morissette, Lili Taylor, and Jim Broadbent. George Parra (American Hustle, Silver Linings Playbook) and Jory Weitz (Napoleon Dynamite) are producing while Butch Vig (Foo Fighters, Green Day) handles the soundtrack.
Michaels co-wrote "Sold" with award-winning filmmaker Olivier Dahan (La Vie En Rose, Grace of Monaco) who will also direct. Paris-based producer Isaac Sharry is organizing the shoot in New York, Israel, and Thailand.
Michaels has also co-created and written the pilot and series bible for "The Seventh". The series is based on Coast Guardsman and Commander Steve Blankenship and his covert work as the first point of drug interdiction against Colombian and Mexican cartels. The United States Coast Guard is in full support of the project. Producing partners include Cassian Elwes.
Michaels and Parra produced the independent film "Puppy Love". Written and directed by Michael Maxxis. It stars Hopper Penn, Paz De La Huerta, Rosanna Arquette, Michael Madsen, Mickey Avalon, Wayne Newton, Colleen Camp, and Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone". Larry Smith (Only God Forgives, Eyes Wide Shut) served as cinematographer, Wayne Wahrman (I Am Legend, Constantine) as editor, Lon Bender (Nocturnal Animals, The Revenant) as sound designer, and Kim Ayers (American Horror Story) as key make-up artist. The movie also features a soundtrack album produced by Butch Vig which includes original music from Portugal The Man, Kurt Vile, LP, Mickey Avalon, Josh Carter (Phantogram), and Wayne Newton. The movie went on to win best feature at the Oldenburg Film Festival in 2020.
Inspired by "American Psycho", Michaels has written "The Third Parent" and it will also mark his feature film directorial debut. The film is being produced by Gary Michael Walters (Whiplash, Nightcrawler, Neon Demon), Wendy Rutland (Parkland, Woman in Black, Dark Places), and Spencer Young. Michaels' creative team consists of Evan Webber/production designer (Shape of Water, Handmaid's Tale, Pan's Labyrinth), Larry Smith/cinematographer (Eyes Wide Shut, Only God Forgives, Bronson), Robert Kurtzman/makeup FX (Men in Black, Doctor Sleep, From Dusk Till Dawn), Butch Vig/composer (Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Garbage), and Jason Ruder/music editor (Joker Folie Á Deux, Nightmare Alley, Joker).
Clarence Fuller produced Michaels' short film "Chinatown". Michaels wrote and directed the short which premiered to favorable reviews at the Cannes Film Festival in 2010.
In 2021, Michaels produced "Signs of Love", which is Fuller's feature-film writing and directing debut. The movie stars siblings Hopper and Dylan Penn (Flag Day), Zoë Bleu (Arquette), Rosanna Arquette, Wass Stevens, and Cree Kawa. The movie went on to win best feature at both the Brooklyn and Rome Film Festivals that same year.
Michaels is also producing Rosanna Arquette's writing and feature film directorial debut "Co-Pilot". Cassian Elwes is serving as the project's executive producer. Kerry Barden and Paul Schnee are the film's casting directors.
As a committed philanthropist, Michaels continues to mentor the exceptional pool of talent emerging from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London. Michaels also curates' art-driven charitable events which directly benefit the David Lynch Foundation.
He also serves as co-chair with musician/producer Butch Vig for the Industry Advisory Group of Joey's Song, which is an annual benefit concert whose proceeds are used in the research to find cures for rare and contractable epilepsies found in children and the families who experience these traumatic difficulties.
