Mary Parent
Mary Parent | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1968 (age 57–58) |
| Occupation | Film producer |
Mary Parent (born 1968) is an American film producer, and former studio executive.
Early life and education
A native of Santa Barbara, California, Parent studied business at the University of Southern California before launching a modestly successful women's fashion company. Her interest in film led her to take an entry-level job at a talent agency, and she eventually entered the entertainment industry in the early 1990s.[1]
Career
Parent began her executive career at New Line Cinema, where she rose to vice president and helped shepherd projects such as Set It Off and Pleasantville. She later joined Universal Pictures as senior vice president of production, where she oversaw films including 8 Mile (2002), helping launch successful collaborations with filmmakers like Judd Apatow. In 2005, she co-founded the production company Stuber/Parent at Universal.[1]
In 2008, Parent was named chairman and co-CEO of MGM, but left shortly after due to the studio’s financial struggles. She subsequently founded Disruption Entertainment, signing a first-look deal with Paramount Pictures and producing films such as Pacific Rim (2013), Noah (2014), and The Revenant (2015), the latter of which earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.[1] That year, she placed 28th on The Wall Street Journal's "50 Women to Watch 2008" list.
Since 2016, Parent has served as vice chairman of worldwide production at Legendary Entertainment. She has overseen major projects including Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) and Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Dune (2021), which she had advocated for since 2013. Known for her ability to balance creative and financial priorities, Parent has been praised by collaborators for her dedication to storytelling and support of directors' visions.[1]
In 2022, Parent was announced as that year's recipient of the Producers Guild of America's David O. Selznick Achievement Award.[2]
Filmography
She was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.
Film
| Year | Film | Credit | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Set It Off | Executive producer | |
| 1997 | Trial and Error | ||
| 1998 | Pleasantville | [3] | |
| 2006 | You, Me and Dupree | [4] | |
| 2007 | The Kingdom | Executive producer | [5] |
| 2008 | Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins | [6] | |
| Role Models | [7] | ||
| 2013 | Pacific Rim | ||
| 2014 | Noah | ||
| Godzilla | |||
| 2015 | The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water | ||
| The Revenant | |||
| 2016 | Monster Trucks | [8] | |
| 2017 | Kong: Skull Island | [9] | |
| Same Kind of Different as Me | [10] | ||
| 2018 | Pacific Rim Uprising | [11] | |
| 2019 | Detective Pikachu | [12] | |
| Godzilla: King of the Monsters | [13] | ||
| 2020 | Enola Holmes | [14] | |
| 2021 | Godzilla vs. Kong | [9] | |
| Dune | [12] | ||
| 2022 | Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths | Executive producer | [15] |
| Enola Holmes 2 | [16] | ||
| 2023 | The Toxic Avenger | [10] | |
| 2024 | Dune: Part Two | [17] | |
| Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire | [18] | ||
| 2025 | A Minecraft Movie | [19] | |
| 2026 | Digger | ||
| Street Fighter | [20] | ||
| Dune: Part Three | |||
| Enola Holmes 3 |
- Production manager
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Dangerous Ground | Executive in charge of production |
References
- ^ a b c d Gilchrist, Todd (October 20, 2021). "Billion Dollar Producer: 'Dune' Marks Next Chapter in Mary Parent Saga". Variety. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
- ^ Murphy, J. Kim (January 20, 2022). "Mary Parent to Be Honored With David O. Selznick Achievement Award at 2022 PGA Awards". Variety. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
- ^ Petrikin, Chris (June 23, 1998). "Ross, Sindell team at U". Variety. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
- ^ Grierson, Tim (July 10, 2006). "You, Me And Dupree". Screen Daily. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
- ^ Anderson, John (September 11, 2007). "The Kingdom". Variety. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
- ^ "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins". The Hollywood Reporter. Associated Press. February 7, 2008. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
- ^ Sneider, Jeff (March 3, 2016). "Mary Parent Joins Legendary as Vice Chairman of Worldwide Production". TheWrap. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
- ^ Kendrick, Ben (June 2, 2016). "Monster Trucks Producer: Why New Stories (Not Franchises) Are Exciting". ScreenRant. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
- ^ a b Coates, Tyler (March 20, 2022). "'Dune' Producer Mary Parent on Director Denis Villeneuve's Vision: "It Was Clear Right Away That He Had a Burning Desire"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
- ^ a b Nicholson, Amy (October 21, 2017). "Film Review: 'Same Kind of Different as Me'". Variety. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
- ^ McNary, Dave (August 3, 2017). "'Pacific Rim: Uprising' Release Date Moved Back Again". Variety. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
- ^ a b Gilchrist, Todd (October 20, 2021). "Films of Variety Billion Dollar Producer Mary Parent Usher in Big Box Office Haul". Variety. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
- ^ Gleiberman, Owen (May 28, 2019). "Film Review: 'Godzilla: King of the Monsters'". Variety. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
- ^ Byrd, Michelle (January 20, 2022). "Mary Parent To Receive David O. Selznick Achievement Award". Producers Guild. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
- ^ Gleiberman, Owen (September 1, 2022). "'Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths' Review: Alejandro G. Iñárritu Has Made a Felliniesque Epic of Soulful Midlife Navel-Gazing". Variety. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
- ^ Jackson, Angelique (September 28, 2021). "Helena Bonham Carter to Return for 'Enola Holmes 2'". Variety. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
- ^ Thompson, Anne (February 17, 2025). "Mary Parent Knows How to Produce Big, Artful Movies Like Oscar Contender 'Dune: Part Two'". IndieWire. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
- ^ Hammond, Pete (March 28, 2024). "'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire' Review: The Titans Of The Monsterverse Join Forces Against Evil But It Is All Still Just More Of The Same Stomp Fest". Deadline. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
- ^ Stephan, Jennifer Maas,Katcy (March 19, 2025). "Crafting a Blockbuster: How 'A Minecraft Movie' Brought the Wacky, Cubic Video Game to Life". Variety. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Couch, Aaron (September 4, 2025). "'Street Fighter' Moves to Paramount as Legendary Deal Becomes Official". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 4, 2025.