Rick McCallum(I)
- Producer
- Production Manager
- Actor
As the producer of the three Star Wars prequels - The Phantom Menace,
Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith - Rick McCallum has helped
bring to the screen some of the most successful independent films of
all time.
The global blockbusters are highlights in a career that has seen
McCallum produce remarkably eclectic, and always groundbreaking, film
and television projects, beginning with the 1981 Depression-era musical
Pennies from Heaven for director Herbert Ross and writer Dennis Potter.
McCallum has produced movies with such renowned filmmakers as David
Hare (Strapless); Neil Simon (I Ought to Be in Pictures); and Harvey
Fierstein, whose HBO film On Tidy Endings received four CableAce
Awards. McCallum was also producer of the music video "Undercover" for
The Rolling Stones, which MTV named the Best Video of the Decade.
Establishing a close working relationship with director Nicolas Roeg,
McCallum acted as producer on such films as Castaway and Track 29.
In 1986, McCallum re-teamed with Potter, serving as executive producer
on the landmark BBC-TV series "The Singing Detective." They worked
together again in1989 for BBC's four-part "Blackeyes." Their successful
collaboration also brought to life Potter's acclaimed Dreamchild, an
unusual exploration of the creation of Alice in Wonderland, which won
three BAFTA awards.
It was on the set of Dreamchild that McCallum met Star Wars creator
George Lucas. Several years after their first meeting, Lucas was
preparing his first weekly live-action television program, The Young
Indiana Jones Chronicles, and he turned to McCallum to produce the
ambitious series, which was shot in 35 countries. With a unique
perspective on the eventful early life of Indiana Jones - including its
cinematic qualities, an emphasis on storytelling and characters, and an
enticing promise of new adventures each week - McCallum attracted a
stellar list of writers and actors to the creative ranks of the series.
Among the renowned directors with whom McCallum worked on the series:
Bille August, Nicolas Roeg, David Hare, Mike Newell, Deepa Mehta, Terry
Jones, Simon Wincer and Carl Shultz. During its run, the Academy of
Television Arts & Sciences honored Young Indiana Jones with 11 Emmys
and 25 nominations. The series debuted on DVD in 2007, and McCallum
served as executive producer on a series of 94 acclaimed documentaries
that accompany the episodes and illuminate the real-life history behind
their stories.
When Young Indiana Jones wrapped, McCallum produced Radioland Murders
(1994), for which Lucas served as executive producer. During its
production, Lucas confided to McCallum the plans for three new Star
Wars movies. To test the digital waters, McCallum produced revised
versions of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi -
each of which proved remarkably successful at the box office and proved
that the once-impossible visual feats needed for Lucas's next movies
were indeed possible. Assembling an extraordinary group in front of and
behind the cameras, McCallum produced the next three films that Lucas
wrote and directed: Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace (1999),
Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones (2002) and Star Wars:
Episode III Revenge of the Sith (2005). Two of them are among the 10
most-successful movies in history. Together, the Star Wars films
McCallum has produced have grossed more than $3 billion worldwide.
Recognizing his contributions to the movies, in 1999 CinemaExpo named
McCallum its Producer of the Year.
The Star Wars prequels also ushered in a new era of digital filmmaking,
and McCallum played the leading role in its development. He oversaw a
team of creative and technical professionals that developed and created
the industry's first all-digital production pipeline, allowing every
aspect of movie production - from production, to post-production, to
distribution - to take place digitally. In 2000, Attack of the Clones
became the first movie with all-digital principal photography, editing,
visual and sound effects, exhibition and distribution.
The McCallum-Lucas collaboration continued, with McCallum producing Red Tails, an action-adventure film that pays tribute to the spirit of World War II's Tuskegee Airmen, and on which Lucas acted as executive producer. McCallum also served as Head of Production for Lucasfilm for 17 years.
Since moving to Prague in 2012 after retiring from Lucasfilm, McCallum co-founded the Czech film company Film United to act as a service provider and producer of films and television.
Film United has become one of the leading producers and service providers in Central and Eastern Europe.
Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith - Rick McCallum has helped
bring to the screen some of the most successful independent films of
all time.
The global blockbusters are highlights in a career that has seen
McCallum produce remarkably eclectic, and always groundbreaking, film
and television projects, beginning with the 1981 Depression-era musical
Pennies from Heaven for director Herbert Ross and writer Dennis Potter.
McCallum has produced movies with such renowned filmmakers as David
Hare (Strapless); Neil Simon (I Ought to Be in Pictures); and Harvey
Fierstein, whose HBO film On Tidy Endings received four CableAce
Awards. McCallum was also producer of the music video "Undercover" for
The Rolling Stones, which MTV named the Best Video of the Decade.
Establishing a close working relationship with director Nicolas Roeg,
McCallum acted as producer on such films as Castaway and Track 29.
In 1986, McCallum re-teamed with Potter, serving as executive producer
on the landmark BBC-TV series "The Singing Detective." They worked
together again in1989 for BBC's four-part "Blackeyes." Their successful
collaboration also brought to life Potter's acclaimed Dreamchild, an
unusual exploration of the creation of Alice in Wonderland, which won
three BAFTA awards.
It was on the set of Dreamchild that McCallum met Star Wars creator
George Lucas. Several years after their first meeting, Lucas was
preparing his first weekly live-action television program, The Young
Indiana Jones Chronicles, and he turned to McCallum to produce the
ambitious series, which was shot in 35 countries. With a unique
perspective on the eventful early life of Indiana Jones - including its
cinematic qualities, an emphasis on storytelling and characters, and an
enticing promise of new adventures each week - McCallum attracted a
stellar list of writers and actors to the creative ranks of the series.
Among the renowned directors with whom McCallum worked on the series:
Bille August, Nicolas Roeg, David Hare, Mike Newell, Deepa Mehta, Terry
Jones, Simon Wincer and Carl Shultz. During its run, the Academy of
Television Arts & Sciences honored Young Indiana Jones with 11 Emmys
and 25 nominations. The series debuted on DVD in 2007, and McCallum
served as executive producer on a series of 94 acclaimed documentaries
that accompany the episodes and illuminate the real-life history behind
their stories.
When Young Indiana Jones wrapped, McCallum produced Radioland Murders
(1994), for which Lucas served as executive producer. During its
production, Lucas confided to McCallum the plans for three new Star
Wars movies. To test the digital waters, McCallum produced revised
versions of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi -
each of which proved remarkably successful at the box office and proved
that the once-impossible visual feats needed for Lucas's next movies
were indeed possible. Assembling an extraordinary group in front of and
behind the cameras, McCallum produced the next three films that Lucas
wrote and directed: Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace (1999),
Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones (2002) and Star Wars:
Episode III Revenge of the Sith (2005). Two of them are among the 10
most-successful movies in history. Together, the Star Wars films
McCallum has produced have grossed more than $3 billion worldwide.
Recognizing his contributions to the movies, in 1999 CinemaExpo named
McCallum its Producer of the Year.
The Star Wars prequels also ushered in a new era of digital filmmaking,
and McCallum played the leading role in its development. He oversaw a
team of creative and technical professionals that developed and created
the industry's first all-digital production pipeline, allowing every
aspect of movie production - from production, to post-production, to
distribution - to take place digitally. In 2000, Attack of the Clones
became the first movie with all-digital principal photography, editing,
visual and sound effects, exhibition and distribution.
The McCallum-Lucas collaboration continued, with McCallum producing Red Tails, an action-adventure film that pays tribute to the spirit of World War II's Tuskegee Airmen, and on which Lucas acted as executive producer. McCallum also served as Head of Production for Lucasfilm for 17 years.
Since moving to Prague in 2012 after retiring from Lucasfilm, McCallum co-founded the Czech film company Film United to act as a service provider and producer of films and television.
Film United has become one of the leading producers and service providers in Central and Eastern Europe.