Frank Darabont Biography
Frank Darabont, a three-time Oscar nominee, was born in a refugee camp in 1959 in Montbeliard, France. His parents, who were Hungarian, had fled Budapest during the failed 1956 Hungarian revolution. When he was just an infant, Darabont was brought to America, where his family settled in Los Angeles. He attended Hollywood High School.
Darabont’s journey into the movie industry began with a humble role as a production assistant on the 1981 low-budget film “Hell Night,” starring Linda Blair. For the next six years, he worked in the art department, doing tasks like set dressing and construction while aspiring to become a writer. His first writing credit came in 1987 for “A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors,” directed by Chuck Russell.
A notable achievement in Darabont’s career is that his first two feature films received nominations for the Best Picture Academy Award. These films were “The Shawshank Redemption” in 1994 and “The Green Mile” in 1999, both based on works by Stephen King. Darabont himself earned Oscar nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay for each of these films. He also received nominations from the Director’s Guild of America and the Writers Guild of America.
Darabont won several awards for his screenplays, including the Humanitas Prize, the PEN Center USA West Award, and the Scriptor Award for “The Shawshank Redemption.” He also received recognition for “The Green Mile,” winning the Broadcast Film Critics prize for his screenplay adaptation and two People’s Choice Awards.
Apart from his directorial work, Darabont executive-produced the thriller “Collateral” in 2004, directed by Michael Mann and starring Tom Cruise. He has future projects in the pipeline, including adaptations of the CrossGen comic book series “Way of the Rat” and Tawni O’Dell’s novel “Back Roads,” both in collaboration with DreamWorks. Darabont’s production company, “Darkwoods Productions,” has an overall deal with Paramount Pictures.
Frank Darabont’s Early life
Frank Darabont started his journey in the world of filmmaking as a production assistant on various films like Hell Night, The Seduction, and Trancers. His first venture into writing and directing was a short film based on Stephen King’s story “The Woman in the Room”, which gained recognition and led to a close association with King. Darabont sold his first screenplay titled Black Cat Run in 1986, but it took more than a decade for it to be produced as a television film.
Darabont’s big break came when he was approached by Chuck Russell, who offered to become his writing partner after being impressed by Darabont’s spec script for the television series MAS*H. They collaborated on scripts for various projects, including a remake of The Blob and A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors.
In 1990, Darabont made his directorial debut with Buried Alive, a television movie, followed by writing for George Lucas’s television series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles and two episodes of Tales from the Crypt.
His major success came with the film adaptation of Stephen King’s novella The Shawshank Redemption in 1994, which received critical acclaim despite initially underperforming at the box office. It earned seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Darabont continued his collaboration with Stephen King by adapting another novel, The Green Mile, into a successful film in 1999, starring Tom Hanks. It was nominated for four Academy Awards, further cementing Darabont’s reputation as a talented filmmaker.
In 2001, Darabont directed The Majestic, a film inspired by the works of Frank Capra, although it received mixed reviews and performed poorly at the box office.
He returned to the world of Stephen King with the film adaptation of The Mist in 2007, which garnered positive reviews from critics and audiences alike.
Darabont ventured into television as the developer and executive producer of the first season of The Walking Dead in 2010, based on the comic book series by Robert Kirkman. However, he was fired from the position of showrunner after the first season due to budget constraints and creative differences with the network.
He later worked on projects like the TNT series Mob City and contributed to films like Saving Private Ryan and Minority Report as a script doctor.
Darabont continues to be involved in various film projects and remains passionate about bringing stories to life on the screen.
Frank Darabont’s Recurring collaborators
Apart from working closely with actors in his movies and TV shows, Darabont has also collaborated with a diverse group of professionals in the entertainment industry. This includes writers, producers, composers, and more. Some of his notable collaborators include Chuck Russell, Mark Isham, Stephen King, Gregory Nicotero, Rohn Schmidt, David Tattersall, and others.
For instance, Jeffrey DeMunn, who appeared in The Blob and Black Cat Run, both written by Darabont, has been a frequent collaborator. Alexa Davalos starred in the pilot episode of Raines, which Darabont directed. Additionally, Amin Joseph teamed up with Darabont for an episode of The Shield called “Chasing Ghosts.”
- Jeffrey DeMunn: Appeared in all movies and TV shows listed.
- Brian Libby: Appeared in all movies listed except “The Walking Dead” and “Mob City.”
- William Sadler: Appeared in “The Shawshank Redemption,” “The Green Mile,” and “The Mist.”
- Laurie Holden: Appeared in “The Green Mile,” “The Majestic,” and all seasons of “The Walking Dead.”
- Jon Bernthal: Appeared in “The Walking Dead” and “Mob City.”
- James Whitmore: Appeared in “The Shawshank Redemption” and “The Majestic.”
- Brent Briscoe: Appeared in “The Green Mile” and “The Majestic.”
- Alexa Davalos: Appeared in “The Majestic” and all seasons of “The Walking Dead.”
- Melissa McBride: Appeared in all seasons of “The Walking Dead.”
- Sam Witwer: Appeared in “The Mist” and all seasons of “The Walking Dead.”
- Juan Gabriel Pareja: Appeared in all seasons of “The Walking Dead.”
- Amin Joseph: Appeared in “The Mist” and “Mob City.”
- Andrew Rothenberg: Appeared in all seasons of “The Walking Dead” and “Mob City.”
Frank Darabont’s Filmography
Film:
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | The Woman in the Room | Yes | Yes | No | Short film |
| 1987 | A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 | No | Yes | No | |
| 1988 | The Blob | No | Yes | No | |
| 1989 | The Fly II | No | Yes | No | |
| 1994 | The Shawshank Redemption | Yes | Yes | No | Nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay |
| 1994 | Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein | No | Yes | No | |
| 1999 | The Green Mile | Yes | Yes | Yes | Nominated for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay |
| 2001 | The Majestic | Yes | No | Yes | |
| 2002 | The Salton Sea | No | No | Yes | |
| 2004 | Collateral | No | No | Executive | |
| 2007 | The Mist | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Uncredited writing works:
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | The Fan | Script doctor |
| 1996 | Eraser | |
| 1998 | Saving Private Ryan | |
| 2004 | Collateral | |
| 2009 | Law Abiding Citizen | |
| 2014 | Godzilla | Script doctor |
| 2016 | The Huntsman | Winter’s War |
Technical credits:
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Hell Night | Production assistant |
| 1982 | The Seduction | Transportation captain |
| 1984 | Crimes of Passion | Set dresser |
| 1984 | Trancers | Art department assistant |
Television:
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Creator | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Tales from the Crypt | No | Yes | No | No | Episodes “The Ventriloquist’s Dummy” and “Showdown” |
| 1992 | The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles | No | Yes | No | No | 6 episodes |
| 2007 | Raines | Yes | No | Yes | No | Episode: “Pilot” |
| 2007 | The Shield | Yes | No | No | No | Episode: “Chasing Ghosts” |
| 2010 | The Walking Dead | Yes | Yes | Executive | Yes | Directed and wrote episode: “Days Gone Bye” |
| 2013 | Mob City | Yes | Yes | Executive | Yes | Directed and wrote 3 episodes |
| 2013 | Mob City | Yes | Yes | Executive | Yes | Directed episode: “Red Light” |
Additional awards and nominations:
| Year | Title | Awards and nominations |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Tales from the Crypt | Nominated for Writers Guild of America Award for Television (for “The Ventriloquist’s Dummy”) |
| 1994 | The Shawshank Redemption | Won Hochi Film Award for Best Foreign Language Film, Humanitas Prize for Best Film, USC Scripter Award (shared with Stephen King); Nominated for Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing, Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, Saturn Award for Best Action or Adventure Film, Saturn Award for Best Writing |
| 1994 | Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein | Nominated for Saturn Award for Best Writing (shared with Steph Lady) |
| 1999 | The Green Mile | Won Saturn Award for Best Action or Adventure Film, Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Adapted Screenplay; Nominated for Saturn Award for Best Director, Bram Stoker Award for Best Screenplay, Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing, Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, Nebula Award for Best Script, USC Scripter Award (shared with Stephen King) |
| 2007 | The Mist | Won Saturn Award for Best DVD Special Edition Release; Nominated for Saturn Award for Best Director, Saturn Award for Best Horror Film, Empire Award for Best Horror |
| 2010 | The Walking Dead | Won American Film Institute Award for TV Programme of the Year; Nominated for Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing, Writers Guild of America Award for New Series |
Philanthropy and Personal Life
Apart from his work, Darabont is also recognized for his charitable activities and hobbies. These aspects of his life don’t directly affect his wealth, but they show what kind of person he is beyond his money.
What is Frank Darabont’s net worth?
Frank Darabont is a big deal in the world of movies and TV. He’s famous for making really good films and shows with great stories. Hollywood has been influenced a lot by him. Now, as we think about 2024, people want to know how much money he has. This article will talk about Frank Darabont’s money, where it comes from, and what we can expect in the future.
Frank Darabont is a Hungarian-American filmmaker known for his work as a director, producer, and writer. With a net worth of $100 million, he has had a successful career spanning several decades. Darabont is famous for directing popular films, many of which are adaptations of Stephen King’s stories, such as “The Shawshank Redemption” and “The Green Mile.”
Additionally, Darabont co-created and developed the hit TV series “The Walking Dead” for AMC. He even directed the show’s first episode. However, his relationship with AMC turned sour early on, leading to his dismissal in 2011. This sparked a lengthy legal battle, resulting in a $200 million settlement paid to Darabont and his talent agency, CAA.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Estimated Net Worth: | $60 million |
| Age: | 63 |
| Born: | January 28, 1959 |
| Country of Origin: | United States |
| Source of Wealth: | Filmmaker, Screenwriter, Producer |
FAQs About Frank Darabont
Why did Frank Darabont stop making movies?
Initially, it seemed like Frank Darabont struggled with managing a TV series schedule. However, it later came out that AMC wanted to cut costs for “The Walking Dead” by reducing its budget, which led to conflicts between Darabont and AMC’s executives.
Why is Frank Darabont suing The Walking Dead?
In 2018, Darabont filed another lawsuit against AMC, alleging financial misconduct related to profit sharing. The recent settlement resolves both lawsuits, which were combined by the court.
Are Frank Darabont and Stephen King friends?
Frank Darabont is not only a close friend of Stephen King but also a big fan of his work. Darabont bought the film rights to several of King’s stories for just a dollar each. Currently, he’s working on adapting “The Long Walk” into a film.
Did Frank Darabont write Shawshank Redemption?
Yes, Frank Darabont wrote and directed “The Shawshank Redemption.” It’s one of his most celebrated works, along with other films like “The Green Mile” and “The Mist.”
Is Shawshank Redemption Based on a true story?
No, “The Shawshank Redemption” is not based on a true story. It’s actually adapted from a novella by Stephen King titled “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption,” which was part of his book “Different Seasons.”