Longtime Hollywood producer Matha De Laurentiis has passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer. A producer behind Tinsel Town favorites like Hannibal and Red Dragon, De Laurentiis died on Saturday, surrounded by family and friends. She was 67.
Bryan Fuller, the showrunner on Hannibal, first announced the news through his Instagram profile. “What an amazing lady. Martha De Laurentiis left us yesterday peacefully with her family at her side,” Fuller wrote on Instagram. “Long live Martha nad her brilliant legacy.”
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De Laurentiis began producing films and television shows under her maiden name Martha Schumacher until 1995. She married fellow producer Dion De Laurentiis in 1990 and together, the two formed the Dino De Laurentiis production house of which she served as chairman. Dino passed away in 2010.
De Laurentiis’ first credit came as an associate producer on Mark L. Lester’s Firestarter starring Drew Barrymore. Most of her earliest work came from adaptations of Stephen King’s work, including live-action releases of Cat’s Eye, Silver Bullet, and Maximum Overdrive.
Having a penchant for horror, Martha was involved in the production of a trio of horror flicks even prior to the formation of the De Laurentiis Company: Wolfen, Amityville II, and Amityville 3D.
Between 1984 and now, De Laurentiis produced over 20 movies and NBC’s Hannibal series. Her latest project, a Firestarter reboot starring Zac Efron, Sydney Lemmon, and Gloria Reuben, is expected to be released in 2022.
She’s survived by two daughters, Carolyna, and Dina.
Cover photo by Clemens Bilan/Getty Images
