Amy Robinson
Adjunct Professor
Amy Robinson’s most recent release Julie & Julia, starred Meryl Streep and Amy Adams, and was written and directed by Nora Ephron, based on the books ‘Julie & Julia’ by Julie Powell and ‘My Life In France’ by Julia Child and Alex Prud’Homme. It was released by Columbia Pictures. Robinson produced alongside Eric Steel, Laurence Mark and Ephron. Meryl Streep won the Golden Globe Award and the New York Film Critics Award for her portrayal of Julia Child in this film.
Robinson will next produce The Deep Blue Goodby at Twentieth Century Fox. It is the first in a series of movies based on the novels written by John D. MacDonald about the legendary detective Travis McGee.
Amy Robinson began her film career as an actress, best known for her role in Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets, before turning to producing. In 1977 she formed Triple Play Productions with Griffin Dunne and Mark Metcalf. Their first film, Chilly Scenes of Winter, based on the novel by Anne Beattie, was written and directed by Joan Micklin Silver and starred John Heard and Mary Beth Hurt.
In 1982, Robinson and Griffin Dunne formed Double Play Productions. Together they produced five feature films: Baby It’s You written and directed by John Sayles; After Hours directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Dunne which won Best Director at Cannes Film Festival and Best Film at IFP Spirit Awards; Running On Empty directed by Sidney Lumet and starring River Phoenix which was nominated for two Academy Awards (Best Supporting Actor and Best Screenplay) and which won the Golden Globe for Best Screenplay; White Palace produced with Mirage Entertainment, directed by Luis Mandoki and starring Susan Sarandon; and Once Around, Lasse Hallstrom’s American directorial debut, starring Holly Hunter and Richard Dreyfuss. Robinson, alongside Paula Weinstein, went on to produce With Honors starring Joe Pesci and Brendan Frasier.
Next she produced two films which were developed from novels: Drive Me Crazy for 20th Century Fox, directed by John Schultz and starring Adrian Grenier and Melissa Joan Hart and For Love of the Game, which she produced with Armyan Bernstein for Universal, starring Kevin Costner and Kelly Preston and directed by Sam Raimi.
Robinson went on to produce, along with Gary Lucchesi and Tom Rosenberg, Autumn in New York, directed by Joan Chen and starring Richard Gere and Winona Ryder. She then Executive Produced From Hell, which was released in October 2001 directed by Allen and Albert Hughes (Menace To Society, Dead Presidents) and starring Johnny Depp and Heather Graham.
Robinson then developed and produced along with Jay Julien When Zachary Beaver Came To Town based on the award winning young adult novel of the same name. The movie was written and directed by John Schultz (Drive Me Crazy, They Came From Upstairs).
Robinson reunited with Griffin Dunne to produce Game 6 based on an original screenplay by Don DeLillo, directed by Michael Hoffman and starring Michael Keaton and Robert Downey Jr.
She also executive produced several movies over the last few years including Marie And Bruce based on the play by Wallace Shawn directed by Tom Cairns; 12 & Holding directed by Michael Cuesta; and The Great New Wonderful directed by Danny Leiner.
Robinson was a member of the inaugural class of filmmakers at the 1981 Sundance Institute Lab. She has served as an advisor to the institute in various capacities including choosing projects, working with writers and directors, and speaking at the Producers Lab, which takes place each summer. She has served as a judge at the Sundance Film Festival and the Tribeca Institute All Access Program . She has taught guest lectures at Columbia University Film School, NYU Film School, University of Texas Business School, and Sarah Lawrence College.
Robinson is currently a member at large of the board of the Producers Guild East. She is teaching a senior seminar in film at the Ringling College of Art and Design in 2011-12.
Syllabus (PDF): Feature Film Development – Fall 2011