On what would've been the 73rd birthday of the late, great producer, screenwriter and frequent John Carpenter collaborator Debra Hill, Deadline have exclusively revealed today that a documentary on her life and work is in production, titled Hollywood Trailblazer: The Debra Hill Story.
Halloween legend Jamie Lee Curtis is set to produce, with Irish filmmakers Jim McMorrow and Margaret McGoldrick in the director's chair.
Known affectionately as 'the godmother of indie filmmaking', Hill was a pioneer behind the scenes of some of horror's most iconic works. She co-wrote Halloween and The Fog with Carpenter, as well as producing Halloween II, Halloween III: Season of the Witch and David Cronenberg's The Dead Zone. Her other credits included work on Clue, Adventures In Babysitting, The Dead Zone, The Fisher King and World Trade Centre. Hill tragically passed away from cancer in 2005, and since then has been rightfully venerated and recently honored by the Producers Guild of America with the presentation of the 2023 Debra Hill Fellowship Award.
Notably, Hill was who cast Curtis in the pivotal role as Laurie Strode, beginning a lifelong friendship between the pair, as well as blessing horror with one of its most enduring icons.
Deadline informs that Hollywood Trailblazer will feature interviews from a whole host of huge genre names including Jamie Lee Curtis, John Carpenter, Stacey Sher, David Gordon Green, Terry Gilliam, Lynda Obst, Kim Gottlieb-Walker, Andrea Berloff, Alan Jones, Kim Newman, and more, with the team also working with Debra’s brother, Bob Hill.
In a statement, McMorror expressed his excitement for bringing Hill's story to the big screen:
“The story of Debra Hill is a multi-faceted one. She was, and still is, an inspiration to filmmakers across the globe, and her legacy as a formidable, creative producer, mentor, trailblazer, and pioneer in cinema and environmental activism is an eternally relevant story [...] It is a privilege to bring this to the screen for all of us that she shaped through her life and work.”
McGoldrick added:
Jim and I have been blown away by the response to telling Debra’s story. Debra was an incredible filmmaker and storyteller who not only excelled at her job but did it with the love and respect of everyone around her. Her passion was infectious and when women weren’t getting the chance to lead the charge, Debra was paving paths. She’s an incredibly inspirational figure for anyone wanting to forge a career in the film industry and I’m very honored to be a part of the team getting to tell her story.
Deadline also reports that Hollywood Trailblazer was developed by Northern Ireland Screen and Blue Finch Film Releasing, who are handling world sales.
We'll have more updates on Hollywood Trailblazer: The Debra Hill Story as and when we get them, but in the meantime, why not honor Hill by rewatching a Carpenter classic this weekend?
