Donald Laventhall

Teaches at Primary Stages ESPA

Don Laventhall began working in the film business over 30 years ago as a research assistant on director/producer Alan J. Pakula’s productions of SOPHIE’S CHOICE. The relationship with Alan Pakula continued for many years, with Don becoming Pakula Productons’ executive Vice President in charge of development and production.  In this capacity, he oversaw the development of numerous screenplays, including Donna Tartt’s THE SECRET HISTORY, Buzz Bissinger’s FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, and John Grisham’s THE PELICAN BRIEF.  Don was a producer on the last two films directed by Alan Pakula -- THE PELICAN BRIEF starring Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington, and THE DEVIL’S OWN starring Brad Pitt and Harrison Ford. After Alan Pakula’s death, Don relocated to Los Angeles, where he was the executive VP at Sony-based Red Wagon Entertainment, where he oversaw the development and/or production of STUART LITTLE, GIRL INTERRUPTED, THE HOLLOW MAN, and GLADIATOR. After several years, he returned to New York to be a screenwriter and adapted Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book NO ORDINARY TIME. While Don continues to work as a screenwriter and producer, he also runs the film rights department at Harold Ober Associates, one of the oldest literary agencies in the country, representing a long list of authors and estates including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Nathanael West, Langston Hughes, Ira Levin, James M. Cain, and Lois Lowry. Recent productions based on book to film deals include Langston Hughes’ BLACK NATIVITY released last winter by Fox Searchlight, Ira Levin’s ROSEMARY’S BABY that aired this spring on NBC, and Lois Lowry’s THE GIVER. He was recently interviewed in a round table discussion with Meryl Streep and Kevin Klein that is included in the Blu Ray release of SOPHIE’S CHOICE.