Gary Goddard (born July 18, 1954) is an American producer and director who co-founded the Landmark Entertainment Group. In 2002, he left it to form Gary Goddard Entertainment (GGE), later known as the Goddard Group, an entertainment design firm based in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. The firm reorganized, changed ownership, and was rebranded Legacy Entertainment in 2018 after Goddard left the company following accusations of sexual assault.
Gary Goddard | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Gary Goddard in 2006 | |
| Born | July 18, 1954 Blythe, California, U.S. |
Arts career
editTheater
editGoddard has produced several shows on and off-Broadway, including the 2009 revival of Hair (Tony Award winner, Best Revival of a Musical), Neil LaBute's reasons to be pretty (Tony Award nominee, Best Play), Jekyll & Hyde, Jesus Christ Superstar (one-night concert event), The Wiz at Encores!, among others.
Film
editGoddard directed the 1987 movie Masters of the Universe.[1]
Goddard had developed Broadway 4D, a proposed American[2] musical film to be written and directed by Goddard with Bryan Singer. Produced by Nigel Wright and Bad Hat Harry Productions, the film was in 2014 expected to star Christina Aguilera, Hugh Jackman, Matthew Morrison, Harvey Fierstein, Lea Salonga, and George Katt.[3] It was to be shot in Brooklyn, New York City[2][4][5] with a budget of $60 million to $90 million. [6]
Television
editGoddard has created several television shows, including Captain Power, Mega Babies, and Skeleton Warriors.[7]
Entertainment designer
editGoddard co-founded Landmark Entertainment Group in Los Angeles, California, in 1980.[8] The firm designs theme parks, live entertainment and other visitor attractions, in the United States and other countries. In 2002, he left Landmark and formed the Goddard Group design firm,[9] which was rebranded Legacy Entertainment after he left the company in 2018.
Sexual assault allegations
editIn April 2014, Goddard and frequent film collaborator Bryan Singer, along with several other filmmakers, were sued by actor Michael Egan III, who alleged that they had sexually assaulted him when he was a minor and had videotaped some of the assaults. Egan withdrew his lawsuit against Goddard in June 2014. By August of that year, he had dropped his lawsuits against the other defendants as well.[10][11]
On November 10, 2017, actor Anthony Edwards wrote an essay on Medium in which he alleged Goddard molested him and raped his best friend "for years", starting when they were 12 years old.[12][13] Goddard's publicist denied the allegations.[14] Brian Claflin, an aspiring artist and fashion designer from Salt Lake City, accused Goddard of a 1999 sexual assault at his Beverly Hills residence; Claflin died by suicide in Berlin in 2014 after having shared his accusations with a law firm and his father.[15]
Filmography
edit- Monster Plantation (dark ride)
- Jurassic Park: The Ride (dark ride)
- T2 3-D: Battle Across Time (3D film)
- The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man (dark ride)
- Hershey's Really Big 3D Show (3D film)
- Deepo's Undersea 3D Wondershow (3D film)
- Tarzan the Ape Man
- Masters of the Universe (director)
References
edit- ^ "'Masters' A Lesson In More Thrills For Less". Chicago Tribune. August 13, 1987. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
- ^ a b McPhee, Ryan. "Broadway 4D Cancels Planned Times Square Attraction Featuring Filmed Broadway Performances". broadway.com. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
- ^ Samantha Gergen. "'Broadway 4D'". backstage.com. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
- ^ "Broadway 4D Project Back on Track; Times Square Theatre To Be Rescued". Playbill. August 18, 2015.
- ^ "Broadway 4D Project Back on Its Feet with New Producers?". broadwayworld.com.
- ^ David, Cara Joy. "Industry Editor Exclusive: What Ever Happened to Broadway 4D?". Broadway World. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
- ^ "Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future". IGN. Retrieved March 23, 2012.
- ^ Martin, Hugo (December 7, 2011). "L.A. company to help build martial arts theme park in China". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
- ^ McNary, Dave (February 26, 2013). "Goddard Forms Film Production Unit". Variety. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
- ^ Dave McNary, "Sexual Abuse Suit Against Gary Goddard Withdrawn" Variety, June 28, 2014.
- ^ "Man Drops Sex Abuse Lawsuit Against X-Men Director Bryan Singer". Reuters. August 27, 2014. Archived from the original on November 11, 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
- ^ Edwards, Anthony (November 10, 2017). "Yes Mom, There is Something Wrong". Medium. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
- ^ Libby Hill, "Anthony Edwards pens powerful essay accusing Gary Goddard of molestation", Los Angeles Times, November 10, 2017.
- ^ Erik Pedersen, "Gary Goddard's Rep Responds To Anthony Edwards' Allegations: 'I Can Unequivocally Deny Them'", Deadline Hollywood, November 10, 2017.
- ^ "A notorious mansion. An alleged assault by a Hollywood producer. A suicide. What happened to Brian Claflin?", Garcia-Roberts, Gus. Los Angeles Times. May 11, 2018. Retrieved May 12, 2018.