Martha De Laurentiis, a producer whose credits include film adaptations of Thomas Harris’ Red Dragon and Hannibal as well as the later NBC adaptation, died Sunday at his home after a battle with brain cancer. She is 67 years old.
De Laurentiis was also the wife of the late Dino De Laurentiis, with whom she had two daughters, Carolyna De Laurentiis and Dina De Laurentiis. Dina released a statement on Sunday after her mother passed away.
“My mother was a warm, generous, optimistic person – my father always called her ‘sunshine’ – and fiercely protective,” her daughter Dina De Laurentiis said in a statement. declared, “A respected wife, mother, grandmother, and friend has touched so many people, and nurtured – and protected – the film and television creators she created. She loves her family. She puts her family first, but every morning she wakes up passionately building on my father’s legacy and continuing to forge herself. Her kindness, intelligence and grace will continue to pass on. inspiration for us”.
Martha Schumacher was born on July 10, 1954, she grew up in Piqua, Ohio and was crowned Miss Teen of Ohio in 1972.
She attended Ball State University and briefly modeled in New York before starting to produce films like Wolfen and The Warriors. She also worked in production accounting for projects including mini-series Dain’s Curse.
She joined Dino De Laurentiis Communications as an assistant production accountant on the film Milos Forman . Ragtime before moving on to produce the Stephen King movie adaptation Fire starter. That film also began a long-term co-production with producer Dino De Laurentiis, whom she later married. The pair also went on to build what is now Screen Gems Studios in Wilmington, NC, where Martha took over production duties on several De Laurentiis Entertainment Group films including other King adaptations – Cat’s Eye, Silver Bullet and Maximum Overdrive – as Dating with an angel, bedroom and No experience, as well as studio monitoring.
In the 1990s, the couple founded the De Laurentiis Company, which produced films including Breakdown, U-571, Hannibal, Red Dragon, and The Last Legion. They also established CLA Cinecitta Studios in Ourzazate, Morocco.
After Dino’s death in 2020, Martha continued to be the head of De Laurentiis Company. Through the company’s first permanent deal with NBC-Universal Pictures, she executive produces Hannibal for NBC and Gaumont and who starred Mads Mikkelsen North Pole and is credited as an EP in the upcoming remake of Fire starter.
She is also survived by her partner of 10 years, Dr. Randy Sherman.
