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Richard P. Rubinstein is a seasoned and versatile producer known for feature films, event miniseries, TV movies, and anthology television series. He is recognized for his readiness to support directors, writers, and actors early in their careers.
In 1979, Rubinstein took Laurel Entertainment, the production company he founded with director George A. Romero, public to raise capital for internal development financing, aiming to maintain greater creative control and financial involvement in its projects. Romero left the company in 1984 to focus on his creative pursuits without public company obligations. In 1988, with shareholder approval, Rubinstein and Aaron Spelling merged Laurel and Spelling Television into The Spelling Entertainment Group, listed on the American Stock Exchange. Rubinstein continued as CEO, with Laurel serving as the East Coast development and production division based in New York City. The merger also included Spelling's acquisition of Worldvision, a television distributor with an extensive programming library.
In 1992, Blockbuster Entertainment acquired Spelling and its subsidiaries, including Laurel. Two years later, Viacom acquired Blockbuster, making Laurel an operating unit of Viacom. Seeking a smaller company environment, Rubinstein resigned in 1995 and founded New Amsterdam Entertainment, Inc., based in New York City. In 2008, New Amsterdam announced plans to develop a new feature film adaptation of Frank Herbert's science fiction classic "Dune" for Paramount Pictures, with Peter Berg attached as director and Rubinstein and Kevin Misher as producers.
In 2004, New Amsterdam facilitated Rubinstein’s role as producer for the remake of the 1979 horror classic "George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead," which Rubinstein originally produced. Directed by first-time feature director Zack Snyder and starring Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, and Mekhi Phifer, the Universal-distributed remake grossed over $110 million worldwide and was an official selection at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.
Rubinstein's feature film credits include the 1989 production of Stephen King's "Pet Sematary" (Paramount), directed by Mary Lambert from King's novel and screenplay. The $10 million film earned $57 million domestically and over $120 million worldwide. Other Stephen King adaptations produced by Rubinstein include "The Night Flier" (New Line, 1998), "Thinner" (Paramount, 1997), and "Creepshow" (Warner Bros., 1982), featuring Leslie Nielsen, Hal Holbrook, E.G. Marshall, and Ted Danson before his "Cheers" fame. In 1990, Rubinstein produced "Tales from the Darkside: The Movie" (Paramount), John Harrison’s feature debut, starring Julianne Moore in her first feature role, Steve Buscemi, Christian Slater, and Debby Harry. He also produced several George A. Romero films including "Martin" (Libra Films, 1977) and "Knightriders" (United Artists, 1981), which featured Ed Harris in his first leading role.
Under New Amsterdam, Rubinstein served as Executive Producer for acclaimed television miniseries such as "Frank Herbert's Dune," produced with Disney. The six-hour Emmy-winning miniseries premiered on the Sci Fi Channel in December 2000, directed and written by first-time miniseries creator John Harrison, starring William Hurt and shot by three-time Academy Award-winning cinematographer Vittorio Storaro. The Emmy-winning sequel "Frank Herbert's Children of Dune," directed by Greg Yaitanes and scripted by John Harrison, adapted the second and third novels of Herbert's saga. Produced with Disney and Hallmark, this six-hour event was the first major miniseries shot in "24P" High Definition digital format and premiered in March 2003 on the Sci Fi Channel, featuring Susan Sarandon and James McAvoy.
Rubinstein’s Executive Producer television credits include Stephen King's "The Stand" (1994), an eight-hour ABC miniseries starring Gary Sinise before his Oscar nominations, and "The Langoliers" (1995), a four-hour ABC miniseries starring Patricia Wettig, Dean Stockwell, Bronson Pinchot, and David Morse. Both were the highest-rated long-form movies on network television during their respective years. "The Stand" earned Rubinstein and King nominations for Best Miniseries. Earlier in the 1990s, Rubinstein Executive Produced "Stephen King's Golden Years," an eight-hour CBS miniseries featuring Felicity Huffman in her first leading TV role.
He also Executive Produced, alongside Aaron Spelling and David Brown, the CBS miniseries "A Season in Purgatory" (1996), starring Patrick Dempsey and Brian Dennehy, based on Dominick Dunne's bestseller; "Kiss & Tell" (1996), a two-hour ABC movie starring Cheryl Ladd; and "Precious Victims" (1993), a two-hour CBS TV movie based on a true crime novel. Rubinstein co-Executive Produced with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar "The Vernon Johns Story" (1994), a two-hour TV movie starring James Earl Jones, which won four Monte Carlo TV Festival Awards and a Christopher Award for affirming the highest human values. He also Executive Produced two successful syndicated anthology series distributed by Tribune Entertainment: "Tales From The Darkside" (90 episodes) and "Monsters" (72 episodes), featuring notable actors such as Jerry Orbach, Jerry Stiller, Chris Noth, Lisa Bonet, and Marcia Cross.
Born in Brooklyn, New York City, Rubinstein earned a BS from The American University in Washington, D.C., and an MBA from Columbia University. He began his film career as a production assistant on TV commercials and gained his first Associate Producer credit on "A Night with Nicol Williamson," a one-hour pay-cable special produced by Dore Schary. In 1974, he independently produced and licensed a one-hour ABC special profiling O. J. Simpson during his football peak, followed by "The Winners," a syndicated series of twelve one-hour biographical profiles of sports icons including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Mario Andretti, Reggie Jackson, and Franco Harris.
Rubinstein is a member of the Producers Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. He is a Benefactor of the Film Society of Lincoln Center, a former 20-year member of the Sundance Film Festival's National Advisory Board, and part of the American Film Institute’s "Third Decade Council." He served six years on the Board of Directors of the New York founding chapter of The Independent Feature Project. Rubinstein also serves on the Board of Directors of Chashama, a nonprofit that connects emerging artists needing studio and exhibition space with commercial landlords offering short-term vacancies. He frequently guest lectures on the entertainment industry and co-developed and taught an Entrepreneurial Producing course at NYU/Stern Graduate School of Business. In September 2007, Rubinstein became a trustee of The Town Hall, one of New York City's premier performance venues.
