Biography
Sean Daniel, p.g.a., has forged a nearly five-decade career in the entertainment industry. As a producer and studio executive, he has played a pivotal role in shaping modern cinema, overseeing some of the most beloved and critically acclaimed films ever produced. Daniel began his tenure at Universal Pictures in 1976, and just nine years later, at age 34, became the youngest production president in the studio's history. During this time, he managed the financing and production of acclaimed titles including National Lampoon's Animal House (1978), Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980), The Blues Brothers (1980), The Breakfast Club (1985), Sixteen Candles (1984), Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), An American Werewolf in London (1981), Brazil (1985), Field of Dreams (1989), Do the Right Thing (1989), Back to the Future (1985), Born in East L.A. (1987), Midnight Run (1988), Rumble Fish (1983), Missing (1982), Weird Science (1985), Uncle Buck (1989), Fletch (1985), Gorillas in the Mist (1988), Darkman (1990), and Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (1983).
While at Universal, Daniel founded Alphaville Films, later partnering with James Jacks, and produced the blockbuster action-adventure The Mummy (1999), featuring future Academy Award® winners Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz. He also produced four sequels in the franchise: The Mummy Returns (2001), which launched Dwayne Johnson’s film career; The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008); The Scorpion King (2002); and The Mummy (2017). The franchise has collectively grossed nearly $2 billion worldwide.
Daniel's producing credits also include Malcolm D. Lee’s hit romantic comedy The Best Man Holiday (2013), Richard Linklater’s cult classic Dazed and Confused (1993), the acclaimed western Tombstone (1993), Nora Ephron’s supernatural comedy Michael (1996), Joel and Ethan Coen’s Intolerable Cruelty (2003), the Chris Rock/Weitz brothers’ comedy Down to Earth (2001), the rap-music comedy CB4 (1993) starring Chris Rock, and John Woo’s American debut Hard Target (1993).
More recently, Daniel produced Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019) alongside Guillermo Del Toro, Richard Linklater’s Everybody Wants Some!! (2016), and the documentary Belushi (2020).
In television, Daniel has served as executive producer on the Netflix hit The Witcher (2019), Peacock’s The Best Man: The Final Chapters (2022), Amazon’s acclaimed series The Expanse (2015), based on James S.A. Corey’s best-selling novels, and Graceland (2013), created by Jeff Eastin of White Collar fame. He also executive produced the TNT original film Freedom Song (2000) directed by Phil Robinson and starring Danny Glover, HBO’s Everyday People (2004), and USA Network’s four-hour miniseries Attila (2001), starring Gerard Butler.
Daniel earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in film from the California Institute of the Arts in 1973.
