Don’t Kill the Messenger welcomes producer, studio executive and former President of the PGA, Gary Lucchesi

In this episode of “Don’t Kill the Messenger,” host Kevin Goetz sits down with Gary Lucchesi, the acclaimed producer and former President of the Producer’s Guild of America. From his early days as a talent agent at William Morris to his tenure as President of Production at Paramount Pictures, Gary has been a driving force behind numerous hit films. As a producer, his credits include Primal Fear, Million Dollar Baby, The Lincoln Lawyer, and Runaway Bride, among many others. In this insightful conversation, Gary shares stories from his career, discussing the art of assembling the right talent, the power of test screenings, and his thoughts on the future of the film industry.

Kevin on Gary Lucchesi:

We both love the business so much. Every time we sit down for a meal, first thing you say is, Kev, oh man, what’s going on with this business? And I laugh at it because I know where this lunch is going, but at the end of the lunch, we’re going to be rejuvenated. We’re going to be excited about the future. So, I thank you so much for your friendship, for your love, and you’re my man. You’re just one of my favorite people in the entire business.

Gary’s career took him from talent agent to studio executive when he became President of Production at Paramount Pictures. During his tenure, he oversaw films like The Hunt for Red October and Fatal Attraction. He shares a fascinating story about how a focus group screening led to a major change in the ending of Fatal Attraction, turning it from a “bummer” into a box office hit:

We had this movie that was brilliant, but it ended in a tragic way. It ends with Glenn Close committing suicide to Madame Butterfly, and then Michael Douglas getting arrested. You’ve got a movie that the audience is riveted to, and then there’s a bummer ending. I was sitting next to Sherry Lansing and she grabs my arm. You could just see the audience deflate. Ned Tanen, who was running the studio, said, ‘We won’t release the movie unless you change the ending.’ So it was then a question of how are you going to change it? The focus group tells you what the problem is, but they don’t give you the solution.

Kevin adds:

The result of that was not just that you made a better movie, but there was millions and millions, tens of millions of dollars that were made because of that change.

The Shifting Landscape of the Film Industry

In the latter part of the conversation, Kevin and Gary discuss the seismic changes in the film business, from the rise of streaming to the impact of the pandemic and strikes. Despite the challenges, Gary shares his optimism about the next generation reinventing the industry:

It’s amazing that in Old Hollywood, they did all these movies about making movies, Singing in the Rain. And then the last one was probably La La Land that was about making movies. Babylon, and about the joy that people have in making movies. And I said, that’s a problem with Hollywood is that nobody’s making movies about the joy of making movies. And then I was thinking about it and I said, Jesus, I said, maybe I’m a thousand percent wrong. I think I’m a thousand percent wrong. And she kind of looks at me and I said, what are the young people doing today? TikTok. They’re making little movies. You’ve got all these kids that are taking their cell phones and they’re being creative and they’re making money. I said, they’re like the pioneers of Hollywood. They’re the same people as Busby Berkeley doing a little comedy sketch or Charlie Chaplin doing something. They’re doing their own version of art.

Gary Lucchesi brings his passion for producing, his keen eye for talent, and his deep understanding of the filmmaking process to this conversation with his friend, and host, Kevin Goetz. For anyone interested in the art and business of filmmaking, this episode offers a front-row seat to one of the industry’s most accomplished and respected producers.

For the full conversation, check out the podcast episode here. And let us know your thoughts on the episode in the comments!

Don’t Kill the Messenger, hosted by movie and entertainment research expert Kevin Goetz, brings his book Audienceology to life. This bi-monthly podcast takes a peek behind the filmmaking curtain as Kevin talks with famous filmmakers, studio executives, stars, and other creatives about movies, filmmaking, audience test screenings, and much more.